Kenyan Business Feed
No Result
View All Result
Sunday, August 14, 2022
Subscribe
  • Home
  • News
    Why Ruto May Not Be Sworn in Even if He Wins

    Why Ruto May Not Be Sworn in Even if He Wins

    READ: Did you know that the law now recognises Intersex children?

    Breaking: Judiciary fund operationalised 12 years later

    Rwandan’s in Diaspora Deposit Sh926 million

    Rwandan’s in Diaspora Deposit Sh926 million

    List of LG products that can be controlled and monitored via a mobile App

    Jiji Kenya Bags Two Awards on Safety and Classifieds Categories

    Jiji Kenya Bags Two Awards on Safety and Classifieds Categories

    Why IEBC Didn’t Print Special Ballot Papers for the Visually Impaired

    Why IEBC Didn’t Print Special Ballot Papers for the Visually Impaired

    Business Tycoon Eyeing MP Seat Caught Up  in Sh300m fraud Case

    Business Tycoon Eyeing MP Seat Caught Up in Sh300m fraud Case

    LG unveils 2022 Side-by-Side and Top Freezers Refrigerator Lineup

    LG unveils 2022 Side-by-Side and Top Freezers Refrigerator Lineup

    NCBA launches Sh 2B Electric Vehicle finance deal for customers

    NCBA launches Sh 2B Electric Vehicle finance deal for customers

  • Markets
    Rwandan’s in Diaspora Deposit Sh926 million

    Rwandan’s in Diaspora Deposit Sh926 million

    LG unveils 2022 Side-by-Side and Top Freezers Refrigerator Lineup

    LG unveils 2022 Side-by-Side and Top Freezers Refrigerator Lineup

    Mdundo hits 20 million active users across Africa 

    Mdundo hits 20 million active users across Africa 

    NCBA launches Sh 2B Electric Vehicle finance deal for customers

    NCBA launches Sh 2B Electric Vehicle finance deal for customers

    Agilitee Unveils Electric Car to Retail at  Sh1.1Million

    Agilitee Unveils Electric Car to Retail at Sh1.1Million

    More Than a Million Children to Benefit From Sh3.1 billion Program

    More Than a Million Children to Benefit From Sh3.1 billion Program

    BrighterMonday Bags Top E-recruitment Portal of the Year Award 2022

    BrighterMonday Bags Top E-recruitment Portal of the Year Award 2022

    Anti-Counterfeit Authority Names Dr. Mbugua Njoroge as CEO

    Anti-Counterfeit Authority Names Dr. Mbugua Njoroge as CEO

    Technology Sector Partners Launch Digital Talent Program

    Technology Sector Partners Launch Digital Talent Program

  • Real Estate
    Fanaka Real Estate Unveils Foundation to Support Charity Programs

    Fanaka Real Estate Unveils Foundation to Support Charity Programs

    HFC launches Ultimate Banking for Customers in Kenya and Diaspora

    HFC launches Ultimate Banking for Customers in Kenya and Diaspora

    Centum Re Debt Status Analysis As Of 30th September 2021

    Centum Real Estate Posts Sh650M Operating Profit For The Year Ended 31st March 2022

    centum

    How the students have benefited from Centum PLC

    National Construction Authority Suspends Licences of 18 Contractors

    National Construction Authority Suspends Licences of 18 Contractors

    CCI Global, Gateway Real Estate Africa start Construction of new Contact Centre in Kenya

    CCI Global, Gateway Real Estate Africa start Construction of new Contact Centre in Kenya

    NEMA Re-Introduces Another Tax for Developers

    NEMA Re-Introduces Another Tax for Developers

    Centum Digitalizes Real Estate Sector

    Centum Digitalizes Real Estate Sector

    Superior Homes Launches Reward Program for Investors

    Superior Homes Launches Reward Program for Investors

  • Tech
    Demand for Foldable Smartphones Projected to Increase in 2022

    Demand for Foldable Smartphones Projected to Increase in 2022

    NCBA launches Sh 2B Electric Vehicle finance deal for customers

    NCBA launches Sh 2B Electric Vehicle finance deal for customers

    BrighterMonday Bags Top E-recruitment Portal of the Year Award 2022

    BrighterMonday Bags Top E-recruitment Portal of the Year Award 2022

    Samsung Unveils New Foldable Devices

    Samsung Unveils New Foldable Devices

    Samsung Unveils 2022 Electronics Line-Up Packed With New Innovations

    Samsung Unveils 2022 Electronics Line-Up Packed With New Innovations

    Gadgets: Immerse Yourself into The Amazing LG Home Audio Systems

    Gadgets: Immerse Yourself into The Amazing LG Home Audio Systems

    OPPO Find X5: Futuristic Technology Meets Ultra-Modern Design

    OPPO Find X5: Futuristic Technology Meets Ultra-Modern Design

    TikTok Moves to Tame Misinformation Ahead Of August Polls

    TikTok Moves to Tame Misinformation Ahead Of August Polls

    Nokia Adds more Devices to its 2022 Gadget Potfolio

    Nokia Adds more Devices to its 2022 Gadget Potfolio

  • World Business
    Kenyan Lands Ksh 2.6 Trillion Construction Project in Saudi Arabia

    Kenyan Lands Ksh 2.6 Trillion Construction Project in Saudi Arabia

    Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has been shot

    Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has been shot

    The World Bank to create a pandemic prevention fund

    The World Bank to create a pandemic prevention fund

    Why Mercedes Benz is Recalling Their Old Models

    Why Mercedes Benz is Recalling Their Old Models

    Cold comfort awaits a springtime Davos

    Cold comfort awaits a springtime Davos

    Meet The Richest Man Who Can Fund Kenya’s Budget Alone for 10years

    Meet The Richest Man Who Can Fund Kenya’s Budget Alone for 10years

    EA Sports End 29 Years of Video Game Partnership With FIFA

    EA Sports End 29 Years of Video Game Partnership With FIFA

    Central African Republic Adopts Bitcoin as an Official Currency

    Central African Republic Adopts Bitcoin as an Official Currency

    Netflix Stock Collapses After Losing 200,000 Subscribers

    Netflix Stock Collapses After Losing 200,000 Subscribers

  • KBF
    • All
    • Agribusiness
    • Banking
    • Insurance
    • Manufacturing
    • Opinion
    KenGen: How Dams Prevent Flooding – A Tale Of The Seven Forks Dam Cascade

    KenGen: How Dams Prevent Flooding – A Tale Of The Seven Forks Dam Cascade

    KBL Invests Sh76 Million In A National Consumer Promotion

    KBL Invests Sh76 Million In A National Consumer Promotion

    ‘Jua Kali’ Traders Equipped on How to Access to Global Markets

    ‘Jua Kali’ Traders Equipped on How to Access to Global Markets

    CIC Insurance Profits Rise 38 Percent to Sh464

    CIC Insurance Profits Rise 38 Percent to Sh464

    LG unveils 2022 Side-by-Side and Top Freezers Refrigerator Lineup

    LG unveils 2022 Side-by-Side and Top Freezers Refrigerator Lineup

    Kenyan Consumers to enjoy 20-minute delivery from Jumia Food

    Kenyan Consumers to enjoy 20-minute delivery from Jumia Food

    BURN Cookstoves Awarded ISO 9001:2015 Certification for High-Quality Standards  

    BURN Cookstoves Awarded ISO 9001:2015 Certification for High-Quality Standards  

    General Insurers pay claims worth Sh16.85Bn in three months

    General Insurers pay claims worth Sh16.85Bn in three months

    Agilitee Unveils Electric Car to Retail at  Sh1.1Million

    Agilitee Unveils Electric Car to Retail at Sh1.1Million

    • Agribusiness
    • Banking
      Britam settles on veteran Tom Gitogo as CEO

      Britam settles on veteran Tom Gitogo as CEO

      I&M Bank Launches Single Regional Account and Real-Time Payments Platform

      I&M Bank Launches Single Regional Account and Real-Time Payments Platform

      Absa Set for Sh2 Billion Digital Systems Upgrade

      Absa Set for Sh2 Billion Digital Systems Upgrade

      How are Metropolitan National Sacco services? Give feedback here

      How much money have you saved this year?

      Absa hosts women entrepreneurs for the PanAfrican InspireME Conference

      Absa hosts women entrepreneurs for the PanAfrican InspireME Conference

      Family Bank, Aqua to Advance More  Financing to SME’s in The Water Space

      Family Bank, Aqua to Advance More Financing to SME’s in The Water Space

      How Co-op Bank’s eCommerce Solution Has Led To Smooth Running Of Businesses

      Co-op Bank And Its eCommerce Solution For Businesses

      Kuscco’s George Magutu appointed to head global cooperatives body

      Kuscco’s George Magutu appointed to head global cooperatives body

      Faulu Revamps of its Trade Finance Solutions

      Faulu Revamps of its Trade Finance Solutions

    • Insurance
      CIC Insurance Profits Rise 38 Percent to Sh464

      CIC Insurance Profits Rise 38 Percent to Sh464

      Faulu Revamps of its Trade Finance Solutions

      Faulu Revamps of its Trade Finance Solutions

      Zamara Feted as the Overall Best Insurance Broker of the Year

      Zamara Feted as the Overall Best Insurance Broker of the Year

      How Rot in The Insurance Sector is Exposing Kenyans to Lose Funds

      How Rot in The Insurance Sector is Exposing Kenyans to Lose Funds

      APA Life Assurance Partners With Craydel To Financially Empower Students

      APA Life Assurance Partners With Craydel To Financially Empower Students

      Kenya Orient Life Assurance Bags ‘Pension Marketing Campaign of The Year’ Award

      Kenya Orient Life Assurance Bags ‘Pension Marketing Campaign of The Year’ Award

      Jubilee Acquires Additional Stake in SEACOM

      Jubilee Acquires Additional Stake in SEACOM

      Over 1000 Women Benefit From Absa, KNCCI Financial Training

      Over 1000 Women Benefit From Absa, KNCCI Financial Training

      Family Bank is The Best in Customer Satisfaction-Survey

      Family Bank is The Best in Customer Satisfaction-Survey

    • Manufacturing
    • Opinion
      Is KRA to Blame For Deaths Caused By Illicit Brews?

      Is KRA to Blame For Deaths Caused By Illicit Brews?

      Opinion: Deploying contemporary Information Technology solutions for Academic Delivery

      Opinion: Deploying contemporary Information Technology solutions for Academic Delivery

      How COVID-19 Impacted the Adoption of Digital Health Technology

      How COVID-19 Impacted the Adoption of Digital Health Technology

      Why Kenyan economy is headed Pakistan direction

      Why Kenyan Economy is headed Pakistan direction

      Opinion: Create favorable conditions for increased value add in manufacturing

      Opinion: Recovery, growth key to creation of jobs in industries

      Lifestyle innovation is making home-life healthier for families

      Lifestyle innovation is making home-life healthier for families

      Car Loans Offering Convenient Mobility To Middle And Low-Income Families

      Car Loans Offering Convenient Mobility To Middle And Low-Income Families

      OPINION: Africa’s War to Secure the Internet  

      OPINION: Africa’s War to Secure the Internet  

      Prioritize long-term energy cost reduction for sustained industry growth

      Prioritize long-term energy cost reduction for sustained industry growth

Kenyan Business Feed
  • Home
  • News
    Why Ruto May Not Be Sworn in Even if He Wins

    Why Ruto May Not Be Sworn in Even if He Wins

    READ: Did you know that the law now recognises Intersex children?

    Breaking: Judiciary fund operationalised 12 years later

    Rwandan’s in Diaspora Deposit Sh926 million

    Rwandan’s in Diaspora Deposit Sh926 million

    List of LG products that can be controlled and monitored via a mobile App

    Jiji Kenya Bags Two Awards on Safety and Classifieds Categories

    Jiji Kenya Bags Two Awards on Safety and Classifieds Categories

    Why IEBC Didn’t Print Special Ballot Papers for the Visually Impaired

    Why IEBC Didn’t Print Special Ballot Papers for the Visually Impaired

    Business Tycoon Eyeing MP Seat Caught Up  in Sh300m fraud Case

    Business Tycoon Eyeing MP Seat Caught Up in Sh300m fraud Case

    LG unveils 2022 Side-by-Side and Top Freezers Refrigerator Lineup

    LG unveils 2022 Side-by-Side and Top Freezers Refrigerator Lineup

    NCBA launches Sh 2B Electric Vehicle finance deal for customers

    NCBA launches Sh 2B Electric Vehicle finance deal for customers

  • Markets
    Rwandan’s in Diaspora Deposit Sh926 million

    Rwandan’s in Diaspora Deposit Sh926 million

    LG unveils 2022 Side-by-Side and Top Freezers Refrigerator Lineup

    LG unveils 2022 Side-by-Side and Top Freezers Refrigerator Lineup

    Mdundo hits 20 million active users across Africa 

    Mdundo hits 20 million active users across Africa 

    NCBA launches Sh 2B Electric Vehicle finance deal for customers

    NCBA launches Sh 2B Electric Vehicle finance deal for customers

    Agilitee Unveils Electric Car to Retail at  Sh1.1Million

    Agilitee Unveils Electric Car to Retail at Sh1.1Million

    More Than a Million Children to Benefit From Sh3.1 billion Program

    More Than a Million Children to Benefit From Sh3.1 billion Program

    BrighterMonday Bags Top E-recruitment Portal of the Year Award 2022

    BrighterMonday Bags Top E-recruitment Portal of the Year Award 2022

    Anti-Counterfeit Authority Names Dr. Mbugua Njoroge as CEO

    Anti-Counterfeit Authority Names Dr. Mbugua Njoroge as CEO

    Technology Sector Partners Launch Digital Talent Program

    Technology Sector Partners Launch Digital Talent Program

  • Real Estate
    Fanaka Real Estate Unveils Foundation to Support Charity Programs

    Fanaka Real Estate Unveils Foundation to Support Charity Programs

    HFC launches Ultimate Banking for Customers in Kenya and Diaspora

    HFC launches Ultimate Banking for Customers in Kenya and Diaspora

    Centum Re Debt Status Analysis As Of 30th September 2021

    Centum Real Estate Posts Sh650M Operating Profit For The Year Ended 31st March 2022

    centum

    How the students have benefited from Centum PLC

    National Construction Authority Suspends Licences of 18 Contractors

    National Construction Authority Suspends Licences of 18 Contractors

    CCI Global, Gateway Real Estate Africa start Construction of new Contact Centre in Kenya

    CCI Global, Gateway Real Estate Africa start Construction of new Contact Centre in Kenya

    NEMA Re-Introduces Another Tax for Developers

    NEMA Re-Introduces Another Tax for Developers

    Centum Digitalizes Real Estate Sector

    Centum Digitalizes Real Estate Sector

    Superior Homes Launches Reward Program for Investors

    Superior Homes Launches Reward Program for Investors

  • Tech
    Demand for Foldable Smartphones Projected to Increase in 2022

    Demand for Foldable Smartphones Projected to Increase in 2022

    NCBA launches Sh 2B Electric Vehicle finance deal for customers

    NCBA launches Sh 2B Electric Vehicle finance deal for customers

    BrighterMonday Bags Top E-recruitment Portal of the Year Award 2022

    BrighterMonday Bags Top E-recruitment Portal of the Year Award 2022

    Samsung Unveils New Foldable Devices

    Samsung Unveils New Foldable Devices

    Samsung Unveils 2022 Electronics Line-Up Packed With New Innovations

    Samsung Unveils 2022 Electronics Line-Up Packed With New Innovations

    Gadgets: Immerse Yourself into The Amazing LG Home Audio Systems

    Gadgets: Immerse Yourself into The Amazing LG Home Audio Systems

    OPPO Find X5: Futuristic Technology Meets Ultra-Modern Design

    OPPO Find X5: Futuristic Technology Meets Ultra-Modern Design

    TikTok Moves to Tame Misinformation Ahead Of August Polls

    TikTok Moves to Tame Misinformation Ahead Of August Polls

    Nokia Adds more Devices to its 2022 Gadget Potfolio

    Nokia Adds more Devices to its 2022 Gadget Potfolio

  • World Business
    Kenyan Lands Ksh 2.6 Trillion Construction Project in Saudi Arabia

    Kenyan Lands Ksh 2.6 Trillion Construction Project in Saudi Arabia

    Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has been shot

    Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has been shot

    The World Bank to create a pandemic prevention fund

    The World Bank to create a pandemic prevention fund

    Why Mercedes Benz is Recalling Their Old Models

    Why Mercedes Benz is Recalling Their Old Models

    Cold comfort awaits a springtime Davos

    Cold comfort awaits a springtime Davos

    Meet The Richest Man Who Can Fund Kenya’s Budget Alone for 10years

    Meet The Richest Man Who Can Fund Kenya’s Budget Alone for 10years

    EA Sports End 29 Years of Video Game Partnership With FIFA

    EA Sports End 29 Years of Video Game Partnership With FIFA

    Central African Republic Adopts Bitcoin as an Official Currency

    Central African Republic Adopts Bitcoin as an Official Currency

    Netflix Stock Collapses After Losing 200,000 Subscribers

    Netflix Stock Collapses After Losing 200,000 Subscribers

  • KBF
    • All
    • Agribusiness
    • Banking
    • Insurance
    • Manufacturing
    • Opinion
    KenGen: How Dams Prevent Flooding – A Tale Of The Seven Forks Dam Cascade

    KenGen: How Dams Prevent Flooding – A Tale Of The Seven Forks Dam Cascade

    KBL Invests Sh76 Million In A National Consumer Promotion

    KBL Invests Sh76 Million In A National Consumer Promotion

    ‘Jua Kali’ Traders Equipped on How to Access to Global Markets

    ‘Jua Kali’ Traders Equipped on How to Access to Global Markets

    CIC Insurance Profits Rise 38 Percent to Sh464

    CIC Insurance Profits Rise 38 Percent to Sh464

    LG unveils 2022 Side-by-Side and Top Freezers Refrigerator Lineup

    LG unveils 2022 Side-by-Side and Top Freezers Refrigerator Lineup

    Kenyan Consumers to enjoy 20-minute delivery from Jumia Food

    Kenyan Consumers to enjoy 20-minute delivery from Jumia Food

    BURN Cookstoves Awarded ISO 9001:2015 Certification for High-Quality Standards  

    BURN Cookstoves Awarded ISO 9001:2015 Certification for High-Quality Standards  

    General Insurers pay claims worth Sh16.85Bn in three months

    General Insurers pay claims worth Sh16.85Bn in three months

    Agilitee Unveils Electric Car to Retail at  Sh1.1Million

    Agilitee Unveils Electric Car to Retail at Sh1.1Million

    • Agribusiness
    • Banking
      Britam settles on veteran Tom Gitogo as CEO

      Britam settles on veteran Tom Gitogo as CEO

      I&M Bank Launches Single Regional Account and Real-Time Payments Platform

      I&M Bank Launches Single Regional Account and Real-Time Payments Platform

      Absa Set for Sh2 Billion Digital Systems Upgrade

      Absa Set for Sh2 Billion Digital Systems Upgrade

      How are Metropolitan National Sacco services? Give feedback here

      How much money have you saved this year?

      Absa hosts women entrepreneurs for the PanAfrican InspireME Conference

      Absa hosts women entrepreneurs for the PanAfrican InspireME Conference

      Family Bank, Aqua to Advance More  Financing to SME’s in The Water Space

      Family Bank, Aqua to Advance More Financing to SME’s in The Water Space

      How Co-op Bank’s eCommerce Solution Has Led To Smooth Running Of Businesses

      Co-op Bank And Its eCommerce Solution For Businesses

      Kuscco’s George Magutu appointed to head global cooperatives body

      Kuscco’s George Magutu appointed to head global cooperatives body

      Faulu Revamps of its Trade Finance Solutions

      Faulu Revamps of its Trade Finance Solutions

    • Insurance
      CIC Insurance Profits Rise 38 Percent to Sh464

      CIC Insurance Profits Rise 38 Percent to Sh464

      Faulu Revamps of its Trade Finance Solutions

      Faulu Revamps of its Trade Finance Solutions

      Zamara Feted as the Overall Best Insurance Broker of the Year

      Zamara Feted as the Overall Best Insurance Broker of the Year

      How Rot in The Insurance Sector is Exposing Kenyans to Lose Funds

      How Rot in The Insurance Sector is Exposing Kenyans to Lose Funds

      APA Life Assurance Partners With Craydel To Financially Empower Students

      APA Life Assurance Partners With Craydel To Financially Empower Students

      Kenya Orient Life Assurance Bags ‘Pension Marketing Campaign of The Year’ Award

      Kenya Orient Life Assurance Bags ‘Pension Marketing Campaign of The Year’ Award

      Jubilee Acquires Additional Stake in SEACOM

      Jubilee Acquires Additional Stake in SEACOM

      Over 1000 Women Benefit From Absa, KNCCI Financial Training

      Over 1000 Women Benefit From Absa, KNCCI Financial Training

      Family Bank is The Best in Customer Satisfaction-Survey

      Family Bank is The Best in Customer Satisfaction-Survey

    • Manufacturing
    • Opinion
      Is KRA to Blame For Deaths Caused By Illicit Brews?

      Is KRA to Blame For Deaths Caused By Illicit Brews?

      Opinion: Deploying contemporary Information Technology solutions for Academic Delivery

      Opinion: Deploying contemporary Information Technology solutions for Academic Delivery

      How COVID-19 Impacted the Adoption of Digital Health Technology

      How COVID-19 Impacted the Adoption of Digital Health Technology

      Why Kenyan economy is headed Pakistan direction

      Why Kenyan Economy is headed Pakistan direction

      Opinion: Create favorable conditions for increased value add in manufacturing

      Opinion: Recovery, growth key to creation of jobs in industries

      Lifestyle innovation is making home-life healthier for families

      Lifestyle innovation is making home-life healthier for families

      Car Loans Offering Convenient Mobility To Middle And Low-Income Families

      Car Loans Offering Convenient Mobility To Middle And Low-Income Families

      OPINION: Africa’s War to Secure the Internet  

      OPINION: Africa’s War to Secure the Internet  

      Prioritize long-term energy cost reduction for sustained industry growth

      Prioritize long-term energy cost reduction for sustained industry growth

No Result
View All Result
Kenyan Business Feed
No Result
View All Result
Home KBF

How Citizen TV Became The Most Watched in Kenya

by Neymar
November 4, 2020
in KBF, News, Opinion
0
186
SHARES
2.3k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare On Whatsapp
Loading...

By Peter Opondo

Around the year 2007, Citizen TV took the Kenyan media and entertainment market by storm when it poached top rated media personalities at a premium from rival stations.

Hitherto an underdog in the industry, Citizen which is owned by SK Macharia’s Royal Media Services (RMS) limited was deemed to be punching above its weight when it hired the likes of Swaleh Mdoe, Catherine Kasavuli, Louis Otieno (from KTN) and Julie Gichuru (from NTV), among others.

In as far as news anchors and presenters were concerned, these were the crème de la crème in Kenya and this represented a signal that Citizen was ready to take on the big boys in the industry- and it did. Within a very short period, Citizen moved from number four to number one among national TV stations; a position that it has held onto to date.

Fast-forward to January 2013 and another newbie in the market, K24, pulling a page from the Citizen playbook attempts a similar human talent strategy to upend the market status quo. Seemingly flush with cash, the Mediamax Network Limited owned K24 channel, just like Citizen TV a few years earlier went for established names from rival stations. The likes of Belinda Obura, Tom Mboya, Frankline Wambugu, Jimmi Gathu, Torome Tirike (from Citizen TV), Isabella Kituri and Ann Ngungi (from KTN), Tichi Nyasani and Waweru Njoroge, among others, were recruited. K24 was announcing that it was now ready to wrestle the mantle from Citizen TV. Only that it didn’t pan out that way.

K24, it would turn out, had bitten more than it could chew and like a marathoner who begins the race in a sprint, the channel would soon be running on fumes just a few months later.

Since then, industry observers and analysts have been wondering how a seemingly similar human talent strategy executed by two different players in the same industry could produce such diametrically opposite results. The contrasting outcomes have since provided material for discussion among students of journalism and media strategy in local universities as well as in the boardrooms of media houses.

In this article, I would like to lend some perspective. I will argue that although the approach taken by the two stations were similar, the strategic intents were quite different. Further, I would posit that even if the strategies were similar, different contexts led to the divergent outcomes.

A Disruptive Innovation perspective

When reviewing a strategy, a good management theory always comes in handy. In this case I choose to deploy the Disruptive Innovation theory as advanced by the late Prof Clayton Christensen of Harvard Business School as the lens through which one can analyse this particular challenge.

In simple, non-academic terms, the Disruption Innovation theory basically says two things; first, that when you are an underdog or a newbie and you want to disrupt a market, taking on the incumbents head-on can be extremely risky. This is because the incumbents will often spare no expense in defending their territory. And because incumbents usually have more resources than new entrants, the winner of this arms race can be predicted beforehand.

Secondly, the theory postulates that the best way to disrupt a market is to go for the consumers that the incumbents have overlooked, overshot (as in giving them more than they need, often at a high price) or regard as non-priority. Target the so-called “non consumers” or the consumers who are using a product or service simply because there is not better alternative- the “soon-to-be-non-consumers”. This gives the disruptors an advantage because, first, the incumbents are likely to ignore you and secondly, you quickly build a critical mass of customers that will provide the moat to enable you to attack the market upstream.

This is also the underlying concept of the Blue Ocean Strategy as advanced by professors Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne, where any entrant into a market or a corporate strategist is always advised to avoid the “bloody red ocean” where competition is intense and cut throat and instead urged to go for the “blue ocean” where there are opportunities to create new markets and value.

To use cross industry examples, this is exactly how Equity bank gained dominance in the banking sector in Kenya; by first going to the low end customers that the other players had completely ignored and used that foundation to gradually go upstream. Also, this is exactly what Mpesa did to the financial services sector- by capturing the low-end masses that had been excluded from the financial services sector, eventually forcing mainstream players in the sector to plug in and align.

Back to the media. Around 2005, Citizen TV was a distant number four in terms of ratings among key players in the industry. KBC, KTN and NTV were the leaders nationally in that order, although when it came to urban areas KTN was ahead, followed by NTV and then KBC.

Loading...

After the liberalization of the airwaves in the early 1990s which broke the monopoly of state broadcaster KBC, KTN and NTV became the gold standard of TV in Kenya. The stations were urban and sophisticated, serving their audiences a surfeit of mostly American content. Programs like Fresh Prince, Desperate Housewives, Judging Amy, Prison Break, CSI, Smallville, Lost, Monk, and ER were the main staple.

The unconscious conspiracy

When Wachira Waruru was appointed managing director of RMS around 2005, he already had an insight. “There was an unconscious conspiracy against the ordinary Kenyan viewer,” he told me a few years ago. And that is the insight that led to the Kenyan and African content strategy at Citizen TV.

And here is the key to the success of the strategy; Citizen did not initially go for the top news presenters. It went for entertainment content that could celebrate the “Kenyan identity”. It went for content that created affinity with the ordinary Kenyan. That is how shows like Papa Shirandula, Inspector Mwala, Tahidi High and Tafrija (local Kenyan music show) came about. Because the market was so fixated on foreign content that so far was attracting good advertising revenue, the main industry players did not immediately respond to the Citizen strategy.

“They didn’t see us coming. In fact Nation Media Group even allowed us to take out full-page advertisements in the Daily Nation to market our new content. Across the week you would see a full-page image of Papa or Mwala! To them we were not serious competition so they promoted us. Today they would not allow us to take out even a classified ad,” Wachira told me sometime in 2018.

So by the time Citizen went for the top presenters from NTV and KTN in early 2007, it already had a base of captive audience. And the Strategic intent of hiring the top anchors was not necessarily to help Citizen TV

penetrate the market (much as it could have led to that), rather it was a statement to the industry that the channel was now going upstream, ready to take on the big boys.

Contrast that with the K24 strategy in 2013. After its acquisition from the founder Rose Kimotho, that station was about to rebrand from a 24/7 news and current affairs channel to an entertainment and news channel, just like the rest of the main players.

The K24 strategy however was to go head-on against the leading market players, especially Citizen TV. Put differently, K24 strategy was “steal of market share”, as marketers would put it. Such a strategy often amounts to a zero sum game; that for you to win, someone else must lose.

And so with minimal tweaking here and there, the 2013 K24 programming line up mirrored that of Citizen TV. K24 was strategically intent on blowing Citizen TV out of the water, and that is what informed the hiring of the top news presenters.

As noted earlier from the theory of disruptive innovation, this can be such a costly and expensive affair, as it proved to be for K24. Barely 6 months after the high profile poaching, some of those that had been hired were declared redundant. The numbers were simply not adding up and the company was hemorrhaging cash in a manner that could easily bring the entire company down if not stopped.

To use an analogy to contrast the strategies of the two stations in recruiting high profile presenters, I would put it this way: Citizen TV had already baked the cake, the presenters were just the icing on it. K24, on the other hand, was serving the anchors as the cake.

(Full disclosure: I worked for both Citizen TV and K24 at management level. Specifically, I joined K24 a few months after the 2013 poaching spree and product re-launch. Contractual obligations preclude me from revealing some of the nitty-gritty about what took place. This article is purely meant to shed some light on strategic actions in the media in Kenya and their impact on the business in general and the lessons that can be drawn thereof, if any)


Kenyan Business Feed is the top Kenyan Business Blog. We share news from Kenya and across the region. To contact us with any alert, please email us to [email protected]

Comments

comments

Loading...
Tags: Citizen TV
Loading...

Popular Articles

  • Why Ruto May Not Be Sworn in Even if He Wins

    Why Ruto May Not Be Sworn in Even if He Wins

    207 shares
    Share 83 Tweet 52
  • Broke GoK pays takes loans to pay salaries

    161 shares
    Share 64 Tweet 40
  • Breaking: Judiciary fund operationalised 12 years later

    159 shares
    Share 64 Tweet 40
  • Hacking attacks on Kenya’s financial systems rose to 444 million in 2022 compared to 158 million in 2021 – Report

    157 shares
    Share 63 Tweet 39
  • KBL Invests Sh76 Million In A National Consumer Promotion

    156 shares
    Share 62 Tweet 39
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
This key building in Nairobi is unsafe – Auditor General

This key building in Nairobi is unsafe – Auditor General

July 22, 2022
Kenyan Lands Ksh 2.6 Trillion Construction Project in Saudi Arabia

Kenyan Lands Ksh 2.6 Trillion Construction Project in Saudi Arabia

July 21, 2022
Why Ruto May Not Be Sworn in Even if He Wins

Why Ruto May Not Be Sworn in Even if He Wins

August 13, 2022
Tension High as Sh20 Billion Gold ‘Stolen’ at JKIA Warehouse

Tension High as Sh20 Billion Gold ‘Stolen’ at JKIA Warehouse

July 25, 2022
Why Ruto May Not Be Sworn in Even if He Wins

Why Ruto May Not Be Sworn in Even if He Wins

August 13, 2022
KenGen: How Dams Prevent Flooding – A Tale Of The Seven Forks Dam Cascade

KenGen: How Dams Prevent Flooding – A Tale Of The Seven Forks Dam Cascade

August 13, 2022
READ: Did you know that the law now recognises Intersex children?

Breaking: Judiciary fund operationalised 12 years later

August 12, 2022
OPINION: The case against Central Bank Digital Currency – CBDC

Broke GoK pays takes loans to pay salaries

August 12, 2022


© 2022 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Markets
  • Real Estate
  • Tech
  • World Business
  • KBF
    • Agribusiness
    • Banking
    • Insurance
    • Manufacturing
    • Opinion