Cheryl Hunter (shelflife at marklives.com)’s weekly pick of recent product, packaging, design and food launches:
- South Africa’s favourite brands recognised
- Going LEGiT with Boity
- Whisky workshops with Bruichladdich
Baked beans and Bostik
SA celebrated its favourite brands this week at the Ask Afrika Icon Brands Awards 2015, honouring 28 brands that really understand the South African consumer. What with brands under more pressure than ever to achieve a competitive edge, these winners represent those that have accomplished their goal of being perceived as quality products that provide value to consumers.
Comments Sarina de Beer, MD of Ask Afrika, “The Ask Afrika Icon Brands survey holds value in understanding which brands are getting it right and also can provide marketers wishing to target the entire population with the requisite tools to track trends and to gain greater insight into the South consumer mind-set and behaviour.
“However, the survey also provides insights into a diversity of product categories that are targeted at only a portion of the South African demographic.”
Each year for the last five years, Ask Afrika has identified consumer trends that influence brand and product choice and, ultimately drive loyal, consumer behavior. The Ask Afrika Icon Brands are ubiquitous, quintessentially South African and demonstrate brand relevance across the evolving consumer spectrum, irrespective of demographics, age, gender, race, culture, language, income, education and individual style.
The survey is the largest benchmark of its kind in South Africa with 19 industry sectors, hundreds of product categories, and thousands of brands included in the measurement. It uses a nationally representative random sample: 15 690 consumers were surveyed, representing over 23.3m adult SA consumers.
Koo Baked Beans was the no.1 overall winner for the first time ever this year; the brand started in third position in 2010. Hullets Sugar came second, All Gold Tomato sauce third, Coca-Cola fourth, and McCain Frozen Chips and Potato Products fifth. Huletts Sugar has been in the top three since 2010, with the exception of 2011 and 2012; All Gold had been in first place for four years. The top five brands showed consistent good performance across time, enabling them to extend accolades to township markets as well.
The food-product category dominates the top 10 list but, in 2015, surprising newcomers are Bostik in seventh place, up from 14th position in 2014, as well as Mugg & Bean in 10th position, having achieved 11th place last year.
2015/2016 Ask Afrika Icon Brands overall winners
| Category | Brand | |
| 1 | Tinned food | BAKED BEANS: Koo |
| 2 | Sugar and sweeteners | SUGAR: Huletts |
| 3 | Condiments and sauces | TOMATO SAUCE: All Gold |
| 4 | Non-alcoholic cold drinks | COLAS: Coca Cola |
| 5 | Frozen Chips and Potato Products | McCain |
| 6 | Bread | Albany |
| 7 | Adhesives | Bostik |
| 8 | Cell phone brands | Nokia |
| 9 | Fast food outlets | KFC |
| 10 | Coffee / sandwich bars | Mugg and Bean |
| 11 | Herbs & spices | Robertson’s |
| 12 | Toothpaste (normal) | Colgate |
| 13 | Spreads | PEANUT BUTTER: Black Cat |
| 14 | Batteries | DRY BATTERIES (INCLUDING RECHARGEABLE): Duracell |
| 15 | Dishwashing detergents | WASHING LIQUIDS FOR WASHING DISHES BY HAND (M/S): Sunlight |
| 16 | Alcoholic drinks: Wine | CHAMPAGNE/SPARKLING WINE: Brands: JC Le Roux |
| 17 | Razors: Electric | Gillette |
| 18 | Eggs | Nulaid |
| 19 | Baby food / infant cereal / Growing up cereal | INFANT CEREALS: Brands — Infant Cereals: Nestle Cerelac |
| 20 | Telecommunications | MTN |
| 21 | Milk | FRESH MILK: Clover |
| 22 | Fuel providers | BP |
| 23 | Condiments and sauces | MAYONNAISE: Crosse and Blackwell |
| 24 | Salty snacks | POTATO CRISPS: Simba |
| 25 | Condiments and sauces | CURRY PASTES/POWDER: Rajah |
| 26 | Meat — Processed | VIENNA SAUSAGES: Enterprise |
| 27 | Baby food / infant cereal / Growing up cereal | GROWING UP CEREALS: Pro-Nutro Toddler |
| 28 | Spreads | JAMS: All Gold |
This year, there are 164 product category winners, and 37 brands are classified as Ask Afrika Platinum Brands.
As may be expected, not all of the 164 product-category winners have Iconic status, given the vast differences in socio-economic levels, and therefore the means to access certain products. Nonetheless, these product category leaders often dominate their space and are mostly iconic among the consumers with access to them.
Platinum Brands
Ask Afrika Platinum Brands are the brands of tomorrow and have a total Icon score above the required threshold but are not used across the entire population.
| Ask Afrika Platinum Brands | Category |
| Debonairs | Home delivery services |
| Tastic | Rice |
| Gauteng — Carnival City Casino | Casino’s |
| Shoprite | Food retail |
| Colgate | Toothbrushes: Manual |
| Gauteng — Gold Reef City Casino | Casino’s |
| Specsavers | Glasses / contact lenses |
| Floor cleaner: Cobra | Household cleaners |
| Samsung | Tablet devices |
| Kiwi | Shoe polish |
| Tinned fish: Lucky Star | Tinned food |
| Sugar: Selati | Sugar and sweeteners |
| BIC | Pens |
| Tracker | Vehicle tracking |
| Maragarine: Rama | Margarine / Butter |
| Spekko | Rice |
| Polony: Enterprise | Meat — Processed |
| Knorrox | Stock cubes |
| Avon | Suntan Lotions, Oils and Creams (Female & Male) |
| Dulux | Paint |
| Fatti’s and Moni’s | Pasta |
| Huggies | Nappies |
| CNA Bookshop | Bookshops |
| Scooters Pizza | Home delivery services |
| Vodacom | Telecommunications |
| Engen | Fuel providers |
| Polony: Eskort | Meat — Processed |
| Russian sausages: Enterprise | Meat — Processed |
| Pampers | Nappies |
| Kwazulu-Natal — Sibaya Casino | Casino’s |
| Cream: Brands: Clover | Cream |
| Knorr | Stock cubes |
| Kwazulu-Natal — Suncoast Casino | Casino’s |
| Gauteng — Emperor’s Palace (Formerly Caesars) | Casino’s |
| Frozen fish fingers: I and J | Frozen Fish Products |
| Aquafresh | Toothpaste (normal) |
| Liquid and dry seasoning: Knorr Aromat | Condiments and sauces |
Going legit
Activewear is a new category for clothing brand LEGiT, which needed a local ambassador to activate the trendy range. Enter presenter and actress, Boity, who will be the face of the summer range, launching in September 2015.
Says Ocean Ngobeni, LEGiT marketing manager, “Activewear is a first for us and we’re thrilled to have Boity on board as this is also her first range. LEGiT has always represented the inspirational woman and this summer we’re once again steady on-trend with fashionable sporty looks.”
The Boity X LEGiT range consists of sports-luxe and active wear.
Comments Boity, “I’ve been involved in the whole process and it’s been great fun. The shoot production was amazing, and the clothes are fantastic. I could run a marathon in the sports luxe dress.”
#ITSLEGIT • Twitter • Instagram
Whisky workshops from Islay
Bruichladdich, a premium whisky from Islay, has launching a series of monthly events in Cape Town and Johannesburg to introduce South African whisky fans to the brand.
The small, intimate tasting events are held each time in partnership with local artisans — in their workshops — to emphasise Bruichladdich’s belief in craftsmanship and the soul of the artisan.
The brand has been built upon the belief that whisky should have character, an authenticity derived from where it is distilled and the philosophies of those who distil it.
Shelf Life is MarkLives.com’s weekly column covering new product, packaging, design and food launches. Notify us of yours at shelflife at marklives dot com. Want to sponsor Shelf Life? Contact us here.
Cheryl Hunter (@cherylhunter) has written for the South African media, marketing and advertising industries for more than 15 years. A former editor of M&M in Independent Newspapers and contributor to Bizcommunity, AdFocus, AdReview and the Ad Annual, she has also produced for various television networks and currently consults on communication strategy and media liaison.
— MarkLives’ round-up of top ad and media industry news and opinion in your mailbox every Monday and Thursday. Sign up here!