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with conservative, traditional and poorer consumers choosing different brands to Left: Brands can those consumers who are more up-and- generate huge buzz by tapping into local coming, outward looking and status- interests and pastimes, conscious. But, with time, we will see the including sponsorship of increasing merger of these two forces, popular sports as brands combine local design elements with international fashions, trends and Below: The international success of sports starts production techniques. like Ivory Coast’s Didier It is therefore crucial for international Drogba has contributed brand owners to collaborate with locals to to the people of the get a better understanding of the drivers region becoming more confdent in t eir of status and to create locally meaningful national identities and relevant products and services. Likewise, partnerships with local brands are an excellent way to leverage off Brands should existing consumer knowledge and ‘street not only trade cred’ so as to quickly build affinity. on ‘being foreign’ Getting stuck in West African consumers are rightfully proud of where their countries are headed and In an environment where so much shopping optimistic about the future, but they are also is done in crowded markets, brands conscious of the pervasive social problems generate huge buzz by creating experiential that exist. Alongside the wonderful story environments through pop-up shops or of ‘Africa rising’, there are still too many flagship stores (where this is feasible). people who are not yet emerging out of Others tap into local interests and pastimes, The urban and rural environments are poverty. Even in Nigeria – a powerhouse not aligning with sporting events, music, worlds apart, with urban populations just of the region, but the entire continent – religious and cultural festivals. engaging in categories of business (like most consumers are very poor. banking) that don’t make it out of the cities. But, tired of brands that patronise Blurring formalities Successful brands are those that them or focus on the negative, consumers Marketers coming from more developed work out how to turn this into a business are taking things into their own hands and economies often find it difficult to grasp advantage. They can do so by innovating getting stuck in to fix up the shortcomings just how much of the economy is informal to close the gap between the formal and they see and feel around them. People in many West African markets. In both informal economies, as well as finding ways appreciate it when brands get stuck in Nigeria and Ghana, for example, most to involve the informal sector in distribution, too – those that commit and invest in retail is informal and supermarkets either marketing and even production. the countries and find ways to make don’t exist or are only popular with the For example, part of cellular giant things work. It’s less about warm and wealthier echelons of society. And retail is MTN’s success has been its ability to fuzzy corporate social investment (CSI) not alone. There is huge informality in the involve and empower ordinary people to be advertising campaigns and more about financial services industry as well. resellers of airtime, turning the shop into a brands getting their hands dirty and decentralised network of informal traders. innovating to address unmet needs. Many of the African mobile tech success EDITOR’S NOTE: stories stem from meeting the needs of the Exceptional experiences The Economic Community of informal sector and many financial services So much of people’s experience of brands West African States (ECOWAS) innovations have come from working with in West Africa to date has been of bland officially comprises 15 member the region’s informality, rather than against it. products that merely fulfil a functional need countries. They are: Benin, or that claim to be more than they are, while Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, What to do about it only delivering the basics. There are huge Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, 1. Tap into the optimistic mood in the key opportunities for products in the region Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, markets of West Africa. Market with to stand out and earn ‘consumer love’ by Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, positivity and use stories of triumph and creating remarkable and memorable brand Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo. success. Don’t take things too seriously experiences for the customer. in your communications. Third quarter 2014 strategicmarketingafrica 43 42-44 Regional Trends v2.indd 39 2014/06/26 12:29 PM