Marketing Brands in Africa: Perspectives on the Evolution of Branding in an Emerging Market

ISBN-13: 9783030772031 / Angielski / Twarda / 2021 / 307 str.

Samuelson Appau

Spis treści

 

Chapter 1: Marketing Brands in Africa: An Introduction

This chapter will provide an introduction and overview of the remaining chapters in the book and how they weave together to tell a coherent story about the topic.

Tentative Lead Contributor: Dr Samuelson Appau

 

PART 1: PRACTICAL PERSPECTIVES

Chapter 2: Branding Start-ups in Africa

There has been a massive upsurge in start-ups and start-up hubs and incubators in many African countries, particularly Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, with Nairobi even being touted as the “Silicon Savannah” of Africa (Jones et al. 2018). Many global brands like Google and Facebook are investing in this space, and yet we know very little about the brand building strategies of these start-ups and how they market themselves to local and global audiences. Contributors to this chapter will examine the success (and failure) factors as well as lessons for building start-ups brands in Africa.

Tentative Lead Contributor: Mr Sydney Sam

 

Chapter 3: In Dangerous Waters: Building an Oil and Gas Brand in Africa

Oil and gas (or energy) is a controversial industry, and consumers often have negative perceptions and associations of brands in this sector due primarily to their negative environmental impact as well as potential for political conflicts (Hartmann and Apaolaza-Ibáñez, 2012). Thus, brands that operate in this space often need to address these negative images or position themselves as part of the solution and not part of the problem. Contributors to this chapter will therefore discuss the branding strategies to build and market an oil and/or gas (energy) brand in Africa, whiles negotiating these negative industry images.

Tentative Lead Contributor: Mr Kevin Okyere

 

Chapter 4: Branding and Marketing Religious Organizations in Africa

It is impossible to talk about Africa without talking about religion. Living in the most religious continent in the world, Africans have an “incurably religious” culture that has fostered the mass growth and marketing of religious organizations that actively brand and market themselves to a pluralistic and variety seeking religious audience (Bonsu and Belk, 2010). In many Africa countries, religion is serious business and actively compete with each other and non-religious brands for consumer spend and loyalty. (Appau and Mabefam, 2020). Contributors to this chapter will examine how religious organizations in Africa bridge the sacred/secular boundaries of religion and marketing to successfully build and market themselves as brands. The contributors will also reflect on the benefits and problems of branding religion.

Tentative Lead Contributor: Professor Asonzeh Ukah

 

Chapter 5: Visit Africa: Place Branding in Africa

Many African countries have been marketed as desirable tourist destinations, which promise an exotic experience that is differentiated from other tourism destinations (Wanjiru, 2006). Contributors to this chapter will discuss the current state of branding African places for tourism consumption and examine opportunities and challenges for other African countries looking to brand their geographical and cultural places as differentiated tourism destinations.

Tentative Lead Contributor: Dr Arinze Nwoba

 

Chapter 6: University Brand Marketing: A Website Analysis of Leading Universities in Africa

Increasingly, Universities are taking on a marketing orientation, recognising that they offer a service to consumers (students) who often choose among competing offerings (Maringe and Gibbs, 2008). Traditional Universities in Africa are now competing with both local new entrants such as private Universities and global entrants like European and American universities with local operations in the supply of University education (Mogaji et al., 2020). This increasing competition has led to a need for differentiation by Universities in order to appeal to consumers of University education. Contributors to this chapter will use a content analysis of websites of leading Universities in Africa to understand their brand propositions, differentiated service offerings and design and content narratives to offer insights for successful University branding.

Tentative Lead Contributor: Professor Robert Ebo Hinson

 

Chapter 7: Marketing Brands to Rural Consumers in Africa

According to data from the World Bank, more than half of Africa’s population live in rural areas. Rural markets are often subsistence, closed, fragmented and heterogenous (Weidner et al., 2010). These characteristics of rural markets present a challenge to marketers, and yet the sheer size of these markets promise great rewards and loyalty for brands that break into these markets (Prahalad, 2004). Contributors to this chapter will examine cases of how some brands succeeded in marketing their goods and services to rural consumers in Africa, and discuss lessons, opportunities and challenges for other brands looking to do same.

Tentative Lead Contributor: Mr Feyi Olubodun

 

Chapter 8: Mapping the Positioning of Political Brands in Ghana

Ghana’s political brands are maturing and transitioning from their early days forms since the country was returned to a democratic path. Just as most countries of similar electoral rules, the country has experienced a duopolistic dominance with the major players being the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party. These two parties have alternated power between them. Whereas they have pursued similar programmes whilst in government, largely determined by the social-political and economic environments they find themselves, they however differ significantly in their other behavioural forms both in and out of government, including style of leadership, communication, organisation and mobilisation. These factors influence voters’ perceptions about them and become the underpinnings of their political brand image. The chapter will look at how these factors have shaped the political brand image of the two dominant political parties and track the changes that have occurred noting the intra and inter party brand differentials over the years.

Tentative Lead Contributor: Dr Kobby Mensah

 

PART 2: CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES

Chapter 9: Before Coca Cola: The History and Evolution of Branding in Africa

Before foreign global brands and Western branding practices came to Africa, branding existed in local business practices with many local brands dominating different sectors of African markets (Starcevic, 2015). Contributors to this chapter will examine the historical evolution of branding as a business practice in Africa. Contributors will examine the indigenization, globalization and creolization of branding across time and space, and offer implications of this evolution for branding practice and theory.

Tentative Lead Contributor: Dr Sladjana Starcevic

 

Chapter 10: Using Local Culture in Brand Positioning and Communication

Branding is storytelling (Twitchell, 2004), and great brands are those that tell emotive and compelling stories that reinforce or challenge cultural norms and practices (Holt, 2004). Contributors to this chapter will examine how businesses can leverage relevant local cultural narratives to develop their brand positioning and communication.

Tentative Lead Contributor: Dr Marian Makkar

 

Chapter 11: Unbranded: The Challenges of Branding for Africa’s Informal Economy

According to the International Labour Organization, the informal economy in Africa accounts for about 60-80% of employment on the continent. Many micro-entrepreneurs operate in Africa’s informal economy producing and selling many undifferentiated goods and services (Banerjee and Duflo, 2011), operating what Coupland (2005) refers to as invisible brands. Contributors to this chapter will examine the benefits (and opportunities) and problems (and challenges) for building a brand in these informal markets in Africa.

Tentative Lead Contributor: Dr Tendai Chikweche

 

Chapter 12: Brand Africa: The Paradox of Africa’s Image in Global Marketing Discourse

Due to legacies of colonialism and post-colonial images of inferior otherness, Africa’s image has been largely negative. Researchers have critically examined some of these negative depictions of Africa in global political and philanthropic discourse, cinematic and media images, and advertising (Bonsu, 2009). Conversely, Africa’s exotica and otherness has been marketed for tourism and its low-income economies is employed in the marketing efforts of philanthropic organizations like World Vision and the Red Cross to solicit aid to support the lives of locals who do need these aids (Osei and Gbadamosi, 2011). For many African Americans whose blackness in America is systematically discriminated against, Africa epitomizes a place of black freedom and black self-actualization (White, 1990). Thus, Africa’s brand image and representations are a paradox. Contributors to this chapter will examine this paradox of Africa’s brand image and reflect on its implications for representations of Africa in marketing theory and practice.

Tentative Lead Contributor: Professor Samuel Bonsu

 

Chapter 13: Branding Betwixt and Between the Local and Global

Increasingly, the boundary between local and global markets is morphing into one. All global brands are local to a certain place, and global brands can also localize by adapting to local consumer and market peculiarities (Askegaard and Kjeldgaard, 2007). Local brands serve consumers who often have access to global marketplaces and have had their tastes shaped by such exposures and experiences (Samiee, 2019). Like these consumers, local brands also have access to global branding practices and knowledge; local brands too have globalizing potentialities and opportunities. Still, local brands compete against global brands locally, in the same way they compete against other local brands. Contributors to this chapter will reflect on how global/local/glocal conditions affect the practice of brands in Africa, and how consumers demand and evaluate local vs global brands in Africa.

Tentative Lead Contributor: Dr Samuelson Appau

O autorze

Samuelson Appau is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. His research interests include consumer culture, branding and wellbeing and have been published in leading marketing journals such as the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Business Research, Marketing Theory and the Journal of Marketing and Public Policy, among others. He has also co-edited a book on wellbeing and has authored many book chapters. He teaches Branding, training marketing students, and entrepreneurs to understand how to build and market strong brands.

Blurb

This contributed volume serves as an authoritative reference and guide for anyone looking to study or build a brand in Africa. Despite being touted as the ‘last frontier’ of global brands, very little research exists that examines brands and branding in this emerging market. Authors cover crucial topics such as the history of branding in Africa, branding approaches used by start-ups, religious organizations, political parties, and businesses in the informal economies of Africa, as well as marketing Africa as a brand using practical cases, empirical and critical approaches.

With the world’s youngest population and the second-fastest growing economies, Africa has quickly become a hotbed for marketing and consumption of local and global brands. While past research has mostly focused on examining the brand image of Africa and African countries, or on branding Africa as a place for tourist consumption, what is missing is a comprehensive guide that discusses the theory and practice of branding and brands in and from Africa.

Through theoretical and practical contributions, the authors of this book seek to fill the knowledge gap about branding in and from Africa. 

Samuelson Appau is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. His research interests include consumer culture, branding and wellbeing and have been published in leading marketing journals such as the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Business Research, Marketing Theory and the Journal of Marketing and Public Policy, among others. He has also co-edited a book on wellbeing and has authored many book chapters. He teaches Branding, training marketing students, and entrepreneurs to understand how to build and market strong brands.