[Township Marketing]: Shopping preferences and social media in townships

[Jason Stewart] There is much more of a focus on saving and spending wisely than there was three years ago. Yet this has balanced out with another trend in purchasing select 'status brands'. Both trends are prevalent in townships too. There is also generally a lot of excitement when the topic of social media comes up, but the reality is that economics and infrastructure are still lagging too far behind our capabilities. (video) 27 Aug 2012 07:54

[Township Marketing]: Getting the township and people to talk

[Jason Stewart] As outlined in previous articles, we are all influenced by peer pressure. We take cues from people we respect as 'experts in any given field' - whether it's our mom for household goods, our uncle the mechanic regarding what car to buy or our best friend, the style diva on what clothes to wear. We also look to high-profile people - those who get a lot of attention who could be national celebrities or else just well-known individuals. We are constantly absorbing what others are doing. (video) 21 Aug 2012 07:58

[Township Marketing]: Brand Communication

[Jason Stewart] In a recent conversation I was told, "Just because I am poor, it doesn't mean I have to look poor." We know that township aspirations are very high. Ask anyone in Gugulethu or Khayelitsha what brands they prefer and you will most likely hear the likes of "Gucci, Armani, Fabiani, Country Road etc." (video) 17 Aug 2012 07:11

[Township Marketing]: Township Status

[Jason Stewart] Our purchase decisions are largely made by proxy - by our peers, rather than directly by ourselves. Peer pressure is a key component to why we buy whatever, irrespective of our age. We always try to make what we believe is the right decision in the eyes of others regarding the brands we use. (video) 15 Aug 2012 08:15

How to stimulate brand recommendations

[Jason Stewart] Research organisations are constantly updating figures tallying how many branded messages are being pushed at consumers. In South Africa, we are currently being bombarded with around 900 branded messages per week. What is even more staggering is that only four of those messages break through the increasing advertising clutter to generate top-of-mind awareness. 28 Jun 2012 14:51

Get people talking about your brand

[Jason Stewart] The age-old saying that Word of Mouth (WoM) is the best form of advertising still rings true to this day as we now know, more than ever before, that personal recommendations from our friends have the highest impact on our purchasing decisions. 26 Jun 2012 14:03

Three steps to making your brand 'talkable'

[Jason Stewart] When it comes to branding in 2012, 'talkability' is currently one of the hottest topics internationally. It's consequently one of the most important questions which a brand custodian should be asking themselves today. 20 Jun 2012 11:04

The challenge of negative word of mouth: Part 2

[Jason Stewart] I'm going to be sharing my agency's step-by-step process on how to effectively deal with negative word of mouth (WOM). In my previous article I looked at sustained negative WOM. This article focuses on situational WOM and outlines a five-point plan to counter negative perceptions that are being spread. 13 Jun 2012 10:05

The challenge of negative word of mouth: Part 1

[Jason Stewart] I'm going to be sharing my agency's step-by-step process on how to combat negative word of mouth (WOM) in two consecutive articles. This first article looks at sustained negative word of WOM and how to effectively deal with it. 6 Jun 2012 14:46

How to do brand storytelling

[Jason Stewart] Word of mouth is very much experience-based: yours or someone else's. We love stories. They grip us. We can visualise scenarios and place ourselves in the same situation, but, most importantly, we start to believe in them. 31 May 2012 07:33

How to spread word of mouth for your brand

[Jason Stewart] Many businesspeople realise that, from a marketing perspective, word of mouth (WOM) is the most influential force with respect to how your consumers view your brand, especially regarding the decision of whether to purchase or not. But what's less known is how to stimulate WOM for your brand - and that's the focus of this article. 5 Dec 2011 10:46

Nine step dummies guide to WoM marketing

[Jason Stewart] When people talk excitedly about your products or services, they are a powerful magnet for attracting new customers and driving sales. Here are nine easy steps to word-of mouth marketing (WoMM). 26 May 2010 07:40