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- ItemInfluence of celebrity endorsements on young consumers’ brand recall behaviour in Kenya : a case of Nairobi County(2015) Njuguna, Simon Peter; Otieno, Hellen NyoloCelebrity endorsement has become a major form of advertising and Kenyan companies are increasingly using it to promote and position their brands targeting different market segments. The purpose of this study was to examine the Influence of Celebrity Endorsements on Young Consumers’ Brand recall behaviour in Kenya. Researcher-administered questionnaires were used to collect data from a sample of 167 youth drawn from Nairobi County. A multi-stage non-probability sampling was employed and the data analyzed using descriptive and factor analysis. The main findings revealed that celebrity endorsement generally influenced young consumers’ brand recall behaviour. When used as endorsers, celebrities were found to add an appeal to the endorsed brand making it easier for consumers to correctly remember it as having been previously seen or heard in the crowded market. The findings will provide guidance to marketing and advertising practitioners on how to improve the effectiveness of celebrity-based advertising by way of aligning their brand with a celebrity that resonates with the target market. To future researchers, this study will act as a catalyst and help them in defining future research agendas. Replication of this study using larger samples, different age groups and in different geographic settings is suggested for cross-validation purposes.
- ItemBusiness development services (BDS)Otieno, Hellen; Kiraka, RuthWhile the role that micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) play in all economies is universally acknowledged, only a small segment of small businesses is capable of making full use of opportunities and coping effectively with threats without assistance. Smallness confers some inherent competitive disadvantages and same sort of external support is warranted in order for these enterprises to each their full potential (OECD, 2004). Services to promote and enhance MSME competitive performance accordingly constitute important policy instruments in many countries including advanced ones, such as the USA. However, programmes and institutions designed to support small enterprises have reached and assisted only a minority of them. This chapter examines the meaning, scope, role and the changing perspectives of business development services (BDS).
- ItemSustainabillty of business development services : gaps analysis of the Kenyan marketOtieno, Hellen; Olomi, Donath R.; Kiraka, RuthA key challenge in entrepreneurship and private sector development is the provision of sustainable Business Development Services (BDS). particularly for micro and small enterprises. This study investigates how sustainability of BDS can be achieved, and how some providers manage to develop sustainable BDS and not others. using Grounded Theory. The .findings suggest that there are at least nine specific demand-and-supply-side gaps in the BDS market which providers need to identify and fill if they are to become sustainable. The gaps relate to awareness. value, trust, quality, capacity, unwillingness to pay, appreciation, inability to pay and perception. How providers identify and fill these gaps depends on their strategic orientation, which is in turn shaped by their capabilities, their motivation to sustain the business and e:external factors. The findings have both theoretical and practical implications. Success in the industry requires a high level of dedication, commitment and patience than is typically needed in other industries. It takes time and personal sacrifice to invest in building relationships and trust with clients and incremental learning and innovation to fill the gaps. Filling some of the gaps requires collaboration among service providers. Some others require the action of the industry as a whole. The implications for policy is that BDS development endeavors should take into account the specific demands of the industry and take a holistic view that encourages the right kind of people to join the sector and for the gaps to be addressed at all levels.
- ItemSituational forces in the BDS market and BDS providers’ strategic responses : empirical evidence from KenyaOtieno, Hellen; Olomi, Donath R.; Kiraka, RuthThe paper presents situational analysis of the BDS market in Kenya showing how BDS Providers (BDSPs) respond in each situational context. The study was done through the use of grounded theory on eleven BDSPs, four small-scale entrepreneurs and two BDS facilitators in Kenya over twelve months between May 2008 and August 2010. The study established that BDSPs operate under weak regulatory framework which encourages unfair competition alongside donor agencies some of which continue to give free and/or subsidized services. BDSPs respond to the situational contexts in their environments using client, product, price, focus, diversification, and simultaneous competition and collaboration strategies.
- ItemMotives for starting and sustaining BDS : empirical evidence KenyaOtieno, Hellen; Olomi, Donath R.; Kiraka, RuthThe paper explains what motivates Business Development Services Providers (BDSPs) in Kenya to venture into and sustain their businesses. The study was done through the use of grounded theory methodology on eleven BDSPs in Kenya over twelve months between May 2008 and August 2010. The start-up motives were classified into three: extrinsic, intrinsic and philanthropic. Contrary to the dominant view that small business start-ups are driven principally by economic necessity, the study revealed that some BDSPs venture into and sustain their businesses mainly for intrinsic and philanthropic motives. These findings suggest that evaluation of sustainable BDS business should not be limited to the traditional economic theory of recovering costs but should take into account intrinsic and philanthropic rewards as well. The study enhances our understanding of “start-up motives” and “success” and in particular in the context of small firms. This knowledge is invaluable to scholars, teachers and policy makers involved in promoting small firms.