Private sector players have been urged to adopt Kenya's new mark of identity to help sell the country in the international market. The new mark, "A Touch of Kenya", developed by Brand Kenya, will be the sale statement replacing scattered tag lines selling the country's diverse products in the export market.
Some of the agricultural produce that score highly in the global market include but are not limited to tea, coffee, flowers and pyrethrum. Other export items include textiles, tobacco, iron and steel products, petroleum products and cement.
The country's main export partners are UK, Netherlands, Uganda, Tanzania, United States and Pakistan. The new mark is expected to enhance competitiveness of the less marketed products in the overseas markets and also ensure uniformity of all items and services that are emanating from Kenya.
"We ask more companies to adopt the new tag line so that we can tell the world that products from Kenya are of high standards," East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism Cabinet Secretary Phyllis Kandie said at a stakeholders' meeting in Nairobi.
The new marketing line comes at a time businesses operating in the country face a number of challenges associated with corruption, unemployment, insecurity and crime. Other challenges in Kenya include high cost of skilled labour and underdeveloped infrastructure.
According to Brand Kenya CEO Mary Kamonye, a majority of the good things from Kenya are not known by foreign markets. However, the vices associated with the country glare once the country is mentioned, an image that she said needs to be changed.
Known products
"We need to have a common proposition and a brand as a nation. We ought to go outside the normal and known products from the country like tourism to those that are not featured in the international markets," she said.
The Brand Kenya CEO disclosed that 37 companies have already adopted the mark and placed them on their products. However, for a company to get the green light to sell with the tagline, it must be 30 per cent owned by Kenyans in terms of equity, be tax compliant and have Kenyans as the majority employees.
The new mark of identity would replace "made in Kenya" and "proudly Kenyan". According to Ms Kandie, though farmers in the country grow some of the finest produce in the world and manufacturers produce goods of high quality, these products can only act as powerful ambassadors when their origin is known.
"It is expected the new mark of identity will position Kenyan products as premium products in the local and international markets,'' she said.
The Standard Group Plc is a
multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper
print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The
Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key
influence in matters of national and international interest.
join