As the Dangote Cement Bag of Goodies 2020 Season 2 promo winds down, beneficiaries are recounting the impact of the promo on their lives and businesses.
The mega promo, which produced over 450 lucky winners across the country, has impacted positively on the businesses of loyal customers and assisted them in mitigating the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Experts say sales are the lifeblood of a business, without sales there would be no business in the first place; therefore it is very important that if a business wants to succeed, it should have a sales promotion strategy in mind.
The primary objective of a sales promotion is to improve a company’s sales by predicting and modifying your target customer’s purchasing behaviour and patterns. Sales promotion is very important as it not only helps to boost sales but it also helps a business to draw new customers while at the same time retaining old ones.
A block moulder and cement dealer, who was one of the lucky winners of the just concluded Dangote Cement Promo, Mr Obinna Udebi, said he used the N1 million star prize won during the promo to expand his cement and block-moulding business.
According to Udebi, his business was only struggling to survive due to the impact of the global COVID-19, but it was rescued by Dangote Cement through the just concluded Mega Promo.
He disclosed that, “Prior to the promo, he was only able to buy 300 bags of cement, but with N1 million, I have been able to increase the numbers of my cement stock from 300 to 600 bags.”
He said Dangote Cement has helped improve his revenue, as he is now able to deliver cement and blocks to customers within few days as a result of the available funds.
Udebi, who claimed to be a major seller of Dangote Cement products since 2009, commended the company for maintaining high quality products that have stood the test of time since inception.
For Mr Aminu Bala, another cement dealer who also won in the promo, the N1 million star prize has transformed him from an ordinary retailer of cement to wholesaler and major dealer of Dangote Cement.
Bala stated that the N1 million he won during the promo period has transformed his company from a retailer of cement to a wholesaler, saying that “Since I won the prize money, I have stepped up to buy one to two trailer loads of cement, which automatically transform me from retailer to wholesaler of Dangote Cement.”
He confirmed that Dangote Cement still remains the best cement in the Nigerian market and continues to be consumer’s first choice.
Bala commended the company for initiating the promo during the COVID-19, saying the money won has assisted his company in alleviating the impact of the virus on his business.
Another excited winner, Mrs Naomi Chidi used the money for her building project, which she said had suffered set-backs due to lack of fund. “The money came at the right time. With the money, I was able to take the project to lintel level,” she said.
She commended Dangote Cement’s initiatives of ensuring customers’ satisfaction through strategic consumer promo.
Speaking on the reasons for staging the promo, group managing director, Dangote Cement Plc, Michel Puchercos, said it was part of the company’s strategies to continuously reward consumers who are the backbone in the cement business
“It was to reward valued consumers for their unflinching partnership in ensuring that our range of cement products remains today the first choice for construction purposes across the country,” he added.
Puchercos stated, “The prizes we offered during the promo were specifically tailored towards changing the living standards of consumers who are the end users of our products. These prizes have great economic value as they can be used to kick off small scale businesses especially in the face of the COVID-19 global pandemic with many families losing their source of livelihood.
“Dangote Cement ‘Bag of Goodies Promo Season two’ served a dual purpose; it allows consumers of our products to continue their projects while at the same time stand a chance of becoming a millionaire or proud winner of prizes such as tricycle, motorcycles, among others.
“Here in Dangote Cement, we adhere strictly to best global standards in producing our range of cement which makes them the best in the market. Our products; BlocMaster, 42.5R, 42.5N and Falcon are all top-of-the-range brands developed to ensure that cement users have a choice on the type of product suitable for their projects. Much research and tests went into the development and production of these products, as we are determined to offer consumers the best quality and experience either in building personal houses or in commercial construction works,” he added.
The director of marketing, Dangote Cement, Mrs Funmi Sanni, said that the promotion was to encourage the customers to continue patronising the cement product, which according to her, is the best in the country. She said Dangote Cement values the consumers who are the end users of cement products.
“As an organisation focused on improving the living standards of the consumers of our products, Dangote Cement has come out with the promo to ameliorate the impact of COVID-19,” she added.
She said the company had been making efforts to satisfy its teeming customers to the fullest, adding that apart from the premium quality of the product, the firm has also introduced several customer-driven promotional offers in order to keep their relationship intact.
Chief commercial officer, Dangote Group, Mr Rabiu Umar in his remarks said following the negative impact of COVID-19 on the economy, Dangote Cement decided to award a total of N1 billion to 1,000 winners across the country. According to him, Dangote Cement Company deemed it fit to continue with the second phase of the promo, tagged Bag of Goodies two in order to give back to the society to cushion the effects of the pandemic.
Umar also noted that the promo was like palliative to the teeming Nigerians who may have been adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic across the country. Dangote Cement is Africa’s leading cement producer with a production capacity of 45.6 million tonnes per year across 10 countries in sub-Sahara Africa. The company has integrated factories in seven countries, a clinker grinding plant in Cameroon and import and distribution facilities for bulk cement in Ghana and Sierra Leone. Together, these operations make the company the largest cement producer in Sub-Saharan Africa.
