Hotline to consumers’ cares

SOCIAL MEDIA: 27 MILLION WEB USERS IN SA SPEND THREE HOURS A DAY ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Conversations between friends reveal what they really think about brands.

Social media analytics company Crimson Hexagon and YOUKNOW Digital have launched the South African Consumer Trends Report. It has found that South Africans are increasingly active across social media platforms, with the country’s 26.8 million internet users spending almost three hours a day on social media.

With only 27% social media penetration as of January 2017, there’s still plenty of room for growth.

This is good news for those trying to gain more understanding of consumers.

The findings have been compiled from billions of valuable consumers.

They give an insight to social media posts between 2012 and 2016, across Twitter, Facebook, blogs and other forums on conversation around trends and how that has changed including the reveal about South African consumer priorities and concerns.

In the analysis of the social media conversations, Crimson Hexagon identified four key themes that are undergoing significant change, which are; travel and hospitality, entertainment, fitness and sport and automotive.

These helped to produce actionable insights, which are essential for any local or global brand aiming to gain a better understanding of South African consumers.

Some of the key insights from the Consumer Trends Report indicate that:

In SA, the school holidays are the single biggest driving factor that influences people to plan holiday schedules.

The majority of recreational media consumption still takes place via TV, which tends to be a communal activity. But it’s also interesting to note that 25% of the conversation mentions use of a tablet – a typically much more personal viewing experience.

For brands looking at marketing to consumers in the fitness arena, Instagram is a prime bet for driving social engagement.

Despite SA’s turbulent economic times, the car market is alive and well. People have strong opinions on their preferred brands, and are vocal about what they dislike about aspects of the automotive industry.

“For marketers wishing to delve deeper into the local consumer mindset, social listening is important as it provides a route for gaining insights into what people are really talking about,” said Kelvin Jonck, managing director at YOUKNOW Digital.