Research conducted by Euromonitor International shows the cheese market in Kenya remains small. Only a small number of expatriates and high-income earners consume the dairy product regularly. Despite the fact that the country has been producing cheese for decades, its demand has been confined to this tiny group, mainly because of the perception that it is a rich man’s product. However, one young marketer plans to change the notion and get more Kenyans to buy cheese. Michael Njenga, the 27-year-old business administration finance graduate of Makerere University, is the man tasked with selling the product at Doinyo Lessos, a dairy processor based in Eldoret. Mr Njenga, the company’s business development manager who accounting is boring, talks about this market and emerging trends.
Q: What does your job entail?
NJENGA: I am in charge of marketing our products in Nairobi as well as sourcing new clients. Q. How would you rate the cheese market in Nairobi? A. The market is slowly picking up, buoyed by the growing middle class. More people are eating out in such places like Java, Galito’s and Pizza Inn where foods prepared with cheese are served and have in the process acquired a taste for the product. Besides the other indicator of increased uptake is the demand in retail outlets like supermarkets. But cheese is not as popular as we’d like it to be.
Q: Part of the reason why cheese is not popular in Kenya is the perception that it is a rich man’s product. How do you plan to change this notion?
NJENGA: That is a wrong perception. Cheese is as affordable as common cooking oils and fats used in many homes. For instance, a kilo of cheese goes for about Sh300, a few shillings more than the rest, but is healthier because it does not have chemical preservatives. Doinyo Lessos has introduced Safari Cheese, which is cheaper than its other brands and is found in most supermarkets. We are also in the process of rebranding and should come up with a website that will greatly aid in educating the public on the benefits of cheese and increase.
Q: What makes you think you will succeed in changing the mindset of the Kenyan consumer?
NJENGA:I like a good challenge. Previously, I worked in Nova Nordisk, a multi-national pharmaceutical company. I admit that changing the mindset is not easy, but it’s nonetheless a challenge I welcome. I do one-on-one campaigns wherever I go to market our products.
Q: How do you distribute your products to reach a wider customer base?
NJENGA: In this business, distribution is one of the key areas where you need to get it right. Because cheese should be stored at 3-40 C, we have contracted Farmers Choice, whose products also require refrigeration. They not only distribute our cheese to the local outlets, but also the foreign markets such as the United Arab Emirates.
Q: What are the challenges you face in marketing and distribution of cheese in the city?
NJENGA: Based in Eldoret, we have been forced to make do with just delivering on Monday. We get the orders from our clients and deliver at once. If our clients want more cheese midweek, it is a logistical nightmare, but we are working on setting up a depot in Nairobi by the end of September. Nairobi is our biggest market. The cheese market is also very competitive and therefore we have to be very innovative.
Q: Talking about innovation, what should we expect to see from the company?
NJENGA: We recently started producing mursik. It is a traditional Kalenjin drink, but we found a way of making it and it was a hit during the recent Kalenjin night. The advantage about mursit is that, being fermented, it stays for longer. I am always looking at new ways to penetrate and increase market share and so I have a few more ideas.
Q: What advice would you give to young people wishing to venture into marketing?
NJENGA: First of all they should be go-getters. If they have ideas they should not be afraid to voice them. If you have a good manager, he’ll incorporate your ideas. Secondly, it is very important to be passionate. Marketing is all about convincing people they need your product and it’s very hard to do so if you are not passionate about the products.
