Social media helps to connect Kenyan businesses
BY BRIAN ADERO
“Social media networking is the only tool that can help the marketing fraternity reach their targeted clients,” this according to Kenya’s leading industrialist Chris Kirubi.
Kirubi has come out advocating for the use of platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, saying that it will not only enable marketers reach and attract more customers, but also help firms cut their marketing and advertising budgets.
“You must cut wastage. A lot of people advertise without knowing who they are talking to but today through social media, the horizons have changed,” he stated.
Traditional ways of doing things are no longer tenable and businesses must evolve with the times if they are to survive the increasingly competitive market, the business mogul stressed.
Kirubi, who is also the chairman of Capital Group, cited his own initiative of streaming events as they happen through the Capital FM website, which he disclosed has helped to change the way news is consumed and how to engage consumers.
“We broadcast instantly to the world. We make an event that is happening in Kenya to be connected somewhere in Canada, Japan, USA or anywhere else and people can comment on whatever is going on there,” Kirubi proudly said of his new ‘project’.
Speaking at the launch of a research tool dubbed ‘Engage’ by Consumer Options, Kirubi said that his new innovation was a demonstration of a company trying to better understand and meet the consumer needs.
“Any company that wants to succeed must engage with their consumers. You can only serve your consumers if you understand them,” he said.
But while appreciating that majority of companies collect views on their customer needs by contracting research firms, he threw the challenge to these institutions telling them they also must strive to transform themselves to reflect our changing world.
Kirubi lauded Consumer Options for launching ‘Engage,’ saying it was a step towards helping firms to better understand a customer’s needs and how well to cater for them in an efficient and effective manner.
Consumer Options Managing Director Jane Nzomo explained that the customised and packaged tools help researchers to observe consumer habits in order to provide their clients with insights from real life settings.
This, she explained, translates into innovations, ideas and opportunities to grow business.
“It’s a different way of doing research and focuses more on observation. With this tool, we go to the consumer, follow them as they shop as they go about their activities at home or school or place of work,” she explained.
There is a huge potential in this industry if the seven multinationals that have come into the East African market is anything to go by, which means that players have to leverage on whatever their competitive edge is as well as remain innovative.
“We have made it through those years because we do understand the local market and the consumer insights better and we have also been able to identify the gaps that others have not,” a beaming Nzomo said of the secrets of their trade that have enabled them to remain relevant and competitive in the market.
ANOTHER BREAKING NEWS:
TIMBERLAKE: MINISTERS TO DELIVER MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS IN PARLIAMENT
Kenyans are waiting anxiously for the pending MINISTERIAL
STATEMENTS on Esther Aunga and Quincy Timberlake to be delivered. This is
because the word on the street is that ODM is deliberately ignoring the Parliamentary
Standing Orders. Parliamentary Standing Orders further requires that such an atmosphere should not be created midst
Kenyans who are keenly following the Timberlake events. An outburst can be felt
amongst angry Kenyans threatening to storm the parliament should the MPs
continue keeping this matter in the dark.
The Ministers responsible for presenting MINISTERIAL
STATEMENTS on Quincy Timberlake and Esther Arunga are beginning to face sharp
criticisms from constitutional lawyers over their resolutions to overturn
decisions of Parliament regarding parliament’s handling of shelved debates.
Hon George Saitoti is supposed to deliver a MINISTEIAL
STATEMENT on the definition of cult and also how CID raided Timberlakes’ home
in Runda with no warrants of arrest. Speaker Marende noticed that the matter
was sub judice under Standing Order no. 80(2) by then. Now
that the cases are over, Kenyans are demanding to know the truth. Speaker
Marende now confirms that the MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS can be delivered once the
House reconvenes.
Hon Imanyara is also preparing a battle ground in parliament
over why Quincy Timberlake nationality hasn’t yet been officially tabled and
announced by the Immigration Department. Hon Marende is also waiting for the MINISTERIAL
STATEMENT on Quincy Timberlake’s nationality. Kenyans are aware that Timberlake
is a Kenyan but are wondering why the MPs who poised the doubts are now silent
over the matter. Is it because they discovered that Timberlake is a Kenyan and
not a foreigner as Ikolomani MP Hon Bonny Khalwale proclaimed? Khalwale should
demand for the MINISTERIAL STATEMENT from Immigration Minister Hon Otieno K’ajwang’.
“Why did they torture this young and innocent couple?” asked
a businessman Bernard Kinuthia. Impeccable sources can also confirm that Kenya
Youth for Change are preparing a press conference to demand to know why the
MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS are not being delivered.
Although the legal basis for this unusual review is not yet clear, members who
talked to CNN ireporters said, “The
Prime Minister wants to create an escape route for the ministers responsible for
MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS”.
The charge stated
that on February 20, 2010 at Runda Estate in Nairobi, with others not before
the court, she was jointly found to be a member of an unlawful society commonly
known as Finger of God Church. Arunga (Mrs Timberlake) and the others are out
on bond, save for Timberlake, who the court declined to grant bail by then.
Impeccable sources can now discover that Timberlake was by then held without
bail to be tortured in jail.
CIDs told the court
that certificate of incorporation was issued to the Finger of God following a
successful application that was filed at the Attorney-General’s office in 2002.
It was withdrawn by the State under Section 210 of the Penal Code. It as
discovered that it is the CID itself that handed over a vetted report to the
Registrar of Societies in 2002 giving the Finger of God a go ahead for registration.
Which means the Timberlake duo were never members of a cult.
The High Court also
ruled on October 26th of 2010 that Quincy Timberlake was a natural
citizen of the Republic of Kenya born in Homa Bay of Nyanza Province. He now
owns channel of properties in Rongo and Awendo areas of Nyanza. It was
discovered by the CIDs that he also owns an enormous sugar farm near Uriri
since 1994. Kenya is waiting to see whether Timberlake is to hit back with
chains of lawsuits on anybody or anything that defamed him. Impeccable sources
can now confirm that he may be discharged from a hospital’s ICU anytime soon
after spending almost 7 months treating the internal injuries caused by mercury
deposits poured in his drink in a hotel in Westlands.
Meanwhile, an MP who asked the Security minister to tell
Parliament and Kenyans under which law police stormed Timberlake’s house in
Runda and arrested Finger of God members is now preparing to bring a showdown
in parliament. Imenti Central’s Gitobu Imanyara also wants the minister to
explain how the State determines the right religion and what amounts to a
criminal cult. He’s demanding for a MINISTEIAL STATEMENT which was shelved due
to sub judice by then. He said that Kenyans had a right to know how
and why the CID stormed the Runda house.
Another honorable MP is also preparing to bring a debate in
parliament and ask the State how Esther Arunga was sedated and forcefully aborted
at Dr Frank Njenga. Impeccable sources may now confirm that MPs allied to the
Timberlakes want to know how a top pillar of country’s investigations would
primitively hand over a sober minded citizen to be painfully abused by a “psychiatrist”.
They also demanding the video clips be brought to the house. They’re also
demanding to know why Dr Arunga and his relatives took charge of grilling
Timberlake at the CID headquarters. They’re directing the police to arrest one
Paul Arunga and others who assaulted Timberlake at Kileleshwa Police Station in
open day light.
For MPs debates on the Timberlakes, you may visit the National
(Parliament)
Assembly’s website by clicking the following links for more information though
other sensitive links have been blocked by the State. Then press pages 9/10 for
MPs debate on Esther Arunga. For MPs debate on Quincy Timberlake, press pages
29/30.
http://www.parliament.go.ke/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=166&Itemid=
http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=mHqe_yGB2uQC&pg=PT9&lpg=PT9&dq=national+assembly+on+esther+arunga&source=bl&ots=ANfFINyedC&sig=_cZYCWbVreagaL4uKkArXowplhY&hl=sw&sa=X&ei=MLMaT_fQFsbpOYWmrLAL&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false
http://translate.google.co.ke/translate?hl=sw&sl=en&u=http://www.parliament.go.ke/index.php%3Foption%3Dcom_docman%26task%3Ddoc_download%26gid%3D164%26Itemid%3D&ei=t7gaT-H_KciAOqeb0aoL&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDQQ7gEwAg&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dnational%2Bassembly%2Bquincy%2Btimberlake%26hl%3Dsw%26biw%3D1014%26bih%3D598%26prmd%3Dimvnso