M-Pesa, Arimis most loved brands by Kenyan women

Popular petroleum jelly, Arimis, loved for moisturizing hands and skin closes the top five league on most loved brands by women.

Photo credit: File I Nation Media Group

Safaricom, M-Pesa and Airtel are the top three most loved brands by Kenyan women, as the role mobile money and telecommunications play in their lives gets obvious.

Equity Bank ranks fourth among most loved brands by women in Kenya, while popular petroleum jelly, Arimis, loved for moisturizing hands and skin closes the top five league.

On the other hand, losing family, getting very sick, failing to achieve life goals, not being able to put food on the table and unemployment are the women’s biggest fears in that order, according to a survey- Most Loved Brands by Women in Kenya 2022- by research firm, IPSOS and Branding advisory consultancy BSD Group.

The survey summarises that top of the Kenyan woman’s dreams are her finances, family, career and education.

“This is an indication of role that telecommunications and financial services play in the lives of Kenya’s women, who are majority owners of small and micro enterprises,” the survey states.

It showed that at position six on the top loved brands by Kenyan women was sanitary towel brand, Always, followed by Coca Cola and Naivas Supermarket at number eight.

“Pay tv channel Gotv took position nine, while KCB Bank was number ten in the ranking of most loved brands by women. This is the second edition of The Top 100 Most Loved Brands By Women In Kenya study, an insight-led tool aimed at providing Kenyan businesses with scientific insights on women’s preferences and how they drive purchasing habits of consumer goods and services. Research shows that 80 per cent of consumer decisions are made by women,” IPSOS stated.

Women from Coast, North Eastern, Eastern, Central, Rift Valley, Western, Nyanza and Nairobi were interviewed as part of the survey, covering different age groups and socio-economic backgrounds.

“The study on the top most loved brands by women speaks directly to the economic empowerment of women from a purchasing ability and the need for corporates to engage and give opportunities in the development of products and services that address women’s needs because today women account for over 65 per cent of businesses although mainly in the SME sector,” said BSD Group CEO Eva Muraya.

In the research, among issues Kenyan women expressed they would love addressed by elected leaders include poverty, inflation, food prices, water, employment, corruption, economy, education, cost of living, insecurity and gender inequality.

“We are pleased that the insights collected in this study bring out issues affecting women in Kenya which will inform development of evidence based policies by the Government,” said Public Service and Gender Affairs CAS, Rachel Shebesh.

IPSOS CEO, Chris Githaiga, said the top 100 most loved brands by women used the best of science, technology, and know-how to enable clients act faster, smarter, and bolder with surety in the women markets space. 

The survey also stated that in the ranking of the one hundred brands, smaller neighbourhood supermarkets, hospitals, milk brands, personal care, hair and body care products, flour and mobile phone lending services made a strong showing.