AI won’t replace market research. But it will expose weak strategy
Much of the broader conversation around AI in market research assumes conditions that do not consistently exist across many African markets, writes Soyinka Witness.
MARKETING MAGAZINES
Out now! New issue brings latest insights for Africa’s marketers
By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2025
The latest issue of Strategic Marketing for Africa, the magazine for deep-thinking African marketing professionals, is now available.
The latest issue of Strategic Marketing for Africa, the quarterly magazine of the African Marketing Confederation (AMC), is now available online via the AMC website.
Issue 3 2025 is packed with marketing-related news, in-depth features and thought-leadership content from across Africa. This thought-provoking 72-page issue takes in Africa’s bigger picture, examining some of the macro- and micro-environments in which Africa’s marketers must operate. Here’s a selection of content highlights.
Report back on the AMC 2025 Conference held in Ghana
Marketing is the bridge between innovation and technology in Africa, various high-level speakers emphasised at the AMC’s annual conference held in Accra, Ghana. Delegates also heard that the marketing profession must help to drive ‘intellectual connectivity’ on the continent and assist in breaking down silos that are hampering the repositioning of Africa.
Issue 3 2025 of Strategic Marketing for Africa
Among the milestones announced at the conference was the launch of a dedicated Tourism Chapter within the African Marketing Confederation. This will work with UN Tourism, local tourism marketers and other stakeholders to maximise Africa’s potential as a destination for business and leisure travellers.
Successful supply chain collaboration requires trust and agility
Trust and agility are vital components of Africa’s supply chains, which must evolve and increasingly collaborate with marketing and technology as customers demand faster, smarter and more sustainable solutions.
No trust and no collaboration equals no customer and no transaction. Trust is what makes the synergy real. You can’t do without it, says supply chain expert Thobekile Nxumalo. Equally, agility is vital if supply chain strategists are to successfully respond to the emerging trends and customer requirements identified by marketing insights.
Authentic connections are all-important to African consumers
For years, local marketing experts have been emphasising that brands should not treat Africa as a single, homogenous region. Rather, it’s 54 countries that are each unique in terms of culture and consumers. In 2025, those distinctions remain crucially important.
The 2025 Africa Life report by global market research company Kantar continues to add layers of complexity and understanding to the unfolding appreciation for Africa’s nuanced consumer experience.
Why FMCG brands must tailor strategy, not just translate it
Pan-African marketer Tamer Farag Ayoub explains the key differences between the marketing strategies required to target consumers in East Africa versus those in West Africa.
East African countries like Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania tend to show more gradual consumer adoption. Products may take longer to catch on, but once they do, the loyalty is often deep and lasting.
In contrast, West African markets such as Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso are often led by fast-paced, hype-driven consumption. Youth culture, nightlife and music are powerful influencers.
You will find these stories, and many more, in the latest Strategic Marketing for Africa – the voice of African marketing and the official publication of the African Marketing Confederation (AMC). Read Issue 3 2025 online here.
A Print Edition is also available.
AMC magazine brings news and insights to Africa’s marketers
Strategic Marketing for Africa, the publication for deep-thinking African marketing professionals, is not to be missed.
Rwanda’s hosting of F1 races ‘destination marketing at the highest level’
Rwanda’s marketing body is enthusiastic about the F1 announcement, emphasising that ‘investors and visitors follow governance, not slogans’.
Researchers examine how AI shopping could backfire on retailers
The stakes are higher as AI shifts from answering questions to taking action. A bad purchase is more serious than a bad recommendation.
Tasty Gallos targets forecourts as fuel retailers rethink their business models
Faced with declining fuel sales, forecourt operators are transforming into larger and more convenient retail destinations
F1’s return to Africa gives Rwanda a powerful nation-branding platform
Formula 1 motor racing’s return to Africa after more than three decades will give Rwanda a high-profile platform to strengthen its international image.
Researchers define what makes a product ‘cool’ in different cultures
‘Coolness’ can feel intangible, but knowing which lever to pull – and where – might be the closest thing marketers have to a formula.
Dentsu Africa and Blitz formalise long-standing Malawian partnership
After years of collaboration, the agencies have signed an affiliate partnership agreement which gives Dentsu an official presence in Malawi.
World Cup has become a global platform for promoting harmful products
Sport should be part of the solution to poor health – not a powerful advertising platforms for the products driving it, researchers warn.
MAZ to research state of the marketing and communications industry
The research will support better decision making and planning, as well as identify opportunities and challenges that require the industry’s attention.
France’s Adopt Parfums enters the DRC market with first Kinshasa store
Expansion into the Democratic Republic of Congo adds to Adopt Parfum’s presence in multiple Francophone African markets.