The M-PESA product was first runners up out of 106 local brands selected for the study/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 22 – Safaricom Limited was Kenya’s most influential brand in 2015, according to a survey by research firm Ipsos.
The M-PESA product was first runners up out of 106 local brands selected for the study.
“Safaricom is a huge advertising spender with the highest telephony subscriber base of over 20 million in Kenya which also records 11.6 million 30-day active mobile data users. Safaricom is one of the most profitable companies in Kenya and the East and Central Africa region! Kenyans clearly trust Safaricom,” Ipsos said.
Others among the top 10 list include Citizen TV, Radio Citizen, Colgate, Facebook, Omo, Ariel Washing Detergent, Kenya Power and Equity Bank in that order.
There were about 1,036 respondents in the study.
“The role brands play in our lives and the world at large is becoming more important. From improving our personal well-being to transforming the communities and societies we live in, many brands today are driven to make a dent in the universe,” Ipsos stated.
According to the research firm, being influential means having an impact on people’s lives. Influential brands create habits and routines, and are deeply entrenched in the lives of their users. We place a tremendous degree of trust in these brands, and give them the power to guide how we shop, interact, and behave.”
Among the dimension of influence the research firm was keen on, is being trustworthy, leading edge, corporate citizenship, presence and engagement.
“Safaricom is a big sponsorship partner for programmes, initiatives and projects. Safaricom is big on innovation, continually offering products and services that meet the needs of its subscribers.”
Through its foundation, Safaricom has invested over Sh1.8 billion in education, health, economic empowerment, the environment, arts and culture, music and sports since August 2003.
Safaricom reported a net profit of Sh32 billion in the year ended March 31, 2015.
This is the first time that Ipsos has assessed the most influential brands in Kenya.
Kenya and Nigeria are the only sub-Saharan countries included in the study.
