Alcohol ups social networking

VALUE ADDED SERVICES

By Semaj Itosno, Nairobi, Kenya

Drunken Kenyans tend to use social media more than when they are sober, a new survey shows.

Findings by InMobi Africa, a mobile advertising network, show that a majority of Kenyan consumers turn to social media networks through their mobile phones when drinking to post updates and photos and chat messages.

According to the study, 78% of the respondents confessed to that their social media presence increased on occasions when they were bingeing on alcohol, by sharing the fun moments with friends virtually.

The survey was carried out in July this year and polled 750 respondents in major urban centres across Kenya to understand drinkers’ preferences and mobile engagement levels to assist brands in developing mobile marketing campaigns.

“For us, though, the most interesting thing to come out of this survey is that for most consumers, mobile is a better medium than TV,” said Isis Nyong’o, InMobi managing director for Africa.

The insights into the habits of the average Kenyan tech savvy drinker provide an opportunity for firms to engage consumers through social media sites by using online coupons for discount promotions and special offers to spur sales.

Because people have their mobiles with them all the time, Ms Nyon’go says, brands should take advantage of this platform to influence consumer behaviour.

The InMobi survey conducted through mobile phones found out that 55 per cent of Kenyans drink to celebrate special occasions and a further 37% use drinking sessions to bond with family and friends.

Drink-tweeting, chatting and blogging as is now called, has emerged as one of the outcomes of Kenya’s deep mobile teledensity which now stands at 75.4%; with mobile data and Internet access accounting for 98.9% of total Internet subscriptions.