How Nokia reached 1.3 million Kenyans at less than 7c per person

At the time of writing, Nokia is the leading supplier of dual-SIM phones in Kenya.

Background:

In Kenya, Nokia was the fourth mobile phone company to launch a dual-SIM phone - a breed of mobile that is fast becoming the preferred one in most African countries. (LG, Samsung and Techno had first mover advantage in the market).

The reason for the popularity of dual-SIM handsets is twofold: It allows the user to switch between operators take advantage of various special offers, and it allows better connectivity. Constant connectivity is vital in Kenya, and since network strength in Kenya is not consistent and the coverage of most networks patchy, having access to more than one network allows better coverage.

To harness both insights to Nokia's advantage, Carat traced commuters - a group of people who are always looking for savings and discounts while at the same time being constantly on the move and hence disadvantaged by inconsistent network coverage. However in Kenya, there is neither a formal public transport nor commuter media. So how to reach these consumers?

Solution:

Kenya's informal public transport, the Matatus, are comparable to South Africa's minibus taxis. Carat's team in Nairobi partnered with a local out-of-home supplier and set about creating a new medium for Nokia on these Matatus. The resultant rooftop boards doubled as an information system to assist commuters, and as advertising space.

The Matatus are usually in crowded areas and are not well signed, which often left users uncertain as to where a specific Matatu was headed. The new medium now provided a space to clearly identify which route the Matatu was using and - importantly for the client Nokia - informed customers about Nokia's dual-SIM offerings.

This information was provided at the point it was most advantageous to access - while commuting. Using the Matatus also allowed Nokia to increase its footprint outside the urban areas of Nairobi and Mombasa, to include the small and peri-urban areas such as Nakuru.

Conclusion:

Local insights not only led to the creation of a new medium which catapulted the client ahead of its competitors, it also allowed this to be accomplished at a fraction of the price of traditional media channels.