Less of a swing to digital media advertising spend in African markets

But what is the situation in Africa? According to David Gorin of Marnox Media, which represents some 250 media across 16 countries on the continent, the swing to digital media did not occur in Africa to the same extent as in highly-developed markets. 

“Certainly, digital media have taken significant adspend share from TV, radio, and print,” he says. 

“But, with the general exception of print, traditional media have at least held their own, overall. And, in many countries, the explosion of Out-of-Home (OOH) formats has seen increased allocations to that form of traditional media – long a stalwart for delivering reach and awareness.”

He believes that whether the year ahead will see an uptick in advertising spends in Africa – traditional or non-traditional – depends significantly on economic conditions. Tough times may translate to static or pared-back budgets.

“Remember that, for many people in Africa, digital media channels – the internet generally, but including podcasts and video-on-demand – are pricey,” Gorin notes.

“And although mainstream media will continue to fragment with the launch of new radio and TV stations, the internet is the most cluttered and fragmented environment. The complexities of finding the right environment for the brand, finding the right audience, at scale, may not warrant prioritising niche, non-traditional media over the amplification opportunities afforded by traditional channels, especially mass-reach vehicles.”

For more information on advertising trends around traditional media, don’t miss the next issue of Strategic Marketing for Africa, the magazine of the African Marketing Confederation. Issue 4 2022 is due out in early December.