A few weeks ago I wrote about the Bottom of the Pyramid and the importance of catering to that sector specifically. Whilst it is true that South Africa’s Bottom of the Pyramid is very large, there is another sector that is growing at an increasing rate and cannot be overlooked, urbanites. An article I recently read dubbed them; Citysumers.
The article defines them as: “The hundreds of millions of experienced and sophisticated urbanites, from San Francisco to Shanghai to São Paulo, who are ever more demanding and more open-minded, but also more proud, more connected, more spontaneous and more try-out-prone, eagerly snapping up a whole host of new urban goods, services, experiences, campaigns and conversations.”
These citysumers present a host of new challenges for retailers. Their loyalty does not lie with a particular brand, but rather they look for brands that “challenge, thrill, titillate, or even shock.” In addition, each city has its own unique citysumers, meaning that a campaign that has swept Cape Town might crash and burn in Johnannesburg or Bloemfontein. City specific marketing is essential. They’re eager for new experiences and not shy to spend a little bit extra to find them.
A recent UNICEF report showed that in 2008 61% of the South African population was urbanized and growing at a rate of 2.1% annually. This is a massive portion of the population, many of whom have considerable disposable income, but not somewhere to spend it.
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