Skip to main content

Broadcast & Film Africa: Kenyan perception on Local content

I recently undertook a survey amongst my friends and subscribers to the Skunkworks and Kictanet mailing lists as to their perceptions on local content. Amongst the survey questions, were their feelings on marketing of content and additional remarks.

Below are the responses of the 40 survey respondents.

A big thanks to all those who took part.


Do you believe content producers are doing enough to market their content in Africa? Why do you say so?
  1. Currently yes, I have seen alot of facebook adverts
  2. No. No market surveys to determine how much people are actually willing to pay, no consideration for average income of the market...
  3. NO. They also know the quality needs some work.
  4. "nope - if they were, then when something hip comes out; then they wud advertise like the BoxOffice does - before popularity wanes.
  5. They shud also make it readily available thru various distribution while the content is still in demand - sadly they dont."
  6. "NO WE ARE NOT MAKING USE OF INTERNET MARKETING"
  7. there is nothing to market (thats wasting money on crap)
  8. No they aren't. Not only in marketing but also in content quality. There's a lot of mediocre content out there, and the good stuff doesn't get enough awareness advertising.
  9. They producers are doing the best they can. Most probably due to lack of proper sponsorship or funding, the quality is compromised.
  10. No. There is little to no advertising of content be it music, movies, plays, etc. Just the occasional ad in the papers.
  11. No. they lack the means to do so.
  12. No. Very few are. There is little migration of existing (past) productions into digital form. THe only television program to actively embrace digital distribution, as far as I know, is the XYZ show.
  13. No.
  14. No..There are no clear distribution of content, more so there is no enough Marketing of their products
  15. No. Content not easily accessed either physically or online.
  16. No. they operate in a very small market. They need to spread their market base and use the internet,social sites more.See the success of 'Just a Band' and Sauti Sol
  17. NO, MOST OF THE LOCAL CONTENT I HAVE HAD ACCESS TO  WAS AS A RESULT OF AVENUES OTHER THAN  MARKETING OR PROMOTION
  18. No.they are more interested in being more recognised beyond the african borders.
  19. I don't think so. Possibly they do not have sufficient funds to market their products over the cost of production. 
  20. Nope
  21. No. Distribution of locally produced media is really low. I can go into music shops and not find any local music that I like. The type of music that the youth like is hardly ever stocked in shops. The next step is online marketing if they aim to target the youth. Twitter and Facebook are so cheap to advertise on, yet so many artistes don't make use of them.
  22. "NO.
  23. minimal or no advertising. at most times they are virtually unknown.
  24. local TV media filled by foreign content."
  25. No they are not doing enough to market their contents in Africa instead they are trying so much to copy the Western styles
  26. -
  27. No, i think they need to understand that there is need for Producers , Marketers and Distributors so that market deman can be satisfied.
  28. They are not doing enough due to economic problems- they do not have money to market or outsource the marketing aspect to other players. The marketing channels are also expensive and need research to identify effective marketing communication, channels and strategies
  29. "Content providers have done taken commendable steps in the past 5 years and Kudos to them.
  30. However partnerships with Mobole operators remain few and sketchy, it is time they focused on mobile content as this is the next frontier.
  31. I believe Local contnt that is captivaring, relevant , affordable and well done will always trounce the international stuff that unfortunately we have become accostomed to."
  32. No they are not. They seem to pay too much attention on the production that they forget to market their content enough. 
  33. A crossection of content producers have taken the marketing thing to heart and are promoting the hell out of both online and offline channels. but they tend to see it as more of a numbers game than quality interaction with their consumers thus create no lasting bond.
  34. In Kenya, no, because you can see that the distribution channel isn't as wide as of that of for example Nigeria or South Africa. It is rare for a Kenyan to go into a supermarket in Nigeria and find a Kenyan digital content, but it's easy to go to a supermarket in Kenya and find a Nigerian digital content
Any additional remarks on locally produced content?
  1. They need to meet the standards we are used to internationally. Its not about the fact that its local, we need to improve on quality
  2. Consider the bottom of the pyramid, aim for volumes such that counterfeiting is not worth anyones while.. 
  3. nope
  4. THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY IN LOCAL CONTENT
  5. some creative, more natural stuff sells itself. tv is still the same shit since we first owned a black and white tv. well there's a few exceptions like Mother in law, shuga, capital talk, etc but most stuff remains wanting especially documentaries. ever noticed how all tv stations show a one minute clock before news? maybe am the only one who gets irritated by it.
  6. "The skills are there, just not being used or people are too lazy. Instead of building a good set for a music video, artists just dance in front of a house, etc. Boring.
  7. Plus there is no originality at all."
  8. It requires marketing support.
  9. Mobile/Internet service providers should ideally support content distribution through adequate bandwidth allocation and content hosting.
  10. We have long way to go but its important not to lose originality.
  11. We have good actors,producers and creative people,all they need is to create a platform to showcase their work. Some of the editing needs work as well as the scripts etc. Keep it simple,Keep it local and it will sell.Don't be too focused on aping American or other Western culture,
  12. THEY NEED TO KILL SOME MONOTOMY TRENDS IN THEIR PRODUCTIONS, NEED TO IMPROVE ON VIDEO AND IN SOME SOUND QUALITY. OTHERWISE A GOOD EFFORT FOR BEGINERS
  13. Most of the music produced in kenya provides no relevant info which wud be worth much. The movie industry has a long way to go with professionalism lacking in great deal. 
  14. Piracy is killing the local industry. Taking a walk down river road you can buy any sort of locally produced soaps in vanacular but I'm very certain that the content owners do not make a dime from the sales.
  15. NOne
  16. Need to put some professionalism into the industry. only high quality content can gain interest from people
  17. -
  18. So far we are doing a great job, there is need for more local languages to be used.
  19. Some of the materials are poorly packaged and do not last or at times dissappoint the consumer like video and music contents packaged in poor quality
  20. we should improve on distributions channels

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Beers of Kenya. The Ultimate 2019 Guide

Four years ago, precisely in 2015, I wrote about beer in Kenya in what has gone on to be my most popular post this year with more than 5,000 people reading it. It seems that there is a lot of interest in exploring beer in Kenya, which is understandable. The brewing sector has grown since then and we now have lots of options, which means it is time for another review. Back in 2015, Kenya had one major brewer - EABL/KBL, challenged by Keroche and Sierra which is more of a small volume craft brewer, and arguably Kenya’s first craft brewery. It had also been joined by Brew Bistro which mostly sells its malted stuff at its outlets in Nairobi and later by Sirville, a bar located at Galleria Mall. Sirville was later sold to Brew Bistro and converted to the latter for a while, before shutting down in what is alleged to be a tax dispute.
Post a Comment
Read more

Beers in Kenya: A sober opinion

Note: This is a dated post and has since been mostly passed by events. SAB Miller beers including Castle and Peroni are no longer widely available in Kenya after their exist. Sirville Brewery was bought out by Brew Bistro before being permanently shut in a tax dispute. Kenya is a land of milk, honey, beaches and taxes. I have penned, or is typed, a newer post here .  Peroni - One of the best beers in Kenya. Did a taste of canned and bottled Italian, and bottled Tanzanian I like the tangy flavour and body in Tanzanian Peroni. The can is close. Heineken drinkers will like the Italian one.  I have had a short beer swigging stint in my life. It has however been long enough for me to share my opinion of Kenyan beer. Interestingly, over the course of sharing such opinions with other drunkards connoisseurs,  I have found that we all have different views as to what beer is the best, which one makes you too drunk, or which one gives one free, extra hangover for every ha...
Post a Comment
Read more

Why Humanity Hasn't Learned From the Covid Pandemic

In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic began ravaging the world, succeeding the 1918 flu pandemic.  Many found it unbelievable that despite all the scientific progress that the world has made since 1918, from composite jets to modern healthcare to going to the moon, the world was still susceptible to a pandemic.  Ironically, some of these advancements largely played a role in the spread of the pandemic. Thousands of global flights every hour and air conditioning fanned its spread like a dry wind would in a forest fire.  There was even further disbelief in mid-2020 when it became apparent that many countries were even struggling to keep a pandemic in check. Developed countries, supposed to have the best healthcare, suffered the worst outbreaks amidst disagreements on measures such as quarantines and wearing of masks.  In yet another twist, technology advancement finally came to our rescue with the speedy development of vaccines, including the safe pioneering of never-tried-b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nairobi's Top 4 Texas Brisket Places Reviewed and Ranked

Brisket on a bed of roast vegetables with barbecue sauce at Texas Brisket, Kikuyu  This review has been updated after a number of you suggested I try the brisket at County2County.  What's the best place to have Brisket in Nairobi? What's even brisket?  Brisket is one of the toughest cuts in a cow, from around the belly. It is so tough that it has to be smoked for about 16 hours to tenderise. But that there, is the catch.  12 to 16 hours later, it is the most flavourful and softest cut you will ever have. So full of flavour and so soft you can pick it apart with your fingers.  However, due to the long cooking time involved, only a few places offer brisket in Nairobi.  The best so far is Texas Brisket which is located within Kikuyu Railway station.  They do the meat for a proper 16 hours, and will usually have a fatty or non-fatty portion. The fatty portions are more tasty. A 500 gram serving goes for KSh. 900 and a 1 KG order comes with a serving of fre...
Post a Comment
Read more

Why More Kenyans are Switching To Craft Beers

Dire Straits from Bateleur is one of the most popular craft beers in Kenya. High quality ingredients mean more refined flavours I have been running an experiment for months now. Have you ever considered that you could be having a much better beer than what you had last weekend? Most people don’t think so, but the many who have undergone my experiment have found this to be the case. The experiment involved trying out craft beers, and many of my friends found that they liked beers from Bateleur better. These include Dire Straits - a medium beer,  or Bila Shaka which has higher alcohol content for those looking for a punch. Even ladies, many who confess to hate the taste of beer, have found these beers to be pleasant and even drinkable. Kenya is truly in a new beer age. 
Post a Comment
Read more