The Sunday Mail
THE message from Zimbabwe and South Africa’s most successful business executives and entrepreneurs is clear: branding requires an understanding of the local markets, cultural sensitivities and consumer preferences.
Big Business Ideas
Stephene Chikozho
By building a strong brand identity, establishing trust and delivering value to customers, businesses can succeed and endure in the rapidly evolving Southern African market.
Through direct conversations with business executives, entrepreneurs and leaders, I examined how the brand and overall business function is evolving its role, strategies, structures, capabilities and operations.
Interestingly, the following insights came out of my research and analysis:
The role of the brand in relation to business sustainability has become more materially important to entrepreneurs, CEOs, boards and C-suite executives.
The modern brand function is agile, multidisciplinary and insights-driven.
Digital technology is already ushering in a new era and brand reputation, which executives can use to deliver quantifiable value to the business.
The lines among branding, communications and marketing continue to blur, creating new challenges and opportunities.
In an increasingly complex and activist multi-stakeholder African continent and beyond, the corporate brand matters now more than ever.
Businesses are increasingly turning to influencers and change agents, enabling ongoing brand and product transformation.
Who is an influencer?
An influencer generates money by influencing other people’s purchasing decisions. Influencers have significant digital media followers and make money by endorsing things through sponsored posts and affiliate links, among other methods.
In Zimbabwe and South Africa, artists, creatives, actors, etcetera, have become phenomenal influencers through digital media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Threads, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Notable examples from Zimbabwe are Kudzai Violet Gwara (KVG) and Minister Michael Mahendere. As lifestyle influencers, their Facebook and Instagram platforms consist of real estate, fashion, beauty, food, insurance, travel content and more.
Prominent influencers from South Africa who are well-known on Instagram and TikTok for their wit, humour and sarcasm are Boity Thulo and Zinhle Jiyane. They are actively building formidable brands in fashion, beauty and telecommunications industries.
Why influencer marketing?
Amplifying brand reputation — Collaborating with influencers allows businesses to tap into their followers’ trust and loyalty.
Targeting specific audiences — By partnering with relevant influencers in your industry, you can effectively reach and engage with a target audience. This targeted approach helps shape a positive brand perception among the right people.
Social proof and credibility — Influencers often have a strong relationship with their followers, who trust and value their opinions. When influencers endorse a brand or product, it provides social proof and adds credibility to your offerings. This can help establish and enhance a positive reputation for your business.
Crisis management — In the face of negative publicity or a reputation crisis, influencer marketing can be a strategic tool. By collaborating with influencers who have a loyal and engaged following, businesses can leverage on their positive influence to mitigate the impact of any reputational damage and regain consumer trust.
Content creation and storytelling — Influencers excel in creating compelling content that resonates with their followers. By working with influencers, businesses can tap into their creativity and storytelling abilities. This can help shape a brand narrative that positively influences how customers perceive and connect with the brand.
However, it is important to note that influencer marketing should be just one part of a comprehensive brand management strategy. It is crucial to choose the right influencers, maintain authenticity and ensure alignment with your brand values to maximise the benefits of this marketing approach.
Formulating an influencer marketing strategy
My research findings in South Africa indicate that an average of 90 percent of business executives would allocate a budget to influencer marketing, with an average of 62 percent considering the same in Zimbabwe.
I also noted that most brands that have worked with influencers are pleased with their results based on conversion rates and sales they received as part of the collaboration.
The following came out as important elements to consider when formulating an influencer marketing strategy:
Define your goals — Using your goals as guiding lights will also define your strategy’s metrics for success.
Identify and define your audience — Properly segmenting and identifying your audience can determine the effectiveness and success of your influencer campaign.
Define your budget — Defining your budget is essential because it guides your content creation and distribution options.
Choose a type of campaign — Guest posting, sponsored content, re-targeting, co-creation, competitions, mentions on social media, discount codes and more are terrific examples of influencer marketing campaigns.
Decide on the social media platform you want to use — The best platform is based on your target market and the kind of content you are promoting.
Create content for your campaign — Even if you have the most exciting campaign or best product — market fit, consumers will lose interest if your messaging or content does not captivate them. Make it as easy as possible for your influencer to share your message. The better your messaging fits with their audience, the easier it is for your influencer to push your brand out to their audience.
Find your brand influencers — The right influencer should understand and connect with your audience, your brand and the content you are promoting.
Promote your campaign — Once you have successfully identified your target market, found your ideal influencer and created compelling content, all that is left is promoting your brand.
Track your success — It is critical to track the performance of your partnership to ensure all expectations are met and determine the success of the campaign. Track website traffic, engagement, conversions or other metrics you decided on when you determined your marketing goals.
Overall, influencer marketing can be an effective strategy when executed properly. It allows brands to tap into the loyal and engaged follower base of influencers, who often have a strong trust relationship with their audience.
This can lead to increased brand credibility, as consumers perceive recommendations from influencers as more genuine.
However, it is important to approach influencer marketing with careful consideration.
Choosing the right influencers for your brand is crucial, as their values, audience demographics and engagement levels must align with your target market.
Additionally, transparency and authenticity are key factors to consider. Consumers value genuine content and may be turned off by overly promotional or inauthentic posts.
Conclusion
Influencer marketing can be a valuable strategy for brands to raise awareness, connect with their target audience and drive sales. However, it requires careful planning, strategic selection of influencers and ongoing measurement and evaluation to ensure success.
Stephene Chikozho is managing director of Urbane Create Agency — a strategy, marketing and advertising agency. He writes in his personal capacity. You can follow him on social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) WhatsApp +263772409651 or email [email protected]
