Lubezine Magazine Vol. 4 Lubezine Magazine Vol. 4 | Page 22

PACKAGING FEATURE Consumer choices lubricants survey – GFK back checks to ensure that sales received are correct. 9. What kind of challenges do you encounter in data collection? We encounter many problems in collecting data in the field. Obviously, the first one is convincing the reseller to share data with GfK. Usually we only achieve success after about 5 visits to be able to receive the data. Another challenge is of record keeping of the sales that is usually manually kept and extracting the information is time consuming. We have been facing similar challenges in tracking of mobile phones and we have come up with ways in which we are able to address these challenges. 10. Who in your opinion would benefit from the results of your research? The companies with a focus on lubricants in the resellers market are the main beneficiaries of our research. We believe that using our information, a focus on consumer behaviour may lead to changes of the consumption patterns that would ultimately benefit the whole market. 11. What is your future plan for the region’s lubricants industry? At the moment we are preparing to undertake a basic census of all the outlets that are selling products that we are currently tracking which will include spare parts shops, petrol stations and any other outlets that are selling oil. At the moment, we are seeing some supermarkets selling lubricants. Our tracking should be able to track the growth of this channel. This information will be available to any player interested by October 2012. At the moment, our tracking is based on the resellers market, specifically the spare parts shops, in Nairobi and its environment. We are hoping to attract interest from the industry to ensure that the tracking is undertaken throughout Kenya that would allow us track the brand performance per region. . Mr John Muthee is the Managing Director, GfK East Africa. He can be reached at john. muthee@gfk.com 20 Innovations New trends in lubricants packaging P ackaging is a very important marketing strategy to glamorize your product in order to attract the consumer’s attention. Sometimes packaging is so important that it By James Wakiru costs more than the James Wakiru is product itself in order a lubricants and to lure the consumers lubrication specialist to buy it. Packaging and has been involved should definitely in lubricants market be included in the 4 development activities major P’s of marketfor the past 12 years ing (Product, Place, Promotion and Price). Most consumers judge a product by its packaging before buying. Some of the consumer requests as pertains packaging are: 1. Eye-catching appearance: A distinctive, unmistakable and eye-catching appearance is a signal at the POS (Point of Sale) to which all consumers and particularly the younger ones respond positively. Whatever stands out clearly in the monotonous competitive environment, whatever is surprising scores points with the consumer. Special effort makes a special impression - and is allowed to cost more too. 2. Design, shape and colour: The purpose of a well-considered design, and creative printing and finishing is to entice the consumer to devote attention to the pack and its contents at the POS. 3. Functionality: Functional aspects are the basis for all successful packaging and thus for greater product success too. Product and aroma protection, hygiene and tightness, environmental responsibility and practical handling (in both use and storage) are just as important here as ideas that improve comfort: closure mechanisms, portioning and seethrough windows, for example. 4. Innovation: Novelty has exceptionally strong appeal. An innovative pack can even make “new products” out of familiar ones. Unusual solutions, functional new developments and originality not only set design trends but also boost sales! 5. Material: What is printed on board is read particularly willingly, while what is packaged in board sells particularly well. Sustainability, easy disposal and, above all, great design variety and potential are particular features of the material. Popular with consumers, particularly high appeal and many other advantages too. 6. Efficient communication: The packaging