This document contains a social media briefing and messaging for marketing in South Africa in 2014. It includes the following key points: 1) Social media penetration rates in South Africa, showing that platforms like Facebook have millions of users accounting for a large percentage of the population and income levels. 2) A discussion of the future of feature phones as smartphones become more ubiquitous and affordable, arguing that feature phones will die out quickly as markets jump to smartphones. 3) Recommendations for social media strategy, including focusing on niche networks, building relationships over passive 'fans', and using blogs and content as a starting point for conversations rather than an end goal.

1. Marketing Mix 2014 South
Africa Social Media Briefing
Messaging: Brief Comments In Context
Godfrey Parkin
@gparkin britefire

2. I
N
C
O
M
E
%
POPULATION %
0 10% 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100%
100%
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10%
0
9.4m users – 65% of SA income
5.5m users – 55% of SA income
4m users – 22% of SA income
2.7m users – 18% of SA income
10m users – 68% of SA income
7.4m users – 48% of SA income
1.5m users – 5% of SA income
iPhone, Google+
Instagram, Pinterest:
<1m users - <4% of SA income
SA Income Distribution@gparkin britefire

3. I
N
C
O
M
E
%
POPULATION %
0 10% 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100%
100%
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10%
0
SA Income Distribution@gparkin britefire
• The economically active
population is online and
using social media better
than you are
• Social is their territory -
you have to earn their
respect

4. Messaging
The means evolves but the end remains
• Simple
• Cheap
• Fast
• Synchronous
• Discreet
• Device ubiquity
@gparkin britefire

5. Featurephones Future?
Dominant brand in a
declining industry
Missed smartphone
revolution
@gparkin britefire

6. Featurephones Future?
Dominant OS in a declining
industry
Missed mobile revolution
(<4% of mobile OS)
@gparkin britefire

7. Featurephones Future?
?
@gparkin britefire

8. Featurephones Future?
@gparkin britefire
In developing countries, a smartphone is a
key to knowledge and advancement
Featurephones will die overnight as markets
jump to better phones at lower prices

9. • Desire for mobile computing + free WiMax
+ plummeting smartphone costs = smart
phone ubiquity
• Vodacom SA smartphone customers up
from 1.2m to 6m in one year.
• Messaging will remain a primary
application if monetization is non-invasive
• Refine segmentation, be permission
based, stay relevant
Messaging Future
@gparkin britefire

10. • Work the niche networks where target
customers converse
• Major products get fatally disrupted every
day – Facebook is not the future
• Facebook users in Nigeria doubled in past
6 months – what happens to 2go?
• WhatsApp being challenged by WeChat
• Social is not an island – integrate among
platforms and with other digital and offline
Platform Future
@gparkin britefire

11. It’s Not About The Platform
• Social platforms are unstable technologies
with short life expectancies
• Don’t build your strategy on a platform,
build it on customer needs
• Define business goals and don’t judge
success by primitive metrics
@gparkin britefire

12. It’s Not About The Masses
• Social marketing is about relationships
and community building
• Humanise your brand
• Our fascination with the tools obscures our
apparent ignorance of the art
• Make real connections with individuals
• Success is in a handful of ardent disciples
rather than a herd of passive ‘fans’
@gparkin britefire

13. Blogging
• The social strategy hub
• Most important tool in the social box
• A blog is a bridge between your social
touch-points and your brand
• Link through social to gain rapid SEO
• All social media fails if you have nothing of
value to share
@gparkin britefire

14. Content Is Not King
• Conversation is king; content is a catalyst
• Tweets, 6-second videos, hashtag memes,
microdevices: the stimuli are getting
smaller, your ideas must be bigger
• The biggest screen in the universe is the
human mind
• Content is not an end, but a beginning
• Go start something awesome
@gparkin britefire

15. Twitter: @gparkin
LI: linkedin.com/in/gparkin
FB: facebook.com/britefire
Email: godfrey.parkin@britefire.com

16. Image credits:
guy with phone: Martin Gommel http://www.flickr.com/photos/kwerfeldein/5803621274/
stadium steps: Wintershrooms http://www.flickr.com/photos/wintershrooms/5594455878/sizes/l/in/photostream/
ferris wheel: Mark Dunn
apple woman: Mohsen Rashidi
orange flower: Hubert Kosmowski