candid consumption
Transcripción
candid consumption
March 2015 Africa trend bulletin CANDID CONSUMPTION Why increasingly inquisitive, info-craving African consumers will expect brands to be totally transparent in 2015. Power blackouts supplemented by dieselpowered generators, solar inverters, kerosene lamps and candles are routine (if not, daily) occurrences across the continent. Lack of accountability for poor service delivery, questionable supply chain operations, disappearing government budgets and unsustainable sourcing of raw materials (to name a few), has long plagued most countries across the continent. In an environment where the disconnect between governments and their citizens cannot be overstated, many Africans have grown accustomed to being the only party expected to fulfil their side of the transaction: be good, obey the rules and pay up, without question – or don’t, at your peril. What’s more, that’s set a precedent that brands have followed. So that over the years, consumer’s expectations from brands operating in Africa were far lower than their global And yet it is still a given that monthly utility bills are expected to be paid, without question. www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION counterparts… 2 Shell will pay out USD 83.4 million in compensation for oil spills in the Niger-Delta region in 2008. BP will pay USD 13 billion in compensation following the much smaller Macondo rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. REUTERS, JANUARY 2015. www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 3 AFRICANS ARE NO LONGER WILLING TO ACCEPT THIS STYLE OF CONSUMERISM! www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 4 As the chasm between institutions and citizens shrink, brands that continue to follow the modus operandi of yesteryear do DEFINITION so to their detriment. African consumers today will not only call out opaque organizations, but will also patronize and CANDID CONSUMPTION | In 2015, all support those that are more open, honest, real, raw and transparent. institutions and brands will undergo Take, for example, the successful influx of electricity meters the African Inquisition, as increasingly across key cities in sub-Saharan Africa – consumers will always opt for unbiased and measurable solutions in place agitated consumers across the of vague ones. continent demand total accountability, The rise of CANDID CONSUMPTION has only just begun, transparency and information. but survival of the fittest (brands) in 2015 and beyond will be determined by these aforementioned characteristics – so take heed! www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 5 1.Digitally Empowered Consumers: As they become more digitally interconnected, Africans are clued up more than ever. WHY NOW? 2.Returning Globals & Richer Locals: Increasing disposable incomes and global benchmarks understood by the diaspora and returnees are putting pressure on Four key drivers to explain this new phenomena. organizations to be more transparent. 3.¡Viva la Revolución! ... African style: From Lagos to Limpopo, the pendulum of activism is in full swing! 4.More Competitors = More Choice: Today, new offerings and solutions are flooding the market, leaving consumers spoilt for choice! www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 6 1.CANDID EXPOSURE: Businesses and initiatives forcing open dialog and exposing information have risen where institutions have fallen short. In Africa, this largely speaks to WHY NOW? governance and state-run services, which have remained opaque despite the changing times. In which ways are African brands today addressing CANDID CONSUMPTION? Here’s three actionable opportunities for brands, entrepreneurs and organizations to take advantage of... 2.EMBEDDED CANDIDATES: In some regions, certain brands have already embraced a transparent and CANDID approach with their customers. These progressive brands are challenging the status quo by embedding openness and accountability into their products and services. 3.CANDIDS ON CALL: These brands understand that, in 2015, it is not enough to merely be informative and transparent: they must also do it at the right time (or even in real time)! www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 7 WHY NOW? www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 8 Between 2000 and 2014, the number of internet users on the WHY NOW? continent grew from 4.5 million to 298 million: a growth rate of 6,500%, almost ten times the global average (Internet World 1. Digitally Empowered Consumers Statistics, June 2014). Africans are thus more informed and more able to investigate and interrogate brands in ways that were not possible before. Savvy organizations understand that willingly offering up Africans are clued up more than ever, as they go online and become more digitally interconnected. information is ultimately better than being found out online. And that truth is only intensifying as connectivity and the digitalization of services sweeping across the continent shows no signs of slowing (at least for now). www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 9 Internet.org, an initiative providing free access to Facebook and other online resources for emerging markets, launched in Zambia in 2014. www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 10 Between 2000 and 2014, there has been a tripling of middleclass households across 11 key African markets (Standard WHY NOW? Bank Group Ltd, August 2014). 2. Returning Globals & Richer Locals (in a city setting) At least 32 African nations, in need of revenue, investment and human capital, have created organizations to tap their diaspora’s funds and know-how (Good Governance Africa, March 2014). Cities have and always been melting pots for a broad spectrum of society. And in Africa, that’s no different. The Increasing disposable incomes and global benchmarks understood by the diaspora and returnees are putting pressure on organizations to be more transparent. combination of more informed local consumers fused with diaspora and returnee communities, has resulted in citizens who not only expect but also demand more from their governments, brands and even society! Now, these educated, assertive citizens are ready to call out those falling short. www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 11 In December 2014, Anarchist Bookfair – an activist group that challenges the political landscape in South Africa – launched a parody site (titled So, Happy in Cape Town?), satirizing societal inequalities and the lack of racial diversity in the city. www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 12 In April 2014, terrorist group, Boko Haram, abducted over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok, an area in northern Nigeria. The #bringbackourgirls social media (and offline) campaign – initiated by Nigerian protesters – garnered the attention of global influencers worldwide, from Michelle Obama to Nobel WHY NOW? Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. Despite the failure to recover the girls to date, the campaign has continued to put 3. ¡Viva la Revolución! ... African style! pressure on the Nigerian government to act more decisively in investigating their whereabouts (PBS.org, February 2015). Many African citizens are no longer waiting for change, but are catalyzing it. As the activism mindset permeates From Lagos to Limpopo, the pendulum of activism is in full swing! the continent, consumers – in search of a brighter future – are proactively engaging with organizations on issues both serious and trivial, on and offline. And let’s not forget 2015’s more daring, tech-savvy African youth, who are aware that, regardless of their physical ability to call out the powers that be, the global momentum instigated via a click or hashtag can be far more powerful. www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 13 Internet memes making fun of Robert Mugabe spread across blogs and social media, after the Zimbabwean president attempted to block photographs of his fall outside Harare airport in February 2015. www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 14 65% of Africans agree that the desire and ability to buy products move the economy and culture forward (Boston WHY NOW? Consulting Group, March 2014). Africans are natural consumers, and crave the plethora of 4. More competitors = More choice! products and services available in other markets. Although it has taken a while for supply to catch up with demand, that is now happening at an unfathomable pace. The race for this Final Frontier has never been so pressing, and the Like the metered billing system’s triumph over the older, more obscure methods, today new offerings and solutions are flooding the market, leaving consumers spoilt for choice! past few years have seen withering monopolies relinquish their strongholds to domestic, more agile, transparent and relevant startups offering exciting home-grown solutions, alongside global conglomerates eager to export their best-inclass innovations. And all this results in the most choice-abundant consumers the continent has ever seen! www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 15 An average of 75% of 10,000 Africans polled were keen to ‘buy more things’ – higher than averages in Brazil, China and India, and twice the percentage in developed economies (Boston Consulting Group, March 2014). www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 16 SO WHAT? Trends are about opportunities. Here’s three to start your CANDID journey. www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 17 1. CANDID EXPOSURE If you can’t beat them, expose them... www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 18 Last November saw Namibia hold Africa’s first electronic ballot for over 1.2 million of its citizens. Opposition parties CANDID EXPOSURE challenged the process, citing vote-rigging concerns; the case was dismissed by the country’s High Court. (BBC, Are you ready to become CANDID BY PROXY? November 2014) Of course, not everyone will be excited about adopting CANDID CONSUMPTION, and this is where the opportunities for CANDID EXPOSURES lie. There are plenty of platforms, brands, programs, initiatives and fearless entrepreneurs across the continent ready to inform consumers about YOU! The expectation gap between the information Africans demand and what institutions, politicians, and other types of state-managed service providers are actually offering, is vast. Yet, this year will continue to see a steady growth of programs, organizations and daring platforms fill these gaps, by shining a light on (read: exposing) previously hidden or opaque processes, institutions and people. www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 19 FEATURED INNOVATIONS: CANDID EXPOSURE afriLeaks Whistleblowing site launches in Africa www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 20 FEATURED INNOVATIONS: CANDID EXPOSURE BudgIT Nigerian website offers information on public budgets and spending www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 21 FEATURED INNOVATIONS: CANDID EXPOSURE Live SA Initiative invites young journalists into South African parliament www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 22 WHY NOW? SYNCED SERVICES? Yes, sometimes archaic and stubborn institutions must have transparency forced upon them. But if you are an institution willing to adapt, how about partnering with a platform that makes you more transparent? For smaller organizations, why not BE that platform that partners with a big institution and opens it up? Either way: Collaborate! After all, it’s all about offering both your (and their) customers 100% candor! www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 23 2. EMBEDDED CANDIDATES Embed openness, accountability and transparency in your brand. www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 24 SIGN OF THE TIMES: EMBEDDED CANDIDATES Van Ryn’s www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 25 EMBEDDED CANDIDATES 1.CANDID SNIPPETS: Large brands, organizational bodies So, maybe you’re now ready to take that big step... and multinationals may not be able to overhaul their entire transparency agenda straight away. But they can still run with campaigns, initiatives and events that allow consumers a ‘quick snippet’ of greater transparency. 2.CANDID EPICS: Newer, more agile and adventurous ... and embrace this trend in its entirety and become intrinsically CANDID? We’ve identified two routes: www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION entrepreneurs can embed CANDID CONSUMPTION into the essence of their brand and bring customers into the heart of their operations. 26 EMBEDDED CANDIDATES CANDID SNIPPETS A few examples of organizations that have adopted candid elements into their products, services and experiences. www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 27 FEATURED INNOVATIONS: EMBEDDED CANDIDATES / SNIPPETS People’s Democratic Party Lagos State governorship candidate announces his first ever Google Hangout session for local residents www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 28 FEATURED INNOVATIONS: EMBEDDED CANDIDATES / SNIPPETS Capitec Bank Social media campaign invites bank’s customers to ask questions www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 29 FEATURED INNOVATIONS: EMBEDDED CANDIDATES / SNIPPETS Nigerian Government Nigeria launches open data initiative www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 30 EMBEDDED CANDIDATES CANDID EPICS One for more agile brands! Africans will eagerly champion organizations that go the extra mile and expose more than expected. Whether this means offering up your supply chain for scrutiny, inviting your customers to interrogate or openly criticize your service, or even baring your entire production process, there are many ways to shock, excite and ultimately gain the respect of otherwise jaded consumers. www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 31 FEATURED INNOVATIONS: EMBEDDED CANDIDATES / EPICS The Coffee Station Eco-friendly mobile coffee cart launches in Cape Town www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 32 FEATURED INNOVATIONS: EMBEDDED CANDIDATES / EPICS Waste2Wow Bag brand’s ‘micro manufacturing’ franchise model opened to locals www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 33 FEATURED INNOVATIONS: EMBEDDED CANDIDATES / EPICS Wolf & Maiden Sustainable accessories brand utilizes a single space as studio, workshop, stock room and store front www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 34 NEXT CANDID ADD-ONS? Now that you’ve embedded candidness into your core business, how can you milk it? If you’re an offline business operating transparently, think about how you can bring this feature online. It wouldn’t hurt for, say, Wolf & Maiden (above) to hold a Google+ Hangout session for their online community. And vice versa too! www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 35 3. CANDIDS ON CALL The new ‘African Time’ is on time, at the right time and in real-time. www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 36 Many services in Africa are pretty honest, just slow. So slow that in some cases, there may as well be no service at all. The recently postponed Nigerian elections are yet more proof CANDIDS ON CALL that there’s no shortage of hindrances to the timeliness of vital events and services across the continent. CANDID CONSUMPTION in real-time anyone? The next phase of CANDID CONSUMPTION sees its lines being blurred with real-time information and services.Because Africans in 2015 will demand that beyond just providing transparent and honest information, organizations take ... because honesty/transparency/ information is useless if it’s late! their accountability to the next level by disseminating it as and when it is needed, and often in real-time. CANDIDS ON CALL recognize the overwhelming need for timely, trackable and measurable information. www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 37 FEATURED INNOVATIONS: CANDIDS ON CALL Ethio Telecom Hotline provides rural Ethiopian farmers with realtime crop information www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 38 FEATURED INNOVATIONS: CANDIDS ON CALL Traffic Lite Real-time, crowdsourced traffic updates helps Nigerian drivers and commuters www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 39 FEATURED INNOVATIONS: CANDIDS ON CALL electiOnride Interactive mapping website shows Zimbabwe’s election results in real-time www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 40 FEATURED INNOVATIONS: CANDIDS ON CALL Tunisie Telecom Telecoms company encourages Tunisians to collect trash and track beach cleanliness in realtime, in exchange for free wifi www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 41 NEXT PLAYSUMERS If you’re already implementing this trend, it means you’re ahead of the (CANDID) curve. So it’s time to have fun! What games or reward mechanisms can you embed into your real-time services? Tunisie Telecom incentivized consumers to collect trash with free wifi, which they could then use to track collective progress. How can you take this trend even further by engaging Africans in a fun and novel manner? www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 42 READY TO TAKE THAT STEP? Take a leap of faith into CANDID CONSUMPTION and Africans will thank you with their hearts, votes, loyalty and of course Rands/Naira/Dirham/Metical/Birr/Kwanza/Shillings/Cedi... www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 43 NEXT Need some help? Then try using our (free) CONSUMER TREND CANVAS tool to help you structure a session with your team. Will yours be among the next ones we feature in our future bulletins? ;) www.trendwatching.com/trends/candid-consumption CANDID CONSUMPTION 44 MORE... Want more? 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