Heineken’s marketers get excited about its Boring smartphone campaign
Brand says it wants to encourage people around the world to stay in the present and live their social lives to the fullest.
CONSUMER TRENDS
By our News Team | 2022
Trend-spotting is an important skills for successful marketers. So too is moving quickly to capitalise on them.
African marketers need to be constantly scanning for emerging consumer trends that may impact their business or present new opportunities. Being indecisive and slow to act may mean opportunities lost to more nimble and dynamic competitors.
Grant Kruger, a Business Lead at consumer electronics company LG South Africa, lists his top four marketing trends to capitalise on.
Photo by Kindel Media from Pexels
1. The rise of the conscious customer
Brands can no longer exist in isolation from the communities in which they operate. Conscious consumerism has seen a steady rise in recent years — only strengthened by the pandemic — and many of today’s customers are now leaning towards products and services that make a positive social, environmental, or economic impact.
Therefore, businesses should consider implementing sustainable and socially conscious products and marketing strategies — without it coming across as inauthentic. Getting it right is not only good for society, but also for business.
2. Social shopping takes off
As more people use social media, more businesses are meeting their customers on their preferred social channels to create meaningful and personal experiences with them.
Popular social media platforms like Instagram are embedding e-commerce into the user experience, creating storefronts that allow companies to build their brand story and drive product discovery — without users needing to leave the app and visit an online store.
Social commerce offers a unique and potentially lucrative opportunity for brands looking for authentic ways to reach and engage their audiences.
3. Loyalty matters
In a highly competitive business landscape, customer experience is more important than ever. This means that many brands will have to work harder to keep their existing customers engaged and retain their loyalty.
Acquiring new customers is even more challenging, making loyalty the new frontier for revenue growth. To achieve this, companies should focus on the following to ensure that their existing customers keep coming back for more:
4. Digital signage is back
With the worst of the pandemic possibly over, retailers are breathing a sigh of relief as more customers start returning to shopping malls and brick-and-mortar stores. As a result, digital signage offers an impactful solution for businesses looking to increase their sales by influencing the buying decisions of customers.
Many online marketing strategies fail because they don’t leave a lasting impression, while the latest in display technologies offers a sensory experience that is sure to catch the attention of potential customers.
Brand says it wants to encourage people around the world to stay in the present and live their social lives to the fullest.
Botswana-based supermarket group says it is ‘evaluating’ operations in Zimbabwe, where it has 30 outlets and employs more than 1,000 people.
They promote business transactions and create a vibrant environment for social interaction and cultural exchange, says industry body.
Issue 3 2024 of Strategic Marketing for Africa
McDonald’s sees biggest business deterioration in four years – more than twice the size of what market analysts had forecast.
Marketers can create urgency without pushing customers into unhealthy buying habits, researchers suggest.
Marketers can create urgency without pushing customers into unhealthy buying habits, researchers suggest.
Industry professionals gather in Victoria Falls to discuss topics under the theme ‘Disrupt to Redefine: The Future of Marketing Excellence’.
New CEO wants to simplify the menu, review pricing, be more welcoming, and refocus on what made the business great in previous years.
Sub-Saharan African countries are navigating a complex economic landscape marked by both progress and persistent vulnerabilities.
Checkers Sixty60 activation unveils branded aircraft and ‘first delivery at 36,000 feet’ en route between Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Dr. Kin Kariisa is an extraordinary force at the helm of Next Media Services, a conglomerate encompassing NBS TV, Nile Post, Sanyuka TV, Next Radio, Salam TV, Next Communication, Next Productions, and an array of other influential enterprises. His dynamic role as Chief Executive Officer exemplifies his unwavering commitment to shaping media, business, and community landscapes.
With an esteemed academic journey, Dr. Kariisa’s accolades include an Honorary PhD in exemplary community service from the United Graduate College inTexas, an MBA from United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya, a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from Huazong University in China, and a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Makerere University.
Dr. Kariisa pursued PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands. As a dynamic educator, he has shared his expertise as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at both Makerere University and Radboud University.
Dr Kin did his PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radbond University in Nigmegen, Netherlands. He previously served as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and Radbond University in Netherlands.
Dr Kin did his postgraduate courses in Strategic Business Management, Strategic Leadership Communication and Strategies for Leading Successful Change Initiatives at Harvard University, Boston USA.