StarTimes GO: the double awarded integrated e-shopping platform in Africa

By allcitynews.ng

Integrated e-shopping platform StarTimes GO, has become the first recipient of COFEK (Consumers Federation of Kenya)’s #ConsumerTopBrands awards. The dedicated 24/7 shopping channel prides itself for enabling viewers to shop at the comfort of their homes or offices as they choose from an array of products which are competitively priced. The company has leveraged on direct sourcing of third party products where upon payment confirmation, delivery is done within 48 hours.

COFEK has been testing the Consumer Top Brand from December 5, 2018 when several experts in consumer protection and quality assurance, under the auspices of COFEK, came together to help consumers to identify specific products and services in the market that require special mention on annual basis.

COFEK Secretary General Stephen Mutoro – left – hands over the Consumer Top Brands award to StarTimes CEO Hanson Wang – right  after the brand’s StarTimes GO e-commerce platform was declared this year’s COFEK consumer top brand.

Speaking during the handover of the award, COFEK Secretary General Mr. Stephen Mutoro said, “We congratulate StarTimes for this innovative piece of work. It is the first e-commerce on television. You have transformed the way we know television. We hope this award makes you grow this concept even better”.

Under the slogan ‘Better Life, Let’s Go’, the integrated e-shopping platform enables Kenyans to access a variety of electronics, beauty products, design, portable gadgets and kitchenware among other house hold items.

With a dedicated shopping channel – StarTimes GO hosts explain the features, quality and usage of each product for the audience to shop for the different products 24 hours 7 days a week. Viewers have an opportunity to call, order and have their products of choice delivered at the comfort of their homes or offices.

Speaking upon receiving the award, StarTimes Kenya CEO Mr. Hanson Wang noted that, “We are delighted to receive this recognition from a consumer protection agency. We do commit ourselves to do even better for consideration of our other products. We feel really motivated to make the StarTimes Go platform the most popular e-commerce platform on television in the country.”

Since its launch, the company has grown the product range available on StarTimes GO platform beyond their flagship electronic devices relating to digital television access to include an array of products such as water-proof shavers, power banks, Hi-Fi wireless speakers, kitchenware, style and beauty products among other household items.

StarTimes GO is leveraging on direct sourcing of third party products available on the channel towards safeguarding quality and ensuring competitive pricing where upon payment confirmation, delivery is done within 48 hours.

StarTimes GO has also won BJAN marketing award as pay-TV most innovative and creative brand extension in 2020.

The award was presented at Brand Journalists’ Association of Nigeria’s (BJAN) 8th brands and marketing conference in Lagos on November 27th. BJAN is an association of brand writers and critics in the country.

BJAN Chairman, Mr Princewill Ekwujuru, said that StarTimes GO was painstakingly picked by BJAN Award Committee after much assessment on how impactful StarTimes has been to the country, especially during the lockdown periods. “This is the first time a pay TV company in Nigeria will be diversifying their business into e- commerce and online sales, this shows how innovative and creative any business can be and this shows also the creative manner StarTimes, as a pay TV company, can be with the creation of its StarTime GO which has become a household name in a short while of coming into the e-commerce eco-system.”

L – R: PR Manager StarTimes Nigeria, Lazarus Ibeabuchi; National Content Marketing Manager StarTimes Nigeria, Ali Auta; Head Corporate Communications, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Comfort Maryam and Chairman, Brand Journalists’ Association of Nigeria (BJAN), Princewill Ekwujuru at the 8th  Brands and Marketing conference in Lagos 

Commenting on the award, Lazarus Ibeabuchi, PR Manager, StarTimes Nigeria, said: “The award bears testimony that StarTimes is not just a digital-TV, we are now an enabler of digital-lifestyle.” Mr. Lazarus also said that StarTimes GO makes life easier in the new normal.

According to him, “The year 2020 has not been the easiest and has popularised many terms we never knew existed. One of such terms is the COVID-19, a term many people feel would be better called ‘COVD-20’ since it became popular in the year 2020 and practically disrupted the first half of the year.

“An offspring of the COVID-19 was ‘COVIDnomics’, the concept of an economy which would now be tied around directives such as physical distancing, cashless payments and the rest. Since people, both in Nigeria and other countries, were expected to avoid crowded places including markets, it became necessary to provide an alternative e-shopping platform which could be just as interactive as the normal marketplace but without the usual crowd. One can also not ignore the health benefits of keeping people away from crowded places.”He said.