“Taxi Ranks: South Africa’s Largest Consumer Marketplace,” where you can explore how commuters engage with brands, retailers, informal traders and media during their journeys.Taxi ranks are rarely thought of as marketplaces. They are commonly viewed as transport interchanges—places where commuters board taxis and continue their journeys. Yet beneath this functional purpose lies one of South...Continue Reading
The South African minibus taxi industry represents one of the country’s most remarkable examples of an informal economy functioning at scale. Every day, millions of people rely on it because it consistently delivers what matters most: accessibility, availability, and the ability to reach almost any destination. Understanding this ecosystem is essential for understanding the South...Continue Reading
Mogorosi Mashilo, Founder and Director of TrendER, was invited as a panel expert on CNBC Africa’s Marketing, Media & Money programme to discuss Business Insights on Loyalty Programmes. During the discussion, he shared strategic perspectives on how loyalty programmes have evolved beyond simple rewards mechanisms into powerful business tools that influence consumer behaviour, strengthen customer...Continue Reading
In recent years, many focus groups shifted from in-person sessions to online formats, driven first by the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic and later by the convenience that virtual research offers. Online groups have undoubtedly made research more accessible, efficient, and easier to coordinate. Yet despite these advantages, nothing can fully replace the human element...Continue Reading
Understanding the Multifaceted Consumer: Consumers Beyond Data Points Consumers are not as homogeneous as brands sometimes assume them to be. Their worlds are complex, layered and constantly evolving. An individual is not defined by only one aspect of their life. They are shaped by many touchpoints, roles, environments and life experiences. They may be a...Continue Reading
In today’s market, brands are listening more than ever. Tracking sentiment. Running surveys. Monitoring social conversations and yet — many are still getting it wrong.Because what consumers say and what they do are no longer the same thing. Welcome to the growing tension between consumer sentiment and consumer reality — and why understanding this gap...Continue Reading
Youthphoria: Today’s youth do not look at the workspace the same way it was viewed a decade ago. No longer is work about gaining experience as way to further ones career where it was about the more experience one had, the better positions one acquires in the company. The new digital age has changed all...Continue Reading
The disappointment of qualified mass black youth without jobs in South Africa has shifted the needle of success from profession to passion. The black mass market’s measure of success is not longer about getting a degree and following traditional professions, but more about what one can do for themselves in a creative way through their...Continue Reading
A man is not an island – our South African traditional cultures have taught us this sentiment from the stages of infancy, Ubuntu – the spirit of togetherness. The opinions of those we hold dear to our hearts and the community at large matter. We live in a zeitgeist that vehemently vouches for the “bazo...Continue Reading
From Myspace, to Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat and now Tik Tok The age of social media is evolving at a rapid pace more than every giving the youth and more options and connections with other people. You can never say one social media platform is better than the other which is a common mistake that...Continue Reading
