Data Highlights: Top Brands in Africa

Despite talk of a growing consumer class and increase in the prominence of local African brands, this year’s ranking had the lowest percent of African brands since Brand Africa’s launch in 2010, with just 13% of brands in the top 100 being from Africa. Instead, brands such as Nike and Nestlé, that are headquartered in North America and Europe, along with Asian brands including technology giants Samsung and Techno, dominated the list. Sports apparel brands and technology brands, in particular mobile phone makers, were found to be the most popular brands in Africa in 2020. Nike was the top brand for the second year, with Adidas coming in at number two and Samsung in third place.

South Africa’s telecom brand, MTN, was the highest-ranking African entry, coming in at number seven. However, in a separate prompted question that specifically asked about African brands, Nigeria’s Dangote, a leading multinational corporation with sugar, flour, and oil & gas subsidiaries, came in on top. Other African brands included Glo telecom, media company DSTV, and retail company Shoprite.

The full list of top brands in Africa is available to view here: Top 100 Brands in Africa 2020

Top FMCG brands in Africa

The Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector continues to grow in Africa, with global brands such as Coca-Cola investing more in the region. This year’s rankings find Coca-Cola to be the top FMCG brand in Africa, ranked number four, and competitor Pepsi comes in at number 16. Other FMCG brands in the top 100 include Danone, Unilever, and Nivea. The top three alcoholic brands were Ireland’s Guinness, followed by two local beer brands, Nigeria’s Star Beer and Kenya’s Tusker. Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Fanta, all from the USA, are the top three non-alcoholic beverage brands, while Nestle, Dangote, and Unilever are the top three consumer, non-cyclical brands.

Top Media Brands in Africa

Given the importance of media in Africa, Brand Africa asks a specific question on top media brands in Africa. This year’s top media brands demonstrate the dominance of international news channels, with BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, and ITV all within the top five, along with South Africa’s DSTV, which was the second most admired media brand. Social networks and websites including Facebook, YouTube, Google, and Instagram were also represented in the list of top media brands.

Top Finance Brands in Africa

The financial sector has grown enormously in Africa in the past several years, with both mobile money brands and traditional banks vying for customers. For this reason, Brand Africa also asks a specific question on top brands in the financial services sector. Unlike the top media list, which was dominated by non-African brands, the financial services list shows the prominence of local banking brands throughout Africa. Nigerian and South African services are well-represented in the top financial brands list, with Nigeria’s GTB and First Bank taking the number one and two spot, and South Africa’s ABSA and First National Bank coming in at number five and six. Togo’s Ecobank, which was ranked number one last year, was the third most popular financial brand in 2020.

Conduct Brand Research in Africa

GeoPoll conducts research for top brands throughout Africa by remote, mobile-based methods including SMS, voice call, mobile web, and mobile application. If you’re interested in conducting your own study on your brand’s health or key performance indicators, please contact us today.

The post Brand Africa 2020: Ranking Africa’s Most Influential Brands appeared first on GeoPoll.

GeoPoll was pleased to attend the Pan African Media Research Organization (PAMRO) annual conference last week in Mauritius. GeoPoll sponsored the event, which spanned two days and allowed leaders in the media industry from across the globe, including executives from DSTV, Telmar, Ipsos, and BBC, and more, to discuss the latest trends in audience measurement.

Some of the themes showcased at this year’s conference included data fusion and the use of multiple samples in audience measurement, and case studies highlighted recent innovations in the industry, such as passive audience measurement. Notable presentations included those by BARC India, who has created a system that accounts for all media touchpoints in one sample and includes second screen consumption, and TIFA Research Kenya.

GeoPoll was also excited to present on some of our work with Pilot Media Initiatives, an organization that brings innovative and impactful media projects to life around the globe. In the presentation, GeoPoll’s JP Murunga demonstrated how we were able to use mobile-based video surveys combined with GeoPoll Audience Measurement data to assist PMI and Channels TV in their launch of the popular ‘The Other News’ in Nigeria. By sending respondents video clips of ‘The Other News,’ a satirical news show and the first of its kind in Nigeria, show creators were able to gauge reactions to the content and demonstrate the impact that satirical news could have over traditional news.

Pilot Media Initiatives was also able to use GeoPoll Audience Measurement data to determine the ideal timeslot for ‘The Other News’ before the show launched. As the show aired they used GeoPoll data to assess the success of the show, finding that by the end of the first season it had risen to the top-rated show in its timeslot. Our full presentation, authored jointly with Pilot Media Initiatives, can be viewed here. To learn more about the launch of ‘The Other News,’ see this profile of the show in The New Yorker.

As media research continues to evolve in Africa and around the globe, GeoPoll looks forward to future discussions with our audience measurement peers at PAMRO and other events. For more information about GeoPoll Audience Measurement, please contact us today.

The post GeoPoll at PAMRO: How Mobile Research Helped Launch Satirical News in Nigeria appeared first on GeoPoll.

GeoPoll, Harmonies Media Group, and PHD Media are pleased to announce the launch of daily audience measurement data in Ivory Coast, collected through GeoPoll’s innovative mobile-based methodology. With this launch, GeoPoll will become the only provider of daily audience data for television and radio in Ivory Coast, which has previously relied on yearly media reports that do not capture daily changes in audience habits. Harmonies Media Group will use GeoPoll data to optimize the targeting of specific audiences and rapidly evaluate the effectiveness of marketing spend, allowing clients to save significant cost on media buys while ensuring messages reach the desired audience.

“We are excited to partner with GeoPoll to bring their audience measurement service to Ivory Coast. The media landscape in Francophone Africa is always evolving, and with daily data from GeoPoll we will be able to plan more effective media buys and react quickly to a dynamic advertising market, resulting in a higher return on investment for our clients,” said Sidikou Karimou, Chief Executive Officer of Harmonies Media Group.

GeoPoll is the leading mobile-based research company in Africa, and its audience measurement service uses a unique multi-modal methodology to collect daily media data from areas that are difficult to reach using traditional paper diary methods. Since its inception in 2014, GeoPoll’s audience measurement service has expanded to 14 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, and is used daily by leading brands, agencies, and media groups.

“GeoPoll looks forward to increasing our presence in Francophone Africa with the launch of our flagship data product in Ivory Coast. As Africa becomes an increasingly mobile-centric continent, GeoPoll’s methodology continues to prove itself, and we are confident that the audience data collected by GeoPoll will be invaluable to those looking to reduce advertising costs across the country and entire region” said Nicholas Becker, GeoPoll CEO.

Media Data from Ivory Coast

Initial data from the product reveals insights around TV, radio, and social media usage among the adult population in Ivory Coast, including:

• 39% of respondents indicating they use Facebook more than 2 hours a day. Just 9% say they use either Instagram or Twitter the same amount.
• Television consumption is high, with 85% saying they have watched TV in the last 7 days.
• The top slot for TV viewership on weekdays is RTI-1 during the 8pm – 830pm time slot. Novelas TV is also popular in the evenings on weekdays.

The data will be integrated with PHD Media’s game changing media planning tool Source, which is launching in Ivory Coast in conjunction with GeoPoll Audience Measurement. Following the rollout of GeoPoll Audience Measurement in Ivory Coast, GeoPoll and Harmonies Media Group will look to bring daily audience data to other countries in French West and Central Africa.

GeoPoll Audience Measurement uses a diary method which collects data through surveys run by SMS and mobile application multiple times a day.  A four-hour recall period provides significantly more reliable data than traditional methodologies, in which respondents fill out paper forms over week-long periods and results are released several months after data collection. GeoPoll data is available the next day through an interactive dashboard, and integrated planning tools allow for targeting of specific audiences by location and demographics.

To request a demo of GeoPoll Audience Measurement in Ivory Coast please contact us here.

The post GeoPoll Launches Daily Audience Measurement Data in Ivory Coast appeared first on GeoPoll.

Online Streaming in Africa Q&A

GeoPoll: How has streaming impacted the TV and media market in Sub Saharan Africa in the past few years?

Kwesé iflix CEO, Mayur Patel: The future of TV is the internet and the home of the internet in Africa is mobile. More than 80% of broadband in Africa is accessed via smartphones and tablets, mobile devices are the place where consumers in our markets will increasingly connect with the content they love. Many of our users in the region have bypassed traditional linear broadcast TV, and their first experience of TV is on their mobile phone.

Entertainment producers are now partnering with mobile streaming services in order to access the growing market of mobile savvy consumers. We are now witnessing short form content being made solely for mobile users, along with streaming entertainment services gaining the rights to first time exclusives. People are also starting to consume live TV coverage, sport and entertainment, on their phones.

GP: What are some unique challenges of implementing streaming solutions in Africa?

MP: Some of the challenges our users face include the affordability of mobile data, storage capacity on their phones and the accessibility of subscription payment options. To help with this we formed partnerships with Africa’s leading mobile operators across our markets, from Nigeria to Zimbabwe. We have worked closely with them to create affordable video data bundles specifically for the Kwese iflix app, often with off-peak access, making it easier for our users to watch content on the go. For example, in Kenya during the World Cup, we partnered with Safaricom to launch the Giga Football Passes that gave users 24 hours unlimited data access to the Kwesé iflix app for less than a dollar.

To address storage capacity on people’s devices, we gave our users the choice to download content in three qualities – low, medium or high – so that they can decide what’s best for them. This allows users to download content at a small file size when using public WiFi and watch it at any point over the next 30 days.

On the payment side, we offer flexible options for users to access our full content catalogue. Individuals can buy a 1 day, 3 day, 7 day or 30 day VIP pass to suit everyone’s pockets. Users are used to buying data packs like this as opposed to having a rolling 30 day subscription. The result has been unprecedented growth in customer engagement.

GP: Where do you see streaming and on demand video moving in the next 2-5 years?

MP: In the next five years, mobile TV will be ubiquitous. The trends indicate that data costs in the region will decrease and it is likely that affordable uncapped data options will be more common for video consumption. With this shift, there will be an even greater influx of customers seeking out streaming services to suit their entertainment needs.

To stay ahead of the content game, Kwesé iflix has expanded on the traditional video-on-demand model and introduced new, engaging live, localised programming and features, targeting both mass market users and younger digital-savvy demographic groups.

User data reveals that local audiences have a strong preference for local content. To cater to this demand, we have increased the acquisition and commissioning of local content. We are excited to announce our Kwesé iflix Originals for East and West Africa which will premiere on the app in the coming months.

GP: Under the pay TV rights for the 2018 World Cup, your subscribers in various countries in Sub-Saharan Africa also had the option of streaming the matches, tell us more about this service, how it works, who it was targeted at and what the impact was on football fans in the continent

MP: Kwesé iflix made all 64 FIFA 2018 World Cup matches available live to millions of football fans throughout Africa on our mobile app.

Africa as a whole has the most engaged football fan base in the world, with over three quarters of the population interested in the sport. We wanted to democratise viewing of the sport people love, and give everyone who has access to the internet the ability to live stream games and enjoy post-match wrap ups, all on-the-go and on their terms. We also made all games featuring African teams, the final match and all the highlights of the games available for free.

The user reception amongst each of our markets has been extremely positive, indicting to us that we are on the right track with our live sport content and entertainment roll out. Consumers are embracing the combination of live sport and entertainment, all in one app. This was the first time that all the world cup matches were available on mobile in Africa and we hope to have set the bar for more great firsts to come in our markets.

GP: Was the engagement with streaming services during the World Cup higher or lower than you would have expected?

MP: In terms of scale – this was the single largest live mobile streaming event ever to take place in our markets over 30 days, and it took place on the Kwese iflix platform. We are grateful to the support from our partners and the users across our markets who selected Kwese iflix as their home for the best sport action.

By offering our fans unparalleled access to the games on their mobile device we saw more than 100 million minutes streamed throughout the World Cup. The Kwesé iflix app rapidly became the leading mobile sport and entertainment service in many of our markets.

GP: What are the biggest areas of opportunity for streaming services – live sports matches, news programming, entertainment, or something else?

MP: At Kwesé iflix we see the biggest opportunities in creating a complete mobile TV experience for our users – combining thousands of hours of top quality international and local movies and TV shows with premium live sporting events, news programming, kids entertainment, along with original content that resonates with the audience. We are the first app in Africa to provide mobile customers with standalone access to on-demand content, and a unique live sport and entertainment content offering via our live hub feature. This includes the largest pan-African linear local free-to-air and pay TV channels for mobile devices. We believe that opportunity lies in diversity and options for all.

For more information on Kwese iflix, please contact:

KATHRYN MECHIE

Regional PR & Communications Manager AFRICA

m (+27) 0711382253

e [email protected]

The post The Future of Online Streaming & On Demand Video in Africa, Our Chat With Kwese Iflix CEO appeared first on GeoPoll.