2010 Reality Check

Posted on 28. Jan, 2010 by admin in Headlines and Opinions, Uncategorized

Consumer, marketing, digital and communication trends are flashing beacons. They don’t have a linear lifeline, they peak and fall, affect some sectors and not others – they act as sign posts rather than definitive destinations and so need to be kept in perspective. Speaking of perspective…

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Manage the facts: put the REAL back into reality

SA may have a global presence and in contrast to most of Africa is fairly affluent with a rapidly expanding infrastructure to support growth. With over 49.32 million people and unknown numbers of African economic and political refugees, the population is diverse characterised by absolute extremes of wealth. Unemployment figures are at about 34.5 percent while a third of the population is below the age of 15. It continues to be a highly segregated society. Now, why is this important? I believe that marketers often lose sight of the basic reality. We tend to transplant solutions out of context and then wonder why they don’t work even if they win awards.

Money is tight

Yes they say the recession is over but individuals and companies are going to feel the pinch for a long time to come. People have suffered losses and if Eskom’s gets it 35% price hike, inflation will continue to rise: meaning less money to spend. This will affect how companies deploy marketing budgets. Agencies will find that clients have a list of riders from preferred suppliers to monthly ROI reports based on hard facts. Marketers are going to have to employ real skills in collecting and analyzing data with marketing strategies located in the nitty gritty numbers that boards and accountants are interested in.

More Real Value

South African consumers, reflecting a global trend, have lost faith in the big names. Trust, security, transparency are going to be key to entrenching and winning brand share. No one cares that you say you care, you have got to put your money where your mouth is The ESKOM, SAA, SABC debacles etc. linger and taint how consumers react to extravagant promises – yeah, yeah yeah, they’ve heard it all. To win hearts and minds, ethics have to be at the heart of how we do business. And that is a global trend. No-one wants to hear the spin doctors. The backlash against perceived wrong doing is harsh. In SA where competition is stifled by the big players, consumers may have little choice about taking their business else where but you would have made an enemy and the first chance they get – they will go somewhere else. Check out the USA, land of the not so plenty. Companies are offering free classes, tutorials, pictures and benefits that are resulting in more online traffic, more brand engagement, more money, more loyal customers.

Mobilise the mobile:

Mobile connectivity in SA is at approximately 90% and while we all blab on about the medium as a valuable medium, mobile advertising is in its infancy. While it has shown continued growth, advertising largely utilizes SMS and MMS. Boring! While PC and internet access is growing, the majority of South Africans stay connected via their mobiles. Companies offering free access, better applications, real time bargains and creative engagements are positioned to grow their bottom line growth.

Mix it Right

Get the mix right – it’s all about layering the brand engagement by employing the right mix of platforms, contexts, messages and experiences. Spend wisely for maximum impact.

Move in the right social circles

2010 is going to be definitely the time to leverage social media. Applications that connect with this captive audience will proliferate. Facebook is still the most popular social medium in SA and while companies have been quick to create a presence, taking full advantage of this audience who wear their hearts on their sleeves continues to elude them. Get in real expertise to deal with leveraging social media. Don’t just tick the boxes.