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FROM STATEMENT
TO SESSION:
REFRAMING THE
STOUT OCCASION
IN EAST AFRICA

A global stout brand wanted to increase its share in East Africa by raising average consumption by one additional unit per consumer, per occasion.

The brief was simple but ambitious: drive incremental growth in a market where stout was respected for its heritage but rarely consumed beyond 1–2 units per sitting. Importantly, growth had to come without reformulation, discounting, or rebranding.

DISCOVERY: WHAT WE FOUND
IN THE MARKET

Our immersion across Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa revealed critical dynamics shaping consumption:

Category Dynamics

Beer dominates alcohol consumption. Lagers hold the majority share as light, sociable “session drinks.” Stouts constitute only ~11–13% of beer volume, admired for richness but less repeatable in long sessions.

Cultural Positioning

Rooted in colonial-era drinking culture. Stout is associated with strength, maturity, and seriousness. These associations drive stout preference and perceptions of heaviness.

Consumption Habits

Average stout intake capped at 1–2 units (~500–1000 ml) per sitting. Compared to 3–5 units (1.5–2.5 liters) for lagers.

Session Dynamics

Weekdays: Shorter, functional sessions (~1.5–2 hours), often solo.
Weekends: Longer sessions (3–4 hours), but stout displaced mid-consumption by lighter lagers.
Food Pairings: Hearty accompaniments such as nyama choma, tilapia, and chips help manage satiety, cutting session short.

Barriers to Growth

From these insights, we identified four systemic barriers limiting incremental consumption:

Strength vs. Satiety

Its richness created admiration but also capped intake early.

Occasion Fragmentation

Solo drinking and pooled rounds diluted the opportunity for repeat orders.

Food as a Constraint

Hearty accompaniments reinforced stout’s filling reputation.

The implication: unlocking “one more” required redesigning the occasion, not changing the product.

Intervention

This gave us the spark to develop a stout-smart growth framework:

Lighter Pairings

We worked with bars to reposition menus, introducing snack-sized, shareable foods that complemented stout without accelerating satiety, extending the drinking window.

The Split Challenge

A group activation where tables solved puzzles to unlock an extra pitcher (or snack).

This: Fostered camaraderie

Drew solo drinkers into groups.

Created a natural rhythm for “just one more.”

Cultural Hook: Greatness Grant

Recognising Nairobi’s rise as a startup hub and the region’s hustler culture, we launched a startup programme where people solving real problems for Africa could secure funding. This initiative tied the brand to ambition and resilience, aligning it with the energy of progress both inside and outside the bar.

Execution

Immersion-led design grounded interventions in lived behaviour. Experience engineering focused on food, pace, and group interaction, not forced consumption. Cultural alignment retained heritage while embedding the brand in Nairobi’s ambition-driven zeitgeist.

Impact

The 16-week pilot delivered measurable outcomes:

+1.2 units average increase per head (from ~2 to ~3.2 units).
Extended dwell times at outlets.
Higher engagement, with solo drinkers absorbed into collective rituals.
Perception shift: stout reframed from a “closing” drink to one that could carry the night.
Cultural resonance: the startup programme celebrated the hustler spirit and strengthened the brand’s role as a catalyst for African progress.

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