African consumers could be big winners in a coronavirus era. Here’s why

 

These are uncertain, and yet interesting times we are living in. We’re witnessing a moment in history–a significant milestone for the human race. Is this the new normal? I don’t think so. I believe the ‘new normal’ will come after this pandemic.

Businesses, services, lifestyles and relationships are all going to be redefined at this point. I’m fairly certain that in some room somewhere, someone is planning the next big innovation that will take the world by storm. However, I believe the biggest changes will come right here in Africa.

Short-termism has been described as “the greatest threat to human civilisation”. The magnitude of this problem around the world has been exposed by the situation we face today. Ironically, those who saw it coming have become one of the hardest hit. No one is more guilty of short-termism than businesses.

They have a habit of focusing on short-term gains at the expense of long-term sustainability. This is evident in the number of businesses that have been forced to shut down today. It wouldn’t be fair to say that the businesses thriving in this situation are doing so because they were ready. I believe that for many, luck has had a lot to do with it.

We don’t know how long this situation will last, but soon enough, businesses will have to adapt to this new reality if they are to survive. So much will have to change: business models, production, supply chain and even customer experience. This is where I believe we will see a new, improved relationship between African brands and their consumers.

A good number of African businesses are tech-shy, rigid and lack purpose. In some cases, they prioritise their short-term goals over customer satisfaction, and you can see this in the way they communicate.

They ‘tell their story’ without any thought as to how it engages the audience. In my experience, a lot of marketing managers treat communication like an item on a checklist. When it comes to content, they go the safe route and choose what has been tried, tested and overdone. What’s worse is that line I hear often in boardrooms, “I get it, but will the ordinary person get it?” as if to say that a lower-income equates to lower intelligence.

The bigger problem here is that this is a formula that works. Businesses continue to meet their goals, make profits, and survive every year by doing the same things. Because of this, consumers continue to be hit over the head with messages from brands with no hope of getting themselves heard. If this is to change, it will start with the medium.

Traditional advertising is still huge in many parts of Africa. This can be attributed to the relatively low internet penetration. In Ghana, only 35% of the population use the internet. This means that any piece of digital communication will miss 65% of the population. For this reason, ATL is the go-to medium for advertising while digital is treated as a support channel.

ATL communication is mostly linear, and so it’s difficult to measure how effective your message is. That’s why the KPIs are different – mostly, it just has to be seen. With enough repetition, you can achieve some form of success. Put a big budget behind the worst ad and you can be sure that everyone who watches the channel will see it. Most brands don’t even bother following up their communication with research to measure the effectiveness.

With no feedback, no opposing opinions, and no accountability, it’s easy to see how this contributes to a short-term perspective. Also, when everyone can get away with doing the barest minimum, it’s not practical to go out of your way to engage.

However, this current situation will require a new way of doing things. We’re already seeing a rise in the number of people using the internet for more activities. In the past 2-3 weeks, living rooms have turned into classrooms and bedrooms have turned into boardrooms. New lifestyles and cultures are being created. Advertising always goes where the people are; and maybe, just maybe, these new lifestyles will push African brands to engage more with their audiences.

We can already see how brands that invested in digital assets are benefiting from them today. However, it’s still a very under-utilised medium. Most brands think of only social media when it comes to digital marketing. That’s like assuming the earth is the only planet in the universe.

Digital advertising has so many facets and benefits. Unlike in ATL advertising, a big budget doesn’t guarantee big results because it’s not enough for people to just see your communication; they need to interact with it as well. It’s so easy to scroll past an ad without even seeing the headline, let alone reading it. The only way to engage the consumer is to do so with respect: respect for their time, respect for their intelligence, and respect for their needs.

This is where the challenge starts. Marketers will have to go outside their comfort zones to connect with their audiences. They will have to take risks to stand out because the only thing worse than failing spectacularly is getting totally ignored.

However, this will not be the end of ATL advertising. One day, we’ll be able to go outside again. We will congregate in bars, churches and football stadiums with a new perspective of human interaction, touch and proximity. We will see a new normal – one which will influence ATL advertising. If anything, it may finally evolve into an offline-online-offline medium. We will see new innovations, products and services that enhance and support our new lifestyles. One thing is for sure: brands that can think quickly on their feet and move accordingly will have a very early advantage.

 

Though these may be uncertain times, it’s certainly brimming with opportunity. As a race, we will survive, we will learn and we will improve. What I don’t think will survive is the old way of doing things, and that might be a very good thing.