Caution: The emerging African market PDF stampede
This PDF report on the emerging consumer market opportunity in Sub Saharan Africa comes to us from Accenture, the most recent in the long line of consulting firm offerings that started with McKinsey’s in June 2010. In order to differentiate themselves from the migrating herd, they offer us a single customer segmentation model for the […]
Raising some concerns about urban user research insights being applied to design for rural markets
The Rural Market Insight Group at the Centre for Development Finance (CDF) conducted a six-week product test with a Base-of-the-Pyramid (BoP) household in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The purpose was to explore whether urban user testing of rural-targeted BoP products yields relevant user insights in early design stages. Surprising results warrant further research of this potentially […]
Assessing social impact vs financial sustainability for BoP business models
Insights from the South African low income market (BoP) opportunity
I came across this article from South Africa titled “Why companies should care about the low-income market” which has some excellent insights about this demographic and opportunity space. Also called the ‘BoP or Bottom of the Pyramid’, it is the mass majority segment in the emerging middle class in Sub Sahara today (per recent reports.) […]
Invention vs Innovation from the customer’s perspective
An invention is not an innovation until it is adopted by the users ~ John Heskett We think that technology has all the answers or can provide that magic silver bullet. If we can simply build that shiny, new widget or make an app for the service, customers are bound to flock […]
Going solar as mainstream consumer choice
This shelf of alternate power supply equipment displayed in a Nairobi department store caught my eye. It was in the consumer product section along with fridges, washing machines, TVs and a host of small appliances. It was the first time I’d seen such a wide variety – batteries, solar panels, lamps – so casually displayed […]
Tradeoffs made in purchasing decisions influence product and marketing strategy
This snippet from the Business Daily caught my attention: With the inflation rate at 15.93 per cent in the month of July, product sales have come under pressure as consumers put aside non-essential commodities like refreshment drinks from their budget lists. “Right now, the market is very sensitive to price. Coke is competing with other […]
Five years is not a very long time in which to change the world.
Today’s news has not been unexpected. Jobs announces his resignation as CEO of Apple. The subsequent discussion on the ramifications and impact of this news on Apple, its future and its products – given Mr Jobs reputation as a single minded visionary who understood the interplay of business strategy, industrial design and quality engineering – […]
Visible sign of market creation for a product designed for social impact
It struck me when I saw this Moneymaker pump by Kickstart on a street corner matatu stand in Nairobi while wandering around a market with Muchiri who was shopping for shoes. I’m giving this level of detail so you can see the context in which we spotted this classic and oft quoted example of a […]
Is Africa a multinational’s opportunity or one better served by SMEs?
It is not just about the risks in Africa, since in many cases African risk may be overpriced, which creates additional opportunities for investors who know what they are doing. It is more about the challenges of doing business in a continent in which more than 70% of the population lives on less than two […]
