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Student Village Youth Insights 2016 E-Book
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2. YOUTH INSIGHTS 2016STUDENT
VILLAGE
When Student Village started producing weekly Insights mailers over
a year ago, we couldn’t have imagined the response. Clients, Brands,
Advertisers and Media Agencies waited every Tuesday morning to
receive our weekly dose of student and graduate youth insights. We
often found ourselves in a media agency boardrooms and snippets
from one of these mailers would pop up on the presentations that
they had compiled. We knew we were producing some great work.
Companies and brands biggest issue was that they needed to target
the younger generation with their products but didn’t understand
the youth and that’s where Student Village fits in. We’ve made it our
business for the last 15 years to understand the youth, particularly
the student market, building the bridge between Afrillennials (African
Millennials) and brands.
In this e-book we’ve compiled some of the best insights from Student
Village’s Insights Unlocked articles and we can assure you that there is
nothing on offer that can take you into the world of the Afrillennial quite
like this. Expect to find endless insights into Activations, Influencers,
Virtual Reality, Politics, Digital Marketing and more. Over and above
this, you’ll get the best highlights from our Afrillennial Research and
Res Brand Study.
Africa’s youth comprise 200 million people. How these young people
think, feel and how they interact with society, are crucial insights for
marketers that want to build a relationship with the youth market.
With the help of this guide, your youth marketing journey starts today!
3. 3 WAYS TO CONNECT WITH YOUTH OVER THE FESTIVE SEASON
3 WAYS TECHNOLOGY IS ADVANCING YOUTH EMPLOYMENT
6 MOST WANTED ABILITIES OF A GREAT YOUTH INFLUENCER
4 WAYS #UBEREATS HAS THE YOUTH EATING THEIR HEARTS OUT!
4 CLARIFYING PERSPECTIVES ON #FEESMUSTFALL 2017
4 CAMPUS AMBASSADOR SNAGS TO DODGE
ADDING VIRTUAL REALITY TO THE YOUTH MARKETING MIX
4 SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES CHANGING THE YOUTH MARKETING GAME
6 TRENDING AFRILLENNIAL ARCHETYPES YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
4 COOL PLACES TO ENGAGE WITH YOUTH
5 MOBILE INFORMATION OVERLOAD PITFALLS
SHOULD SA BRANDS GET READY TO POKEMON GO?
3 REASONS THE YOUTH IDENTIFY WITH YOUTUBE STARS
4 WAYS TO WIN STUDENTS TRUST ONLINE
5 WAYS CASTLE LITE USES HIP HOP CULTURE TO ATTRACT SA’S YOUTH
4 THINGS YOU CAN LEARN FROM AFRILLENNIAL SMARTPHONE PREFERENCES
SNEAKER WARS: 4 WAYS TO KICK IT WITH AFRILLENNIALS
5 REASONS SNAPCHAT IS BOOMING WITH SA’S YOUTH
4 WAYS TO NAIL INFLUENCER MARKETING WITH SA’S YOUTH
3 BRANDS THAT KNOW YOUTH DON’T LIKE IT SLOW
MORE BRANDS GET STUDENTS FLOCKING TO APP INSPIRED EVENTS
SA YOUTH SAY SNAPCHAT IS WHERE IT’S AT!
6 WAYS YOUR BRAND CAN WIN WITH THE YOUTH ON SNAPCHAT
INSTAGRAM CHANGES CAUSE BACKLASH AMONGST SA YOUTH
MEDIA CONSUMPTION: WHAT STUDENTS SEE VS. WHAT YOU THINK THEY SEE
FACEBOOK’S NEW EMOJI’S GIVE YOUTH AND BRANDS SOMETHING TO SMILE AT
HOW BRANDS CAN GET MORE LOVE FROM AFRILLENNIALS
13 BRANDS AND REASONS WHY STUDENTS LOVE THEM
5 STRATEGIES WINNING BRANDS CAN USE TO ENGAGE THE YOUTH
WHAT BILL AND JILL MEMES TAUGHT US ABOUT AFRILLENNIALS
YOUTH MARKETING: BALANCING TRADITIONAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA
HOW SPRITE GOT YOUTH FLOCKING TO ITS CORNER STORE
TAKING YOUR GRADUATE WEBSITE TO THE NEXT LEVEL
WORK SMART, NOT HARD
5 HOT INSIGHTS THAT MAKE SA’S YOUTH TICK
HOW FILL UP THE DOME BECAME A SOCIAL MOVEMENT FOR THE YOUTH
7 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE STUDENT PROTEST MARCH
WHAT A 0% INCREASE REALLY MEANS FOR SA’S YOUTH
HOW YOUTH AROUND THE WORLD DID IT FOR NETFLIX
HOW H&M HOOKED YOUTH WITH DAVID BECKHAM’S TIMELESS COOL
7 TIPS FOR MINDING THE GAP WITH AFRILLENNIALS
STUDENT VILLAGE RES BRAND STUDY
STUDENT VILLAGE AFRILLENIAL RESEARCH
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CONTENTSYOUTH
INSIGHTS
4. STUDENTVILLAGEYOUTHINSIGHTS2016
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3 WAYS TO CONNECT WITH YOUTH OVER THE FESTIVE SEASON
Fees Must Fall might have you scratching your head thinking “How is my brand going to connect
and engage with this audience?” Certainly the past several weeks have been interesting in terms
of engaging with Afrillennials (African millennials), but the good news is that there is no need for
despair. Believe it or not, while students have been protesting, they are still having to consume. From
data and food, right through to the launch of the brand new iPhone 7, students haven’t lost their
zest for life. With the exam and holiday periods upon us, we take a look at two great and easy ways
to connect with the Afrillennials this coming festive season…
1 SWAY THEM SOCIALLY
As students begin their annual migration away from campus, back home or road-tripping with mates,
social media continues to be one of the key platforms to engage and it remains at the very center
of a student’s life. In earlier articles, we’ve written about the persona’s students adopt across the
different social platforms and this will give you greater insight into the reasons why they use the
different platforms.
Following on students’ theme of “showing off my best life”, the use of Social Media Influencers could
be what your brand needs to elevates its status and conversation during the festive season. Students
will be on the lookout for the latest brand products and services to amp up their year end. Making
use of a handful key youth influencers is an inexpensive way of getting their attention in this frame
of mind, with terrific results if done right. This peer to peer marketing tactic will not only help your
brand to stay on fleek but also help you mold youth perception of your brand at the most critical
time of the year when they switch off the distractions and fully immerse themselves in as many great
experiences as they can afford to fit in.
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3 WAYS TO CONNECT WITH YOUTH OVER THE FESTIVE SEASON
2 TURN UP AT THE BEACH
Traveling to the coast, and in particular the beach, is a pilgrimage that a large percentage of South
Africans makes. For Afrillennials, the beach life is all about turning up, from late morning right
through to the following late morning. It’s not just about the beach, it’s the additional offering that
key coastal locations can boast, like long strips of night clubs and bars, parties, other young people
they want to connect and have fun with and other cool holiday set ups like pop up shops, festivals,
carnivals and more. Towns like Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth boast the lifestyle elements
that students can really indulge in, away from their campus lives and its future proofed that their
experiences will be taken to social media.
So what does this mean for a brand? Activity around key social hotspots and clubs (day or night),
as well as beach campaigns and activations should be on your radar. We also recommend that any
engagement come with a strong social media component which will certainly give your campaign
further ‘legs’ and potentially national engagement.
3 GO ON THE ROAD TRIP
While this may not be applicable to all students, it’s definitely worth the mention. Every year the
movement of students, away from campus and back home, is substantial. This poses a great roadtrip
campaign opportunity which countless fuel companies like BP and Engen try to master each year.
At the time when television is saturated with road safety campaigns, brands are on the bandwagon
with refreshing offerings to make your time on the road so much better. You don’t have to take this
route however because your brand’s road trip could manifest in a number of ways:
VEHICLE BRANDING – Branding of student cars and having them take the brand wherever they go
over the holiday and festive season is a great way of making sure your brand is seen in the student
market. Coupling your branding with an experiential or sampling element hosted by your vehicle
ambassador would make a great addition to other students’ holiday. Also, using a student to be an
ambassador will also give them some extra spending money to amplify their experiences in association
with your brand, taking the initiative so much further.
POP UP SHOPS – When the road is long and the boredom sets in, students will do anything for an
entertaining place to stretch their legs and get their holiday indulgences off to a start, before they
even reach their destination. We’re not suggesting you pop up shop next to the garden route but
perhaps consider spaces where other brands have left a gap. Create a youth oasis and they’ll be
sure to drop by.
COMPETITION – Speaking of boredom, students are looking for as many experiences as possible
to fill their time and have more to talk about when they get back to campus. Storytelling is all the
hype and students love to share. Insert your brand in a fun way by creating little opportunities for
instant gratification. Perhaps with a competition that requires them to interact with your brand or
a chance to participate in an activity to win some moola or holiday gear. Right there, their holiday
has become an experience with your brand and you’ve received the endorsement.
COMPETITION
Brands shouldn’t rest over the festive season and wait for students to return to campus. Even though
marketing budgets are tied up and keeping up with students requires a whole lot more brand energy
at this time of year, engagement of the holiday and festive period doesn’t have to be expensive or
overly elaborate. Yes brands will all be fighting for their attention and work hard to play hard with
them in their spaces, but keep it simple and remain authentic in your engagement and you’ll be sure
to find your own festive cheer!
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3 WAYS TECHNOLOGY IS ADVANCING YOUTH EMPLOYMENT
Recruiting tech savvy graduates that have grown up in an era of innovation, has become increasingly
complicated for employers. Gone are the days of qualified candidates entering a sit down interview
with the hopes of landing their next position, as today graduates are scrutinizing their potential
employers in return, making their interviews and employment a transaction of persuasions. We
look at employers’ tech prospects including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and
Gamification, and how these are changing up the recruitment, on-boarding and in service training
processes in the workplace.
1 THE FUTURE OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
With a scarce supply of skilled candidates being hard to attract and retain, companies are presented
with prospects for using digitised engagement solutions to ensure they stay relevant and attractive
to Afrillennials (African Millennials) in the workplace. Technology is creating a greater future for
employee engagement with very few limitations. Imagine someday working in an environment where
lengthy admin intensive processes have been digitised, automated and made fun, leaving more room
to focus on what really matters? That’s exactly where technology is headed. Soon employees will
no longer be antisocial digital natives but engage, interact better and be more energised in their
delivery on objectives. With this vision in mind, employers aren’t seeing technology as a disruptor,
but rather starting to accept the idea of tech innovation as an enabler.
The Learning Nerdcon 2016, which Student Village recently attended, presented various examples
of how digital technologies could fit in the workplace to not only improve operations but make
businesses more efficient without too many resources. Afrillennials are highly motivated by constant
feedback from their employers and often express a need to be mentored, however the capacity of
companies don’t always allow for extensive development. This is where technology has the potential
to take the load off employers.
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3 WAYS TECHNOLOGY IS ADVANCING YOUTH EMPLOYMENT
Kalleo People Group (KPG) presented animated learning programmes that are easy to follow and
digitally lead through an interactive completion processes, that require very little supervision or human
guidance. Prerecording key bits of information about your brand and coupling this with animation,
design and play, as well as a responsive digital engagement platform, may be the future solution
for brands. KPG also displayed applications that assist employers and employees to understand
one another better through facial expression recognition, a great innovation for bridging the gap
between generations.
2 GAMEFIED ONBOARDING INNOVATION
KPG also showcased how interviews can be gamified using digital games, built to illustrate scenarios
in the workplace for interviewees and even trainees to troubleshoot. A candidate can partake in an
actual task they’d probably encounter on the job. These tools aren’t only a great solution for seamless
practical learning, but are great attractors right from the interview process. Apart from shortening
time spent on interviews or training, proving or improving a candidates abilities, these tools entertain
Afrillennials and attracts their attention, getting them to really engage with your brand.
From a young age, Afrillennials’ first digital interactions came from games. Playing games from a
young age is also one of the greatest ways to learn new skills and absorb knowledge. Unfortunately,
the older people get, the less they play. Perhaps children learn faster than adults for this reason but
rest assured, all isn’t lost, as gamification is here to remind us how to learn through play, learn faster
and save insights for longer.
3 INTRODUCING AFRILLENNIALS TO THEIR PERSONAL “ULTIMATE”
From the creation of simulators that are programmed to respond to people in different ways, to
being placed in 3D situations, Serious Factory which is an Immersive experience company, showed
how Afrillennials are being exposed to technologies that remove them from their limitations, by
placing them in a virtual dimension where they have endless learning possibilities. Using this to your
advantage as a business will mean offering Afrillennials a chance at exclusivity by giving them the
experience of doing things they wouldn’t normally be able to, customised to their needs and at the
time they need it most.
Imagine learning about your job or up-skilling with the help of a digital training platform that is
self-managed, responds according to your actions and is available whenever an employee feels
the need to continue learning. Through this level of innovation and engagement, businesses have
an opportunity to tap into the emotions of young employees through gratification, measure their
progress for feedback and reward them accordingly.
GAMEFIED ONBOARDING INNOVATION
In a world of emerging talented youth, businesses cannot flourish without innovation and technology
happens to be the main gear running the works. Digital engagement solutions are growing and will
soon be an omnipresent development tool for businesses to use in promotion of changed attitudes,
inspiring positive behaviour and driving business impact amongst its younger employees. These
advancements are making it easier for companies to engage their employees in a shorter timeframe,
eliminating limitations like capacity and availability of senior trainers, employers or mentors often
involved in managing employee development. Positive influence on graduates in the workplace and
their experience through fun tools like gamification, VR and AR, is a great way to motivate them to
stay with your business, improve retention and drive their passion for growing within your brand’s
framework.
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6 MOST WANTED ABILITIES OF A GREAT YOUTH INFLUENCER
In the blink of an eye, influencer marketing went from being the new test subject marketers were
hesitant to try, to being predicted as the future of marketing as we know it. As the world continues
to use social media to inform their purchasing decisions, youth are growing the influencer marketing
trend at an exponential rate. In an increasingly digitised marketing landscape, influencers are the best
means to spark a conversation online whilst still covering off the social scene. They are interconnected,
enterprising and are the future of facilitating connections between brands and youth, but what does
an amazing influencer do and how can they help your brand connect to the youth?
1 CREATE TRUE CONNECTION
One of the reasons influencer marketing has rapidly gained popularity is the fact that their authenticity
resonates with the youth and that brands now have a greater pipeline for placing themselves squarely
in front of this market. Good influencers ensure that brands no longer speak at the youth but speak
to them and if done right, this could lead to a lifelong connection. From associating with how they
dress, where they hang out, how they talk and their lifestyle, brands are able to craft their own
personality amongst youth, through youth.
One brand that’s used influencers well is Adidas who regularly connects with influencers like Mini
Dlamini, Bonang Matheba, Nomuzi Mabena and even non-celebrity influencers that resonate with
their brand. An influencer going by @Craig0sexy_kgosietsile on Instagram, received support from
the Adidas recently after they responded to his love for crazy gym antics and sporting apparel by
sponsoring him with Adidas gear which he now proudly adorns on his Instagram feed.
Another brand that recently blew up in South Africa is Ciroc, which used Bonang Matheba to support
their different flavours of vodka. As a result South African youth know that this brand is in the country
and when they turn up, Ciroc is a popular go to brand to pop bottles with.
If there’s one thing the youth love, it’s sharing stories and experiences with their peers and of those
they aspire to be like. A great influencer will help your brand fit seamlessly within that framework and
strategically place your brand’s story or agenda in the right moments that will have their students
wanting more.
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6 MOST WANTED ABILITIES OF A GREAT YOUTH INFLUENCER
2 ADD A PERSONAL TOUCH
Influencer marketing places individuals at the forefront of brands and its best to have the right fit of
influencer representing your brand. Someone that suits your brand will deliver your brand message
with greater conviction than any other can and likely have a natural affinity to stick to your brand,
making your influencer marketing investment worthwhile, even in the long term. Nothing awakens
brand love and creativity like a good youth to brand relationship ratio. When influencers are fully
equipped with your brand they are prepared for any opportunity that comes their way and will be
better prepared to place your brand in the moment.
2 ADD A PERSONAL TOUCH
Adweek recently reported that 50 influencers posted an Instagram picture of themselves wearing
the same Lord & Taylor dress, on the same day, they told the Instagram fashion niche that the dress
was a must-have article to be in the in-crowd. The dress sold out the following weekend.
Influencer marketing isn’t focussed so much on marketing but rather presentation. A great influencer
will do well at crafting attractive content in a way that creates curiosity and excitement for those
surrounding them. They also act as an active crossover between face to face interactions, social
media and content creation across platforms, bringing just the right mix of persuasion to their
presentation. Content flair is a talent many wannabe influencers fail to deliver as it not only takes a
good influencer but a great brand collaboration.
3 BE CONSISTENT
Everyone knows a one hit wonder from some part of their life. Because of this very phenomenon,
ordinary people are often mistaken for influencers and brands end up engaging with the wrong
influencers all together. Having one social media windfall or amazing event where an influencer
becomes the talk of the event is not a great measure for establishing eligibility to influence on the
long term. Consistency, is. Great influencers produce engaging and relevant content all the time and
when they fail they continue to change up their game until it’s tweaked to perfection and a rhythm
is found. Even then the work always continues. This consistency is what brings magic to influencer
activations and it happens through the combination of achieving reach, relevance and ultimately
resonance. Consistent brand association and messaging portrays influencers as living your brand
naturally instead of forcing staccato inserts into little blips of their social life.
4 ESTABLISHING AUTHORITY
Influencers often engage with brands because they know the experience will entice their audience
or at least give them an enviable experience worth talking about. The reason this is so important is
because talking about a particular topic consistently and convincingly with loads to share, creates
thought leadership and authority. Being a voice for a specific industry or topic leads to connection
with other influencers in the same arena. When your influencer has the capability to grab attention
and carry your message forward, the benefit of being seen as an authoritative figure immediately
translates to the conversation being carried over to other like-minded influencers who will act and
share your brand’s information too. This has much greater impact than any engagement an organic
audience of followers could provide.
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6 MOST WANTED ABILITIES OF A GREAT YOUTH INFLUENCER
5 MONETISING THEIR INTERACTIONS
Brands obviously all secretly want sales to increase when they invest in influencer marketing. Whether
it’s adoption of an idea, use of a service or selling an actual product – where there is exchange, sales
are taking place.
Siya Beyile, Tshepi Vundla and Monde Mtsi were praised by Livemag.co.za for their monetisation skills
as influencers recently telling the story of how they got into their element. Many of these influencers
use monetisation platforms like Webfluential and Weconnect which are a growing attractor for aspiring
influencers to start getting recognition and moola flowing, at least through their online presence. This
leads them to being approached by brands to do more work, and knowing how to hustle this cycle
of income is now only a great trait for an influencer to have but an ability brands can benefit from. If
they can monetise their personal brand surely they can do the same for the brands they represent.
The way monetisation has grown is that influencers make your business their business. They know
that going the extra mile for your brand and seeing how they can adapt to bring you a one of a kind
influencer experience will not only get them paid, but keep your brand coming back for more. This
has also lead to influencers successfully becoming brand ambassadors in their own right.
6 COLLABORATION
Your influencer marketing strategy will take more than placing your brand in an influencer’s hands, as
great relationships take time but the resulting benefits are evergreen. The recipe to creating a great
influencer campaign lies as much in your execution, as it lies in finding the right type of influencer and
knowing what makes them good. If you find yourself a bit clueless in the mix of trying influencers
versus your usual marketing strategy components, get in touch with Student Village on 0118853918
or email info@studentvillage.co.za.
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4 WAYS #UBEREATS HAS THE YOUTH EATING THEIR HEARTS OUT!
UberEATS, the coolest on-demand food delivery app, launched by ride-hailing service Uber, has
officially landed in SA and youth are super excited. After being around in other countries, and finally
arriving in SA, students couldn’t wait to feast on the deliciousness and convenience that comes with
having restaurant prepared food delivered to their doorstep. Wait… What makes this service any
different from our usual food delivery services that already exist? We’ve got you covered and we’re
about to tell you how UberEATS is getting it right with SA’s youth.
1 CONVENIENCE IS EVERYTHING
What do Afrillennials (African Millennials) want? Convenience. When do they want it? Now! They
have grown up with technology, understand how easy it has made their lives and their expectations
of convenience isn’t slowing down. As part of the movement, youth use their phones for keeping up
to speed on everything and the more they can do on their phones that can make life a little easier,
the better. UberEATS offers them the opportunity to do exactly that. When you’re on the app you
simply enter your details, pick a menu and restaurant you’d like to order from and with a few simple
steps to place your order, it’s collected by Uber drivers who then deliver right to your doorstep.
Who even stands in fast food queues anymore? Or goes to the ATM to get cash in order to pay for
their order? Things that used to be a normal part of life feel like way too much of an effort now thanks
to technology and this is where the wonder of novelty comes to play. UberEATS’ convenience is not
just about the fact they promise your delivery will take a little over 30 minutes, but that it works on
a cashless system like when you would order an Uber ride. Users can track how far the driver is in
real-time, unlike other food delivery services where you could end up waiting for what feels like a
lifetime without knowing your driver’s whereabouts.
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4 WAYS #UBEREATS HAS THE YOUTH EATING THEIR HEARTS OUT!
2 FIND THE PROBLEM, BE THE SOLUTION
Before Uber’s transport service first launched in SA, getting a cab was quite a mission. You needed
to have a contact number for a cab service, make sure you have airtime on your phone, have cash
on you to pay for the ride and could end up waiting for a very long time before a driver arrives
because they’d struggle to find your location. The same goes for food delivery services, where food
sometimes takes long to arrive and customers would be unable to track where the driver is, not to
mention the limited options as far as the restaurants you can choose from. Uber saw this opportunity
to present a very simple solution and the youth are loving them for it.
Commenting on the launch of UberEATS Joburg, 21-year-old Lerato said, “Just the other day I ordered
food from a popular restaurant and my food took two hours to arrive because it was raining and
drivers had to wait for the rain to settle down because they use scooters. My food eventually arrived
and it was cold, and wet! I won’t have to deal with these kind of problems now that UberEATS has
arrived”. Keeping up with the lifestyle demands of the youth clearly leaves no room to err, and youth
will tell brands as much.
3 START SMALL, GET FEEDBACK, GET BETTER!
Not leaving their idea to chance, UberEATS has pulled out all the stops to make sure their service
is flawless. When UberEATS first launched internationally, they established test markets to monitor
feedback and react in real time, fixing bugs and responding quickly to diffuse any issues with customers.
They are taking the same slow roll out approach in SA, with the app only available for use in the North
of Johannesburg for now. Starting small allows them to really monitor the reaction from the market
and fix any issues that may come into play when they launch to other markets.
4 INNOVATE OR GET LEFT BEHIND
It’s clear to us that UberEATS understands that brands need to fit in with the youth and not the other
way around and being able to do just that, requires innovation. It starts with listening to the youth,
what their gripes are and thinking of ways to help them streamline their lifestyle with the least effort
required to do basic things. Why, you may ask? Time is a commodity and with youth being on the
edge of their seats trying to consume every new experience in their path, they need to simplify their
lives, shorten time spent on the unimportant activities and amplify the time they have for experiences.
UberEATS has identified a problem and solved it with a simple concept which already existed, and all
they had to do was innovate it. Food delivery services have been around for decades, but UberEATS
has made getting food to doorsteps both easy and exciting, eliminating a myriad of issues that
food delivery services didn’t acknowledge till now. Their concept goes to show that social listening
for innovation should form a critical part of your brand’s path to find out what your brand needs to
keep, lose or create!
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4 CLARIFYING PERSPECTIVES ON #FEESMUSTFALL 2017
Fees 2017 protests have once again brought universities to a standstill and country wide panic since
Minister of Education, Blade Nzimande, announced universities are to manage their own fee increments
with an 8% increase limit. “It’s like they are saying, if you want autonomy on running affairs, here
are your guidelines and you decide,” CEO Ronen Aires told News24. After Blade’s passing of the
buck, campus SRC’s, Government bodies and educational institutions continue to seek a tangible
solution to resolve the widespread student unrest. While protests are placed squarely at the door
of universities to fight the fee increment, we take a look at four factors influencing the outcome of
#Fees2017 demands.
WHO REALLY PAYS THE PRICE?
Going against the possibility of fee increases, students have once again taken matters into their
own hands, protesting for Government to reconsider its decision. While it seems to students that
Government has the money to fund free education, truth is all funds are coming from taxpayers’
pockets in order to budget for the various government sectors, education included. Price increases
continue to be a part of South Africa’s economic situation and with the South African businesses
also heavily taxed, businesses and citizens all over are battling to make ends meet.
Are the already burdened taxpayers going to be able to fork out more for free education? While this
is strongly opposed by the public, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela has called for solution driven
support from businesses and anyone able to support students and has pledged her own R15,000
towards the cause. Madonsela implored corporate South Africa to join hands, follow her lead and
establish a fund that can be utilised to assist young and talented South Africans‚ who require funding
to complete their tertiary education.
The fact remains however that students are asking for funds from the companies that are likely to
hire them, as well as their parents and families. From our Student Spend Survey, students reported
they already receive at least 86% of their financial support from parents and families. Some diversify
out through part-time work, bursaries and even their own businesses, but the bulk of their funding
is coming from existing taxpayers.
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4 CLARIFYING PERSPECTIVES ON #FEESMUSTFALL 2017
HOW FAR IS TOO FAR?
Joining the Fees2017 conversation to advocate for scaled funding benefits according to socio-economic
affordability, is an admirable movement for the youth to dedicate their time to. Unfortunately, this
is not where the motion ends. From calling for expansion of NSFAS funds, to accommodating the
missing middle and making those who can pay, pay, students continue to make it clear they are
driving free education as their end goal and drawing in as many supporters as they feel it will take.
According to Ronen Aires, CEO of Student Village as reported by News24, “Most students want major
changes in the university sector at the same speed as social media updates and are into immediate
gratification. While, to some extent it works, for a great change of big systems, it requires a longer-
term effort.”
With the drawing of support, students are taking on different forms of protest as well. UKZN students
have reportedly barricaded roads, experienced another burning of a building after nearly a month
of damages reported by the media, not to mention several student arrests. A student of UKZN has
also been shot by police in her residence as a result of protests in the area.
Even though youth see themselves as liberals, protesting whilst damaging and vandalising universities
which they are fighting to attend, leaves onlookers asking: Where do the youth’s priorities lie?
However, it is clear that retaliation is coming both from students and public security who are trying
to control the situation until #Fees2017 can be resolved amicably and property damage is strongly
condemned by the majority.
Ronen also advised News24 that this time, universities were more prepared and had increased their
security. “They are trying to restore calm to the institutions and don’t want anything disrupted.
Disruptions cause uncertainty, chaos and havoc.” He added, “Burning buildings doesn’t buy any
friends, but it gets the attention of those in power. It is a sad consequence.” Students have also
claimed on numerous occasions that property is in fact not being damaged by protesting youth but
outsiders joining the movement.
DOUBLE STANDARDS?
Country wide concern over the consequence of lower fees continues, including the effects it will
have on delivering graduates with competitive qualifications. Youth have once again been labeled
narcissistic, selfish and their behaviour questioned, however this negative attention has been called
out by the youth as being a judgment made only to evade the issue at hand. While some students
report feeling embarrassed by others protesting, other students have joined the protest out of
camaraderie. Others reported not joining as they have been badly affected in their studies last year
when #FeesMustFall first erupted. As many faces as the youth appear to have during the #Fees2017
movement, they naturally appear to have questionable priorities.
When the Finance Minister announced a Sin Tax increase, student wallets stayed open despite the
surge. Perhaps because the cost isn’t felt with immediate effect like education fees? Student Village’s
most recent Student Spend survey across South Africa found that the student population spend a
whopping R3.5bn on alcohol annually. Like alcohol and other lifestyle luxuries, education needs to
be funded to remain in supply. If students stopped paying for that beer, cider or champagne, they
can’t be surprised when that same brand or service is not available as they used to remember it.
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4 CLARIFYING PERSPECTIVES ON #FEESMUSTFALL 2017
UNTIL IT’S FREE
It can be argued that students are spending substantial amounts of money on their image and
living beyond their means from the onset of university enrolment but a contrast needs to be drawn
between the students protesting out of dire need and those in it for the “nice to have” factor of not
having to pay for their studies. Increased taxes which has been the suggested solution is a reality
graduates will also be faced with once they enter the work environment. Being unable to pay for an
education leading into being taxed to pay for other’s education is a perpetuating cycle.
With this in mind, students have voiced their understanding of the difficulties the country faces and
are slowly admitting that there is a lot to be done before free education will become a reality. Ronen
supported this narrative saying, “Great revolutions in life didn’t come overnight. It is years and years
of fighting for a cause.” He also added that incremental successes were achievable.
As protest fatigue sets in, the economic forecast for South Africa remains bleak and tough times
are here to stay for the immediate future. What’s next for students? More protests are likely and the
Fees Must Fall movement is here to stay as an annual feature on the campus calendar, irrespective
of the headway made, at least until education is free.
( Image credit - Ka_Ra_Boo, TUT First Year Photography Student )
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4 CAMPUS AMBASSADOR SNAGS TO DODGE
When your brand ambassadors come across as promoters for a pyramid scheme – you’re doing it
wrong and the youth will run for cover. Forcing ambassadors to spam students with meaningless
info is definitely not going to help your brand speak to the youth in a way that attracts them. Before
you sign up your next crew of campus ambassadors and place your brand in their hands, there are
a few critical stumbling blocks and clarifications to get out of the way.
1 THE WRONG APPROACH
They have a pack of flyers, a campus full of students to target and script of all the things they need
to remember to say about your brand. Sounds about right? They can fire off, hand out these super
cool flyers on campus, chill at lunch with their friends, drop some knowledge of your brand and take
a selfie for social media too. Their friends are bound to buy your products. It’s a walking commercial
– can you say #Awful!
Brand ambassadors are meant to represent your brand positively, influence people to buy into
you and become that go-to friend that students hit up for info on your brand. Even though they
are meant to be “one with your brand”, they aren’t supposed to act like door to door sales people.
Instead they should be like a highly satisfied customer that refers to your brand through testimonial
and when it’s appropriate.
2 ALL TOOLS NO CRAFT
If our previous scenario of a terrible campus ambassador set-up still haunts you, good! Your brand
needs a different strategy to ensure their ambassador programme’s success and see it as a tool
that works when sales doesn’t. Before the right tactics can be identified, brands need to have a full
understanding of what’s in and what’s not with young consumers and this is where a good brand
ambassador will already get involved. They can give peer insights, advice on what works and help
your brand figure out when, where, how and why certain ambassadors should activate your brand
in their personal capacity. They’re involvement not only helps to better equip your brand but builds
an authentic relationship with the youth. With some product knowledge, goods to share and sincere
brand advocacy, your brand’s a winner with your ambassador and their circle!
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4 CAMPUS AMBASSADOR SNAGS TO DODGE
3 AIMLESS WANDER
Briefs for ambassador programmes have a reputation for being…well…brief. The mistake brands make
is to expect ambassadors to build relationships for the brand, without having those relationships
themselves to begin with. This can lead to a myriad of issues like ambassadors being afraid to ask
questions for fear of sounding incompetent, mislead campaign execution, lack of return on investment
and missing objectives completely.
By not equipping your brand ambassadors with the right tools and someone to guide them, you are
likely to make a fraction of the impact you’re hoping to make, and are simply paying an influential
student for a fake endorsement that their peers can see a mile away. How will the youth believe
ambassadors love our brand, if they have no knowledge of what they supposedly love?
A brief should be more than stuffing campus ambassador dorms with your products. Brand ambassador
relationships should be nurtured with brand knowledge, access to products or resources and a
connection to someone who can guide them to execute strategy in their different settings.
4 MISMATCHING
Choosing the right ambassador is about way more than picking influencers with a good reputation
and large social media following. If the future of marketing to youth is targeted, you’d agree that
you should pick an ambassador that matches your audience’s character. Carvela have done this well
recently with their #LoveMyCarvela campaign where young ambassadors not only got to indulge
in the brand for the heck of it, but actually suited the audience the brand wishes to attract. Giving
ambassadors projects that resonate with who they are and the circle of youth they’re going to share
a brand connection with is half the battle won.
WHAT MAKES AN AMBASSADOR PROGRAMME SUCCESSFUL?
Young up and coming brand ambassadors aren’t confined to campus and their effects go far beyond
as they grow closer to your brand. From infiltrating events to creating occasions for your brand
to work it. With this said, to put together a good ambassador campaign that will deliver these
results on and off campus, you need to understand your target market and how they can possibly
experience your brand naturally. This is the only way for your brand to know how to insert itself
amongst students, remain organic and still get the youth to have positive brand experiences, secretly
coaxing them to love it!
You’ve tried the rest, now try the best! Let Student Village carve out your Campus Ambassador
Strategy and show you how it’s done. Contact us on 011 885 3918 or email info@studentvillage.co.za.
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ADDING VIRTUAL REALITY TO THE YOUTH MARKETING MIX
The impact of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in marketing to the youth has already
been felt globally. South African brands are slowly starting to think about ways to integrate VR or
AR into their marketing strategies, while others have already scratched the surface. Greenlight VR
found that 71% of them believed using virtual reality makes brands seem “forward-thinking and
modern” and 53% said they’d be more likely to purchase from a brand that uses VR, than from one
that doesn’t. We’ve pitched VR and AR up against one another to see what the difference is and
where these youth marketing tools could lead your brand.
KNOWING YOUR VR FROM YOUR AR
We all remember the start of Pokemon Go where people chased around virtual creatures in their
own surroundings. The app took what we see in front of us and added something unexpected that
wasn’t really there. This is AR, where your perception of reality is simply altered by virtual additions.
Because AR exists in the real world you can imprint it on just about anything. Billboards can become
engaging, magazines can come alive and brands can hide secrets all around, just waiting to be
discovered.
VR is different in that it closes you off from the real world and takes you to a new dimension
entirely through a special headset that plays content that is aimed at altering your senses and
physical experience. The special VR goggles used to see video content for this platform, have been
reproduced in many forms, the first of which could be seen in South Africa when Samsung launched
its S7 mobile with an Oculus Rift VR headset. After this, the cardboard version emerged as a more
cost-effective option for those curious non-techies. The difference with VR is that it’s meant to fully
immerse the youth into a new environment where they can get the closest they’ve ever been to
experience a brand or its services, without leaving their comfort zone or even paying a cent. Now
let’s look at some examples where marketers connected what was happening in the real world with
the power of VR and AR.
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RECRUITING FOR VODACOM NXT LVL WITH VR
When Student Village was tasked with finding an innovative way to launch the “Vodacom NXT
LVL” graduate recruitment campaign and to position Vodacom as the employer of choice amongst
top graduates, VR came into play in a big way. Having just acquired the technology to produce VR
experiences to our clients, Student Village’s graduate division put VR to the test.
Having worked with the many different ways in which digital technology is being used to recruit top
Afrillennial (African Millennial) talent, Student Village conceptualised a virtual tour that would give
the students an opportunity to discover a day in the life of Vodacom. The video experience took
students through the Vodacom headquarters in Midrand and featured video clips of the current
grads and exco members, embedded into the virtual reality experience.
Students could not only apply to be a NXT LVL candidate, but experience the company before they
even had the probability of working there. The VR feature was a great draw card in driving traffic to
the stand, generating curiosity and fascination. It also separated Vodacom’s career fair stand from
other company stands on campus.
HOW ABOUT VR GOGGLES IN YOUR HAPPY MEAL?
In Sweden, McDonalds turned their happy meals boxes into VR headsets called happy goggles. The
meal with the happy goggles costs about R70 and the campaign was launched during a period
where many families go on skiing holiday. Children could then play a Ski themed VR game called
“Slope Stars”. We bet that happy meals had great growth with Millennials during this promotion –
even though they are no longer children!
What made this campaign stick out is that it combined timing, relevance and innovation. It was
timeously launched when people’s minds were on their ski trips and for that period the content in
VR was relevant. As for innovation… They turned a happy meal into a virtual reality experience which
easily tops any other clincher before it.
McDonalds have done well at remembering that their interpretation of the unlimited space that VR
offers, should still correspond with their brand promise. In their case it was being associated with
happiness and joy, like families have when going on skiing holiday.
VESPA MAGAZINE AUGMENTED REALITY
Vespa proved that even print media can be turned into engaging media with the help of augmented
reality. Vespa placed an advert in a publication which interacted with a reader’s phone. They scanned
the code and just like that a 3D model of the Vespa would appear on the magazine, which people
could then fully customise. As if that wasn’t futuristic enough, they could drive the Vespa around
the table when they were finished, on a digital mini course. What was great about this is that it was
unexpected and added a whole new dimension to print media.
THE MAGIC OF A VR & AR COMBO
Magic can happen when you are able to combine VR and AR. Imagine taking youth to your brand’s
world from the seat of their pants, followed by virtual blips in their reality when they have left. Brands
would be able to keep reminding the youth of their brand world and keep the engagement rolling
even on their social scene.
ADDING VIRTUAL REALITY TO THE YOUTH MARKETING MIX
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This opens up a whole new world for campus marketing where students live for instant gratification
and rewards. Brands can create engagements that last a lot longer and a story that can be experienced
whenever and wherever. When using the two together, VR and AR need to complement each other
where one directs an experience to the other. The challenge brands face is to not get carried away
with the unlimited possibilities of AR and VR and rather showcase content that’s both relevant to
the youth and their brand. AR and VR are set to be the platforms that will bring products back to
the real world, as if peeling them off the advertisements on the screens of Afrillennials and placing
them in the hands of the youth!
ADDING VIRTUAL REALITY TO THE YOUTH MARKETING MIX
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4 SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES CHANGING THE YOUTH MARKETING GAME
With millions of youth spending so much time on social media platforms, the competition between
the giant social media networks continues to rise as they fight for users’ attention. It seems there’s a
new trend or update from the various apps almost every day, as they attempt to stay on top of the
game and create a better experience for the user. This week, we give you the lowdown on some of
the big changes certain social media platforms have recently made to their apps and how regular
users, influencers and brands can take advantage of these changes to create better content.
1 VIDEO JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT BETTER ON INSTAGRAM
Instagram took on Snapchat head-on recently, by introducing an Instagram stories feature that lets
people post photos and video to a stream that disappears after 24 hours. This has been quite a
favourite with brands already because Instagram does have a larger audience than Snapchat, offering
the opportunity of more engagement from users.
On the first day the feature was introduced, Nike received over 800,000 views on its first ever Instagram
story. Comparatively, Nike’s most popular Snapchat video of all time only received 66,000 views.
Brands know Afrillennials (African millennials) love Snapchat, and since the Instagram experience is
so similar, it’s much easier for brands to utilize because they can cross share their platform strategy
across Snapchat and Instagram. This new feature allows brands and influencers a new way to share
content, enabling them to show another side of their personality so they can better connect with
the youth.
2 INSTAGRAM IS NOW INTO CLOSE UPS
Barely a few weeks after adding the stories feature, Instagram hit us with another exciting addition!
Users can now zoom into photos and videos on their feed. Previously, you would have to take a
screenshot of the post, save it on your camera roll and only then you would be able to zoom into
the image.
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4 SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES CHANGING THE YOUTH MARKETING GAME
Brands have already jumped onto the feature, encouraging Afrillennials to zoom in for a closer look,
providing the opportunity to experience their content better and in some cases, using the zoom
feature to create competitions and encouraging users to engage with the post. This new feature
also allows brand influencers the opportunity to get creative with the way they place products in
their videos or photos.
3 TWITTER GETS IT ROLLING TOO
Just a few months ago Twitter shared their plans to invest more in video such as longer videos, new
ways to explore video and better ways for content creators to connect with their fans. And now,
they have provided content creators of all sizes the opportunity to make money via pre-roll ads on
their video content on twitter. Influencers can now opt-in for an advert to display on their video and
in turn receive a share of the revenue. This function is only available to users in the U.S currently,
but it’s enivetable that Twitter will open up this feature to worldwide users soon. This is the perfect
opportunity for social media infuencers who haven’t been using video much to experiment with
more videos, provides them the opportunity to grow their following and of course make that moolah!
4 SNAPCHAT’S GEOFILTERS SET THE BAR
Snapchat continues to gain popularity amongst young people and they just keep coming back
stronger with their updates. The story sharing app recently launched a major update to its geofilters
feature which includes an addition of editing tools that make it easier for the user to create their
own graphics. Now users can create their own geofilters thanks to the introduction of customizable
themes.
The new editing options cover all major special occasions allowing the user to find geofilters for
birthdays, weddings and other memorable events. For brands that use influencers on Snapchat, this
affords the influencer the opportunity to explore all the editing options to create more entertaining,
customized snaps, depending on the occasion.
STAY IN THE LOOP
The social media landscape is constantly evolving with changes that continue to improve the way
we engage with Afrillennials, affording brands the opportunity to create more compelling content
for the consumer. Even though you can’t change your strategy every time a social media network
has a new update, it’s important to stay in the loop with the forever changing world and see how
your brand can leverage off these exciting alterations. It might just be what your brand needs to
POP amongst the youth!
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6 TRENDING AFRILLENNIAL ARCHETYPES YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
Student Village recently attended the 3rd annual Sunday Times Top Brands Conference which delved
into the many shades of brands and it emerged that there is one undeniable market playing a role
in brand success in Africa – the youth. The stand out thread came from speaker Robyn de Villiers,
Chairman and CEO of Burston-Marsteller Africa, who spoke of the Future of Branding and their
A-Generation study of young minds across 6 African countries. We outlined practical examples of
the Afrillennial (African Millennials) archetypes identified in the study and how they fit into your
youth marketing strategy.
1 AFRINEWAL
Described as those with a youthful desire to throw off the past and proudly celebrate African
achievement, Afrinewal’s are identified by their ability to see possibilities and potential for success
and growth, countering the persistent struggles Africans are faced with. Their self-motivated, self-
reliant and bold nature in wanting to work together and combine efforts to achieve new recognition
for Africa, leads to a showcase of our continent’s offerings both at home and on the world stage.
A prime example of this is the development of Braamfontein. Initialised by entrepreneurs who
saw the potential to create a friendlier and more welcoming environment for visitors, youth have
continued to support and contribute to the expansion of the project. Today transformation in the area
is forging ahead with the help of many more young people flooding to the area and taking further
initiatives into the city. With Braamfontein going from a highly publicised crime filled danger zone,
to an exemplary South African experience, this development has inspired the youth to cultivate and
support other proudly local offerings.
2 A-TEAMERS
These are rising young stars that strive to get ahead but without leaving others behind. With a hunger
to have and own more, this group has aspiration for wealth creation, dreams of improved wellbeing
and quality of life. As they progress they uplift their supporting team behind them, be it friends or
family. Their deep rooted human connections that they have leads them to share in their success
with others and pay tribute to those who’ve been instrumental in their success.
Black tax is a typical example of the A-teamer trend. Black tax is defined as black working class
individuals who are financially indebted towards supporting immediate and extended family, however
has had many other interpretations. Students in particular have shared that they no longer view this
as black tax but rather Ubuntu tax as they feel privileged to be able to bring home their fortune and
share their success with their supporters. Students who study towards prestigious qualifications are
often funded by their family and upon graduation, they pay their parents back or support them in
another way as a show of thankfulness and not obligation.
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6 TRENDING AFRILLENNIAL ARCHETYPES YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
3 TALENT TAPPERS
Talent Tappers thrive by tapping into a new entrepreneurial ecosystem. These youths defy their
“entitled” stereotype by relying less on conventional employment opportunities and adopting a more
entrepreneurial mindset. When it comes to securing their own futures, they are turning away from
traditional support systems and relying more on the expertise and guidance of successful innovators
and mentors to complement their own abilities.
The Afrillennial research report by Student Village supports this finding. It found that students look
up to role models as an example of how they can create their own success. They no longer strive to
become a replica of their idols, but rather endeavour to follow in their footsteps and learn from their
strategies to achieve similar success. Entrepreneurship has been touted as the youth’s pathway to
employment and civic engagement opportunities, in the face of continually high youth unemployment
numbers on the continent.
4 DATA-SIZE-ME
These young people have set their sights on benefiting from having their information shared as they
know their personal data will be used to enhance brand interactions. From digital marketing tactics
like programmatic marketing that allows brands to reach highly targeted audiences, to the use of
databases for other forms of marketing, the youth’s spirit of ownership has grown. Their identity has
become a commodity and reaching groups of students gets harder, as they are focussed on standing
out more than fitting in. ‘I matter’ is the message youth are communicating to brands. Sharing real-
time information, opinions and insights is now valuable and has fuelled the youth’s expectations that
they will be listened to as individuals.
In the past, youth focussed on increasing their Google search ranking and elevating their profile to
build a following. Fast forward to 2016 and students are limiting the information they share, setting
their social media accounts to private with access given only to their closest friends and the elite. This
trend supports their hope that targeted, tailored offerings will increase to personalise and enhance
their brand experiences, helping them ideate their picture perfect future.
5 PARTICIPLAYERS
Like birds of a feather these youths are enthusiastic participants in fun, interactive and rewarding
activities. They are engaged players who are looking for highly interactive brand experiences. The
youth want to build relationships with brands, but to access this close knit relationship with the youth,
brands have to give them an offering worth indulging in. They want to be won over emotionally,
visually and benefit from the sharability of what brands offer. Whether by talkability on social media
or motivating peer to peer experience sharing. Burston-Marsteller’s study also adds that they want
to be thanked for their participation – placing high value on recognition and reward.
The unity of South African youth on social media around the Olympic games of recent is a great
example of how youth get together and support brands. The majority of conversation on social
media in South Africa came from the youth with their sights set on the target of bringing home 10
medals for their country. Over and above their social drive students were getting together to watch
the Olympic highlights with their peers and drove support for Wayde van Niekerk, Caster Semenya
and Chad Le Clos, not forgetting the global favourite, Usain Bolt.
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6 TRENDING AFRILLENNIAL ARCHETYPES YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
6 MOVEMENT MAKERS
Young Africans continue to demonstrate an emerging spirit of activism and this category of Movement
Makers is easily associated with unforgettable movements like #FeesMustFall, and the moving protests
that lead after. South African youth have shown that they are in the renewal process asking critical
questions around where they should be headed in an African context. With cultural, racial and socio-
economic challenges under the spotlight, the youth are acting as change agents questioning what it
means to be African and what is relevant to African youth. For this same reason they are demanding
authenticity, transparency and accountability from their chosen brands and role models.
INTERPRETING THE REVOLUTION
These six trends presented at the Sunday Times Top Brands Conference, reflect the new attitudes and
changing priorities of African youth which will be instrumental in Africa’s development. It’s estimated
that by 2045, the 200 million youth on the continent will likely have doubled. How they think and
what they see as important are critical insights for marketers that want to build brands in Africa.
SA’s youth have certainly acted as a mirror for young African attitudes toward brands and continue
to evolve as a market that needs to form an unnegotiable part of brands’ strategies. African youth
are renouncing their stereotypes and bringing their A-Generation game to the party – providing
brands with opportunities for more creative and daring ways of engagement.
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4 COOL PLACES TO ENGAGE WITH YOUTH
South Africa saw a frustrated Afrillennials (African Millennials) come to blows with their universities
and the South African government regarding university fee increases last year. Fast forward to 2016
and the discussion around university fees for 2017 is in full swing, with brands weary of the risks
around being on campus. Though brands consider withdrawing their campus engagement plans
with this audience, the youth remain an aspirational market and campus isn’t the only playground
for brands to reach students. Here are four top youth marketing tools to explore off campus and
ensure your brand stays connected to this audience.
1 SOCIAL MEDIA & INFLUENCERS
This should come as no surprise. Students and social media are virtually inseparable with 89% of
students accessing their social networks via their mobile devices. Afrillennials are connected, always
on the move and brands should be nimble too. But with students being especially fickle about brands
entering their personal space during times like #FeesMustFall, how does a brand use social media
to connect with them?
Social media influencers seem to be most agile and have helped brands become more effective
than standard brand marketing tools. Influencers’ ability to keep up with students’ pace and topics
that are relevant in the Afrillennial space, makes them more than a nifty marketing tool. They help
brands to truly connect and form part of students’ lives authentically, even when it seems unlikely
for brands to find this air time with students. They also know when brands should and shouldn’t be
active in the student space. If you find yourself in the wake of uncertainty, best to tread carefully and
work on your strategy for the time ahead or stick to a more generic schedule.
2 BRAND AMBASSADORS
The effectiveness of influencers goes to show that peer to peer interactions consistently hit the
sweet spot with SA’s youth. This is why brand ambassadors have grown in popularity as on the
ground connectors between students and brands. They are sought after in the student community
for their ability to find trends, infiltrate the hottest hang outs on behalf of brands, and for being
impressionable with the youth. They’re the cool kids on and off campus, who know where to go,
what to do and are plugged into the “cool” that brands crave.
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4 COOL PLACES TO ENGAGE WITH YOUTH
What’s more is that all of their offerings can be tailored to what individual brands are looking to
achieve within those settings. Having authentic brand advocates on the ground allows your brand
to move wherever students are. There will be a number of social occasions in the coming months,
from Spring picnics, to Pens Down parties (end of semester student celebrations), to holidays, and
these brand champions will give brands far greater access and reach than the confines of campus.
3 OFF-CAMPUS OCCASSIONS
Your brand is obviously looking for a few “big-hits” before the festive season, right? Instead of thinking
about all the great campuses your brand might miss out on, think Zone 6 Soweto, Braamfontein, or
maybe a popular local hangout close to the campus you’d like to target, instead.
There is an occasion for just about every brand. Why not get your brand ambassadors to act as a
foot soldier network that seeks out the coolest and most relevant public activation spaces, events
and occasions. This is where students are hanging out in their free time and if campuses are closed,
or if students are taking a break, it’s likely that brand ambassadors will be able to help you reach
students through these occasions.
4 OFF-CAMPUS OCCASSIONS
When your brand isn’t necessarily looking to go the social route, campus radio remains a platform
to consider. Students are big on supporting one another and this is clearly evident when it comes
to campus radio. Afrillennials make up the bulk of the presenters or hosts and tap into their campus
community for content. With the help of their network, they share in students’ experiences and link
that in with awesome music and content that goes far beyond campus.
Students often tune in to their campus radio station as a reliable source for knowing what’s happening
on the ground. Though brands don’t necessarily have to be plugged into issues discussed or be
linked to the ambassadors being featured, they can position other messages in this space. What’s
great about this offering is that campus radio stays alive even when campuses don’t.
OFF-CAMPUS = FLEXIBILITY
Going off campus is a great supplement complimenting your on campus strategy. Off-campus
opportunities offer brands the flexibility of targeting the youth and engaging with them authentically,
while ensuring their brand doesn’t get caught up in the politics. Additionally brands have an opportunity
to truly play a meaningful role in students’ lives, be creative and come up with ideas that are just
as effective as campus activations. Should your brand want to try our off-campus opportunities,
give us a call and we’ll help your brand to tailor the most awesome engagements with SA’s youth!
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5 MOBILE INFORMATION OVERLOAD PITFALLS
As their attention spans grow shorter and their options expand, Afrillennials (African Millennials)
are becoming much pickier about what they allow on their mobiles in their bid to curb information
overload. The fatiguing effects of having to look at too many brand messages daily, leads the youth to
take all measures to streamline their mobile interferences in order to make more time for experiences.
Let’s take a look at the five critical mobile marketing pitfalls to avoid in terms of information overload.
1 DON’T ADD TO THE NOISE
Despite being reliant on their smartphones most of the day, students are always looking to go out and
make what they see, their reality. With the overflow of mobile noise, from too many apps, to keeping
up with their peers on several platforms, living up to mobile demands becomes tiring. Brands that
understand this know that reaching the youth on their mobiles all comes down to making sure they
receive effective and useful information. According to Circus Street the marvels of digital marketing
is making it easier for marketers to reach the right students with this information with the use of
programmatic advertising, which allows buyers to advertise to highly-targeted audiences.
According to research completed by Delvv, cellphone users generally find instant messaging notifications
were most helpful out of all other notifications they receive on their phones. This is a clear indicator
that students actually want to interact with their friends, family and brands. While they are drowning
in a technological storm, all they want is a breath of fresh interaction – so talk to them, identify with
them, show them the link with your brand and play an active part in their lives from the palm of
their hand.
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5 MOBILE INFORMATION OVERLOAD PITFALLS
2 NEVER FORGET CONTENT IS KING
Creating content so compelling that the youth can’t refuse a click, is a science on its own as their
media consumption is influenced by many factors, from peer influence to culture and demographic.
For brands, mobile marketing is not so much about a brand going out of its skin to fit in and tell
students what’s hip and happening in their world, but rather showing them how their brand can
make that world an even better place.
Content advertising, storytelling and word of mouth referrals are all living on Afrillennial mobiles on
a daily basis. Students are also plagued by fake, misleading and useless information that simply gets
placed because another brand saw a gap to be in their space. Social media hosted clickbaiting is a
great example of how students get manipulated into clicking on irrelevant content, due to their desire
to get to know the world around them and be inspired. Instead of letting Afrillennials be sucked into
checking out useless information, why not share relevant content to feature on their feeds instead
and utilise content advertising and storytelling to get those peer referrals.
3 DON’T PUSH TOO HARD
Even when their phone is not being used or they are not using the applications installed on it, brands
can reach students via push notifications. It can be delivered in many forms for example via an
application or text message. With the ever increasing amount of apps youth have on their phones,
students are bombarded with updates and like advertising, push notifications are becoming the
latest annoyance.
Instead of focussing on mass information to a large demographic of students, why not try a more
targeted approach and build relationships with a relevant portion of the youth. Spreading your brand
thin over a large group of students, versus having authentic and more personal interactions with a
select few, will only leave your brand message diluted.
4 AVOID OLD SCHOOL TACTICS
Manual database collection followed up with mass untargeted communications, emails and automated
phone calls have one thing in common – they’re all a little old school. Even though these are still
effective tools, these are not meant for your mobile marketing strategy. So who’s the new kid on the
block? Circus Street teaches us that increasingly sophisticated rich media advertising, innovations
in smartphone browsing and improved in-app functionality have all contributed to a more satisfying
consumer experience on mobile devices. Programmatic Advertising has made its way onto the scene
and is finally making its debut on marketing media platforms as the fastest growing online marketing
tool. It’s said to be especially effective for mobile users, who are on their phones more than any
other device, thanks to all the tricks marketers are able to use to collect consumer information from
their mobile and online activity.
According to Circusstreet, Programmatic Advertising is like buying adverts through machines. From
buying adverts via real time auctioning to buying a guaranteed amount of add impressions from
a specific platform in a certain timeframe, brands are able to target their young audiences more
effectively. Programmatic advertising ensures that students are only exposed to information that
relates to them, based on their personal information and search history. Using this tool doesn’t only
make marketing more efficient but it makes it more effective as students are receiving information
they actually want to see.
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5 MOBILE INFORMATION OVERLOAD PITFALLS
5 NEVER BREAK THE WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY
The youth are overwhelmed and you don’t want to be THAT brand that adds to the noise. You do
want to get in with the right message at the right time and make a meaningful impact. How do you
avoid having the “not again” effect on students?
Mobile marketing is tricky because cellphones make it easiest for Afrillennials to reject interactions,
whether by rejecting a call centre agent’s call which they identified via TrueCaller, to ignoring an
sms or even switching off certain app notifications. Students are more likely to interact with brands
and people they know personally.
So how will you get into the circle of trust? Get to know them! Keep track of their holidays, exams
and what they are likely to be doing in their spare time. Ask the right questions. Who are they? What
do they need? How will they change? Place your brand in the window of opportunity and add to
their journey, amplify their experiences and make the interaction memorable.
MOBILE IS CHANGING HANDS
Mobile technology is making it increasingly easier for brands to target the right youth with their
message in order for them to downplay the risk of youth avoiding them all together. However, brands
need to remember that youth are predisposed to a much higher level of information to process and
as they try to cut through the clutter, the youth’s preference for real interactions surface.
Until programmatic advertising takes off, being real as a brand in a student’s world of mass consumption
remains key to any brand wanting to fit into the youth’s mobile ecosystem. To learn more about
digital marketing, programmatic advertising and other effective targeting methods, check out Circus
Street’s online training at www.circusstreet.com.
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SHOULD SA BRANDS GET READY TO POKEMON GO?
Pokémon Go is the latest viral sensation to hit youth around the world by storm! This augmented
reality mobile game became the most popular mobile app in less than a week of its release breaking
records and topping download charts, even surpassing Twitter and Tinder’s daily active users! The
mobile app is the first online game to achieve this level of mainstream success, with almost two-
thirds of Pokémon Go players in the 18 to 24 millennial market. The question is, should your brand
be getting ready to leverage this phenomenon?
WHAT IS POKEMON GO?
It’s like we have travelled back in time and everyone has 90’s Pokémon fever again, except it’s real!
People are using Pokemon Go with Google Maps integration to locate Pokemon in their neighbourhoods
and beyond. They’re also out finding PokeStops, which are places in Pokémon Go that allow you
to collect items such as eggs and PokeBalls to capture more Pokémon! These are located at select
places close to users like historical markers, monuments, pubs and restaurants, etc. Now millennials
are going to ridiculous extremes to find, train and use Pokemon to battle their peers, and brands
want in!
WHAT’S YOUR POKEMON GO BRAND STRATEGY?
Brands are jumping onto the craze to lure foot traffic to their stores through PokeStops, in return for
in-game rewards, but experts suggest they’re missing the mark with their consumers and it may not
be the best sales generating platform. Players aren’t going into the store to purchase your products,
but to catch their next Pokemon. The user has probably been buried in their smartphone for hours
on end, looking to catch their next Squirtle, and not at all interested in what brands are selling. So
if brands have been doing it wrong, what can we learn from Pokemon Go? We found five simple
marketing principles that Pokemon Go is harnessing that can be applied to any marketing strategy.
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SHOULD SA BRANDS GET READY TO POKEMON GO?
1 DON’T BE HERE TODAY & GONE TOMORROW
Trends come and go and it is hard to tell how long the Pokémon Go craze will last because the youth’s
five year plan is not to collect as many Pokemon as they can by the time they turn 25. Humans are
nostalgic by nature though and Pokemon, as a brand, has adapted to every generation and found
ways to remain relevant in its 20 years of existence (yes, it’s that old). The brand has lived with
its young consumers and fit into their lives for a long time, making adoption of the Pokemon Go
phenomenon so much easier with very little need to convince the youth.
2 SOCIAL PROOF IS EVERYTHING
Almost overnight people were playing the game everywhere you turned and if they weren’t playing
it, they were talking about it or buzzing about it on their social media platforms. The game trended
for days on end and although not officially launched in South Africa yet, the Pokémon Go South
African Facebook group has over 8500 users and this in less than a month!
The chaos the game was causing, from injuries, to extremities people had to go to in order to play
the game, made global headlines. SA enthusiasts are playing the game on 3rd party platforms and
are even gathering at events, such as one that was hosted in Cape Town recently with over 400
people in attendance to engage and play with other fans alike. Whether students were Pokémon
fans or not, they absolutely couldn’t ignore the hype.
3 DITCH WEIGHTY AD CAMPAIGNS
So often marketers tend to think the bigger the budget, the more chances their content will go
viral. Pokémon Go is a great example showing that money doesn’t buy brand adoption with the
youth. Did you spot any adverts at all? Probably not. Very little advertising went into the launch
of Pokemon Go and the brand didn’t even have to invest in shoving the app down its fandome’s
throats, because they already loved the concept. Not only do Afrillennials know what Pokemon is,
they are entrenched in the hype of virtual reality. The most important trait of an effective campaign
isn’t necessarily how deep your brand’s pockets go, but rather how well your brand connects with
the youth at the different touch points of their life.
4 REWARD USERS FOR LOYALTY
Pokemon Go worked because it lived within the memories of the youth, featured at different occasions
in their life and kept the youth’s expectations going in the anticipation that they would make a
comeback. With this in mind, brands need to remember that it’s important to reward the consumer
for being loyal to them. Pokemon Go’s launch was way more than its fans expected, hands down.
What’s more is that in Pokémon Go itself, users get incentives for leveling up, walking and catching
new Pokémon. The excitement of the rewards they keep getting throughout the game keep them
coming back for more!
5 KEEP IT USER FRIENDLY
Afrillennials are tiring of the pace of life and are suffering a phase of tech burnout being faced with
too many apps and inventions. To an extent they’re looking to make reality of their online lives so
they can feel a little more human and live a more streamlined life. One device, one reality and more
time to do what they love would be ideal. The fact that Pokemon are now a little more real puts
youth in the augmented reality they will be seeing more of in the future.
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SHOULD SA BRANDS GET READY TO POKEMON GO?
Practically anybody with a smartphone can play this game. It’s easily accessible and easy to play.
There are no extra costs or equipment you need. You also don’t need to be a gaming expert to head
outside and hunt for your Pokémons. Its rapid success proves that simplicity and accessibility is
extremely important to the youth.
CATCH ‘EM IF YOU CAN!
For now we recommend not chucking everything you know about youth marketing after this new
craze. Let’s face facts, no marketing glazed PokeBall is powerful enough to capture today’s youth
and it’s going to take a bit more than Pokemon Go participation to get them to accept your brand
as part of their world. Brands shouldn’t be too quick to jump onto every trend either, because every
platform might not be the right fit for your brand.
Though we advise not pulling out all the PokeStops just yet, Pokémon Go does teach us some great
lessons about how we market and is a teaser as to how creative brands should be getting in the
virtually augmented lifestyle the youth are heading into. No doubt, we will see an increase in brand
participation once it officially hits SA.
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3 REASONS THE YOUTH IDENTIFY WITH YOUTUBE STARS
According to a recent study by Google, Millennials are favouring YouTube stars over traditional
celebrities when it comes to judging authentic engagements and following through into action.
We explored this theory in more detail to establish if the same rings true for Afrillennials (African
Millennials) and found 3 reasons why the youth find YouTube stars’ brand content more attractive
than brand endorsements made by celebrities.
1 THEY SEE AN EXTENSION OF THEMSELVES
Who are you going to spend more time with – someone who tells you what you should like, wear,
drink or think? Or someone who listens, understands and engages with you?
The youth may be impressionable, but like the rest of mankind, it’s true friendships and relationships
they seek. This is the key to those using YouTube to engage with this audience – they develop
relationships.
No longer does the young Afrillennial feel like a fan who consumes content from day to day, but (and
more importantly) like a friend. YouTube stars draw students into their world acting like that friend
who is being understanding, engaging with them and almost acts as an extension of themselves.
Students place a higher level of trust in them and their advice or physical display of experience. They
portray having the best of both worlds in terms of both being a normal person and also aspirational
in the sense that they are known and loved by so many viewers.
2 THEIR CONTENT DRIVES ENGAGEMENT
Think about it. Is it enough to just create a video, upload it and then hope friends or fans will
accumulate? Obviously not. YouTube creators appear to be the savvy leaders when truly appealing
to students because their content is so engaging and interactive. Celebrities seem to be on the back
foot more and more, with students seeking real information in all the data they consume as well as an
opportunity to react to it. YouTube stars are able to shape their world more effectively by not being
bound by brand objectives and rather sharing real moments, keeping students glued to their screens.
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3 REASONS THE YOUTH IDENTIFY WITH YOUTUBE STARS
Students can comment, expect responses and even have a chance at motivating what the YouTuber’s
new content should cover. Being able to influence the elite give Afrillennials a sense of acknowledgement
and importance. The trick is that these creators are listening to the youth and are creating content
based on their needs and they can, because they are so attuned to their audience.
3 SHAPING BRAND PERCEPTION & INFLUENCING CULTURE
Earlier this year, YouTube hosted and named the top YouTube stars brands should huddle up to
including the likes of Simply Refilwe, Anne Hirsch, Quentin Watt, Theodora Lee, Maya & Kahlil, as well
as Sibu Mpanza as social commentator. According to them brands and YouTube belong together,
but how?
YouTube stars have engaged with the youth, become their friends, have listened intently and provided
relevant content. The next part of the relationship is a natural extension, and that is influence. One
would think the process is obvious, yet there are many brands and celebrities not paying attention
and creating content they deem fit. This leads to missed opportunities to truly enrich the lives of
their audience and create the desired following.
YouTubers are reaping the benefits of their clever tactics with youth that lap up their advice and
they can see their personal brand influence the very way that Afrillennials live their lives. From
making purchasing decisions to brand choices and more, YouTube Stars have become the ultimate
influencers shaping brand perceptions more effectively and helping the youth make better choices.
THE SECRET INGREDIENTS
Traditional, scripted content is no longer king when it comes to YouTube, especially when dealing
with Afrillennialsä. Authentic, friendship-building engagement is where it’s at. With this strategy,
YouTube creators are driving a far higher level of engagements, from views to actions to likes and
comments, than brands. The mistake traditional celebrities, or brands are making, is that their videos
do not drive that level of friendship required to go beyond anything that is a fan.
With learnings from YouTube and how its influencers attract and retain Afrillennials’ attention it’s
clear that the ‘Friend Zone’ has become THE zone to be a part of.
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4 WAYS TO WIN STUDENTS TRUST ONLINE
According to research conducted by OmniTech, 89% of youth who own mobiles are comfortable with
cellphone applications accessing their personal information. They gladly grant apps the permissions
they ask for upon installation, but Student Village’s most recent Student Spend Report shows students
avoid data theft actively during their time spent online, whether through purchasing or banking
activities. One can’t help but wonder how students judge which brands and platforms to trust online
and what they think of the web gathering their information constantly. Student Village found four
online data security considerations in brands’ quest to win over Afrillennials (African millennials).
1 EVER INCREASING YOUTH VULNERABILITY
When Facebook was outed for selling mass data on its users to marketing firms it came as a big
shock to users. The surprise is that consumers can’t do anything about it and Facebook has no
remorse, it’s business as usual. On the other hand, students are exposed to brands collecting their
information all day, from when they visit campus to when they click on brand content online. Some
companies make considerably brazen efforts to collect their data, from following browsing trails to
tracking their location. Students are especially prone to having their data collected with the amount
of apps they’re exposed to and the time they spend online.
Even with data being collected in mass amounts, the value of personal interactions should not be
forgotten. After all, once you’ve collected the information you need, surely you need to inform a
communication strategy to connect with the youth? Though they are less vulnerable, face to face
interaction is still considered most authentic and convincing when it comes to forming relationships
with SA’s youth.
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4 WAYS TO WIN STUDENTS TRUST ONLINE
2 RESPONSIBLE DATA COLLECTION & USE
As data theft and fraud becomes more apparent and advanced in the online space, and big data
becomes more of a commodity in marketing for informing strategies, students are waking to the
fact that they need to be careful about handing out their information. Brands need to put them at
ease and ensure them that their space won’t be wrongfully invaded, but how?
Brand services like banking do well at responsible data collection by ensuring information stays
private and informing students of this. Calls are recorded and references given, so consumers are
able to track their information. Any information given is consented to and the use thereof is also
controlled by the consumer. The near future implementation of the POPI act will also ensure further
data protection of consumers, making data miss-use a punishable offense. Encrypting any information
transmitted online is also a great way to protect data during collection and storage.
3 THE WI-FI FLUKE YOU’D NEVER SUSPECT
Few amenities are as valued by the youth as free Internet. Wi-Fi, to be more specific has something
other than convenience on offer – data vulnerability. One would never suspect this platform of putting
the youth’s data at risk and so much personal information is kept on youth’s mobiles. According to
Forbes.com It takes zero hacking skills to secretly monitor and hijack communications over a public
Wi-Fi network. Widely available freeware makes eavesdropping on emails and web browsing as
simple as pressing a button.
If you’re about to offer a free Wi-Fi service to students, make sure it’s from a secure source so you’re
not exposing them to unnecessary dangers online. Using access codes for a campaign, allowing
students to use Wi-Fi for a limited time or data usage level, is a more responsible approach to Wi-Fi,
as can be seen used in coffee shops, internet cafés and other public spots.
4 ONE PIXEL IDENTIFICATION
One moment they’re browsing sneakers and as they log onto Facebook to see what their mates are
up to, a shoe sale advert pops up. Is it magic or is it just the way the cookies crumble?
Brands that make use of programmatic marketing are able to target their market more effectively by
linking up with consumers that are already browsing for what they offer. This is done through cookies.
According to Whatarecookies.com, cookies are small files which are stored on a user’s computer,
designed to hold a modest amount of data specific to a particular person and can be accessed via
web servers. Thanks to cookies, students are storing their whole identity within a few pixels, free to
brands to do with whatever they need to.
Brands need to throw caution to the wind and assume that every technology has its flaw. Aside from
putting youth in a vulnerable online space, collecting accurate information is only possible with an
element of market research beyond the web, on the ground. Don’t think you know the youth based
on the online identity you’ve been sold. Students will appreciate your effort to connect with them
personally, much more.
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4 WAYS TO WIN STUDENTS TRUST ONLINE
THE DATA CRUNCH
With data collected sold off to the highest bidders in the marketing sphere, personal information is
everywhere and very hard to control or protect. By the time brands using this market information to
reach students, the interaction gives a feeling of familiarity as the brand appears to know so much
about the student in question already. When a student has never been in touch with those brands
however, students question their integrity as a brand and whether they should be trusted.
Students place high value on their personal identity. Having it used for personal gain and without
consent will create much less than the desired effect. The real charm with Afrillennials isn’t necessarily
knowing them, but how brands interpret the information through their products, services and personal
relationship with students, which only then extends to a solid online relationship.
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5WAYSCASTLELITEUSESHIPHOPCULTURETOATTRACTSA’SYOUTH
One brand that knows hip hop culture should not be taken lightly when it comes to SA’s youth
is Castle Lite. The brand’s been synonymous with SA youth hip hop culture consistently and this
steered the brand to become one of Afrillennials’ (African millennials) most loved beer brands as a
result. Mostly attributed to the fact that students are heavily driven by music lifestyle and replicate
the trends they observe from the music scene in their own lives, students feel connected to Castle
Lite on another level. They’ve surpassed being a typical beer and become one with the youth and
we unpack five tactics of their hip hop lifestyle strategy.
1 BRING THE WORLD TO THE YOUTH
For years Castle Lite has hosted the most relevant music artists and brought them to South Africa
for youth to experience. By always being in touch with the youth’s need for international experiences
and aspirations, Castle Lite has given life to students’ dreams by putting them in touch with global
experiences that they actually want.
From hosting their first music concert in SA which featured world renowned rap superstar Drake
which sold out within a few hours, to bringing others like Kanye West, Wiz Khalifa, Timbaland and
Nas. Castle Lite brought international artists to SA as part of its Extra Cold Music collaboration with
world renowned music producer Timbaland. They recently added to the long line of music icons
when they unlocked J Cole at The Dome and the show was once again packed to the brim with
tickets sold out.
2 KNOW THEIR ROOTS
Being a South African brand that started out with democratic era in 1994, Castle Lite has stayed true
to their roots and fed the wave of opportunity and possibility with SA’s youth. Instead of following
the usual international attraction route with their approach to concerts, Castle Lite added some
local flavor to their international line up bringing the likes of DJ Speedsta, Emtee, Nasty C, Reason
and Kwesta to join in the J Cole action. The concert’s performances were on point and the crowd
showed local artists as much love as they showed the headline act.
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5WAYSCASTLELITEUSESHIPHOPCULTURETOATTRACTSA’SYOUTH
Castle Lite’s great support for local hip hop has helped them to attract and retain the SA student market
as the genre’s local artists continue to become more commercial and are increasingly recognised as
global players. They understand that the growth of our country’s hip hop scene speaks to Afrillennials’
love for their country and belief that they can achieve greater things from their South African seat.
3 ALWAYS ON TREND
What Castle Lite does really well is to keep their ear to the ground and know exactly what the youth
like and want at that particular time. SA has had a lot of hip hop concerts in SA over the last few
years but Castle Lite knew exactly who was in demand and responded in kind bringing in the hottest
talent. What they’ve gotten right is to not simply present a mix of artists for the sake of filling the
set but that young people absolutely crave seeing.
They’ve gotten further involved in the music scene through Extra Cold Music which delivered five
top tracks to the youth weekly, featuring one international track and four local tracks recently
released. Students were allowed a limited amount of downloads, creating some serious competition
for obtaining the latest and hottest tracks. Students also had the chance to unlock performances
through the platform and gain access to exclusive content.
4 TAPPING INTO YOUTH ASPIRATIONS
Hip hop culture radiates sociability, affluence and excitement, spurring on the image in students’
minds of their future. Associating these local hip hop artists with Castle Lite events and exposing
them to international opportunities in the process, gave SA youth exposure to a versatile mix of artists
to enjoy but also affirmed to them that they can be whatever they want to be without limitation.
Students have gotten real music lifestyle value from Castle Lite through the brand’s active pursuit of
meaningful experiences that youth won’t be quick to forget but rather aspire to relive. Afrillennials
are young, unwilling to settle for ordinary and looking for brands that can help them experience life
to the fullest without having them be limited by their circumstances.
5 OFFERING A STEPPING STONE
J Cole is one of the biggest rappers in the world right now and when his concert hit SA, tickets were
affordable, helping youth to fulfill their hopes of going to see the show without having to break the
bank. Being young has its limits however this generation holds no bars and are entrepreneurial about
experiencing all life has to offer.
Students take a liking to brands that understand this and go out of their way to help them achieve
their goals and aspirations. Whether it’s enabling them along the way with that ice cold beer or giving
them some boost to see that upcoming hip hop appearance. Students want to experience the world
and are using brands as stepping stones to bring them to opportunities and grow into their ideal self.
BOYS & GIRLS OBLIGE
Hip hop culture is in your face and sets the scene for what youth do every day and through tying
this into their brand, Castle Lite became part of students’ lives. From what they wear, to how they
speak and also what their daily hustle looks like, Castle Lite has involved itself. Hip hop culture is
honest and open and also resonates with the youth’s attraction to real and honest brands that are
sincere about being a part of their lives.
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5WAYSCASTLELITEUSESHIPHOPCULTURETOATTRACTSA’SYOUTH
By targeting the hip hop scene the brand also opened up its doors to both a male and female
market as opposed to keeping beer to the guys. Hip hop remains an evolving youth culture around
the globe and speaks to the youth’s need to find meaning and purpose either on their own or as
a cohesive whole. Brands have a responsibility to help students seek their purpose and fulfill their
dreams. Making your brand part of this mix is not just making you part of a trend but their lifestyle,
creating brand loyalists for life.
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4 THINGS YOU CAN LEARN FROM AFRILLENNIAL SMARTPHONE PREFERENCES
There’s more to the youth’s product choices than meets the eye and one industry that has the
most tell-tale signs about the youth market is the mobile industry. Brands like Samsung, Apple, LG
and Alcatel continue to battle out phone capabilities and win over the youth market. Students are
hunting phones for the camera, battery life, storage space, system capabilities and design but the
real question isn’t “What are they looking for?”. Instead we asked why they’re looking for it and found
four things you can learn from Afrillennial (African Millennial) smartphone preferences.
1 CAMERAS ARE NOT NEGOTIABLE
The culture of self-promotion is global and ever growing with new camera applications and social
media platforms like SnapChat and Periscope emerging often. So it’s no surprise that students
want the best camera capabilities with all the bells and whistles in order to relay the best version
of themselves to the world through their digital personas. In a busy world, students need to keep
up appearances and share their lives with their peers. Using social media combined with amazing
visuals is the best way they can do that.
What brands can learn from this is that students generally go for products that enhance their day.
Whether it’s by making simple task easier or more pleasurable or to impress their peers. Image is
everything to Afrillennials with pressures from around the globe to conform to certain trends and
lifestyle standards. Living a filtered life on social media gives the youth their daily euphoria and
escape from pressures, as they try to become a better version of themselves in real life.
2 THEY WANT THE POWER TO STAY CONNECTED
What could low battery issues possibly tell you about the youth? You’d be surprised. Students are on
their phones more than any other generation and don’t want to be huddled around a power source
to get a battery boost every few hours. Mobiles are an extension of who they are and for that reason
they need a more permanent solution so they can keep moving ahead.