Kenyan mobile payment brand M-PESA has been voted Kenya’s leading SUPERBRAND, ahead of parent company Safaricom, which placed second.
The ranking now paces the MPESA as an integral and essential to the functioning of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This comes at a time when the COVID19 pandemic has hit this segment of the economy the hardest.
The results are derived entirely from a comprehensive survey administered to urban Kenyan consumers and undertaken by Kantar TNS in Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu.
The top 10 Superbrands in Kenya are:
- MPESA
- Safaricom
- Weetabix
- The Kenya Red Cross
- Toyota Kenya
- Samsung
- Colgate
- Citizen TV
- Dettol
- Betika
At the same time, six new brands made an entry into the top ten for the first time, compared to the previous listing. These include The Kenya Red Cross, Toyota Kenya, Samsung, Dettol, and Betika.
According to the Survey, Kenyan consumers across different categories opted for more affordable brands because of budget constraints brought about by job losses or pay cuts due to the economic struggles as a result of COVID19.
Top-of-mind for consumers was the gravitation towards brands ‘with purpose’. Those that were committed to supporting communities through COVID19 which is why The Kenya Red Cross features forth on this latest ranking.
In uncertainty consumers turn to familiar brands, those that they have grown up with and ones that are dependable – ‘the trust factor’. Here we see long-standing heritage brands feature heavily on the list from Dettol to Weetabix and Toyota Kenya.
Whilst the local gambling industry has gone through much turmoil, it remains an industry that forms a big part of Kenyan lives, particularly football fans.
Through the pandemic, many consumers have been on the search for ‘quick money’. Whilst there is less loyalty to specific companies within this sector, overall loyalty to betting is extremely high.
Consumers will frequently reduce spend across other sectors (entertainment or necessities) to continue spending on betting.