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Quinton Cronje, Nando’s marketing director, talks exclusively to South Africa Magazine about why 2010 was a successful year for this iconic

brand. By Ian Armitage

Finger on theP U L S EP U L S E

Q uinton Cronje is a dedicated man. The former economics lecturer turned marketing guru is besotted

with the company that employs him – Nando’s. And why wouldn’t he be? Nando’s is one of the country’s most enduring and risque brands, and it sells some of the best chicken you can buy. “When the modern history of South Africa is written, there will be an entire chapter dedicated to Nando’s,” he says.

Nando’s core product, which is the signature peri-peri fl ame-grilled chicken, is made from the freshest A-grade butterfl y cut chicken, marinated for 24-hours and with excess fat trimmed off. It also prides itself on only serving food with no added colour, fl avour, additives or MSG.

Nando’s famed ingredient, the peri-peri, is rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, high in anti-oxidants and, best of all, the capsaicin in the chillies helps enhance metabolism and, consequently, burns fat quicker.

It has a lot going for it. Over the last 12 months, Cronje has been pushing this point, as well as several others, and a recent campaign introduces “General Kenako” who heads the Nando’s Peri-volutionise Your Health campaign.

The word Kenako means ‘the time is now’ and it is all part of a master plan to encourage the general public to adopt healthy eating habits.

As fun as this campaign is, Cronje says, it isn’t his favourite. So what is? “My favourite so far was the campaign we ran during the World Cup. We have all heard of situations where a foreigner has asked whether we have lions that wander the streets or whether South Africa has supermarkets. The campaign was all about different misconceptions that foreigners have about South Africa and South Africans. We took a light hearted look at these false impressions and had a bit of a laugh at them…and ourselves.”

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The campaign aimed to rally South Africans together in offering foreigners the best that the country has to offer: It was all about Bafana Bafana and making sure South Africa played the perfect host. It paid off. “We grew 30 percent over the World Cup period and we are very, very happy with that,” Cronje says.

Nando’s fi nancial year ended in February and – thanks largely to gains during the World Cup period - it has beaten budget by fi ve percent. More impressively, it has attracted over 400,000 new customers and grown its

market share from 15 percent to 16.5 percent. “We’ve had a very successful 12 months,” says Cronje.

Is that success down to just advertising? “No,” Cronje explains. “Certainly not. It is the brand and the quality of food. I think that no matter what you say about advertising, consistency of customer experience is key and so is the service and

product offered.”He describes the service at Nando’s as

“amazing” and believes it is that which keeps customers coming back. Nando’s core product is a major factor too.

“Advertising has an effect in that in brings people in, but more than anything it is the amazing chicken and the amazing people we have that work in the brand that are important,” says Cronje. “Also, we have a lot of product innovation. Product innovation has defi nitely attracted new customers, no doubt, especially in terms of health and wellness.

“I think when it comes to the Nando’s brand there is a lot that appeals to customers,” he adds.

The one area he would like to improve, though, is the youth market. “We are probably under-indexing there,” Cronje says. “We have a multi-appeal brand, but if anything I would say we have inroads still to make in the younger markets.

We always look to improve, attract

new users and maintain existing

standards

Finger on the

“That is something we are working to improve. How will it be done? I think through locations and product offering.”

The key to Nando’s success over this last year has been threefold: convenience, health and value for money. “Convenience is vital,” says Cronje. “There is a need for food that is prepared in a suitable timeframe in locations that are close to where people live and work, because, you know, it really stems from the fact people have increasingly busy lives.

“Health is another big factor,” he adds. “That is a consumer megatrend. The more people eat fast food, the more their need for healthier eating increases.

“Finally value for money in the current climate has been extremely important. Now Nando’s is and always will be a premium brand but that doesn’t mean we can’t offer

value. You certainly get what you pay for when you come here.”

Cronje would like to keep up the momentum gained in 2010 throughout 2011 and intends to ensure fi rm’s turnaround strategy remains on track. “We always look to improve, attract new users and maintain existing standards.

“KFC is very dominant in this sector so we would really like to take a bit more of their market share. And why not? We have the quality experience and an amazing product quality. Once people experience the brand they keep coming back.”

He’d like to do another major advertising campaign very soon, so keep your eyes pealed: few people keep as watchful an eye on the psyche of the nation as the good folk at Nando’s. END

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