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Leveraging the
power of milestones
to enhance brand
building
Milestone marketing – leveraging an organisation’s achievements
as a way to market the brand – is a strategy often used by large
corporations in Zimbabwe, writes Tendai Maguwu.
T HE MILESTONES THAT BRAND Creating credibility to its marketing communication messages
marketers normally create support sales campaigns in print media, as well as being part of the
promotional mileage out of include livery on its delivery trucks.
corporate and product anniversaries, In the cut-throat world of brand marketing,
attainment of ISO certification, acquisition even sales promotion campaigns need a Awards such as this create valuable
of plant and equipment, and winning push. Zimbabwe’s largest supermarket third-party endorsement and validation,
industry awards. brand, OK Zimbabwe, has been running which helps brands stand apart from their
an annual sales promotion, named the competition. An award from the likes of
Of these, anniversaries are arguably OK Grand Challenge Jackpot Promotion, MAZ lends credibility and helps to build
the most common achievements around since 1988. trust in the brand.
which milestone marketing strategies
are planned. While some experts In 2013 the campaign celebrated its Anniversaries entrench
question the efficacy of this approach, 25th anniversary and the retailer marked the market position
many Zimbabwean companies see it this by creating a special logo that
as a way to achieve a number of brand Some businesses have made
objectives and benefits – as the following Emphasising anniversaries a continuous strategy by
examples illustrate. longevity gains adding the organisation’s establishment
consumer trust date to its brand packaging. Local milling
Leveraging the power company National Foods, for example,
of brand longevity accompanied every promotion-related continuously informs the market of the
marketing message. This enabled the long history of its premium self-raising
When the Zimbabwean ox-drawn company to lend credibility to the sales flour brand, Gloria Flour, through the
farming implements manufacturer, campaign by reminding the market of its slogan ‘Trusted since 1920’ which appears
Zimplow Limited, celebrated the long history, a strategy that is more likely on every packet.
75th anniversary of its Mealie Brand to gain market trust than similar activities
implements, the company ran a successful by younger brands. Olivine Industries, a manufacturer of
sales promotion campaign for most of fast-moving consumer brands (FMCBs),
2015, acknowledging the reality that In 2014, OK Zimbabwe won the uses the same tactic to market its flagship
farming implement sales are seasonal, Marketers Association of Zimbabwe cooking oil brand, Olivine, through a label
with demand peaking as the rainy (MAZ)-run Superbrand award for the marked ‘Established in 1931’. This helps
season approaches. year’s most Exceptional Campaign as a marketers of the two brands to entrench
result of the OK Grand Challenge Jackpot their premium status in the minds of
This enabled an almost year-long Promotion. Subsequently, the company customers by highlighting their long and
anniversary celebration, which helped ensured that the award was included in all successful history.
the brand to stay top of consumers’
minds for a long time and to enjoy Similarly, Doves Funeral Services
prolonged exposure. abandoned its ‘For the ones you love’
brand slogan after 2002 and adopted a
Issue 4 2016 strategicmarketingafrica 47
