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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

KIMBO; THE JOURNEY TO BEING THE FIRST WHITE COOKING FAT TO BE AWARDED FORTIFICATION CERTIFICATE IN KENYA…




THE MARKET


K
enya’s Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)
market is one of the major drivers of the country’s
economy. It also happens to be one of the most
volatile and competitive sectors.

As more consumers become conscious of
what they consume, the demand for quality brands
they can trust and identify with has increased.
KIMBO, the white cooking fat made from pure
refined palm oil, is one brand that strives to meet
consumers’ needs for high quality and a heritage
they can trust.

The brand has grown over the years, enjoying
the number one spot in the East African market.
Being the original white cooking fat with a long
and successful history, KIMBO is a Kenyan
national icon in its sector.

The growth of supermarkets and grocery
stores in the country has seen the brand’s
turnover increase significantly. The typical
KIMBO consumer is a person with a deep sense
of national pride who is very positive about the
future and knows that family values, culture and
traditions must be passed on.

She is a discerning woman aged between
29 - 40 , with two to three children. She is educated,
probably holding a managerial position at work,
and has a disposable income. She has had success
in life, and strongly believes in traditional family
values. This target consumer falls in the ABC1
group socio-economic category and she wants a
brand that she can relate to without being seen as
dull and not “with it”.

The KIMBO consumer wants every member
of her family to be strong and healthy. KIMBO’s
primary target market is women who are seen as
leaders. They value quality and don’t mind paying
a little extra to get a good and trusted product.
They are strong on family values and believe in
brands that their mothers used. The secondary
target market is women who aspire to get ahead
in life, who will buy the brand when they have
the extra money.
KIMBO offers a distinctive brand choice
based on the heritage and values that are
embodied in the brand - one that reflects the
consumer’s personality and status. The brand has
been - and will continue to be - a part of peoples
lives because it reminds them of the rich heritage
of Kenya, it traditions, values and culture, which
they are proud of. KIMBO is the heart of every
meal.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Until the mid-eighties, KIMBO enjoyed almost
100 percent market share in East Africa, as it was
environmental management systems in place.
This means both consumers and export markets
can trust the standards and consistency of
KIMBO.

HISTORY

KIMBO’s history dates back many years, when the
then EAI - incorporated in Kenya in 1943 which
later became Unilever - was still operational.
BIDCO acquired the brand from Unilever in
January 2002. The name KIMBO comes from the
acronym Kenya Industrial Management Board.
The brand enjoyed market monopoly between
the 1940’s and 1980’s. The 1990’s saw the entry of
new players like BIDCO who brought in quality
with a price advantage.

The brand has evolved from tin packaging
in the late 1970’s to the current attractive plastic
tubs. In 2004, KIMBO was the first brand to be
packaged in full colour shrink sleeves, to keep
the brand in sync with consumer needs.
After BIDCO took over the brand, the texture
of the product was upgraded to suit consumer
preference: KIMBO went from a hard textured
fat to a soft, smooth shortening-type cooking
fat.


THE PRODUCT

KIMBO is a white cooking fat (or shortening)
made from pure vegetable oils such as refined palm
oils and their derivatives.  It is also fortified with
vitamins A and D, while its vitamin E content comes
naturally in palm oil. Other intrinsic properties
include a bland, neutral taste without any flavour,
that does not interfere with the natural taste of the
food. Being vegetable based, it is also cholesterol
free, an attribute most enlightened consumers are
looking for in their products today.


Kimbo white cooking fat is available in
various stock keeping units (SKU) of 50g sachets,
100g packets and tubs, 250g tubs, 500g tubs, 1kg
tubs, 2kg tubs and 4kg tubs. SKU  expansion has
been happening over the years, the latest being
the introduction of the 4kg tub in June 2002 and
the 250g tub in August 2004.

Since BIDCO anticipates changes in
consumer desires and needs, the brand has been
introduced in sachets and packets to enable the
consumers at the bottom of the pyramid to buy a
healthy, quality product in a size they can afford.

KIMBO is available in shops, supermarkets,
wholesale and retail outlets countrywide. The
brand aspires to be the only cooking fat consumer’s
think of when they want to cook, which is why its
slogan is: “The heart of every meal”.
the only locally manufactured cooking fat.

KIMBO has received several awards and
accolades for quality, innovation and service. The
most recent of these is a fortification certificate
for containing vitamin A, an essential vitamin for
people living in developing nations - especially
children to - prevent eyesight deficiencies.
BIDCO Oil Refineries Ltd., the manufacturer
of KIMBO, is an ISO 9001 and ISO 14001
certified company with world-class quality and
Kimbo.

 
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

BIDCO recently signed an agreement with the
Uganda government to plant about 10,000 hectares
of palm on Kalangala Island. Already, about 5,000
hectares of palm have been planted, as a result
BIDCO Uganda will have a steady local supply
of crude palm oil which will reduce imports to a
large degree.

In October 2004, BIDCO launched a new
campaign aimed at revitalizing the brand. The
campaign featured a series of advertisements that
showcased the different values instilled in the
brand and positioned KIMBO as being at  “The
heart of every meal.” This was in line with the
strategy to maintain number one market share in
East Africa.

The advertising campaign has continued to
evolve over the years, from “Pika kwa KIMBO”
(in the 1980s); “Huleta jamii yote nyumbani”
(1990s campaign); “We build champions” (in
2003) to “The heart of every meal” (from 2005
to date).


PROMOTION

Over the last few years, KIMBO has enjoyed
a continuous advertising presence in print and
electronic media, including local vernacular
stations. Other media includes billboards, vehicle
branding and street lighting.

Below-the-line promotions include road
shows, in-store storming, retail selling promotions
and house-to-house storming activities. These
initiatives are supported heavily by POS posters,
danglers, wobblers and dividers.

KIMBO has run several national promotional
events annually, including the popular “Gold
rush promotion”, “KIMBO display & win
competition”, “Ushindi Pekee Scratch & Win
competition” and “Vumbua Hazina” promotions.
Other promotions and offers are run during
special periods and festive seasons like Easter,
Ramadan, Back to School, Mother’s day and
St. Valentine’s Day. There are also mid-month
and end-month supermarket offers centered on
special family moments.

The promotions are both trade and consumer
driven and have been very successful.
KIMBO also sponsors family television
programs, underpinning what the brand stands
for. The main prizes available to competition
entrants are also family related items like fridges,
blenders, toasters and other valuable appliances.
Most KIMBO adverts revolve around heritage,
Kenyan ownership and family values. These
include the “KIMBO Culinary Competition”,
“My Mom cooks better than yours”, “Truly
Kenyan” and “The heart of every meal.”


BRAND VALUES

KIMBO brand values can be summarised as: purity
quality, value, innovation and aspirational.
The brand’s promise is to be at centre stage of
every delicious meal in a way that that no other
cooking fat can achieve - KIMBO “stirs” every
taste bud in a meaningful way.

The brand’s logo has been consistent
throughout, which has assured consumers over
time of its quality and standpoint. There are also
various vegetables on the pack, to strengthen
what the brand stands for: vegetable based purity
and healthy living.

KIMBO can be described as a leader:  confident
yet approachable, desirable, sophisticated and
respectable - and of high integrity. It is identified
by four main colours - white, blue, red and
green. White symbolizes purity and clarity; Blue
symbolises truth and authority; red - confidence,
courage and vitality; and green - life, nature and
wellbeing.

KIMBO’s personality is:
• Relevant
• In touch
• Emotional
• Confident
• Energetic
• Very positive

Just as Kenyans are proud to be Kenyan,
KIMBO consumers are proud to use a quality
product their mothers used before them, and their
children will use in years to come.

THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT
KIMBO

1.      KIMBO is totally vegetable oil based and
contains no animal fats or oils
2.      KIMBO is the first white cooking fat to
be awarded a fortification certificate in
Kenya
3.      KIMBO has become a generic name for
white cooking fats in Kenya
.
4.      KIMBO colours resemble the Kenyan
flag, which is why consumers associate
the brand with “Kenyan-ness”

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