SEVENUP BOTTLING COMPANY
factor about this is we can use most of the standard solutions out of the box,” he explains.“ We need to develop very innovative, cost effective solutions that allow us to explore IoT during the microeconomic difficulties that are currently facing Nigeria.”
Using technology to boost sales In a bid to gain greater visibility into market demand and behaviour, SevenUp Bottling has begun piloting online sales channels. This initiative aims to provide insights into the relationship between distributors and retailers.
“ We started running several initiatives that allow us to get that line of sight into what the market is demanding and how the market is behaving in real time – not by sending a sales team on the ground to assess how the shops look like, what’ s the stock count in the shops, but by controlling the transactions in real time,” Vasco says.
One innovative approach involves using WhatsApp as an ordering and payment platform.
Vasco says:“ As it’ s fully integrated into a payment system, people who order on WhatsApp can pay online and we get line of sight into how our retail market is behaving.”
This digital sales channel not only provides valuable market insights but also opens up new avenues for growth and customer engagement.
Cultural and portfolio innovation SevenUp Bottling’ s transformation extends beyond technology to
encompass cultural change and product innovation. It has also expanded its product portfolio beyond Pepsi-branded beverages to include its own brands and been responsive to market needs.
Vasco notes:“ We stop being just Pepsi bottlers to create our own products. We bottle our own drinks, our own brands and they’ re pretty successful.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company demonstrated its agility by quickly entering the hand sanitiser market.
124 May 2025