“ With Mia we’re not targeting market share. Of course, Novatis must make a profit. But when we see that the rate of use of sanitary napkins in Morocco is only 30%, we are not going to seek 15, 20 or 50% market share of 30%. The goal is to expand the market; that more women have access to intimate protection, ” says Souheil Badaa, Vice-President and Marketing Director of the Novatis Group. An objective that comes first on board sponsorship, but which finds its explanation in the low rate of access to sanitary napkins in Morocco, compared to neighboring countries: 80% in Algeria, 85% in Tunisia against 90% to 95% in developed countries and 6% to 8% in underdeveloped countries. “This delay is due to the fact that the product is expensive in Morocco. Also, the legacy of taboo that has not been broken in a soft way, ” added the vice-president.
The distribution of the first sanitary napkin began in May 2017 and the advertising campaign in June 2017. Created and developed by the Novatis group, Mia is available through a wide range of offers, the prices of which vary between 8, 9 and 11 DH. “What characterizes Mia is that it is the best performing periodic towel compared to competitors who are already there, because it combines two characteristics: absorption and softness. No towel offered these two elements “, explains Souheil Badaa. “The second point is accessibility. Because we are a Moroccan group, because we understand the consumer, we are aware that these products are difficult to access. It is for this reason that on the price side, Mia is the most accessible towel for Moroccans today. It is 30% cheaper than other products, ” he says.
Mia is entirely produced in the Group’s factories in Berrechid. The latter prides itself on the fact that the focus groups and consumer experiences have unanimously confirmed the napkin creation hypotheses: premium product quality, at the most competitive price on the market, and in the formats most suited to the needs of ‘use. The feeling of comfort, tranquility and fullness comes up systematically in all the comments, further emphasizing the brand’s signature: “Keeper of the secret and of your ‘radiance’ “.
The Novatis Group therefore aims, with Mia, to position itself on a new market, Having dominated the baby diaper and facial tissue segments. As far as diapers are concerned, Novatis claims more than 50% of the market share. The Group does not intend to stop there, “because if we do not move forward, we back off”. Its strategy is focused on daily sampling and awareness programs in hospitals. “Today, we touch 1/3 of births in Morocco, thanks to an agreement signed with the Ministry of Health who trusted us to do education. Each day, 70 Dalaa delegates educate women who have recently given birth by giving them figures and advice on breastfeeding and immunization, and by offering them free samples. We also organize door-to-door operations, in addition to advertising to try to stay in the memory of consumers as much as possible in front of our competitors, ”explains Souheil Badaa. Concerning handkerchiefs and toilet paper, Novatis estimates its market shares at around 40%. The Group produces the raw material (from cellulose from trees imported from Brazil and Sweden) and the finished product in this segment. “We are among the only people in the region to do so,” said the vice-president. On the investment side, the company spent more than 60 million DH this year than on paper to expand its production capacity, against 30 to 40 million DH annually in baby diapers. Novatis, which employs 1,300 people, has three production sites in Berrechid with an area of 20,000 m², 25,000 m² and 30,000 m², in addition to storage space of 35,000 m². “We are already exporting to Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, especially the diapers. We are studying other export possibilities in sub-Saharan Africa, ” concludes Souheil Badaa.
