The most loved brands in South Africa
South Africans are open to change, particularly when it comes to trying to save money in tough economic times. They are also firmly under the sway of global energies that are reshaping society in significant ways, says market research company Ask Afrika.
Neither of which bodes well for brands that aren’t willing to adapt their marketing efforts to challenging times and a changing global milieu.
These and other top level trends were revealed at the annual Ask Afrika Icon Brands Awards, held at Melrose Arch in Johannesburg recently.
Icon brands are relevant across the South African landscape, it’s not a popularity contest but about which brands South African’s use regularly and loyally, Ask Afrika said.
The results were gleaned from surveys of 15,284 consumers, aged 15-years and older (representing over 25-million adult South African consumers) to determine how South African consumer are changing, how they think and what is important to them.
Overall top 10 brands
| # | Brand | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kiwi | Shoe care |
| 2 | Coca Cola | Non-alcoholic beverages |
| 3 | Sunlight | Dish liquid and soap |
| 4 | Maggie | Food products |
| 5 | Koo | Food products |
| 6 | Koo | Food products |
| 7 | Clover | Dairy products |
| 8 | McCain | Frozen potato products |
| 9 | I&J | Frozen fish products |
| 10 | Hullets | Sugar and sweeteners |
“People judge brands far more harshly than they would themselves when it comes to high moral values. Locally and internationally we have begun to look to corporates for perfection around ethical and values-based conduct.
“It could be that in a world where there is a growing sense that government systems are failing the people, the most- loved brands promise to deliver feelings of community, experience and entertainment,” Ask Afrika said.
In the “good ol’ days” loyalty was something people aspired to across all aspects of life, but changing belief systems mean that loyalty no longer serves humanity as it once did, the market research firm said.
More people are claiming to be atheist or agnostic (about 23% of adults, up from 17% just 10 years ago) and significant numbers of Millennials grew up with divorced parents, or with parents who were never married.
“With this shift in traditional values, we are beginning to see that some big (as in long-established corporates and products) have also become less trusted. As a result brands have to work harder to successfully translate relevant and current benefits to consumers.
“With South Africa’s constant political and economic flux, it should come as no shock that South Africans are particularly open to change. Out of 11 countries surveyed, South Africans came ninth in terms of brand loyalty, just one place ahead of China,” Ask Afrika said.
What is surprising to note, however, is that while age plays a role in loyalty the results aren’t what you might think. In a sample of Millenials ̶ aged 21 to 24; 25 to 29 and 30 to 34 ̶ those aged between 25 and 34 showed similar levels of loyalty while Millenials aged 21 to 24 showed much lower levels of loyalty.
A similar trait can be observed in baby boomers (50 to 65) So, within a 15 year age range, opinions can differ considerably. What this means for marketers is that you can’t merely group people as, for example “Generation X” or “Millenial” and expect their consumption of brands to be the same.
Read: The most valuable banking brands in South Africa in 2017
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