Getting to grips with diverse African consumers – GfK’s free webinar taking place on 31 July 2014
Nuremberg, 30 July 2014 – GfK now offers insights specifically into African consumers within the ‘GfK Roper Reports Worldwide’ study. For global brands, this kind of information furthers a deeper understanding that helps them retain relevance in the African market. It allows businesses to tailor their offerings to specific target markets, geographies and psychographic segments and to appreciate the diversity of the peoples, countries and economies in Africa.
GfK researches and produces an annual syndicated study called ‘GfK Roper Reports Worldwide’. This is an annual quantitative consumer trends study conducted in 25 countries, surveying over 37,000 consumers. The GfK Roper Report is the largest and most rigorous consumer trends study in the world, providing companies with an extremely robust source for decision-making. The study focuses on the values, behaviors and consumption and technology trends of consumers across the globe and in 2014 for the first time includes three additional African countries, now covering South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and Ghana. The ‘Africa Pack’ segment now offers insights specifically into African consumers.
Among the findings are that Africans are firmly attached to their culture and roots, so thinking local and adapting marketing and business strategies when engaging with consumers in these countries is vital. For example, the study found that only 28 percent of South Africans say their standard of living ranges from comfortable to rich, while in Ghana this figure is as high as 50 percent. And in South Africa, 14 percent surveyed say they are very interested in politics and government while in Kenya figure is a much higher 43 percent. For companies with a presence or aiming to expand in more than one African region, it’s clear that sensitivity to differing concerns and perceptions would greatly assist marketers, and that messaging needs to be adapted to each market.
Another finding of the GfK Roper Reports informs that young Africans have a big appetite for technology, exploiting it to get ahead. For example 41 percent of 15 to 24 year olds find new technology exciting and use it as much as they can on activities such as surfing the net, visiting social networking sites and searching for products to buy, compared to 24 percent of those aged 45 and older. This demonstrates the importance of also understanding demographic differences within a particular country.
About GfK
GfK is the trusted source of relevant market and consumer information that enables its clients to make smarter decisions. More than 13,000 market research experts combine their passion with GfK’s long-standing data science experience. This allows GfK to deliver vital global insights matched with local market intelligence from more than 100 countries. By using innovative technologies and data sciences, GfK turns big data into smart data, enabling its clients to improve their competitive edge and enrich consumers’ experiences and choices. For more information, please visit www.GfK.com or follow GfK on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GfK_en