Sweeter and louder meet local tastes

BIG companies are starting to tailor their marketing messages — choosing local models, languages, music and food to reach target audiences — and some are also starting to adapt their products to the tastes of local African markets.

The manufacturers of soft drinks and confectionery typically sweeten products aimed at African markets. South Korea’s Samsung has brought out extraloud stereos to appeal to Nigerian consumers, and fridges that can withstand power loss and fluctuations to cope in African markets in which electricity supplies regularly suffer cuts and surges.

“There was a habit in Africa of pumping out universal products,” said one European corporate executive, adding that companies had not bothered to do market research.

But that is changing with the arrival of competition — particularly from home-grown African companies. Swedish beauty company Oriflame set up in East Africa last year but could introduce only 300 products from its 1 500-strong line.

Some of its makeup was developed for the Indian market, but the company plans to introduce darker shades of foundation for an African range soon.

Often, products are so entirely new to local markets that consumers are completely flummoxed.

“Some of our customers try to put black mascara on their lips — they don’t know what it’s for,” said Tracy Wanjiru of East Africa’s largest supermarket chain, Nakumatt.

The company set up free nail bars and makeovers to spread the word and tempt new custom for more expensive Western brands entering the market, including Revlon and L’Oréal’s Maybelline. —© The Financial Times, London