Direct Marketing firm Tempest Elite Marketing know the importance of brand awareness in a competitive market. The firm reveals startup businesses in Kenya have developed an innovative twist on loyalty cards for Africa's mobile generation
Kenyan businesses such as bars and takeaways can now benefit from a service known as NikoHapa ('I am here' in Swahili) the brainchild of entrepreneur Bernard Owuor; as reported in the BBC news article Kenyan and Ugandan start-ups make location pay its way.
Tempest Elite Marketing disclose the technology runs along the same lines as Foursquare whereby customers can 'check in' their location on Facebook or Twitter using their mobile phones. Every time a customer gets a receipt they can text or scan a QR code which will allow them discounts in the same way as a loyalty card - for example, at Nairobi pizza outlet Mambo Italia seven check in's will earn customers a free pizza. In addition to improving customer loyalty, each check in on NikoHapa allows the business free advertising through social media sites.
Yorkshire-based Tempest Elite Marketing MD Qaysar Bhatti says "This is a perfect example of small businesses finding a way to survive in a highly competitive market. From the point of view of both a business owner and a marketing professional I understand that getting the brand out into the public can be the difference between its success and failure. The clever feature of the NikoHapa is that it gains brand awareness by rewarding customers who advertise the company for free. It's completely a win-win situation for both customer and business."
The success of NikoHapa is partly down to its relevance in the market - the loyalty scheme is completely based on customers using their mobile phones. 67% of Kenya's population use mobile phones, the highest rate in east Africa. NikoHapa's text-based subscription mean the feature is accessible to all mobile users rather than just smartphones as is typical in western countries.
Qaysar Bhatti continues: " The key to a great marketing strategy is whether your message will go viral - in other words getting the message to spread from consumer to consumer. The NikoHapa application is essentially a word-of-mouth marketing strategy updated for the mobile age. The only surprise is that the technology-savvy UK market has not appeared to pick up on this particular commercial use for location technology, but surely it can only be a matter of time."
Tempest Elite Marketing is a direct marketing company based in East Yorkshire which prides itself on cost-effective, high-quality brand awareness and customer acquisition.
