…As Heineken innovates to boost brand identity***
The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele has said that no fewer than 130 textile companies have died in the country in recent times due to some constraints.
Emefiele made the statement during a courtesy call on Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State on Monday.
‘’Textile industries used to be the largest employers of labour in Nigeria after the public service but due to certain constraints, such as smuggling, dumping, lack of access to finance and issue bordering on power, over 130 textile companies have so far perished,’’ he said.
Emefiele said besides that, the ginners, spinners, and about one million farmers who were planting cotton as their source of livelihood also lost their jobs.
‘’And today we are complaining about insecurity and kidnapping, the reasons for these is joblessness and hopelessness, so, we need to do something about it.
‘’We must revitalise the textile industry to be the largest employer of labour, we feel that we will set the stage rolling, we must come to Katsina State which is the largest producer of cotton to begin a process,’’ he said.
According to him, CBN has held a lot of meetings with the farmers and other people along the value chain on how to achieve success.
He also urged Nigerians to stop smuggling and dumping of cotton and textile materials in order to realise the set goal.
In his remarks, Masari said that agriculture was the next sector that the state government accorded priority after education.
He said that reviving the textile industry was the biggest and quickest way of solving unemployment in the country and commended the CBN for its efforts in that direction.
Masari however, urged the CBN to review procedures for accessing loan facilities by the farmers.
In the meantime, Heineken, the world’s premier international beer brand on Monday announced an innovation to boost its brand identity with an alluring all-green crown cork.
The Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Emmanuel Oriakhi, made the disclosure at a news conference in Lagos.
According to him, the innovation still has the great taste of Heineken in every bottle, the same quality and the same price.
“There is no fake Heineken in the market. Heineken is an international premium beer and associated with quality and thus, the need to take it to the next level.
“This change presents the next subtle step in the evolution of the Heineken identity, expressing the clear, bright, fresh and natural character of the Heineken lager beer while retaining its same great taste.
“This new change maintains the brand’s contemporary and progressive identity, highlighting Heineken’s most iconic design elements.
“Heineken’s unique red star is bolder, its dominant green color is more prominent and the word “Quality” has also been replaced with “Original”, further referencing Heineken’s claim of being one of the most authentic brands in the world,” he said.
Oriakhi said that the new look was in line with Heineken’s green identity which takes effect this May.
He added that with this change, the old silver crown corks would be phased out gradually, leaving the same beer and same great taste.
“We at Heineken are very excited about this new modification to our crown cork. Just as with the limited edition bottles, we are very confident that our proud consumers will share in the euphoria of this new change.
“This year has been exciting for Heineken in Nigeria. Through our carefully thought out campaigns, we have reinforced strong connections with our loyal consumers by gifting them unique, remarkable and unforgettable experiences.
“As we strive to consistently raise the bar in our consumer experience, this new crown cork design re-establishes our resolve to stay prominent above other brands, all while maintaining that same originality and great taste,” he said.
He also said that this was not the first time Heineken would be changing its look, as the brand had changed its crown cork in 2014.
He said that once the existing silver crown corks are phased out, the green crown corks would be solely used, adding that there was a possibility of seeing the old and new crown in trade.
“This new launch comes hot on the heels of Heineken’s ongoing riveting UEFA Champions League Campaign.
“This year with the UCL campaign, the premium viewing experiences, the UEFA Champions League tour, the unmissable match, a trip to the UCL semi-finals, lucky consumers and now the limited edition UCL bottles, Heineken has continued to connect with its consumers with a commitment to continually reward them with more exciting encounters in the coming months.
“With its presence in 192 countries worldwide, Heineken remains one of the world’s most consumed international beer brands, consistently upping the ante in providing fans with unique, remarkable, unmissable moments,” he said.
