For a long time, Kenyan consumers have had to be content with little variety in terms of fabric softeners with the most common brands on supermarket shelves being Sta Soft and So Soft. Well, all that is about to change. World’s leading fabric Softener Downy has made its entry into the Kenyan Market with the official launch happening earlier today at Sankara Hotel in Nairobi.
The Downy brand which is part of Proctor & Gamble (P&G) is coming at a time when P&G’s laundry care product Ariel is enjoying the lead in Kenya’s detergent market that was previously dominated by Unilever’s Omo washing powder soap. Kenya is the only country in Sub-Saharan Africa where the Downy fabric softener has been introduced. This was revealed by the P&G East Africa Director Lacopo Pazzi who spoke during the launch press brief earlier today.
Indeed the battle for Kenya’s number 1 washing powder has been fought not only on the supermarket shelves and the thousands of kiosks that serve Kenya’s Kadogo economy but in recent times, the battle went all the way to the Kenyan court with Unilever accusing P&G of un-competitive behavior. P&G won the case and this opened up the door to interesting marketing & advertising tactics which have seen Ariel’s competitors employing the same type of TV advertising commercials.
P&G will be selling Four Downy Fragrances in form of a concentrate which will see consumers spend less on a fabric softener whilst getting more benefits from it at a much lower cost. The four fragrances are:
- Downy Feel Romantic – Blooms of sweet berries and fresh wild flowers
- Downy Feel Relaxed – Comforting blend of lavender and chamomile
- Downy Valley Dew – A mix of spring flowers and crisp fresh scent
- Downy Floral Breeze – Sunny flowers and woody scents
Downy’s fabric softeners are infused with perfume oils to keep clothes fragrant long after they’ve been washed, dried and stored. The softeners also coat clothes with a protective layer keeping them well lubricated and therefore soft and smooth. This protective layer reduces friction between fabrics, hence extending the life of your clothes. Furthermore, they have anti-wrinkling properties, making ironing easier and therefore saving money, time and the clothes themselves.
Downy fabric softeners are available throughout the country and are will be retailing at Kshs.15/- for a 20ml sachet, 250/- for 500ml and 450/- for 1 liter. Downy is particularly a win for mothers as scent is known to foster strong bonds between them and their babies. Infants have been known to have good scent memory and to associate their mothers reassuring love with signature scents. What better way to keep a bit of yourself in your baby’s life even when you’re not there than to have it infused in their clothes and beddings!
