Trust is the key to any booming market. Research from PwC’s Global CEO Survey demonstrates that, after adjusting to industry conditions, the level of customer trust is the most significant contributor to profitability. Here at Pandora Agency, and having operated in the African market for a decade, we’ve understood the role of trust in building customer loyalty, facilitating partnerships, and building strong customer relationships. 

Marketing in Africa is driven by the audience’s quest for knowledge conveyed in a relatable form, education and localised messaging. Businesses can build trust through educational content and localised messaging by adapting content that resonates with different cultural norms, leveraging any knowledge gap, consumers’ pain points and understanding their interest and preferences. 

Why is this important? The African market is dynamic. 

Africa Market Dynamics

Africa possesses vast cultural diversity and over 2,000 languages. Targeting specific consumer segments within this diverse market for businesses that want to grow and expand is essential. In addition, credibility and affordability are crucial. In Africa, word of mouth and community endorsements are powerful tools that influence consumer behaviour and decisions that can result in a successful business. 

Access to the internet is also increasing, and e-commerce operations are growing. Between 2019 and 2022, over 160 million Africans gained broadband internet access. People in different African nations are now rising in local online communities. Businesses and consumers connect through social media platforms and community forums, leveraging e-commerce and social media to buy and sell goods and services.

While e-commerce and online buying and selling across Africa are expanding, brick-and-mortar operations are still a huge market. In fact, while product research processes may begin on a digital platform, most purchases end up in a physical store or office between parties involved. 

Why Educational Content Matters

The “buy this because it’s good for you” era is over in Africa. Educational content matters as consumers now value businesses or brands that share valuable information and content, which allows them to make informed decisions and purchases.

To align with this narrative, you must create and share content that resonates with your target audience, addresses societal perceptions, tells the striving story of the different African nations or target communities, and connects with their heritage. This is how you build trust. 

Take what Dove did with its campaign on ‘Real Beauty Sketches’ as an example. They challenged societal perceptions of beauty and aimed to boost women’s self-esteem. This educational campaign addresses social issues and promotes inclusivity that can resonate deeply with audiences, leading to widespread discussion and brand affinity. 

Here’s another important thing – storytelling and case studies are critical when educating customers in Africa because they help build brand credibility and connect with the audience emotionally, making the brand more relatable and trustworthy. 

A good example is Guinness’ ‘Made of more’ campaign, in far away Japan, which promotes inclusivity within rugby. They highlighted the true story of the Japanese women’s rugby team Liberty Fields RFC. Now, bring it to an African nation, state, or community. We’re highlighting these because Africa is large, and to survive here as a business, you need to find where your business can lend its voice. 

You need to find ‘your story that they can own’, and do that genuinely. This is what we do at Pandora Agency Limited, whether working with a corporate client, large business, SME, or personal brand, we ensure they connect with the audience’s experiences or tell their own stories authentically in a way that resonates with the audience. 

The Power of Localised Messaging

Localized messaging ensures that your target audience understands your message and connects with you emotionally and culturally, which can convert to higher sales. What does this mean?

Your content must suit the specific cultures, languages, and local regulations where your business operates. According to a survey among users proficient in English, 65% choose to read content in their local language. Netflix understands this concept perfectly well, which is why it invests locally to export globally by allowing locals to produce, direct, act, and watch some of its movies and shows.

While foreign popular culture and products once seemed to dominate African societies due to the impact of colonialism and globalisation, there is now a rise in Africanism across the globe. People are telling their stories, and businesses must align with this to thrive. 

Merging of Educational Content and Localisation for Maximum Result

Combining or merging educational content with local cultural elements refers to using educational materials to suit different audiences’ cultural, linguistic, and regional preferences.

Why is this important?

1. It enhances audience engagement. Locally tailored content that is culturally relatable, valuable, and comprehensible improves consumer interaction. This allows consumers to connect more effectively with the messages that your business is projecting.
2. Improves campaign outcomes: When consumers can relate more quickly to your message, it becomes easier for them to respond to your business. 
3. It strengthens brand connections: Localised content provides consumers a personalised experience, making them feel more connected to the brand. They feel like the brand is a part of them and see the need to patronise the business.
4. It regulates compliance: Localised content guarantees that privacy policies and other regulatory requirements are strictly adhered to.

Best Practices for Creating Localised Content

The best practices for creating localised content involve cultural adaptation, local expertise, and visual representations. As a business that wants to operate in Africa, you may need to create or modify content to align with the target audience’s customs, values, and language within a specific cultural group. 

This requires local expertise, which refers to a thorough understanding of local customs, social norms, and language, as well as familiarity with a given region’s market behaviour. 

Adopting visual representations such as icons, images, and colours, is also necessary to conform to the cultural norms of a particular area. 

Sometimes, conducting business in Africa from abroad may require language translations. You must ensure accurate translations that convey the original meaning of a text while considering the cultural nuances that resonate with the audience in a specific locale. Quality assurance in the local environment is necessary to evaluate whether content is accurate, technically correct, and appropriate and ensure it effectively addresses the target audience.

Challenges of Localised Content and Overcoming Them

1. Ignoring regional differences

Different regions in Africa have different ways of expressing themselves and communicating. Some businesses neglect to account for differences in language, cultural preferences, and regional tastes, which undermines the effectiveness of localised efforts and impacts how people engage with their business.

How to overcome this: Businesses and brands should thoroughly research each region’s culture, language, and preferences and develop a content strategy that aligns.

2. Lack of context

This major challenge leads to errors, misinterpretation and mistranslations, which can create confusion by altering the intended meaning of a marketing message.

How to overcome this: Every business that wants to survive in any African environment needs comprehensive context information. Such businesses should be well-educated on the target audience’s culture to understand their language usage.

3. Inadequate cultural understanding

This reflects a lack of understanding of the target audience’s culture, which can lead to content that fails to resonate with them and occasionally comes across as disrespectful.

How to overcome this: The brand should research and test with some of the target audience in a region to determine necessary adjustments. They can also meet a cultural expert who can provide guidance. In addition, working. with a local marketing and communications agency would help them overcome such challenges. 

4. Cost of localisation

Localisation is an investment in your business, but the technical adaptation cost, hiring a cultural expert, and other necessary costs can sometimes be overwhelming, especially if they do not fit your budget.

How to overcome this: Businesses should focus on relevant markets and allocate appropriate resources and employees to marketing efforts.

Conclusion 

Educational content and localised messaging are crucial in the African market. This approach fosters trust, broadens market reach, enhances customer experience, and improves conversion rates. Business owners should recognise that their messages must align with the distinct needs of various regions to expand their market presence. Localised content should be prioritised by business owners aiming to succeed in Africa!