Launch of our 2nd VR campaign - Sanergy Kenya

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After testing Virtual Reality as a marketing tool with Naiss Bathrooms in Mozambique, BoP Innovation Center is replicating this innovation in Kenya with a 2nd customer. Sanergy and their Fresh Life Initiative embraced this innovative means of marketing to promote 2 of heir toilet models among slum dwellers in Nairobi. Watch the video for some first impressions. We'll soon be collecting sales data and other evidence to reflect on the effects of the VR-based campaign for Sanergy.

This is the final activity or our VR project that is subsidized by VIA Water. Given the positive response from our launching customers in Momzabique and Kenya, BoP Innovation Center and our VR developers in Kenya (Black Rhino VR) and Mozambique (FX Studio) are excited to continue implementing and refining this marketing concept with more customers. If you're interested, send me an e-mail: g.jansen@bopinc.org

Vi Nguyen's picture

Great to see this concept expanding into Kenya! What were the first VR impressions and feedback from the users in Nairobi?

Gerwin Jansen's picture

Hi Vi Nguyen, we're still in the process of collecting the results. But first impressions among consumers and sales agentswere good, similar to what we found in Mozambique: "it feels like I'm really inside the toilet and I know better understand what it looks like". 

Vi Nguyen's picture

Positive first impressions, great - keep us updated! Hoping it all goes well.

Gerwin Jansen's picture

Hi Vi Nguyen, others,

Let me give you some granular results from this pilot.
Since the use of the VR tool, the Sanergy sales team has experienced 2 key benefits.

1. The number of leads generated from new customers only increased with 6%. However, the absolute number of leads generated per day increased a lot more. Before using the VR tool, the sales agents interacted with just 10 people per day (from which 6, 60%, would express interest to purchase). Once the sales agents started using the VR tool, they interacted with 15 people (from which 10, 66%, left contact details for follow-up). This means the absolute number of leads generated per day increased with 66%. The Sanergy sales team confirmed that people’s curiosity about the VR tool leads to more people wanting to interact with the sales agents. Also, the sales agents were able to approach more customers on a day as they no longer carry around the in-home toilet for demo purposes (this was replaced with the VR experience).

2. The Sanergy sales agents that use the VR tool have become more motivated. Their Net Promoter Score (NPS) went up from 5.5 to 8.5 (on a scale of 0–10). The sales agents appreciated their job more when using the VR tool and were therefore much more likely to recommend the job to others. According to the sales agents, the VR tool gives more status and credibility in their community and it reduces the physical effort of carrying around their older demonstration materials.

Based on these positive experiences, Sanergy will continue to use the VR tool as a replacement for their earlier marketing collateral. 

Vi Nguyen's picture

Hi Gerwin, thanks for sharing the first results from your pilot with Sanergy. Positive outcomes in terms of motivation, customer interest and absolute number of leads, as well as empowering mainly female sales agents. Great work!

It will be interesting to see the role of VR in the uptake of Sanergy's toilets during this pilot. Keep us updated!