Getting to know Kenyan youth

15 Aug 2016

Kenyan youth account for roughly 32% of the population and 60% of the labour force and are major influencers in driving marketing strategy in Kenya, according to Youth Dynamix.

Source: Youth Dynamix

The Kenyan government has taken great interest in developing the youth and in 2006, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and the Youth Fund were established. This enables the youth to borrow money economically to set up their own businesses. They are economically active and a market force that continuously drives change.

Jane Lyne-Kritzinger, MD of Youth Dynamix (YDx), credits the team’s insights into the youth market in Kenya as due to their fundamental understanding of the youth market through formal research studies as well as from market insights gained during experiential marketing campaigns. The YDx Kenyan research team shares some of the most pertinent youth trend insights below that are shaping the market:

42% of the youth access the internet daily, dominating social media, especially Facebook and Instagram. Youth events are marketed solely via digital marketing and many of them get sold out. This online infiltration and reliance demands that brands become active in the youth’s space. And, a specific approach that is gaining great momentum is that of using social media influencers as key drivers in marketing campaigns.
But, it’s not just being active that counts. The youth demands customised solutions. The days of one-size-fits-all marketing strategies are history. The youth want to be engaged and to form part of the campaign and the brand. And, this is where brands that enable young people to create content, thereby giving them a fortified voice, are winning the youth over.
Online reviews of products, especially electronics, are becoming more and more important as deciding purchasing factors amongst the youth. It seems that if the writing is ‘on the wall’ - it’s a trusted source.
The youth desperately seek quality premium brands and where cost is a barrier, they will make use of resource pooling to access them.
Gimmicky marketing give-aways are becoming less impactful on today’s youth, while well-thought lifestyle improvement (CSI) initiatives that make a sustainable difference in their community, are revered.

It’s becoming ever more evident that the youth’s needs are continuously changing because of their heightened level of exposure. To remain in tune with the youth, brands need to play in their space without being intrusive, reports Youth Dynamix.