Tag Archives: pricing

How do we make a business case for an innovative concept given the data scarcity for the African mass market?

By Niti Bhan | Published: March 12, 2018

Anzetse Were writes some thoughtful points on the challenges facing private sector innovation in Kenya, and Africa. Two of her points caught my attention, in particular: With regards to the private sector, an interesting point raised is that innovation targeting it must have a business case for adoption otherwise the innovation won’t be absorbed. Innovation […]

Posted in Africa, African Consumer Market, Analysis, Business, Consumer Behaviour, Design, Emerging Markets, Innovation Planning, Marchés africains, Marketing, Perspective, Prepaid Economy & Informal Sector, Retail in Africa, Risk, Sub Saharan Africa | Also tagged African Consumer Market, consumer insights, data, innovation, market analysis, marketing strategy | Leave a comment

Household energy consumption behaviour in East Africa: Lighting & Conclusion (3 of 3 Parts)

By Niti Bhan | Published: January 29, 2018

The following is extracted from a six month study during 2012 on household energy consumption behaviour in rural Kenya and Rwanda among the lower income demographic, that led to an understanding of some of barriers hampering the sales of client’s solar products in this market. This 3rd and final part will focus on fuel […]

Posted in Africa, African Consumer Market, Analysis, Base of the Pyramid, Biashara Economics, Business Models, Consumer Behaviour, Design, Economy, Ecosystem, Frugality, Indigenous & Traditional, Informal & Flexible, jua kali, Kenya, Marchés africains, Marketing, Prepaid Economy & Informal Sector, Research, Retail in Africa, Rural Economy, Scarcity, Strategy, Sub Saharan Africa, Technology, User research | Also tagged African Consumer Market, consumer behaviour, kenya, kerosene, lighting, prepaid solar, rural African market, solar, strategy, user research | 1 Response

Estimating price in unexplored and untapped markets

By Niti Bhan | Published: May 4, 2013

In addition to estimating the size and value of the Kenyan cyber cafe industry for our client, Village Telco of Cape Town, South Africa, we were tasked with finding out what would people pay for their product, the Mesh Potato. This challenge was the equivalent of walking up to someone and asking: How much would […]

Posted in African Consumer Market, Analysis, Business Models, Consumer Behaviour, Cyber cafe series, Ecosystem, Frameworks, Innovation Planning, Kenya, Marketing, Perspective, Prepaid Economy & Informal Sector, Process, Projects and Reports, Strategy, Sub Saharan Africa, Technology, User research | Also tagged affordability, cash transactions, informal business, informal markets, market analysis, price, village telco | Leave a comment

Questioning the narrative of extreme affordability for mobile phones

By Niti Bhan | Published: September 16, 2012

Yesterday I had a long conversation with someone whose job is related closely to mobile phone design. You’d recognize his employer’s name very easily. He asked me about extremely affordable phones for the low income segment in emerging markets. Late in the year of 2012, I found myself hesitating before answering immediately with a resounding […]

Posted in African Consumer Market, Assumption filter, Base of the Pyramid, Consumer Behaviour, Culture, Design, Emerging Markets, Informal & Flexible, Innovation Planning, Mobile platform, Perspective, Prepaid Economy & Informal Sector, Strategy, Technology, User research, Value | Also tagged affordability, aspirations, assumptions, bop consumer, mobile phones | Leave a comment

What price brand? No pretence about “fakes”

By Niti Bhan | Published: August 20, 2012

One of the most fascinating things that emerged from my immersion in the informal trade of China made consumer electronics in Kenya last month was the role played by “fakes”. We assume that cheaper copies of well known brands attempt to fool the customers. Packaging and brand names echo the look and feel of the […]

Posted in African Consumer Market, Assumption filter, Consumer Behaviour, Emerging Markets, Frugality, Innovation Planning, Marketing, Perspective, Prepaid Economy & Informal Sector, Strategy, Sub Saharan Africa, Value | Also tagged market analysis, strategy | 4 Responses

How do you compete in a market where charity distorts pricing?

By Niti Bhan | Published: December 24, 2011

Strategy guru Michael Porter’s 5 forces framework is quite well known to anyone attempting to assess or analyze the landscape of an operating environment for an industry or organization. Increasingly, since I’ve begun working out of Sub Sahara I’ve been sensing the challenge of a 6th force – one that is overlooked when consumer markets […]

Posted in Africa, African Consumer Market, Business, Business Models, Consumer Behaviour, Emerging Markets, Marketing, Perspective, Prepaid Economy & Informal Sector, Strategy, Value | Also tagged aid, charity, international development, market analysis, rural africa, solar | Leave a comment

Estimating price in unexplored and untapped markets

By Niti Bhan | Published: November 6, 2011

In addition to estimating the size and value of the Kenyan cyber cafe industry for our client, Village Telco of Cape Town, South Africa, we were tasked with finding out what would people pay for their product, the Mesh Potato. This challenge was the equivalent of walking up to someone and asking: How much would […]

Posted in Analysis, Business, Cyber cafe series, Emerging Markets, Kenya, Marketing, Prepaid Economy & Informal Sector, Projects and Reports, Strategy, Technology, urban, User research | Also tagged informal economy, market evaluation, mesh networks, village telco | Leave a comment

Pondering the sustainability of the cyber cafe industry and its future

By Niti Bhan | Published: October 17, 2011

Jomo, who runs a traditional cyber cafe in an office building near Mombasa’s busy port district, gave us a well framed and articulate argument on the challenge of running a sustainable business given the costs involved. His key point was that the internet providers, particularly the mobile operators now actively competing with conventional ISPs, were […]

Posted in Analysis, Business, Cyber cafe series, Emerging Markets, Kenya, Marketing, Mobile platform, Prepaid Economy & Informal Sector, Projects and Reports, Research, Systems, Technology, urban, User research | Also tagged cyber cafe, internet cafe, mombasa, village telco | Leave a comment

Tradeoffs made in purchasing decisions influence product and marketing strategy

By Niti Bhan | Published: August 26, 2011

This snippet from the Business Daily caught my attention: With the inflation rate at 15.93 per cent in the month of July, product sales have come under pressure as consumers put aside non-essential commodities like refreshment drinks from their budget lists. “Right now, the market is very sensitive to price. Coke is competing with other […]

Posted in Analysis, Base of the Pyramid, Business, Emerging Markets, Frugality, Kenya, Marketing, Prepaid Economy & Informal Sector | Also tagged Africa, bop, coca cola, informal economy | Leave a comment