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