dc.description.abstract | The FMCG manufacturers are faced with intensified competition, consumers who are more
value conscious and less brand loyal, dwindling product life cycles and increasingly powerful
retailers; this mean that many new FMCG products fall by the wayside. Despite the critical
nature of the product-launch process, very little is known about what makes a new products
launch in the FMCG industry successful in Kenya. This study therefore needed to fill the
gap by attempting to answer the question: What are the strategies used by manufacturers of
FMCGs in Kenya when launching new products and to what extent do they use these
strategies? The objectives of this study were to determine the strategies used by
manufacturers of FMCGs in Kenya when launching new products, the extent to which the
strategies are used and to determine which strategies are used for the different categories of
products in the FMCG industry in Kenya.
This was a descriptive survey aimed at determining the strategies adopted and used by
FMCG manufacturers when launching new products into the market. Forty seven FMCG
Companies constituted the population. A census study was conducted. Data was collected
using semi-structured questionnaires. Data was analyzed using frequencies, percentages,
mean scores and standard deviation
The findings of this study, revealed that the manufacturers of Fast Moving Consumer
Goods in Kenya extensively use the various New product Launch strategies such as
market strategies, product strategies, promotion strategies, pricing strategies and
distribution strategies.
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Respondent apprehension was very high and it was difficult to get the responsible
senior officials to accept to be interviewed. They viewed the exercise with a lot of
suspicion due to the stiff competition in the FMCG sector.
There is adequate opportunity for additional research on other aspects of new
product launch strategies such as launching on the Internet. Other studies can
explore the areas of the effectiveness of the various marketing strategies that are used
for the product life cycle. | en |