Margarine makes you strong? This ad makes me mad.

—- “ I am John. I play for Rugby Sevens. Every morning before practice, I eat Prestige margarine so I can be strong.” The radio ad goes on, the message stays the same:  Margarine makes kids strong.

We can do better, fellow marketers.  There are creative, inspiring and talented men and women in advertising circles in Kenya and Africa. Global brands are clamoring to get inside African homes and mouths. So why is much of the advertising chocked with fake smiles, emotionless voices making promises that a bread spread give strength and

—-“ wash your clothes with Toss and the paparazzi will follow you.”

This kind of ad sounds condescending and flat, not a motivation to buy. My aim is not to criticize Prestige margarine. Nor are all African ads bad. What puzzles me is why we professionals allow so many sub-par campaigns to take up space in our market

According to Ernst and Young’s 2011 Attractiveness of Africa, the continent looks set to become increasingly attractive long term to international investors, particularly in emerging markets.

Global brands like Coca-Cola, Unilever, alcohol, tobacco and ever-present telecoms battle daily for market share. New categories such as banking and insurance are aggressively trying to sway consumers to sign up. Competition will only get steeper, which drives the need to differentiate and stand out from the clutter. African advertising is relatively new. In the last fifteen years, billboards, television, radio, road shows and newspapers have become powerful media with few restrictions and significant coverage (and clutter) in urban and rural population. More reasons to demand branding that drives sales vs. turns people off.

Good and great advertising/marketing begins with a deep understanding of the brand, target audience and category. Understanding flows into insight; insight inspires the creative to work their magic. Here are four criteria I use to evaluate good work. Let’s see how Prestige meets the spread.

1.  Communicate the functional aspects of the brand – this means – It says or shows what it is and what it does. Margarine is a vegetable oil spread. It would look like bicycle grease without the yellow food coloring. What are the key benefits? It’s a condiment that compliments foods like bread and potatoes to make them taste better. It’s soft, spreads easily, melts nicely and is a good value for Moms. Our boy eats prestige every morning. By itself? Unlikely. Does his Mom spread it on toasted bread or cook eggs with it? Saying it “makes me strong” is not a true benefit of the brand nor does it demonstrate the key benefit.

2.  Demonstrate deep understanding of the target audience. This ad is targeted to Moms, likely middle class working moms since Capital FM is in English. They want their kids to be healthy, do well in school and later get jobs. What else? I would do some in depth research with Moms to understand their life, motivations, challenges and decision making. Second, I’d do taste tests with margarine and probe more about what motivates them most when they are buying food for their families. What do they think is best? Margarine is a saturated fat (the bad kind according to many experts) How much awareness do they have about nutrition? Fat alone does not build muscle. It is part of a balanced diet and compliments protein and carbohydrates in moderation. Butter is better nutritionally but it’s more expensive. Great ads go deep into the inner truths of the target audience.  This ad is spread too thin.

click to play ad

3.     Appealing with emotional connection to the brand.  A young boy slaps his mom’s date “keep yo hands off my momma,  keep yo hands off my Doritos.”   Appealing ads attract you, draw you in. Humour, stories, touching moments and real life situations work, but people buy from people.  It’s got to sound good and look good to say “this is for me.” When I heard the ad I imagined a boy eating a hunk of margarine. Yuk. A thick slice of lightly toasted wholegrain bread, smeared with melted margarine and tart jam. That’s more like it.

4.   Authentic, believable – there is a certain credibility to the ad.  I don’t buy it that Prestige margarine makes a kid strong. As mentioned, it can be part of a nutritious meal, combined with protein and carbohydrates.

As brand manager, I would focus on one or two differentiating factors that are real and appeal to Moms (and kids) such as it makes food taste better. Then I would test it. The category is getting crowded,  other brands like Blue Band, Biddy are very similar. Dare to be different by putting a stake in the ground about your brand.

On my favorite TV series “Mad Men,” advertising agencies in New York win and lose million dollar accounts to each other every week. The threat of losing and thrill of winning keep the creative and account teams sharp. Kenya ad agencies are for the most part owned by the same company.  It’s not a market where companies shop around for the best agency to create branding that drives sales and change perceptions.

Our motivation must come from within. Is it time to raise the bar?

Cindy Kerr is an independent marketing and branding specialist in Kenya.

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Alive and Kicking in Kenya

I am a slacker blogger. ..  sorry to my five or six followers. new posts coming soon, creative juice is flowing. Blogs will be about the business and adventures of marketing in East Africa, from an expat POV. [expat = a person who left his/her  country to live and work in another.]

First, a bit about my adventures and lessons the last year.  A big one was working for a global ad agency that was nothing like the name they claim.  August 2010 i move to Nairobi –  job offer to help launch a top India telecom coming to sixteen countries in Africa.  My house in Denver was rented, car sold, and a couple of crates of my belongings were on a ship across several oceans to Kenya.

Imagine in USA, the same person is a majority owner in every widget factory. They can fix the price, market under different brands, advertis. , PR, media, digital and research agency. It’s called a monopoly. No room for healthy competition, not to mention that one entity can control any message, media and rates for advertising. That’s Kenya.

Day one. “Who are you? Why are you here?” I was asked by a leader of this new agency.  I’m told “there’s no such job”  that i signed a contract and moved to the other side of the world for. “We may be able to use you as a project manager” (1/3 the original salary.) Months later i was offered a slightly better  position; the clients liked me. I’d made friends and had passed some “test.”  They had some of the strangest business and employee practices i have ever experienced.  i realized my real job was about learning how different people from other cultures operate. The best way to get through was get my ego out of the way and just try to do my best and shut up.  What I know about how to practice good and sometimes great marketing and teamwork wasn’t welcomed. But, there is no right or wrong, just different ways of doing business. If you don’t like it, then leave.

Next chapter. ckarma’s back; incorporated in Nairobi. I’m partnering with wonderful, like-minded people — ahhhh. Still passionate about Kenya and the power of marketing to create positive change.

Marketing/ branding in East Africa is a bit like the amazingly addictive show Mad Men, on steriods. When advertising big brands began in the 1960′s  three TV stations, radio and print were it. Today, add in 1000 cable stations, digital, online, mobile, events, activations and innovative media to the mix.

Good to great marketing in East Africa. What are you talking about? Strategy, target audience insights, knock your socks off creative? Do clients care about good, or maybe effective marketing? Is there incentive to require agencies to demonstrate  insightful, strategic and sound creative?

I’m ashamed of most of the work i see in this market. It’s  full of ridiculous promises like using soap will secure your social life, or that the flour your food is cooked with makes you a better person. Right. The morning DJs go from peddling phones to furniture, food, and back to telecoms in every half hour. Is that really working, or is it that there’s only one game in town, so brands have no where to turn. Stay tuned.

Triple Bottom Line Marketing

Triple Bottom Line is the new buzzword in sustainability and “social business.” It’s not about going green, giving to charity. What does it mean to run a company that is truly sustainable and achieves results for People, Planet and a healthy Profit? Download Cindy Kerr’s presentation from Nairobi GreenExpo  June 2010.TripleBottomLinemarketing.ppt

Get a Perspective

Traveling overseas has messed me up. What time is it? In Nairobi, my friends are ending their day when our morning coffee is firing up.  Money is confusing too.  I’ve converted shillings, dollars, euros, pounds, rupees and francs in the last year.

streets of Nairobi

Driving in Denver is a dream compared to Nairobi. It’s like off-roading at night with no lights, dodging massive potholes without stop signs, traffic lights, on the WRONG side of the road. OK, there are some signs but they are either wrong or no one pays attention. Mix in pedestrians—mostly dark, crossing the street wherever it’s possible to squeeze between two cars.

The truck spewing thick black smoke is smack in front and a crazy minibus (matatu) behind is sticking to me like glue. Matatus stop anywhere, anytime and they pull out slowly onto a fast-moving highway without signaling. I enter the “roundabout” where the only way to get in or out is to keep moving while cars appear about to bash my side. They want into the circle. I’m trying to get out.  I follow a SUV hoping he’ll shield me. Not fast enough. Reaching for the blinker, instinctively, my left hand turns on the windshield wipers. Arrgh left hand driving. I’m stuck going around again, getting up the courage to break out of the roundabout. I grip the wheel praying “help me get out of this without being hit.”

Denver roads are calm, organized and we drive on the right.  I appreciate the generous space between cars and want to jump out and thank people for stopping at stop signs.  The streetlights have nice arrows telling me it’s my turn to turn.

Going to the third world can open your mind and drive you crazy. If you’ve done business overseas, that’s another story. Have you sent money to someone through your cell phone lately?  Most people do in Kenya.

Our perspective of poverty changes. The poor in USA mostly have clean water, free school for kids, access to electricity, some government help and a roof. A person with no money won’t be denied access to emergency care or held hostage until they pay the hospital bill. The poor in Africa have none of these privileges. Governments, often corrupt, help little.

school built by parents

This poor community in Kenya i visited with Holistic Community Kenya were told by the government the 50 + children had to walk 8 kms (over 4 miles) to school. They couldn’t make it on the rough trails and deep mud. The parents starting building. Funds ran out before a roof, windows, seats or supplies.

“Can you help us finish it so our children can learn?” The teacher of 50 kids had a baby. She’s ill.”

I can’t comprehend the struggles these families go through every day to barely feed, somewhat clothe and educate their children and the orphans most families have taken into a tiny house. Yet they met us with joy and singing.

community meeting

USA schools are low on funds and have to find ways to survive. A community in Colorado raised $30,000 in one night for their school. $30,000 would finish this school and  build another. Over 100 kids would get a meal, a uniform and an opportunity to learn. We hope to raise funds to create opportunity and break the cycle of poverty. This is one of the community groups the Imani Project is helping, along with over 300 orphans and adults impacted by HIV/AIDS. 600 more are waiting.

Meet Janet, who receives home-based care by Imani. Janet is a single mom with TB. Her spine sticks out like an elbow which makes it hard to breathe.  After giving birth nine months ago her legs are paralyzed. She needs medical attention the town doesn’t have.

“What do you need Janet?” we asked. “I’d like to work again. I want my son Obama to go to school.”  Tears flowed as we stood by her twisted body and held her hand. We’ll hope for a skilled doctor and a wheelchair.

brave janet and baby obama

If you think you have no time or need to get rich first and then give back, think again.  Does your perspective need a change? One hour a week volunteering anywhere makes a big impact.  $40/month less lattes would allow a child go to school or enable a women like Janet to be able to work.
Check out Imani Project and Vumilia to learn more.

The New American Dream? From Material Possession to Social Connection

Are we, American consumers changing for the better? Could the American dream of accumulating and consuming, of bigger, better, more of everything,  be dying? A recent study poses  insights into post-recession consumer attitudes and behaviors.  Coming of Age in the Great Recession, by Context-Based Research Group. (01/27/10) The study  says Forty-three percent of Americans believe the recession has positively affected their lives.

What? How? Incomes are down, jobs are gone before we apply. Everyone I know is cutting back and feeling insecure financially, even if their situation is not particularly dire. Most of us have less money, more uncertainty, and heightened awareness of every purchase, from coffee to a car (will it be work and be safe?)

“One of the most interesting findings is that 78 percent agreed the American Dream has died. “

Simultaneously, social connection, both on and off line has skyrocketed. Facebook is now the 3rd largest country in the world, after China and India! We chat, link, post photos, videos to stay connected every minute of the day. We buy based on  peer reviews and what  our friends think and say, not on advertising. We research before purchasing.  We google  anything and anywhere. Volunteerism is up, as is family connection and “staycations.”

“However, we see that a new dream — focused on freedom and ideals rather than material possessions  is being born,” said Dr. Robbie Blinkoff, principal anthropologist and co-founder of Context-Based Research Group.

Hope Against Odds

Samburu school girls

All over the world it’s been a difficult year with loss, illness, drought, death and  economic turmoil. Many started to lose hope.

“Hope is never lost,” “Impossible things are only the things you refuse to do.” John Dau, Lost Boy of Sudan

Where is  hope for a crumbling world wrought with corruption, empty rhetoric, apathy, greed and plain ignorance? How do we get out of our own selfishness, posturing for position and obsession with what I got that I don’t want or what I want that I haven’t got?

Marketing to End Poverty

MoneyMaker pump in Mali

A Social Enterprise Going Against the Grain Marketing to Poor Africans

Marketing encompasses any and every tactic that reaches customers, prospects and increases awareness.   For nonprofits, marketing is every effort that communicates your brand, cause, solution and opportunities. The obstacle I‘ve encountered in working with nonprofits is they tend to devalue the impact of a powerful brand.   Branding – image and perceptions people hold in their minds – is absolutely essential to attracting donors, keeping them engaged, communicating to individuals you help and most importantly, creating sustainable impacts that change lives.

It’s a fact that organizations and businesses with a strong brand and communications improve impact and sales. According to Business Week’s Top 100 Brand study, “The companies that gained the most in value focus ruthlessly on every detail of their brands, honing simple, cohesive identities that are consistent in every product, in every market around the world, and in every contact with consumers.“ This is true across the board – whether you are saving lives or selling financial services.

I was talking recently with a senior marketing executive at a Fortune 500 global brand. She is heavily involved in the company’s foundation and on several boards. We were trying to figure out why so many organizations consider marketing and communications “fluff.”  It’s tough to get a nonprofit to commit resources to smart marketing. It’s downright near impossible to raise donor funds for anything remotely considered marketing or “branding.” With today’s increasing problems, decreasing donors, little cash and limited resources, marketing staff, budget and activities have been slashed and dropped even further.

Gardening and Marketing — Lessons Learned

This summer, I started a vegetable garden in my small urban plot after returning from Africa where I worked with social entrepreneur KickStart International www.kickstart.org. Though my role was to drive marketing initiatives, I learned lots getting my boots muddy visiting small-scale farmers who work tirelessly faced with overwhelming challenges. These enterprising men and women invest in an Irrigation pump, plant and harvest a variety of crops while their neighbors’ fields are bare. The risk pays off; the money they make lifts them out of poverty. They inspired me to try my hand at urban “farming” aka a vegetable garden and in the process I’m learning valuable lessons about marketing.

High yield marketing is a lot like farming. It starts with assessing your ground and selecting the right crops and strategies. Then plant seeds with leads and customers, tend to the shoots that grow, and harvest when the time is right. Good seeds turn into crops and cash.

It does not matter whether you are for profit or not. High-yield marketing means branding, communications and strategy that drives impacts and results. It leads to increased awareness, sales, leads and giving. For most, sales are down; giving is way down. Is marketing in the backseat in your organization or company? Conventional thinking is to cut budget, staff, activities.

Be encouraged. Now is the best time to plant and grow. The truth is organizations and businesses with a strong brand and communications do improve impact and sales. According to Business Week’s Top 100 Brand study, “The companies that gained the most in value focus ruthlessly on every detail of their brands, honing simple, cohesive identities that are consistent in every product, in every market around the world, and in every contact with consumers.“

Take some time to evaluate if your marketing is fueling growth or squashing it with these three lessons.

1 – Plan before you Plant
Success in marketing any cause or concept starts with planning. In my garden, first I assessed the area to plant. I learned that squash, peppers and herbs grow just fine in pots. Tomatoes and lettuce do better in the ground. I asked around and looked at other gardens to see what thrives in the Denver summer heat.

It is critical to step back, assess your business, customer base, donors and partners. Get a clear picture of how thinking and buying has changed and where you fit in. When facts change, so should your strategy. As you know, it’s not business as usual. Customers need to clearly see the value in your product or service to keep buying from you through tough times. Sales cycles are longer. Costs and budgets are trimmed to the bone. Decision makers are pressured and scrutinized for every purchase.

Do a real assessment of your best customers. Evaluate who they are, what they bought, what they gave. Call a few up and to dig out the top three pain points or problems your target audience is facing now.

What real benefits do you offer? – Do you help save money, improve operations, or impact people’s lives in a significant way? Is there one concise, clear message on your communications, sales pieces and advertising? If a prospect were looking at your web site for the first time, would they get what you do? Can they donate, volunteer, and learn about products and upcoming events quickly and easily? Are the images and personality right? Are you speaking to the heart of customers’ needs? Ask your staff, vendors and partners. Listen to the perceptions of others about you.

If you realize you are too close to your organization, ask an expert to look at your brand from an “outsider’s” point of view and help you with a fresh new look. It does not have to cost a lot or take a long time. Working the right marketing team you trust can help you see reposition your brand as well as stop spending on marketing stuff that’s not working.

New opportunities and avenues are opening for those who pay attention and plan thoughtfully.

Trends and businesses are emerging through this unprecedented time. Practical is “in.” We are driving less and looking for low cost entertainment. Vacations have become “staycations.” Big luxury and extravagance are “out.” Saving costs by “doing it yourself” is cool. The People’s symphony in New York facing decreasing attendance held five dollar/ fifteen-minute concerts in a park to reach new audiences at a very affordable price. People are closely examining everything they buy and taking longer to decide. It makes sense to check pricing or buy online before jumping in the car.

People still eat, drink, do business and go out. We care more about saving our environment, conserving resources and feeling good about what we buy. An Opinion Research Corp. survey found that 76% of consumers are willing to pay more at the cash register for environmentally friendly products. What women want matters to marketers considering that women are responsible for more than 80% of all spending, A Barkley/ PR Week cause survey with female consumers found that two of three women have purchased a brand because it supports a cause they believe in, and three of four have recommended a brand to others for the same reason.

Are you willing to reduce pricing to be more affordable, or change the way you charge?

Rethink your audience: If the target audience you’ve had success with in the past is not buying; you may need to seek a new customer base. Some high-end realtors are focusing on lower priced property sales and first time buyers who qualify for the $8000 federal tax incentive. The ones that distinguish themselves and adjust to the changing needs of the market will thrive.

What marketing tools and media is your target audience paying attention to? The buzz about social media boils down to one thing – what role does each play in helping you reach, build trust and awareness? There are many good workshops and resources to learn about social media. It can be fun to learn something new and will help you decide what to do.

Document where you are now, where you want to grow, and some ideas you have about how to get there. It does not have to be in a formalized plan, just ideas and let them settle a bit.

2. Plant Thoughtfully & Plant a Lot

After the ground was ready, I planted seeds in little containers, kept them watered and replanted in the ground the ones that sprung up into little shoots.

Planting seeds is about expanding your network and targeting exactly the kinds of customers you want to work with. When the economy turns around you want to be top-of-mind for potential customers. In your network, friends and community involvement, let people know what you do and whom you want to reach.

Make a new list of potential prospects. Ask around who knows someone there. Craft a one-page letter of introduction to the decision maker, follow up by phone and suggest a brief meeting. Ask thoughtful questions and make sure you listen twice as much as you talk. Offer discounted services for new customers. Develop a few success stories that may be of interest to prospects and share them.

Now is a time that more people are more open to new ideas, connections and thinking. Invite past customers and prospects to lunch and ask them how they’re doing to maintain, sustain their business. Ask what they need and how you can support them. Is there training you can help them with? If they have let staff go, can your service help fill the gaps? What will they “turn on” first when funds open up?

Planting includes prospects and existing customers. It costs five times as much to sell to an existing customer than to acquire a new one. If they aren’t buying now it doesn’t mean they aren’t considering, planning and investigating services and products they will need when the economy gets better. It can be frustrating to not see results right away. This is where you dig in and trust that the process works. A few seeds do sprout and become delicious fruits and vegetables.

3. Be Ready When it’s Harvest Time

Gardening, like marketing, takes time and attention. The little green tomatoes need water almost daily to ripen. Some vines need to be held up on sticks so they grow. Old leaves and branches need to be cut to make room for new ones.

Are you harvesting with the contacts you have? Now is a good time to update names and contact information in your database.

Cost effective ways to reach out include:

· Keep in touch with customers through e-mail and phone, coffee, lunch
· Hand write thank you notes to each client/customer, donor or prospect
· Offer a promotion or recession special
· Host a workshop on a topic that’s a key issue your audience cares about
· Write an article on a hot topic and send to local and trade reporters, publications
· Post it on a blog/facebook or email newsletter
· Pitch to speak at a conference in your industry as an expert or on a panel

The pace of decision-making must pick up when the economy slows down. Jack Welch , former CEO of GE said, “deal with the world as it is, not how you’d like it to be.” Be ready for a quick shift into action and delivery mode. Answer when inquiries and calls come. Projects and orders may look different than last year. Unless the work takes you completely off your core business, it’s ok to say yes to small projects. You never know where it might lead when coffers are fuller.

Finally, maintain an attitude of generosity and gratitude. Visualize opportunities and abundance. Don’t let yourself walk “scarcity street.” Give of your time, treasure and talent to a cause you care about. Volunteer or deeply discount services with to an organization or company you like. You will be amazed at how good deeds done with an open heart come back around. They may refer you or become a customer later.

My African friends taught me more than farming basics. They showed me how hope and hard work changes lives. There is always a way to grow, even in the driest season. Marketing is anything and everything you do to reach customers and prospects. What seeds are you planting? I’d like to hear from you. email cindykerr@ckarma.com or visit www.ckarma.com

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