Research house Ask Afrika recently revealed the top 10 Icon Brands in South Africa. Michael Bratt attended the awards evening; here’s what went down.
Eight thousand brands are measured across 19 product categories, with the focus on measuring those brands used most loyally. Only 28 made the cut this year to be considered an Icon Brand, determined through achievement of high usage and loyalty scores.
“Freedom without recognising responsibility is impossible, it’s a charade… A benchmark without conscience and independence and freedom to say what has to be said is not a benchmark, it is a charade. At Ask Afrika we celebrate honesty… Conversations that start with benchmarks are crucial,” said Ask Afrika founder and CEO, Andrea Gevers, welcoming everyone to the event and explaining the values behind the Icon Brands research.
Managing director of Ask Afrika Sarina de Beer provided insights into the behaviour and patterns of consumers. These included:
- Consumers do huge amounts of research about products and brands, both online and in print, before exiting their home.
- Consumers are downsizing and looking for alternatives, except on special occasions when they spend.
- Bulk shopping is starting to decline, nice-to-haves are starting to be cut out.
- Consumers still look for quality and won’t sacrifice that even if something is cheaper.
The main takeaway from De Beer’s address is that nowadays it is all about experiences, rather than ownership. “Happiness has become the new tagline, the thing that people are waiting for … Happiness is not about what I own, it’s about experiences and what I can show,” she says.
The guest speaker at the gathering was television personality Gerry Rantseli Elsdon who took attendees on a trip through her life. Her wise words included her belief that icons don’t shy away when things need to happen and that there’s a difference between being an icon and pretending to be an icon. Her advice to brands is, “People matter and you need to ensure you take care of the needs of them… It’s important to actually care, rather than just pretend to care”.
Entertainment for the evening was provided by funny man John Vlismas, who had the audience in hysterics. After his routine he announced the top Icon Brands for 2017, what the audience had eagerly been waiting for. These were the winners:
10 – Huletts
9 – I&J
8 – McCain
7 – Clover
6 – KOO
5 – KOO
4 – Maggi
3 – Sunlight
2 – Coca-Cola
1 – Kiwi
Here are some pictures from the event:
To see the live tweets from the event, follow Michael Bratt on Twitter @MichaelBratt8
