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It can be rightly argued that no strategy was superior to the other . The devil was in the execution . The tragedy was when Kencell abandoned theirs to copy their rival . Whenever you change strategy and copy that of the competition , you are left with little option than to play catchup . To be number two .
Almost a similar scenario is being replicated in the digital television market . Most subscribers to digital television have been for a long time the upper middle class in the society . This was the DSTV market . Until , through a government policy , the whole country went digital . Bamba TV immediately undertook a campaign to grab the bottom of the pyramid . The challenge is for DSTV to differentiate and retain their premium market for pay television .
There is a restaurant in Westlands Nairobi called Open House that specializes in Indian Cuisine . While the name is Open House , it ’ s always closed . Its doors are opened strictly to customers who have booked . It serves lunch from 11:30am to 2:30pm then closes again till 6:00pm when it re-opens to start serving dinner . This is not a common strategy for restaurants yet they have executed it with admirable success .
Every marketer goes to the market place with a strategy . The challenge is whether to stick to this strategy or abandon it altogether as one is faced with the currents from the competition . Most times , it is easier and sometimes more rewarding albeit in the short run to go with the flow .
It is difficult to argue against keeping to your strategy however heavy the tide rises against you . Actually , most successful marketing campaigns are pulled through by those with the stamina to stick to their strategy no matter the challenges .
More important is to understand why it is easier to drift along than keep to your strategy . Most organizations go with the flow for either lack financial muscle or management depth to keep to their strategy . It requires a lot of self belief to keep to a strategy that is losing money or which is not popular or known in the market at the beginning . Sometimes sticking to your strategy means foregoing quick wins and easy money .
The danger of abandoning your strategy is also in losing your identity . Carnivore is known for game meat and Ranalo K ’ osewe is known for fish . Their success can be linked to their fidelity to their original calling . The temptation is real for example for Ranalo to start serving fast food given their location in the Central Business district . While this makes a lot of business sense , it will simply dilute the business strategy and most likely drive way the original target group who are the mainstay of the business .
Market driven Organizations are those who go with the flow . They do what is expedient . They can never make a big statement or impact in the market . They also lack focus and are swept along with the latest fads . Outstanding organizations are market driving . They chose where they want to take the market and drive it there . They also create new markets where they retain the leadership . That ’ s what Apple did when they came up with the iPad .
The mix and match that comes with confused strategies is also a marketing disaster . Imagine your main product was targeting those in their 40 ’ s and along the way you discover that you can also start serving the younger age groups say those 20 ’ s for a quick buck . This will lead to a confusion in your marketing strategies that will eventually kill the product . Lesson : You cannot please everybody .
Easy Coach , a bus company plying the Western Nyanza route is a good case study of sticking to your game plan . They came to serve the modern traveler who craves comfort , safety and dignity . Their booking offices and waiting lounges are conveniently spread along their routes . They also have an arrangement with Uchumi supermarkets to have booking booths within their shop floors for easy access and a wider outreach .
This company has resisted the temptation to fill up their buses with passengers along the way or carry excess passengers . Traffic police have all but given up in ever “ eating ’ from them . They keep time and would rather go with an empty bus than inconvenience the few travelers who had booked in time . Neither do they get tempted to hike or lower fares to capitalize on on / off peak seasons . They are consistent , predictable and reliable . Dignity preserved .
While it may be convenient to abandon your original strategy for a more expedient one after the proverbial punch on the face , marketers must try as much as possible to stick to their game plan albeit with amendments . Stop selling red meat just because more customers are asking for it if your mission was healthy foods in the first place !
Evans Majeni is a businessman selling Apple Products in Nairobi and a director at Tahidi Homes Limited . He enjoys stepping on big toes and paying the price . You can reach him via mail on this or related issues at : Majeni . Tahidi @ gmail . com .

Market driven Organizations are those who go with the flow . They do what is expedient . They can never make a big statement or impact in the market . They also lack focus and are swept along with the latest fads . Outstanding organizations are market driving . They chose where they want to take the market and drive it there . They also create new markets where they retain the leadership . That ’ s what Apple did when they came up with the iPad .