M-Pesa edges out Safaricom as strongest brand in East Africa

M-Pesa has for the third year running been voted Kenya’s leading Superbrand, ahead of its parent company, Safaricom.

The mobile money transfer service emerged as the strongest brand in East Africa in a survey conducted by research company Kantar TNS on behalf of brand arbiter Superbrands.

Safaricom, M-Pesa, Colgate, Pampers, Dasani, Citizen TV, Mumias, Tuskys, Supaloaf and Weetabix emerged as the country’s top 10 brands in the 2019/2020 survey.

Five brands made an entry into the top 10 as 5 others retained their positions among the top 10 from the previous year.

New entries include Weetabix, Dasani (both of whom were surveyed for the first time) Mumias and Supaloaf.

Superbrands is running its programme for the sixth time in East Africa. In this year’s survey, slightly fewer than 1,000 brands were shortlisted.

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Consumers’ insights and results were derived based on globally used parameters including quality, reliability and distinctiveness.

Commenting on this year’s results, Superbrands Project Coordinator Jawad Jaffer said the decision to use consumer interviews as the methodology to determine top brands was informed by giving Kenyans a prominent role in deciding brands that resonate with them.

Key trends observed from the survey financial access and payments in which mobile money and payments are still mainstream and virtual wallets are considered to be bank accounts.

SEE ALSO: UON ONLY KENYAN UNIVERSITY IN TOP 1,000 ON GLOBAL RANKING.

Digital media was cited as key in the marketing of brands with social media playing a crucial role in ensuring visibility.

Convenience and convergence of services have also become a determining factor in how consumers interact with brands.