Icon Brands are brands that are used loyally across the South African demographic. The survey measures solus usage, which means that consumers will use only one brand within the product category, rather than a repertoire of brands.

The Ask Afrika 2018/2019 Icon Brands winners were announced with Kiwi shoe polish garnering first place, followed by McCain, Coca-Cola, Lucky Star, Sunlight dishwashing liquid, Koo baked beans, Melrose spread, Koo fruit syrup, KFC and MTN.

"The Icon Brands survey measures brand relevance across all segments of the demographic. It is not a popularity contest and does not measure which brands people like or aspire to; it is all about which brands are used by South Africans and used loyally across the spectrum," says Maria Petousis, TGI executive.

"Ask Afrika measures actual behaviour and current usage. This is what differentiates Icon Brands from other surveys. Loyal usage, over and above footprint and what consumers like, is the holy grail for brand owners and the hardest element to achieve," adds Petousis.

Robust methodology

Thirty thousand consumers were surveyed, which represents over 24.7 million adult South African consumers. The sample was weighted using Stats South Africa data.

TGI aims to provide an integrated platform about consumers, how they are changing, how they think and what is important to them. Methodological rigor aims to ensure that data is released every six months to keep a close tab on consumer trends.

TGI measures 8 000 brands and 550 product categories. Out of these 158, product categories formed part of the Icon Brands survey and 40 brands in 19 product categories achieved Icon Brand status. The survey also defines Potential Icon Brands and 158 category winners. The results are independently audited by BDO and Dr Ariane Neethling.

"TGI is used by a majority of the top 50 advertisers and is the industry standard for strategic brand planning. The data provides a nuanced view of consumers and ensures strategies are relevant to current target markets, from political views to personal views, unpacking family structures and the influence these have on brands," says Petousis.

"Loyal brand consumption [or lack thereof], can inform meaningful marketing campaigns through integrated media strategies, which drive relevant product and brand strategies to different target markets," Petousis adds.

Disruption in the marketing fraternity

According to Ask Afrika, many companies and brands are striving to be disruptive and the reality is that not all brands can or should be disruptive.

"We are living in times of change and unpredictability, and this social milieu translates into the drive for brands to want to disrupt. If we think about disruption in terms of how we experience it, it does tend to be leaving society a little confused, unfocused, disengaged and erratic," says Sarina de Beer, client experience director at Ask Afrika.

"Disruption brings chaos and uncertainty, and it is not closely linked with trust and loyalty. Yet, brands want loyal consumers and consumers want brands they can trust," adds de Beer.

Trust and loyalty

"Brand loyalty is declining, and so is trust in brands and in our leadership locally, and on a global level. Historical brand performance can no longer serve as a lighthouse to the future. There are so many different voices in the consumer landscape and consumers are feeling lost. Technological disruption is a reality and it has created a fear of disconnectedness and fear of missing out," says de Beer.

"Businesses are being disrupted, and it is important to start thinking about sustainable and human impact. Brand image is often 'sexy' and not real, and we need to start considering what is real," de Beer adds.

Icon Brands are defined by solus usage, consumers are loyal to only one brand in the category and will choose the same brand every time.

Ask Afrika says the general trend is, however, that there is increasing non-solus usage or an expanding repertoire of brands that the consumers choose between within a category, driven by convenience. 

"The change in loyalty has altered the philosophy of buying. A brand manager’s job has become increasingly difficult. Loyalty is about innovatively combining many strategic elements and touch points to work together, creating a memorable brand experience that is relevant to its target audience on a deep emotional level. Loyalty drivers for Icon Brands go beyond the hygiene factors of quality, price and reliability," says de Beer.

Loyalists versus non-loyalists

According to Ask Afrika, brand owners want loyal consumers, yet they often target non-loyalists with disruptive marketing strategies. 

"The overall take out for marketers is don’t raise your voice, improve your message. Don’t create chaos with different marketing messages and disrupt for the sake of it," de Beer adds.

"Innovation needs to be linked to scalability. Decide on who you are in terms of brand personality, then think about purpose and sustainability. Educate consumers, resonate with direction and heed the call of consumers for loyal and trustworthy leadership," concludes de Beer.

For more information, visit www.askafrika.co.za. You can also follow Ask Afrika on Facebook or on Twitter.