For women, we can talk about many brands like Mac, Revlon, Dark and Lovely you name it, but when Arimi’s is mentioned it elicit a somewhat intriguing discussion as to why this product is in the handbags of majority of Nairobi’s sophisticated ladies. A product that is supposed to be a companion to every dairy farmer in Kenya. Unlike Arimi’s, Revlon products and the likes are designed with a sleek and lady-like look that could easily be associated with a sophisticated lady and this is not by mistake but by design. However, for Arimi’s there is absolutely no association with the sophisticated lady. Surprisingly, that is the reason they have it in their purses. I don’t want to assume everyone knows what I am talking about, Arimi’s is one of the milking jelly brand names in Kenya. Even after discovering the product is majorly used by women, the company cannot diversify the product into a second product with a lady-like look and feel. Why? Because it will be the beginning of the end.
What makes ladies buy Arimi’s is the not-so-perfect sticker on it that has a green cow. This look and feel creates a perception that the product is natural with no chemical, a value that they are willing to have regardless of the look.
Its easy to fall into the trap of creating a nice sophisticated cool look for your product especially when dealing with a sophisticated group. Why is that? Its easy to generalize and its always hard to single out. People are able to make many quick and efficient decisions each day by, often non-consciously, relying on cognitive schemas or short cuts. These short cuts allow people to come up with judgments that are ‘good enough’ and, frequently, correct. That said, they also leave people prone to predictable cognitive biases. In this context its easy to assume that the customer loves a sleek sophisticated look and feel which is correct. There is however a price to pay for the speed and efficiency associated with thinking faster; it requires a generalization and the neglect of some potentially important information. There is no free lunch. In the case of Arimi’s if they try to rebrand so as to make it more attractive they will fail.
The easier part of branding is based on assumptions and not hard work of asking why do people buy what they buy in order to understand the perceived value of a customer.
What are some of the products you know that exhibits such characteristics?
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