Marketers rely on demographic, psychographic, readership, viewership, circulation figures obtained from sources such as ABC, AMPS, RAMPS, TAMPS, TGISA, etc to dot their target market. But, are these figures enough to emotionally connect with the actual market?
No, hence some organisations perform private surveys to accurately sell their products and services.
It appears that marketers generally battle to communicate with the black emerging market; consequently, studies such as the annual Black Emerging Markets Perceptions (BEMP) published by Mictert Marketing Research; Black Diamonds, conducted by UCT Unilever Institute of Strategic Marketing; Omni-Kasie by African Response and many more for comprehension purposes and basically paint a clear picture. However, how clear is this picture? Some of those labeled by the controversial Black Diamonds do not appreciate it.
On the other hand, could marketers be watching local soaps as visual sources of information to mingle with the black middle class market? Could this industry be misleading marketers in regards the Black Diamonds behaviour? How seriously do they take characters? Do marketers believe everything that they see? Do they honestly believe that Black Diamonds live like that daily? Or maybe isn't it time for realistic and most importantly researched script written soaps?
Hypothetically assuming that marketers are indeed doing so, then daily soaps shows a phony depiction for marketers. The emerging markets' lifestyle is completely overrated, such as their daily activities, the language, unrealistic transactions, type of non-verbal gestures and many more factors.
How television soaps portray the black middle class market is the same as how marketers appeal to them. Automatically supposing that the entire emerging class group behave the same. Marketers need to consider that characters' actions are rehearsed.
But, some of the soaps are up to standard and less patronizing, providing an informative insight to its' viewers in terms of how characters merge culture and tradition, which is mostly vital to the Black Diamonds, into their modern lifestyle. Hence, South Africa Film Television Awards (SAFTA) nominates these soaps for all categories and scoops most of the awards. It is most probably time for better-researched television script writing.
Marketers should enthusiastically watch documentaries with outfits, makeup, scripted and rehearsed lines, designer furniture and studio that are less important. Documentaries will enhance their knowledge in terms of consumers' daily concerns, activities, emotions, talents, mindsets, sentiments, culture, tradition and, most importantly, provide an idea of their financial status.
On a different note, do consumers really feel the same? Although research is a representative of the truth, personally, I wish it was not so hard to conduct so that each and every member of the population can signify him or herself. I refuse to believe that consumers feel and think the same. People are individuals with different influences and frame of references.
Yes, demographically consumers can easily be classed within the same group but emotionally it is another subject altogether. Demographic information, their financial situations, life values, health zones, lifestyle statement and many more cannot be concluded.
