Why Portland won MSK Worrior Award

The East African Portland Cement Company, which was among the three companies awarded by the Marketing Society of Kenya during the Worrior Awards Gala Night early this year, has explained the secret behind its victory.

Revisiting the honours, which came about as a result of an overwhelmingly successful sales promotion mounted between December 2006 and March 2007, Mr Caleb Kapten, the General Manager-Commercial, said the company achieved the promotion’s targets of strengthening the brand, increasing sales revenue and staving off competition due to sound planning, teamwork and prudent budget management.

Mr Kapten was quoted in the latest edition of Sokoni, a publication of the Marketing Society of Kenya, as saying the Sh24-million “Jijenge na Busara Promotion” succeeded mainly because it targeted artisans, who were known to influence construction decisions.

“Through market survey, we found out that the fundi, to a large extent, influences the buying decision when it comes to construction,” he said.
The General Manager added that the choice of the promotion’s tag also helped in its success. “To us, Jijenge was endearing to the consumer because it means improving one’s lot. By acquiring the tag, we gave the consumer the liberty to choose a brand with enhanced value.”

Portland scooped the 2nd Runner-up prize, closely behind Celtel, which was adjudged the 1st Runner-up. The overall winner was Unilever.