Mobile payment brand M-PESA has again been voted Kenya’s leading Superbrand, ahead of parent company Safaricom. The latter moved up one place to second, swapping positions with the Kenya Red Cross, which dipped to third. The result follows a comprehensive survey of marketing experts and over 1,000 Kenyan consumers on behalf of Superbrands East Africa, in a process managed by London based The Centre for Brand Analysis.
Illustrating the increased consistency of the leading brands in the region, 13 retained a top 20 position from the previous survey. New entries into the top 20 however included oil giant Total, which jumped an impressive 18 places to seventh, driven by improved sentiment among both experts and public alike. Other entrants included KENTANK and SportsPesa – both of whom were surveyed for the first time – and Radio Citizen FM, which re-entered the top twenty; it re-joined sister brand Citizen TV, which remained in the leading group.
Brookside and Blueband also both entered the top 20, with the former moving up four places to 18th and the latter up a more significant nine places to 12th. Despite the enhanced performances of these two brands, many of their food and drink peers fell out of the top 20, with Mumias Sugar, Kenchic, Supa Loaf, and Farmer’s Choice all losing out. Grocer and supermarket Tuskys however was an impressive riser, joining its peer Nakumatt, which once again retained a top 20 slot.
The three US tech giants, Facebook, Google and Microsoft that entered the top 20 in the last survey however all struggled to retain form. Ensuring at least one technology brand was featured in the top group however, consumer goods giant Samsung moved up. Last time, Samsung, entered the top twenty, having moved up from 31st, thereby showing ongoing brand equity growth in the region. That said, perception of the brand dipped marginally with experts but this was offset by continued improvements in perception among consumers.
Other brands dropping out of the top 20 were Crown Paints and Equity Bank Kenya.
“We continue to see reduced volatility in the Kenyan market, with an increasing number of brands consolidating and retaining their position among the Kenyan brand elite. These top brands are once again led by the impressive MPESA and its parent brand Safaricom, while the Kenyan Red Cross rightfully retains a top three berth. There was however a big dip in the performance of some of the leading food brands, as well as digital giants including Facebook and Google, which perhaps have become less exciting to consumers as they mature in the local market. The top 20 overall is a balanced blend of global brands, such as Coca-Cola and Dettol, and local brands, such as Nakumatt, Tuskys and fast growing betting brand SportsPesa,” said Stephen Cheliotis, CEO of The Centre for Brand Analysis.
Superbrands is the world’s largest independent arbiter of branding. It identifies and pays tribute to exceptional brands by recognising, rewarding and reinforcing leading brands from all over the world. Superbrand status strengthens a brand’s position, adds prestige and sets the brand apart from its competitors. Superbrands have launched programmes in over 88 countries including all the key global markets. Superbrands East Africa was launched in the region in 2007.
The Kenyan Consumer Superbrands are chosen by a combination of local Marketing Experts, appointed to the independent Kenyan Superbrands Council, and just over 1,000 Kenyan consumers, drawn from the urban areas of Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.
