Cybertorial* Market research company Ask Afrika recently held its Kasi Star Brands and Youth Brands conference at Zonki Shebeen on Ekudeni Conference Estate in Muldersdrift. The aim of the gathering was to share the results of their research into hottest Kasi brands, thoroughly explore the profile and trends of the Kasi and youth markets and launch an innovative new geospatial marketing research tool.
In her introduction, Ask Afrika Founder and CEO Andrea Gevers explained that the company aims to provide an authentic and relevant measurement and tool to marketers, to show what is really going on in the Kasi market. By doing this, there is a hope that irrelevant marketing will be minimised, “So often, and it’s part of a transformation, part of the identity process, we are irrelevant as marketers … What we try and do with our benchmarks is to connect like-minded people, to connect learnings and connect dots between companies. In that way also make the evolution of relevant marketing quicker.” A brand must not simply have a marketing strategy that does not integrate with the brand overall and the way it approaches its clients.
Kasi is a way of life for all South Africans
A key theme covered by Gevers and the event itself was the nature of Kasi. While some may think it is merely township, it needs to be stressed that Kasi is a way of life, not just for township dwellers, but for all South Africans. “All of us contain multitudes and all of us contain Kasi in ourselves. It’s not supposed to be a theoretical concept out there. It’s actually part of who we are,” Gevers explains. She adds, “Kasi has a huge role to play in our identity of the future … What did the 2010 Fifa World Cup focus on? It focused on Kasi, that is what we presented to the world. What do we focus on in our advertising? It’s the Kasi part. That’s the part that makes us feel South African, makes us relaxed, happy, feel home”.
An innovative new tool
At the event, Ask Afrika also launched GeoScope, a geospatial marketing research tool that allows marketers to visually map consumer behaviour and see the bigger picture once different sources of data are overlaid. GeoScope is a granular geospatial view providing spatial depth and peace of mind by allowing key business decisions to be made within minutes. It can map any dataset as well, depending on what a brand is looking for. From what was shown, it seems set to revolutionise marketing research going forward.
An experience, rather than presentations
Building on this approach, Ask Afrika went beyond simply presenting on the Kasi market. Attendees at the event got to experience it firsthand with food, entertainment and sound that forms part of Kasi culture. In its mission to change society, Ask Afrika realises that there is no better way to get its messages across than to immerse guests in a Kasi environment, showing them how it is not foreign or far away, but rather a part of who they are as South Africans. Added to the experience is deep research data, presented in an easily-digestible way so attendees can remember it, and go and implement it with their brands. “Our events always try to create a relevant experience since we’ve learnt that audiences and clients find theoretical presentations and reports less memorable. After being here today, it is impossible for our clients and for the other guests not to go away and do something differently tomorrow,” Gevers says.
Gevers concludes, “The Kasi market is absolutely critical to any brand and to our society. The Kasi market is where our future trends come from, the Kasi market determines what happens to us politically and on a brand level … We are so ripe for a new commercial revolution, social revolution, political revolution and it’s going to come from Kasi because Kasi has strong social capital at the moment”.
Here are some photos from the event:
*Cybertorial is sponsored content
