#NAIJA. Wired for the Future: Decoding the Nigerian Consumer
-
Upload
tink-africa -
Category
Marketing
-
view
203 -
download
0
description
Transcript of #NAIJA. Wired for the Future: Decoding the Nigerian Consumer
TINK is a trends research and consumer insights platform, designed to make businesses in Africa respond more
effectively to evolving consumer needs, lifestyles, behavior and general cultural phenomenon. We believe in co-
creation and collaboration with consumers, and have designed engagement hubs for our clients and agencies to
network real-time with their consumers and understand firsthand, how brands play in their world.
We are specifically focused on the African market and in growing African brands. Hence, our trends research,
analyses, storytelling and visualization techniques are deliberately skewed towards presenting the African
consumer’s perspective and point of view.
What is the future of digital technology, social media and mobile telephony in Nigeria?
How do they impact and influence buying patterns and consumer behavior in the region?
Has the country completely harnessed these unique technologies at its disposal?
In our first +1bn SERIES Episode,
embarks on a journey; to decode the average Nigerian
consumer and uncover certain cultural phenomena
surrounding Nigerians of this new age. We curate,
investigate and analyze consumer trends, exploring how
companies and brands can positively leverage them in
furtherance of their business and marketing objectives.
The average Nigerian is not your regular Joe-on-the-
block; she is a unique being with mind, body and soul in
tandem; an individual with peculiar characteristics that
makes her see beyond the visual and think like there’s
no box. Here are a few keywords that define Nigerians.
FIRST
The Nigerian Spirit:
The reason we never back down
SECOND THIRD FOURTH
Chimamanda Adichie; Author, Poet, Feminist
Nigerians are a resilient people. Regardless of the
daunting task ahead of us, we will pull through.
Perhaps this explains why individuals like Chimamanda
Adichie keep breaking new grounds in the literary
world with works such as Purple Hibiscus and the
recently released Half of a Yellow Sun, due to her
ability to remain composed, adapt appropriately, and
forge ahead in the face of challenges and opposition.
The Nigerian Drive: The reason we take on
endeavors that seem impossible to some
FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH
Audu Maikori; Lawyer, Entrepreneur, Social Activist,
Poet, Founder-CEO Chocolate City Entertainment
Individuals such as Audu give us hope and a reason to
aspire. They fuel us with the zeal to succeed beyond
measures and surmount challenges. A successful
lawyer turned business mogul in the music and
entertainment industry, Audu’s innate desire to change
his environment through music led him to establish
Chocolate City Entertainment, a renowned record
label in Nigeria that has churned out the likes of M.I.
and Ice Prince. You don’t need to wonder any further
why his brand influences pop culture in the country.
“Na We Own”
We are a very emotional people. We love
FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH
Nigerian Football Supporters Club
Nigerians are one of the most passionate people on
earth, and this is aptly reflected in the way we talk,
laugh, shout and go on about our daily activities with
gung-ho. Watching the Nigerian Football Supporters
Club is a case in point. They single-handedly capture
the true Nigerian spirit and who we are as a people.
The Nigerian Heart:
Even with all the chaos and conflicts,
We still bond within ourselves… One for all.
FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH
Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Business Magnate,
Africa’s Richest Man, Owner, Dangote Group
The name, “Dantata” is a familiar name in Nigeria.
the conglomerate started with the rewarding
business foresight and acumen of Alhaji AL Hassan
Dantata, and with the dynasty continued by the likes
of Aliko Dangote (a nephew to the family), Africa’s
most richest man, there’s no gainsaying that
Nigerians have a very strong attachment to family.
Today, Nigeria is a complex weave of people, ideas, resources and cross-cultural phenomena
with our adoption of different styles and cultures. But it wasn’t always like this. What’s changed
over the years in terms of business, education, career and the economy?
To connect with the Nigerian of today, we
need to understand the evolution of the
country and its people across the generational
divide (from the 60's to the 2000’s).
During the post-colonial era, Nigerians were just discovering what it meant to
be truly governed by one of theirs though some still very strong ties with the
past. The nation’s link with British Monarchy enabled most people to pursue
academic studies in Great Britain and other foreign countries, with the aim of
gaining foreign expertise, return home and work in the civil service. The
discovery of crude oil in the country also enabled the government to establish
new agencies, thus opening up more job opportunities for its populace to work
on improving the nations’ economy.
FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH
Majority of Nigerians in the
60s weren’t bothered about
establishing businesses, they
had all they needed until the
start of the civil war.
In the 70's, the Oil boom was at its peak and Nigerians shifted their focus
to pursuing stable and career-fulfilling courses of studies that translated
into them earning “Titles” such as Engineers, Doctors, Lawyers and other
job positions while some had an eye on tapping from the oil market by
setting up small companies to act as support agencies to the country. At
this time, brands such as Shell, Total, Chevron, UAC, Leventis, CAT and
others were gaining popularity in the country.
FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH
Majority of Nigerians in the
70’s were more focused on
getting quality education and
chasing rewarding careers.
In the 80's, the trend continued- military rule was in full gear and few business
owners thrived as they had to conform with the rule of law in the country. But the
70's and 80's had rebels like FELA who spoke against the military junta through
his music and newspaper articles written by other human-rights activists. The
80's also had people focusing more on small businesses (petty trading,
contracting-based businesses and small support agencies).
FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH
The rebellious nature of the
people and distrust of the
government led to people
seeking new endeavors.
The 90's brought about an expansion of the local manufacturing industry.
More small businesses were getting bigger and focus was on FMCG's, Banks
and the presumed big businesses. At this point, you were encouraged to study
hard, get good grades and pursue a career with one of the successful local or
multinational companies in order to live comfortably. But a paradigm shift was
happening – youths and adults born in the late 70’s and early 80's were
exhibiting rebellious streaks. They were venturing into self employment and
bringing back the SME concept but there was no guiding structure in place.
FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH
Even though much emphasis still
laid on getting good grades and a
good job during this era, vocational
studies to establish a small
manufacturing company was rife.
Technology and mobile telephony made an incursion in the 2000's, coinciding
with the global dot com burst. After the dust settled- online brands such as
Amazon, EBay, Facebook et al, rose out of the ashes with solid business models,
getting listed among the world top 100 brands and even surpassing giants like
Coke and IBM. Stories of their founders became tales of inspiration for
Generation X and Y. Youths between the ages of 18 - 27 were venturing into
creating successful tech businesses, dropping out of tertiary institutions to pursue
their innate passions. They had been fired up and they were not going to back
down. They were becoming young CEOs and Product Developers with the zeal to
establish social enterprises that address critical issues in the country.
FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH
Access to digital information
via web and mobile exposed
people of this era to focus
on acquiring digital skills.
Today's young Nigerians are all about empowerment, social enterprise and
social networking. They don't want to become engineers but UX Designers.
Doctors! No, they're creating health apps. Lawyers - they founded platforms
where you can contact a legal consultant. And they are doing all these from
their homes, co-creation labs or their office-in-a-box. The incursion of Elance,
Freelancer and ODesk and similar platforms serves as avenues for this
generation to explore their passion and creativity. They are becoming young
CEOs, Solution Providers and Product Developers.
FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH
How do you truly connect with the average Nigerian who’s mobile savvy, a dealaholic by all
standards, a social passionista who keeps up with the latest trends on various social media
networks, and a visionary always on the lookout for the next big thing?
In today’s digital world, connecting with
Nigeria’s rapidly evolving populace requires
an understanding of our digital consumption
habits. Welcome to the NEW NIGERIA: a
place where its people change as fast as
the weather, yet as slow as the climate.
FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH
Co- creation and incubation hubs are on the fast rise. Brands such as, Fast Launch
and CC Hub are pioneering this trend, creating spaces where techpreneurs and
sociopreneurs collaborate to solve the country’s greatest problems. Nested in areas
accessible to these radically skilled individuals, these brands provide Pre-incubation
support aimed at assisting early stage social technology ventures to build the
foundation for sustainable enterprises.
Impact: CCHub.com has helped developed over 50 start up brand ideas with new
business ventures on the rise daily while FastLaunch.org will reveal its maiden
Founder Design Team, 25 start up social enterprise creators, who’ve been in a three
month training program, in October through its partner financing options.
FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH
Growth of the mobile entrepreneur who only needs an office-in-a-box (small office or
collaborative workstation) to work from. They’ve studied at schools like Orange Academy
and Lagos Business School. Today, brands such as CapitalSqua.re and
EnterpriseCreative.org have opened up fantastic channels for idea-driven individuals, who
have an ultimate goal: to create platforms that solves the nations’ problems, are currently
developing product ideas. Providing mini workstations and office spaces for startups at a
minimal fee, the ideas industry is experiencing a major boom at the moment.
Impact: Startup brands such as Printivo.com, Traffix.com, RushHourKiosk.com and
Megaheadzonline.com are examples of beneficiaries of collaborative workspaces. Their
ideas help solve traffic, printing, design and brand development problems.
FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH
Afro Pop and Afro Cosmos: Everything African, from fashion gear, hairstyle, tattoos to
Music and the musicians influencing todays’ pop speak - Olamide, Phyno, DBanj, ill
Bliss, Tuface, Davido, 9ice and their likes. Nigerians love their own and they have found
a creative way of incorporating this into every facet of fashion: from Ankara patterned
denims to Adire casual jackets, and turning them into sustainable businesses.
Impact: Global brands understand the need to tap into the culture of a country and
#speaktheirlanguage. Brands such as Etisalat and Globacom used this to their
advantage when they launched in the country, building a culture of NIGERIANESS and
using our colors, language and music. The #MADEOFBLACK Guinness global
campaign is on this same track as well and is gaining popularity back home.
FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH
Online shopping sites such as Dealdey.com, Jumia.com, Konga.com and Kaymu.com
have grown in stature and popularity in the last few years, mobile money platforms
like MyPaga.com are becoming de facto payment gateways and global shopping
stores such as Shoprite, Game, Spar, Park n Shop, Mr. Price (located in super malls
across the country) are becoming shopping hotspots capturing different audience
segments
Impact: The marriage of social shopping and mobile connectivity. With various online
shopping platforms springing up to capture the savvy shopper, there’s a market for
someone who has a story to tell and sell. Decoding the average social shopper to
understand their mentality will help brands survive and not go down the Nigerian
failed business hole such as Woolworths did when it ventured into the country.
FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH
Lifestyle and entertainment hangout spots are on the rise with brands such as
Rhapsody.com.ng, Bheerhugz.com.ng, Jevinik, La Mango and other bars, clubs,
restaurants and lounges providing exquisite dining and relaxing areas and supported
by brands such as HelloFoods.com (food delivery service).
Impact: On the entertainment side, events such as Afropolitan vibes, Rhythm
Unplugged, BasketMouth Uncensored among others help provide businesses and
revenue for the brand owners and for other online related services such as ticket
sales (Afritickets.com) and destination travel and tours brands such as Wakanow.com
FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH
Mobile Telephony; The advent of SAMSUNG, APPLE, TECNO, INFINIX,
BLACKBERRY (the first to start this trend) SONY, HTC and their impact on
communication, connectivity and social business in Nigeria is phenomenal. These
brands have been able to capture a rapidly evolving market, focusing on various
audience segments and carving their individual niche by connecting with the culture
and trends of today.
Impact: Due to high demand for these brands and equally high demand for data
usage and mobile internet connectivity, Mobile service providers have had to upgrade
their service to meet the demands of the consumers, thus creating a massive spill
over affect as access to information and data on –the-go is now a common thing
Brands are all about emotion – and emotion connects with memory, self-image, hopes, dreams and
aspirations. Strong brands appeal to many different senses: sight, touch, smell, taste, sound – either within
the brand itself, or in the way it is marketed. Every brand we identify with is an expression of our own identity.
According to a study, "SocialShop ", shoppers use
social media to meet particular needs. If those needs
aren't met, brands are likely to see a drop-off in
Followers or Fans. The study segmented shoppers
according to their needs. To aptly describe the average
Nigerian Consumer we have come up with 6 terms that
explains the cultural molecules of individuals exhibiting
the same buying patters within each molecule.
Source: http://leoburnett.com/articles/thinking/socialshop/
The Friendly Trendy is a heavy social shopper using social media channels
to broadcast the latest trends and stay connected with favorite brands.
Friendly Trendies are indulgent and use social channels to express feelings
and stay relevant and "in-the-know." According to one Friendly Trendy, "I
talked about the Apple Live event on Twitter weeks before it happened,
because it was unique and made me look in-the-know amongst my friends."
Key point: To reach Friendly Trendies, brands should help shoppers
discover, express and connect on emerging and established platforms –
everything from Facebook to Instagram (which is fast becoming the most
visited social platform in Nigeria) to Twitter.
FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH
Thrill Seekers are on a mission to score fun and unexpected deals. With
impulsive social shopping tendencies, this shopper demands timely and
relevant deals. In the words of a Thrill Seeker: "Social platforms such as
Jumia, DealDey and Konga bring me to places that I wouldn't have tried
without a deal. I share deals with friends because I know they'll be interested."
Key point: To connect with Thrill Seekers, brands should invest in tailored
deals that are "too good to pass up." In addition, brands should promote
through geo-location applications like Eskimi and Vconnect, build visibility on
daily deal sites such as OLX and Dealdey, and provide tailored
recommendations on discussion forums like Nairaland.
FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH
The comparison shopper who uses social media to find the best deals on the
brands they want; Smart Buyers use social media for comparison shopping
and spend time deal digging only for their favorite brands. According to one
passionate Smart Buyer: "I follow social conversations to get tips on how to
cut corners and save a few bucks."
Key point: To connect with Smart Buyer, brands should aim to validate choices
by offering custom shopping tips and ways to save money by tapping into
blogs, forums, review sites and all social media platforms.
FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH
Quality Devotees use social media to shape purchasing decisions, validate
choice and to feel empowered when making a purchase. No matter the time
or research involved, Quality Devotees will find the best product available.
Said one Quality Devotee, "I track postings, watch videos on YouTube or
sometimes, my female friends’ Vine posts and always seek online advice from
people using the products I want."
Key point: To connect with Quality Devotees brands should aim to help
shoppers build knowledge through in-depth reviews and expert opinions via
blogs, forums, review sites and visual based digital platforms.
FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH
Efficient Sprinters want to save time and use social media to select items that
are considered most popular to simplify their shopping process. He looks for
the most popular and convenient/time-saving purchases According to one
Efficient Sprinter, "When I social shop, I usually take a quick look at a toy
review and buy the one with the most stars. I don't care about price."
Key point: To connect with Efficient Sprinters brands should simplify the buying
process. In addition, brands should provide a curated list of top selling
products on their social channels, blogs and retailer websites.
FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH
The Bargain Shopper has just one social shopping goal: find the cheapest
alternative. With utilitarian shopping needs, Bargain Shoppers choose only
the lowest prices and do not feel loyal to specific brands. According to one
Bargain Shopper: "When using social media to shop I'm always checking out
DealDey and retailer websites to find deals on all types of products."
To connect with Bargain Shopper, brands should broadcast special deals on
retailer websites such as Taafoo.com, DealDey.com or OLX and provide the
ability to share those deals with their friends on all social platforms.
FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH
Besides just decoding the average Nigerian consumer, a deeper understanding of the concept of trends
hunting is key to engineering a new train of thought for the consumer. As much as Nigerians have a peculiar
consumer behavioral pattern, the new generation are open to change and a reformation
. Even though brands focus on the low end
users, certain brands have been able to capture
other segments of the market. They’ve
succeeded in focusing on people’s aspirational
tendencies and employing the use of celebrity
endorsements, product innovation and research
to develop new products/services that arrest the
attention of a certain market type.
As content queen Ann Handley reminds us, there’s a paradox to content
marketing: “Your story is not about you; it’s what you do for others.”
When Davido (a Pop star in Nigeria) released his smash hit “Skelewu” (which
has become a lingo in Nigeria), he enlisted the use of YouTube to encourage
his fans to create their own dance steps in relation to the music. Safe to say,
one of the dance steps created by an obviously excited fan was used in the
ensuing music video to much positive acclaim from music lovers.
www.mavinrecords.comDavido Official Skelewu Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqflXTvth3s
Guinness’ ‘Udeme” TVC
www.udeme.com
Nigeria is a country blessed with abundant resources (people, natural resources,
food and culture). Its people are very particular about their culture and traditions,
even though they adapt and adopt other cultures to create a unique hybrid. Brands
that knows how to connect with the sights and sounds of these peculiar people will
definitely be on the rise.
South African music groups Mafikizolo, Jozi and MI Casa did this to perfection when
they featured popular Nigerian music artistes in some of their songs at the height of
South African music vibes in the country, creating a musical fusion that spread
across the region like wildfire, gaining acceptance among fans of both countries.
Powered by music and TV, new speak or street lingua comes out of the blue
everyday in Nigeria from a musician or an actor. Pop culture words such as “Pop
Champagne, Alobam, Badoo, Skelweu, Aye, Confam, Duro Bucci, Badoo, Story for
the Gods” have become social speak amongst the growing youth of the country,
and smart brands have successfully tapped into these to create ad campaigns.
Any savvy brand owner should know how to leverage on digital and social media
platforms to connect with the people and SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE.
Understand where a hundred million personal identities are going, and you have the key to your future brand
campaign. Can we really decipher the true Nigerian? Perhaps… Or perhaps not! However, we can channel a
new way of thinking and capture a new market segment if we LISTEN, OBSERVE and CREATE.
Investing in Nigerian trends/culture to connect your
brands to these peculiar people will have a long-
term benefit. In a country where over 70% are
youths under 25 years and will still be a youthful
country in the next 25 years- , there's bound to be
expansion for any business venturing into the
country or perhaps buying into an existing local
brand to boost your brand and the economy.
We are a inter-networked people
(Community first) - Habits, trends,
behavior is influenced by our neighbors,
peers, colleagues. Your brand/business
must act as friend first, product second
We are a VISUAL people - we are
excited by colors, tones, speak,
funkiness, otherness, newness
Understudy/understand the cultural
codes that drive the nation and
design products that have love,
passion and sensory cues
embedded in them
Develop products & services that solve
a problem beyond the functional needs
(Nigeria has a multitude of issues that
has beset the country - from security, to
infrastructure to power etc.)
You can commercialize unique
cultural codes as Nigeria is one of a
kind influenced by passion, language,
design and not just needs. The
market/consumers are open to
change as they want to live the life
NOW; they want tomorrow today
The country is a youthful country,
the market is ripe for building a
nation of loyalists, brand advocates
and consumer fans
Globalization is a trend that impacts everyone more and more each day. Advances in technology
and modern communications are said to have unleashed new contacts and intercourse among
peoples, social movements, transnational corporations, and governments. How much impact will
a New Nigeria have on the African continent and the entire World?
THERE is no shortage of economic growth in Africa.
Six of the world’s ten fastest growing economies of
the past decade are in sub-Saharan Africa. With
Nigeria at the center of development to come over
the next 5-10 years, building sustainable
businesses in the country will have a positive effect
on the African continent in the long run.
According to Tim Brown, CEO and president of
IDEO, the goal of Design Thinking is "matching
people’s needs with what is technologically
feasible and viable as a business strategy" .
With new solution architects rising by the day in
Nigeria, the nation is poised to provide solutions to
Africa's biggest problems in years to come. This
will only happen if investors and VC’s spot
opportunities in budding talents and brands that
stand for change, using design as their tool.
It is estimated that by 2015 sub-Saharan Africa will have
more people with mobile phone network access than
electricity access at home. The rise of cheap
smartphones has allowed vast portions of the population
- from middle classes in cities to small businesses in
rural areas - access to mobile broadband.
What this trend portends is that Africa is poised for a
rapid growth in digitization across countries. With tons of
Nigerian entrepreneurs already employing the use of
digital connectivity to solve problems of education, traffic
congestion, food delivery among other things, expect
the revolution to spread further as we will begin to cross-
culturally solve problems, not per city but per country.
While some may argue that Africa is not ready yet for
some evolution in robotics and engineering, we only
have to consider the benefits of investing in technology
to save the lives of our populace.
With significant investment is science, engineering and
technology, we stand ourselves in good stead to provide
long term solutions that will enable us cure diseases and
give hope to the broken and down-trodden.
We will be able to continue to invest significantly in
renewable energy in order to provide electricity to the
estimated 24 and 32 percent urban dwellers who have
the lowest electricity access rate (rural electricity access
is a mere 8 percent), and to eliminate or reduce, to the
barest minimum, the over reliance on traditional
biomass (mostly wood) used by almost 75 percent of
the population in Sub-Saharan Africa, leading to
premature deaths from lung disease.
With mobile education and e-learning apps or
platforms springing up on a daily basis in Nigeria,
the time has come for us as Africans to integrate
several ideas into one bigger platform where
students have access to simplified versions of the
textbooks and handouts they're given to read -
which are sometimes boring and complex.
A place where Mathematics can be demystified in a
fun creative way, where science subjects are more
practical via video tutorials. A learning and resource
centre, incorporated with existing school curriculum,
with the sole aim of helping to shape the minds of
these young ones so learning becomes easier.
And perhaps several start up universities, to serve
as a breeding ground for the next big thing and
fodder for the incubation hubs to further hone the
skills and ideas of the next African revolution.
Across Africa, an innovation culture is emerging.
Nigeria is among the countries in Africa that have the
potential of creating a vibrant innovation ecosystem.
Students and entrepreneurs have begun tapping
science, art, mobile and digital technology to solve
social and business problems.
We believe that foreign firms and institutions must work
with local universities on collaborative research to
improve the quality of degree programs and provide
much needed tools and resources to co-creation labs
such as FastLaunch.org, CcHub.com, CapitalSqua.re,
ClubOrangeng.com and Enterprisecreative.org.
These are the brands that will shape the next
generation of thinkers who will solve Africa’s greatest
problems and they need to be invested in now.
Africa in general and Nigeria in particular, is poised for rapid growth in the coming years. It's high time we
start converting research outputs into intellectual property, patents, trademarks, industrial designs and
knowledge at the highest level. We will continue to unlock trends and ideas that are worth billions to the
discerning African and international businessman, to help drive our economy and build our continent.
TINK; Intelligence is Magic.
Franklin Ozekhome, Pop Culture Strategist/Chief Storyteller, TINK AFRICA