Local papers deliver unmatched reach into the Afrikaans-speaking market

Roots, South Africa's leading urban, community-level, quantitative survey, canvased the opinions of 25 000+ decision makers in 107 communities last year. Of those respondents, 41% were fluent in Afrikaans.

Those consumers weren’t only united by language; they were also predominantly middle- and high-income earners (69% were LSM 9 and 10) and were clustered in similar geographical areas (70% were in Gauteng and the Western Cape).

As a geographical targeting tool, Roots helps marketers and advertisers identify where real opportunities lie, as well as the possibilities of reaching those consumers in their home language. For example, out of the 29 high-incidence Afrikaans-speaking areas identified by Roots, 83% of the relevant local papers included Afrikaans editorial, and 97% of them accepted Afrikaans ad placements.

“We know from our Roots research that birds of a feather really do flock together. Often, within the same community, you find people with similar languages, demographics and interests. For marketers, being able to target these consumers through a single print publication and its related digital platform is an absolute win. This is something that a national paper – even a national title in that language – cannot do. Local papers distributed at community level reflect the nuance of those individual communities, and that is a potent strength,” says Jacqui Hansen, head of marketing at Caxton Media’s Spark Media.

Caxton Media newspapers are published in the predominant languages of the communities they serve. They are published in English, Afrikaans, IsiZulu and isiXhosa depending on the areas in which they are published.

“The beauty of our papers is that advertisers can specifically select the titles that are relevant to high-incidence areas with Afrikaans-speaking audiences. Those papers are more likely to offer Afrikaans editorial and advertising opportunities. These can be combined with highly effective digital media solutions for complete, comprehensive hyperlocal marketing,” Hansen adds.

Roots not only identifies the geographical areas associated with a high incidence of Afrikaans speaking readers, but it also provides insights around the demographics shopping habits and behaviour.

This allows the Caxton Media team to drill down into the data, and identify real marketing opportunities for clients within any given Afrikaans-speaking community.

Given that research has shown that consumers addressed in their mother tongue are more likely to open their hearts, minds and wallets, this is a critical strategic advantage for brands targeting these consumers.

“Consumers want products that they understand and that they feel they can trust. Language is the key to breaking through any perceived barriers around this. Establishing relevance with South African consumers is not only about language, but also about identifying areas where consumers are actively looking for new or different products and services,” Hansen says.

South Africans intentionally use their local papers both in print and online. Local newspapers that are tailored to the specific communities they serve create a strong sense of engagement, trust and community connection between themselves and local consumers.

When language is overlayed with that, national brands have an opportunity to reach, engage and influence local consumers in their language, creating resonance that ultimately translates into sales and sustained brand loyalty.

This article was originally published here: https://www.caxtonmedia.co.za/reach.php?id=71&a=Y.