More than a campaign targeted at strengthening customer loyalty and increasing revenue, the ‘Nescafé my coffee, my vibe’ by Nestlé Nigeria is doing a lot to communicate a unique youth-centric messaging built on a tripod of lifestyle, productivity, and development. The rich tapestry of designs, hues, and contours is a fantastic spotlight on the inner workings of Nestlé Nigeria and Nestlé as a global company dedicated to helping humanity attain ‘good food, good life’.
On the productivity angle, there is a growing number of young Nigerians delivering an est. average of 60-70 cups of hot beverages (per person) on Lagos streets daily with their Nescafé pushcarts. The enamoring excitement and dutiful commitment exuded by these operators as they travel from street to street is a beauty to behold. According to ‘Entrepreneurship with Nestlé: My Own Business’ an article on Nestlé Central and West Africa’s website, “The ‘My own business’ scheme – known locally as MYOWBU – encourages people in Central and West Africa to develop a career and gain financial independence. The initiative, led by the company’s out-of-home business Nestlé Professional, is helping to provide thousands of people with the chance to head their own street-vending business, employing and managing their own street vendors.”
The wholesome attitude of the pushcart operators is proof that the Nestlé My Own Business (MYOWBU) programme does not just increase the bottomline of this fantastic team of young people by training them in sales and marketing as well as quality and safety alone but by also teaching them emotional intelligence and people skills. It is not a regular scenario to witness a Nestlé pushcart operator engage in brickbat or fight even in the hyper bustle that characterizes Lagos. This ‘intangible’ contributory factor to productivity is a big plus for what Nestlé Nigeria does. It presents a case for anyone to believe in the humanity of Nigerians.
On the lifestyle angle, there is an awakening effect that a cup of coffee brings to the start of the day. It enhances cognitive function and executive performance. Not just that, coffee is rich in antioxidants which neutralize free radicals in the body thus lowering the risk of oxidative stress and chronic diseases. It is also known to have antimicrobial and anti-carcinogenic properties. This is why in many homes and offices, it features prominently on the breakfast menu.
The fact that Nescafé, the most popular coffee brand for Nigerians and West Africans, now comes in three varieties – the Nescafé classic, the Nescafé 3-in-1, and the Nescafé Malty – offers a valuable opportunity for young people, nay the entire population, to enjoy the rich health benefits of coffee.
On the development angle, Nestlé Nigeria is heavily committed to the youth development agenda in line with the vision that is championed by Nestlé Global. With a 2030 ambition focused on three areas: employment and employability, agripreneurship, and entrepreneurship, the Nestlé YOUth Initiative will equip young people with skills to enable them create their own businesses or find jobs.
Another article on the Nestlé Central and West Africa’s website headlined: “Global Youth Initiative – Nestlé Needs YOUth” indicated that “over the last decade we’ve helped prepare hundreds of thousands of young people for work, trained and supported 4 million farmers and helped 2 million women develop business skills. But we’re determined to do more.” Therefore, with a target of 10 million young people worldwide, Nestlé is primed to “help build thriving, resilient communities and support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”.
‘My coffee, my vibe’ is more than just a campaign. It is ample evidence that Nestlé Nigeria isn’t only considering a healthy balance sheet which will pay shareholders healthy gains, its commitment to a healthy youth lifestyle and a healthy future that will deliver sustainable development for Nigeria’s youth demographics is the real vibe.