As we head into the holiday season, after a tough year filled with water shortages, elections and global crises, the big question for retailers and brands must surely be whether there is light at the end of the tunnel. A major factor in answering that question is knowing exactly what’s going on in the hearts, minds and bank balances of consumers. And right now, in the media, there is a cacophony of alarm bells ringing out over rising debt, cost of living crises and the financial constraints that the South African middle class is facing. 5 Dec 2024 Read more If you have the energy, an hour and a half, and a couple of hundred rands to spare, you might find yourself joining thousands of South Africans on the padel court. It’s the country’s ‘fastest growing sport’, a hybrid tennis-squash/bat and ball game that’s easy to play, sociable and a decent cardio-vascular workout. 18 Oct 2024 Read more In kitchens across South Africa, air fryers are taking on cooking tasks, from quickly crisping up those weekday chicken nuggets to baking South African classics such as melktert on a slow Sunday. If you haven’t jumped on the trend yourself, you no doubt have friends and family who have, and by now many of us have eaten something cooked in an air fryer. 13 Aug 2024 Read more The massive problem of South Africa’s unemployed youth will rightly be at the centre of the discourse during the country’s Youth Month. It’s not only that we have one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world, reported by StatsSA in Q1 of 2024 as 45.5% among people aged between, 15 and 34 years, but also the fact that this intolerable rate is perpetually trending upwards. At the sidelines though, there are also other conversations happening regarding the state of the nation’s youth. How are the lucky ones who have managed to enter the workforce actually faring? How are they living their lives? And how are they feeling about South Africa and their future here? 14 Jun 2024 Read more Free and far-reaching, democratic and community-building, informative, entertaining and companionable, radio is just about the only legacy medium still thriving in South Africa. 21 May 2024 Read more In the aftermath of Covid-19, a health scare, global in scale and far-reaching in its local impacts, South Africa’s middle to top-end of the market are today feeling pretty good about their health. This is according to the recently released BrandMapp 2023, a massive survey of South Africans living in households with a monthly income of R10,000+, who represent 100% of the personal tax base in the country. If they are not alive and well, we are all in trouble, and the good news is that 59% of respondents reported that they were in good health, while a further 35% defined their health as 'reasonable' and only 2% say they are experiencing poor health. 13 Mar 2024 Read more Work from home was a necessity in the lockdown stages of the pandemic era, and it showed that knowledge workers could maintain productivity levels surrounded by their families, pets and creature comforts. Since then, corporations have made a concerted effort to get people back in the office, touting the benefits of in-person interactions, watercooler chats, and consistent immersion in company culture. As a counterpoint, many employees have advocated for hybrid solutions, and workplace flexibility has become a leading factor in attracting and retaining talent. 30 Jan 2024 Read more Thirty years since the country’s first democratic election, South Africa’s 2024 national and provincial elections will play out in times deeply troubled by an unrelenting energy crisis, sustained high inflation, high crime and high unemployment, rampant corruption, and water scarcity. There are significant doubts that the country’s political parties and its voters are going to meet the moment in arguably the most significant elections since 1994. 19 Dec 2023 Read more Why knowing 'why' is sometimes more important than 'what' 30 Oct 2023 Read moreEach year, since 2013, BrandMapp has tapped into South Africa's mid-to-top income earners to gauge who they are, how they feel, what they do and what kind of consumer choices they are making. With its annual survey reaching over 30 000 people, BrandMapp is the most independent, consistent and enduring review of the country's taxpaying population. 3 Aug 2023 Read more BrandMapp insights into lucrative SA Pet Market 30 Jun 2023 Read more Whether you believe that the behaviours of women and men are biologically determined or socially constructed - or a nuanced blend of these two often competing perspectives, South African men and women of the middle class tend to toe the line when it comes to gender typecasts. 29 May 2023 Read more BrandMapp publishes SA Blackout Report. 14 Mar 2023 Read more While the pandemic years have accelerated online shopping and the current tough economic conditions have locked down consumer wallets, South African malls continue to thrive. Covering hundreds of thousands of square metres and costing billions of Rands, an extraordinary number of new shopping centres have popped up all over the country in 2022, more are planned for the upcoming year. And there is increasing evidence, from independent surveys and owners, that for many of the larger malls in the country, footfall is back to where it was before the Covid lockdown. 12 Dec 2022 Read more While it's been a year free from pandemic disruption, 2022 hasn't really delivered any relief from worries and stresses, but is there any light at the end of the tunnel? The global economic downturn, war in Europe and climate disasters have weighed down on the idea that there could be a post-Covid upswing. High inflation, food and fuel costs have maintained a month-by-month pressure to just get by, never mind recover losses from the lockdown years. 24 Nov 2022 Read more There is, of course, nothing new about making some extra money on the side. Whether you're saving for a dream holiday or just trying to keep the wolf from the door during a tough time, taking on a second job, finding a hobby that pays or starting a small business from home are tried and tested ways to boost your income. 28 Oct 2022 Read more BrandMapp - 2022 shows how work is changing for mid-income SA 15 Sep 2022 Read more As the country strives to recover from severe pandemic restrictions and the shocking, politically-motivated riots, we're faced with a litany of media headlines decrying the sorry state of SA's wealthy class, the decline of our middle class and an ever shrinking tax-base. But are they true? According to Brandon de Kock, director of storytelling for BrandMapp, South Africa's largest independent annual study of the taxpayer base, the data says "No!" 31 May 2022 Read more With an ever-growing youth population, the demand for tertiary education in South Africa is exceptionally high, and always escalating. Our public institutions have been over-subscribed for many years, and while private tertiary institutions are mushrooming, the costs of tertiary education remain a formidable barrier to entry unless you are part of the mid to top income level South Africans. 1 Apr 2022 Read more Two years into a global pandemic that targets people with vulnerable health and 'co-morbidities', there has arguably never been a greater emphasis on the value of a healthy lifestyle. However, lockdowns, social distancing and other protocols have seriously curbed people's abilities to routinely go to gym, and to participate in the sports and leisure activities that keep them physically active on a regular basis. 4 Feb 2022 Read more To say that alcohol is an integral part of South African life might be a bit of an understatement. With no less than four prohibitions since March last year, and numerous periods of restricted trading, our booze ban woes dominated conversations and regularly made national, and even sometimes, global headlines. 9 Dec 2021 Read more It seems at every turn, we're hearing about 'resilience' and how important it is for countries and companies, communities and individuals. Everything and everybody seems to be striving 'to be more resilient'. But what does that mean? It turns out that there are significant myths surrounding resilience. Contrary to popular opinion, resilience is not just about 'bouncing back' from hard knocks. Authentic Resilience expert Gabi Lowe, co-founder of the Resilience Factory, says, "There's nothing bouncy about resilience. It's not simply about presenting yourself as tough and strong; or being able to go it alone. Resilience is also not an innate capacity; our work has proved that it can be developed." 26 Nov 2021 Read more It seems at every turn, we're hearing about 'resilience' and how important it is for countries and companies, communities and individuals. Everything and everybody seems to be striving 'to be more resilient'. Well into the second year of a global pandemic, it's probably not surprising that the world is talking about ways to bear up in the face of rolling adversities. But it's one thing to get back up on shaky legs after a hard knockdown, and it's quite another to be able to steady yourself so competently that you go on to decisively win the fight. 3 Nov 2021 Read more Pulling out a loyalty card at checkout has become a way of life for South African shoppers, but thanks to lockdown and a complete shift in our shopping habits, the average middle-class adult is now a member of almost nine different programmes. For the past 6 years, BrandMapp, together with loyalty specialists Truth have published a whitepaper that tracks and measures the impact of these programmes on our everyday consumer lives. 6 Oct 2021 Read more Have you noticed that the planet seems to be throwing something of a temper tantrum? Western Germany has been roiled by devastating floods, Haiti has been shook to its core by massive earthquakes and wildfires are still sweeping through the United States. Rain has fallen on the summit of Greenland's ice sheet for the first time on record. The tiny town of Sitacusa on Sicily recorded what is believed to be the highest temperature ever recorded in Europe - 48.8ºC - which may not be hot enough to bake off a pizza but would certainly melt mozzarella in a minute. 8 Sep 2021 Read more Any measure of happiness in South Africa during Covid times has to take into consideration that we are a nation, already chronically and highly stressed by the impacts of obdurate social and economic inequality. When a mega-sample of 30,000 mid-income South Africans participating in the latest BrandMapp survey were given a list of 'which of these things keep you up at night?', the average respondent ticked off no less than seven items. 27 Jul 2021 Read more South Africa's economy was in poor shape before the global pandemic hit 18 months ago, so it's not surprising that we have found ourselves significantly short of breath before even setting out to climb the hill of Covid recovery. And for brand owners and marketers trying to work out how to deal with changes to the landscape in coming months, understanding the real impact on how employment and income have been affected is clearly a strategic imperative. Put simply: How much money do consumers actually have to spend on anything right now? 26 Jul 2021 Read more In the first year of Covid, across the shutdown world, digital has been a frontline worker. Internet connections, devices and apps have helped us to keep working, studying and going to school. More than that, at the worst of lockdown times, we've been able to still connect with friends, family and community, as well as shops, healthcare providers, personal trainers and bankers. Cut off from real-world culture, digital has also dominated keeping ourselves entertained. Of course, nothing has been ideal, and it may not have been easy, but many people have been keeping their show mostly on the road in these extraordinarily tough times, thanks to the new intensity of digital penetration in our day-to-day lives. 7 Jul 2021 Read more As with every other aspect of life, the pandemic has changed how and when we shop, as well as where and what we buy. Consumers have gone digital and tried out new delivery modes, as well as switched brands and relentlessly shopped for value. There's talk of the 'homebody economy' firing up DIY, hardware and gardening sales; and the 'nesting economy' that's emerged from our focus on our home-bound creature comforts. When it comes to this radical disruption of our shopping habits, it's hard to get a handle on what's really happening with South African consumers, and where we're heading. 23 Jun 2021 Read more Very few business sectors will be immune to Covid-19, but some, like the auto industry, seem more likely than others to be in need of a ventilator. 10 Jun 2020 Read more As someone who's job is to find stories in data, Covid-19 is starting to feel like War and Peace. Not a day goes past without a stat being flung about that has the potential to melt your brain and make you question everything you thought you knew or hoped was true. 26 May 2020 Read more In the online world ad blockers are throttling marketers' ability to get banner ads in front of digital audiences - and curtailing media owners' ability to monetise their audiences. The same is true in the pay TV world where personal video recorders (PVRs) are increasingly used by viewers to avoid watching advertising messages. Brandon de Kock, WhyFive's director of storytelling, argues that knowing who is blocking what ad messages is crucial for reaching the right people and avoiding wastage. 23 Feb 2016 Read more Sir Isaac Newton probably never intended his third law to be applied to post-colonial African states. But it could certainly be argued that the arrival of democracy at the tip of Africa in 1994 was met with an almost equal and opposite departure of cold, hard cash and intellectual capital. Statistics are sketchy, but by all accounts, for the decade that followed, somewhere in the region of 5,000 professionals left our shores every year. They were mostly young, privileged, educated and mostly loaded - and a perfect example of something called a 'brain drain'. 16 Feb 2016 Read more A crystal-clear picture of your target audience is the holy grail of all marketers but as media fragments and trading conditions get tighter it is the publishers and content marketers who need this clarity the most. Who are your customers and how do they differ from your competitors' customers? Demography is obviously the starting point here, but what do they think, own, buy, spend, do, love and hate? Understanding the unique attributes of your audience is crucial for content creation, style, tone and channel selection. It's also crucial for ad sales storytelling which in many instances appears to be lacking at best. 12 Feb 2016 Read more |
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