Have you wondered why, for a long time, Kenyans have called all powder detergents, “Omo” or why all margarines are called “Blueband” and why children’s diapers, were for a long time referred to as “Pampers”, regardless of the brand? In simple marketing terms, this phenomenon is called “Brand Positioning”. Brand position is the space a brand occupies in the consumer’s mind. Brand positioning goes beyond brand awareness.
Some brands have positioned themselves successfully, such that consumers cannot create room for other brands in their minds. But how do they do it. For some, it’s about market dominance, creating a monopoly, or simply being the first to introduce a product in a particular market. For others, it takes one successful PR campaign to forever imprint their brand name in the consumers’ mind. In this article we will explore some of the most successful Kenyan PR campaigns, but before that we will look into:
What is a PR Campaign?
A PR campaign is a series of well-planned activities that help a brand build a positive relationship with the public. PR campaigns are designed to achieve very specific goals and they often run over a fixed period of time. The most common objectives a PR campaign could achieve include, shaping public perception, rebranding, increasing engagement with the public, creating or increasing brand awareness and repairing a brand’s image among others.
Types of PR Campaigns
PR campaigns take many forms depending on a brand’s budget, the brand’s products or services, the target audience and available platforms at the time. In the 90s for instance, PR campaigns were limited to TV, Radio, Newspaper, Billboards and other native media. In 2025, we have digital media which diversifies the possibilities for PR campaigns. Beyond media-related PR campaigns, there are other types of campaigns. Here are some common types of PR campaigns:
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
CSR is an old school PR tool that has been used by many brands. Corporate Social Responsibility is often used to build positive and lasting relationships with the public and the community around it. CSR is also effective in cementing a brand’s public image and influence. This type of PR campaign is not just a business tool but a powerful political tool.
When people identify a brand with positive actions, they become loyal to the brand and whoever affiliates with the brand is perceived to be in good standing. Common CSR campaigns include, education scholarships, creating foundations for humanitarian work, environmental conservation activities, charitable donations and community service.
Content Marketing Campaigns
Content marketing by itself is a form of digital marketing. However, content-based campaigns designed to run for a limited amount of time with the aim of achieving specific goals can also be classified as PR campaigns, Content marketing campaigns have been around for decades, often taking different forms as the media industry evolves. There have been TV shows sponsored by brands, online shows and hashtags attracting massive user generated content across platforms.
Crisis Management Campaigns
This is the most straight forward and self-explanatory type of PR campaign. Crisis management campaigns are used when a brand is dealing with a crisis. The aim for these campaigns is to clean up, restore or salvage a brand’s image after a nasty public crisis. Common tactics used by brands include seeking positive media coverage, disseminating public statements, influencer engagements and repairing the damage caused.
Media Tour Campaigns
Media tours are commonly used by entertainers (musicians, actors and comedians) especially when launching a new songs, new shows or when marketing an event. Authors also use media tours to promote new books. Beyond marketing new releases, media tours are effective in keeping in touch with the public or maintaining relevance in the public’s eye. Entrepreneurs, activists and thought leaders also engage in media tours from time to time.
Unlike other forms of media relations activities, media tours involve attending multiple interviews in different media outlets within a short span of time to maximize impact. In some cases, a brand may attend one or two interviews per day in different media houses. These could be radio, print, TV and digital media interviews.
Internal PR Campaigns
“Good PR starts at home”. This is a common quote used to encourage companies and individuals to take care of their internal affairs. Sometimes a crisis can emanate from within an organization due to negative employee relations. These kinds of crisis are as damaging as external ones. To counter internal problems, brands invest in PR campaigns to build relations with their employees. Such campaigns include team building activities, work-related vacations and programs that promote employee’s well-being.
4 Old School Kenyan PR Campaigns with Lasting Impact
You’ve scrolled this far looking for the list, so here we go. Kenyan brands are not new to PR campaigns. In fact, Kenya has a history or producing some of the most creative PR campaigns that have lived with us years or decades later. These four campaigns not only cemented the brands’ position in our minds but they also generated unbelievable success for personalities involved. Here are four legendary campaigns we will never forget:
“Omo Pick a Box” by Unilever
“Omo Pick a Box” is a 90s TV show that spanned into early 2000s. It is one of the longest running TV shows sponsored by a brand. As the name suggests the show was specifically designed to promote the popular washing powder detergent, “Omo”. The show, hosted by two hosts, a lady and a gentleman involved a lottery kind of set up where participants were, on one hand persuaded by the gentleman to pick a box which had a a secret gift of an unknown value.
The gift could have been anything, from money to a small gift or even a car. On the other hand, the lady persuaded them to pick the gift hamper which was already known to them. The hosts would take turns to talk the participant into picking what they held in their hands, leaving tuned in audiences on the edges of their seats waiting for that choice. If a guest picked the box, the suspense would be extended as viewers waited to see what the guest won.
One of the most powerful episodes was when a guest won a car. His reaction and the very magnitude of that prize was enough to increase public participation.
“Omo Pick a Box” is undoubtedly one of the most successful PR campaigns to ever exist on Kenyan TV. It cemented the brand’s position in consumers’ minds and set the stage for similar PR campaigns. Today, many brands still use that template, although none has achieved as much success as Unilever.
“Tusker Project Fame” by EABL
For a long time, “Tusker” dominated the beer market in Kenya thanks to its creative adverts. The beer is a product of East African Breweries Limited (EABL) one of the biggest breweries in Kenya. In October 2006, a TV show by the name “Tusker Project Fame” (TPF) premiered – it was a reality singing competition aired on TV. The show took the same format as many other singing competitions with a few tweaks on the overall format.
“Tusker Project Fame” aired for six seasons, up until 2013. During those 7 and a half years the show achieved remarkable success, not just for the brand name “Tusker” but for the participants. Many of them went on to become stars in music and other creative fields and Tusker the beer became a household name.
Several brands have tried to copy the same templates with some achieving success but nothing has come close to TPF.
“Equity Wings to Fly” by Equity Bank
Let’s veer away from TV shows and step into the world of CSR campaigns. Often CSR campaigns tend to be quiet and small scale, depending on a company’s resources. But Equity Bank, Kenya took CSR campaigns to another level. Their “Wings to Fly” program is one of the most successful PR campaigns with unimaginable success.
The program is mainly a school scholarship helping the most impoverished, yet academically gifted learners in Kenya. Equity scouts for these learners, far and wide often reaching the most remote parts of Kenya. The program extends to higher learning institutions and even provides job opportunities at the financial institutions to the best performing beneficiaries.
“Wings to Fly” has transcended beyond just a CSR program. It is now a beacon of hope for many. Today, the bank has built strong relationships with the public to the point that it survives PR crises with ease. Some would say, the bank has amassed a cultic following. But with so many scholarships in Kenya, why is this particular program so successful?
For starters, the program aligns with the brand’s overall identity. Equity Bank has branded itself as a bank for the common people. It does not associate itself with affluence and neither does it isolate anyone. As such the program, further provides inclusivity for people who are often considered unbankable.
In addition, the duration of the program has enabled the bank to gain wide reach which enhances the results. The program has been running for over 15 ears, since 2011. Today, almost everyone knows a person or two who has benefited from the “Wings To Fly” program. Some people have witnessed the transformation of their neighbors/friends, from young, gifted but poor students to successful working adults who thrived after the scholarship. Such transformation further compound the bank’s public image
Lastly, investing in publicity campaigns and impact storytelling has also boosted the program’s success. From time to time, Equity bank airs live events related to the program and other times, they tell high impact and moving stories of beneficiaries. Although, people are often discouraged from making their charitable moves public – in PR announcing your charitable deeds from a mountain top goes a long way.
“Share a Coke” By Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is not new to mega PR campaigns but “Share a Coke” is by far one of their most successful PR campaigns. This was mainly a rebranding campaign although many people did not realize it at the time. Previously, the Coke soda flavour was packaged in bottles with the brand name “Coca-Cola”. The “Share a Coke Campaign was introduced to transition from the old branding to a new bottle with the name “Coke”.
The campaign introduced new bottles with the words “Share a Coke With” on one side and a random name on the other side of the bottle. The Coca-Cola company encouraged people to choose bottles with their names or the names of their friends and family and to “share the coke” with them. Although the campaign ran in multiple countries, the names were localized to connect with local audiences.
To further boost the campaign’s success, Coca-cola aired accompanying adverts under the theme “Share a Coke”. It was absolutely a big budget campaign but its success is mainly attributed to the creative and unique nature of the campaign.
Are you currently looking for ideas on how to boost your PR efforts, reach out to us via info@pb.co.ke. Let us brainstorm and come up with something creative.
