Nigerian Breweries Receives the ADVAN Awards for Marketing Excellence 2020 Following COVID-19 Relief Efforts

Nigerian Breweries has received a special award at the Advertising Association of Nigeria Awards for Excellence 2020, popularly known as the ADVAN Awards. The foremost brewing company received the coveted ‘ADVAN Community Hero’ award, following its stellar run of COVID-19 relief efforts across the country.

The ADVAN Awards for Marketing Excellence (West Africa) is popularly recognised as an avenue to acknowledge and reward marketing professionals that have made outstanding contributions to the profession. However, this year, in response to the current realities nationally and globally, ADVAN is presenting awards in only one special category, which is the “ADVAN Community Heroes Award”.

According to the organisers, “the positive impact of advertisers via support activities, ranging from monetary and product donations to education and enlightenment programs, was one of the most welcome and celebrated initiatives during the heart of the pandemic onslaught.

This is why the 2020 Edition of the ADVAN Awards for Marketing Excellence, will be dedicated to celebrating organizations that have made significant and lasting contributions to individuals, families and communities wellbeing in the pandemic times.”

Speaking on the development, the Brand PR & Sponsorships Manager, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Sandra Amachree, expressed her delight, citing the company’s commitment of “Winning with Nigeria” to playing a major part in defeating the virus:

“We are most delighted to receive this prestigious award. Right from the onset of the coronavirus in Nigeria, we sought to provide ways to assist the country in containing it and also shield Nigerians from the harsh socio-economic implications of the virus. We are proud that these steadfast efforts have been recognised and we will like to reiterate our commitment to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our consumers, staff, partners and the general public alike.”

In April 2020, following an overwhelming spate in confirmed COVID-19 cases, Nigerian Breweries announced a hefty donation of N600m to the Federal Government and some State Governments, totalling N600m in monetary and material donations geared towards increasing the capacity of the governments and health centres across the country to contain the novel virus.

Additionally, the HEINEKEN Company, the parent company of Nigerian Breweries, had previously donated €15 million to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Society to support their relief efforts towards the most vulnerable people and communities affected by COVID-19 especially those in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Furthermore, at the onset of the disease, the company skewed its marketing activities to fit the current realities, driving awareness and sensitisation in the process. An example of this was a public service announcement, in which ambassadors of brands in its portfolio delivered precautionary messages to millions of consumers.

The company also utilised devised campaigns to create a sense of togetherness and remote entertainment among its consumers, especially in a period marked by isolation and pandemic fatigue.

Nigerian Breweries Plc. is the pioneer and largest brewing company in Nigeria. It serves the Nigerian market spanning 800,000 retail outlets with a consumer base of over 45 million Nigerians.