Decoding Western Festive Season Symbols and Rituals in Marketing Messages: A Bottom of the Pyramid Consumer Study in South Africa

Obesity and childhood overweight is a worldwide epidemic that has significant long-term public health implications both in developed and developing countries. South Africa, which has a well-documented burden of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases, now also has an increasing burden of obesity and noncommunicable diseases (NCD) such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. This article describes results of formative research on childhood obesity risk factors with parents of school-age children in the Western Cape region of South Africa. We interviewed parents living in low-income urban, rural, and township communities on nutrition and physical activity, media use, and potential social marketing messages. Study aims were threefold: to collect formative information on media use and health knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to support the development of an obesity prevention social marketing campaign targeting youth; to identify parents' preferred sources of health information, and to obtain reactions to potential obesity prevention social marketing messages. Overall, the family and community nutrition and physical activity environments in the Western Cape are highly complex. Parents report major safety concerns, lack of organized markets or other sources of healthy foods in rural and township areas, and lack of resources for physical activity. We also identified preferred sources for health information primarily through print and radio, obtained information about possible channels to reach parents, and identified potential message strategies to promote healthy lifestyles similar to some HIV/AIDS social marketing campaigns in Africa. This information supports future childhood obesity prevention social marketing.

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Brand Consciousness of BOP Consumers in South Africa

Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies ◽

10.22610/jebs.v9i3(j).1748 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (3(J)) ◽

pp. 82-100

Author(s):

Pravina Devpersadh Oodith ◽

Sanjana Brijball Parumasur

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

South African ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Brand Management ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Brand Awareness ◽

Bottom Of The Pyramid ◽

Purchase Decisions ◽

Consumer Decision Making ◽

Business Organizations

Bottom of the pyramid (BOP) consumers are not just basing their purchase decisions on price and affordability but on the value derived from good-quality brands. Hence, this study assesses the brand-consciousness of South African BOP consumers in terms of brand awareness, differentiation, recognition, loyalty, trust and preferences for leading brands. The aim is to understand the brand consciousness of the South African BOP market so that suitable brand management strategies may be formulated to profitably serve the needs of this market. The population (2 556 422 elements) included BOP consumers living in relative poverty within the rural areas of South Africa from which a sample of 600 subjects was drawn using area sampling. Data was collected using a self-development questionnaire whose psychometric properties were statistically assessed and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings reflect that there is a high degree of brand awareness amongst BOP consumers, the majority of BOP consumers are able to easily differentiate between the various brands based on the brandsâ€™ logos, design and/or coloring, a significant segment displays brand loyalty which alters when price becomes a factor for consideration and BOP consumers lack trust where new brands are concerned and prefer good quality brands. Furthermore, BOP consumersâ€™ brand consciousness and purchase decisions are influenced by education and income respectively. It can also be concluded that the majority of South African BOP consumers are brand-conscious; hence, brands play an influential role in their consumer decision-making process. Beneficial recommendations are presented for business organizations.

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Being on top of your game at the bottom of the pyramid

Corporate Ownership and Control ◽

10.22495/cocv11i3c2p4 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 253-272 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Pravina D. Oodith ◽

Sanjana Brijball Parumasur

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Competitive Advantage ◽

South African ◽

Multinational Corporations ◽

Low Cost ◽

Bottom Of The Pyramid ◽

Collaborative Effort ◽

South African Context ◽

The South ◽

African Context

This paper analysed the viability of Prahalad’s Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) proposition within the South Africa context as a mechanism to eradicate/minimize poverty by ensuring a joint collaborative effort by government, NGOs, large domestic firms, multinational corporations (MNCs) as well as the poverty stricken citizens themselves. It conceptualized the BOP proposition and, having reviewed statistics on the extent of poverty globally and in South African in particular, confirmed that the BOP is a lucrative market in the South African context. From the paper, it is evident that the BOP proposition, if effectively implemented, has the potential to reduce poverty in South Africa and increase the profits of MNCs. It then reviewed Prahalad’s twelve Principles of Innovation and strategically divided these into six differentiation and six low-cost strategies. The paper concludes by articulating creative strategies (based on Prahalad’s 12 principles of innovation) for active participation and competitive advantage at the bottom of the pyramid, which are vividly presented in a model for strategic partners especially multinational corporations (MNCs) to adopt when expanding their scale of operations to incorporate the BOP market.

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Mobile Demand at the Bottom of the Pyramid in Africa - A Case Study of Low-Income Mobile Users in South Africa and Nigeria

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.1724325 ◽

2010 ◽

Author(s):

Kammy Naidoo

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Low Income ◽

Mobile Users ◽

Bottom Of The Pyramid

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Co-designing social marketing programs with “bottom of the pyramid” citizens

International Journal of Market Research ◽

10.1177/1470785320968029 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 147078532096802

Author(s):

David Schmidtke ◽

Sharyn Rundle-Thiele ◽

Krzysztof Kubacki ◽

Georgette Leah Burns

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Design Process ◽

Social Marketing ◽

Program Implementation ◽

Process Model ◽

School Dropout ◽

Bottom Of The Pyramid ◽

Mixed Method Research ◽

Marketing Program ◽

Design Process Model

The significant challenges associated with adapting and delivering the co-design process with Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP) citizens are considered in this article, which tests a new “Empathy Building” step within the Trischler et al. seven-step co-design process model. A sequential, three-study mixed-method research design was applied to co-design a social marketing program with BoP citizens and experts, focusing on the problem of school dropout in a community in South Africa. Study 1 undertook the empathy-building step of the co-design process, which involved a 4-month ethnography in a community in South Africa. This study informed several subsequent co-design steps, including resourcing, planning, recruiting, and sensitizing. Study 2 engaged 38 participants (schoolchildren and parents) in a co-design session, challenging them to create a social marketing program for them and people like them. Study 3 delivered an evaluation session with seven key experts. This article contributes to understanding by offering a process to demonstrate how three studies used the (enhanced) co-design framework to provide a solution for a social issue, namely, prevention of school dropout. Finally, this article outlines how co-design can overcome challenges faced to work with BoP citizens through the addition of ethnography and involvement of experts at the fuzzy back-end of the co-design process to examine program implementation feasibility.

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Sharing Economies: The Impact of Online Platforms in Social Exclusion and Economic Marginalisation in South Africa

Journal of Social Inclusion Studies ◽

10.1177/23944811211020375 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 239448112110203

Author(s):

Khalida Akbar ◽

Shamim Bodhanya

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

South Africa ◽

Social Exclusion ◽

Theoretical Data ◽

Sharing Economy ◽

Training And Development ◽

Bottom Of The Pyramid ◽

Online Platforms ◽

Socially Excluded ◽

The Impact

The concept of sharing economies is a developing phenomenon that is highly prevalent in international economies and currently exists in South Africa as well. However, the concept of sharing economy is not totally accepted and practiced to its optimal potential. This study focuses on the population of South Africa that is considered to be socially excluded and economically marginalised. Theoretical data indicate that these individuals form part of the lower income citizens and are part of the bottom of the pyramid. This study provides evidence that the concept of sharing economy can be used via online platforms to optimise economic growth opportunities so as to minimise the current gap of social exclusion and economic marginalisation. Current literature specified that the barriers to economic growth with sharing economies in South Africa are due to a lack of internet access, unemployment, education, health and governance. South Africa is a developing nation and with the aid of enhanced governance with regard to sharing economies, training and development and cultural diversity acceptance, sharing economies is a potential catalyst to attaining equality and bridging the gap of social exclusion and economic marginalisation.

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Tapping into the bottom of the pyramid (bop) market in South Africa: possible? And how?

Corporate Ownership and Control ◽

10.22495/cocv11i1c2art6 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 280-294 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Pravina D Oodith ◽

Sanjana Brijball Parumasur

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

South African ◽

Multinational Corporations ◽

Secondary Data ◽

Theoretical Research ◽

Bottom Of The Pyramid ◽

South African Context ◽

The South ◽

Business Goals ◽

African Context

Prahalad (2005) believes that the bottom of the pyramid (BOP) proposition can fulfill both the social goals of poverty eradication and the business goals of profits. The current ominous state of poverty in South Africa together with South Africa’s commitment to the United Nations Millennium Declaration to halve poverty by 2015 has motivated the researchers to consider Prahalad’s proposition of collaborating with the various constituencies including the multinational corporations (MNCs) to address the needs of the BOP market. This paper aims to evaluate the feasibility of implementing Prahalad’s Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) proposition in the South African market and to conceptualize alternative approaches to developing marketing strategies for the South African BOP consumers. The study adopts a theoretical research study. It reviews statistics on the extent of poverty in South Africa. Arguments for and against the BOP proposition are examined and the researchers assess how the BOP proposition may work in the South African context. The secondary data indicates that the BOP is a lucrative market in the South African context. The authors conclude that the BOP proposition, if effectively implemented, has the potential to reduce poverty in South Africa and increase the profits of multinational corporations (MNCs). The researchers recognize the importance of MNC’s buying into the BOP proposition from the standpoint of corporate social responsibility (CSR). They also propose a 6As Framework for the implementation of the BOP philosophy and a model for eradicating/minimizing poverty through profits.

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Collectivism and Consumers at the ‘Bottom of the Pyramid’ in South Africa

10.13007/290 ◽

2014 ◽

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Bottom Of The Pyramid

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Attitudes towards migrant workers in South Africa: A critical discourse analysis

Journal of Local Government Research and Innovation ◽

10.4102/jolgri.v2i0.36 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

Author(s):

Vongai S. Ruzungunde ◽

Sindiso Zhou

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Discourse Analysis ◽

Critical Discourse Analysis ◽

Migrant Workers ◽

Social Inequalities ◽

Hate Speech ◽

Critical Discourse ◽

Speech Discrimination ◽

Festive Season

Background: The influx of migrants from neighbouring countries has contributed to diversity in South Africa. This has caused on-going clashes between local residents and migrants. This article explores the role of discourse towards enabling a cohesive society. There has been much focus on migrants working in South Africa over the 2020 December festive season as many faced challenges in travelling to their respective countries because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This limelight exposed the underlying discrimination towards migrants in South Africa remain regardless of the South African progressive Constitution that values and respects individuals as well as protecting them from discrimination.Aim: This article adopts threat theory and uses critical discourse analysis to highlight the existing and continued discrimination towards migrant workers. The article exposes the causes of social inequalities, which can assist the government in decision-making towards reducing the inequality gap in service delivery.Setting: Public viewer comments on the news updates on migrants’ travel that were posted on the national news websites over the 2020 festive season were analysed.Methods: Critical Discourse analysis (CDA) was employed as a method of analysis in this article.Results and conclusion: The article intends to add to the existing body of knowledge and to also inform local government towards canvasing agenda that incorporate all human rights and enable a cohesive society by considering the role of discourse as an enabler of the problems experienced in societies. The results show that discourse contributes to negative attitudes, hate speech, discrimination and stereotyping towards migrants in South Africa.

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