Exploring Market Segments for Fonio Cookies in Burkina Faso

Would people in Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso buy a fonio cookie, and who are they? The FonioForce project asked us before anyone invested in a launch. Fonio is a grain West Africans have eaten for centuries, yet processed fonio products are almost absent from the shops of both cities.

What we did

We spoke to people face to face in markets, shops, supermarkets, schools, workplaces and bus stations, in both cities. All of them had bought a sweet snack in the past month. We then grouped them by what stops them buying and who they buy for.

What we found

People would try it. Most were open to the idea, and they see a fonio cookie costing more than their usual one as a sign of quality.

The two cities are different markets. In Ouagadougou people buy for the family. In Bobo-Dioulasso they buy for themselves. One product with one message would have under-performed in both.

We found four buyer groups, and each needs a different approach.

From findings to action: a three-day sprint

Research only matters if someone acts on it. So we brought the producers together for a three-day sprint, with two days of workshops followed by a day of production.

The workshops turned the findings into decisions. We walked through who the four buyer groups are and what each one needs, then worked out which group each company should go after first, and with what product and message.

The third day was for making. The producers moved from planning to production and made their cookies, so the product could be tested by the people it was meant for.

What changed

What we learnt

Consumers first. We started with the people who buy, before anyone committed to a recipe, a price or a launch. Everything that followed was easier because of it.
Taste is key. People like the idea of fonio. They still need to taste it, and the largest group, mothers buying for their children, will not buy without trying it first.
There is a vibrant snacking market in Burkina Faso. People buy sweet snacks everywhere, from market stalls and school gates to supermarkets and bus stations. There is room for a good product.
Health matters to Burkinabé. Parents, mothers above all, think carefully about what their children eat, and people prefer less sugary snacks.
Ouaga and Bobo are different. In Ouagadougou people buy for the family. In Bobo-Dioulasso they buy for themselves. A single product and a single message would have missed both.

“What struck me most was how committed mothers in Burkina Faso are to their children, and to giving them food and snacks that nourish them. I was also struck by how much the Burkinabé palate leans towards less sugary snacks. That is good news for fonio.”Kerry Kyd, Senior Partner and Co-founder, Sense

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