This Sunday: SA's number one township brand reveal

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“These are brands that are used most loyally by South African township consumers. These are brands that define a common experience, often on a daily basis, which South African consumers are committed to. The majority of these consumers put their money where their mouths are, to demonstrate this commitment. Kasi Star Brands are woven into the fabric of our vibrant South African townships,” say Dr Amelia Richards, account director at Ask Afrika.

Improvements in methodology

The profile of a Kasi consumer differs in the 2017/2018 research from 2015/16 results, when the only criteria for a Kasi consumer was that he or she resided in a township. In 2017, the Kasi consumer has been aligned to Sandeep Mahajan’s definition of a ‘regular township resident’, as defined in his paper, ‘Economics of a South African Township’, which was part of the World Bank Studies. What this means it that the Kasi consumer has to not only live in a South African township, but has to fall into the socio-economic level (SEL) 3-5 and not have a post-graduate qualification. This excludes the more affluent consumers that make townships their homes. All nine provinces were included in the sample of 4,403 Kasi consumers interview that represents the view of 9.3m Kasi consumers across South Africa.

Demographic revelations

Brand usage is compared across 144 product categories and 2,996 brands are ranked. Not only will the most loved and used brands by Kasi consumers be revealed on Tuesday, 16 May 2017, but the top-line trends emerging from the research will also be shared. These insights will provide brand owners and marketers, across product categories, with an understanding of the mind-set and behaviour of the Kasi consumer. These findings will give a taste of what can be unpacked in-depth in Kasi Star Brand research reports.

When looking at what drives loyalty in the township market, it is important to get the complete picture of the Kasi consumer lifestyle. Demographic and psychographic profiling can help to identify loyalty drivers that are an important consideration when developing a marketing strategy. The research can look at a brand within its product category, compare it to competitors and place it within the context of the entire Kasi market. Specific products are rarely purchased in isolation and it is important to consider the Kasi consumer and their lifestyle holistically.

When developing a marketing strategy, it is vital not only to understand the Kasi market but also to gain insight into the media consumption patterns of township communities, to understand their favourite newspaper sections, music, films and TV programmes.
“Market research can assist in ensuring the relevance of communications to create effective engagement. It helps align the use of language and content to resonate with a target audience. This in turn helps you engage through creating unique experiences and increases the shareability of your brand,” says Richards.