Telcos Lead in Top Brands Most Loved by Women, BSD/IPSOS Report

A new report by IPSOS and Branding advisory consultancy BSD Group has shown that the two leading telecommunication service providers Safaricom, its cash transfer service M-PESA and competitor Airtel, are the three top brands most loved by women. This is closely followed by Equity Bank in the fourth position.

This indicates the role that telecommunications and financial services play in the lives of Kenya’s women, who are the majority owners of small and micro-enterprises.

Petroleum jelly, Arimis, which has gained popularity among women as a hand and skin moisturizer, took position five in the “Top Most loved Brands by Women” report.

Always, a sanitary towel brand took position six, followed by Coca Cola in seven, Naivas, the largest supermarket chain in Kenya, came in at position eight, pay-tv channel GOTv took position nine. At the same time, KCB Bank was number ten in the ranking of most loved brands by women.

This is the second edition of The Top 100 Most Loved Brands By Women In Kenya study, an insight-led tool to provide Kenyan businesses with scientific insights on women’s preferences and how they drive purchasing habits of consumer goods and services. Research shows that women make 80 percent of consumer decisions.

Here are the top 20 brands most loved by women in Kenya:

Speaking at the event, BSD Group CEO Eva Muraya said that the study speaks directly to the economic empowerment of women from a purchasing ability and the need for corporates to engage and give opportunities in the development of products and services that address women’s needs. This is especially since women today account for over 65 percent of businesses although mainly in the SME sector.

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The study is hinged on a robust, nationally representative sample of women covering all regions from Coast, North Eastern, Eastern, Central, Rift Valley, Western, Nyanza, and Nairobi and covered women across age groups and socio-economic backgrounds.

Speaking at the launch event, the Cabinet Administrative Secretary, Public Service & Gender Affairs, Hon Rachel Shebesh, said the ministry would rely on the research and data gathered to help address the various issues captured.

“We are pleased that the insights collected in this study bring out issues affecting women in Kenya, which will inform the government’s development of evidence-based policies,” she said.

“The demographic and value of women consumers in Kenya has often remained understated, misunderstood, and ignored and that in the past it has been difficult to attach a number to the holistic value of a brand and worse to communicate that number in a way that makes most CEOs, investors, policymakers, etc. confident enough to use it as a guide to decision making,” added Chris Githaiga, CEO of IPSOS.

He added that women’s top 100 most loved brands used the best of science, technology, and know-how to enable clients to act faster, brighter, and bolder with surety in the women’s markets space.

It is important to explore this emerging demographic as studies globally have proven that women’s economic empowerment has more impact globally in poverty reduction.

In the ranking of the one hundred brands, smaller neighborhood supermarkets, hospitals, milk brands, personal care, hair, and body care products, flour, and mobile phone lending services made a strong showing.

The study launch event was one of the side events of the 66^th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66) that took place in New York, USA. This year’s theme was Transforming Legislation and Policies for the Advancement of Women’s Participation in the Labour Market and Economy.