Nolitha Mkhwanazi, head of youth strategy at Yellowwood, says whether you look at 2021 or 2022, there are three main things the youth want from brands.
These are:
The youth want these things from brands because they are feeling the world is failing them. “Covid and events, such as the flooding in KwaZulu-Natal, and ailing institutions (including government institutions), all contribute to this,” she says. However, what is interesting, she says, is the youth’s response.
“There has been a shift towards the youth asking: how can I improve and develop myself? how can I make myself better?”
This has led to the youth creating communities to learn from each other. This does not only translate into them developing themselves but also into looking for other avenues to break the digital divide or wealth gap. For example, many youths have turned to cryptocurrency to break the wealth gap.
Too many brands go from one hashtag to the next cool thing without really looking at if this authentically communicates who it is as a brand and if young people will understand why it exists in this environment.
“Brands either try to create their own environments that they think young people will flock to or when it is in a situation such as an event where young people are, the brand is not showing up in a way that is authentic to who it is as a brand,” she says.
This is confusing the youth. “They are saying that we see you, you can be around me, but I still do not see how you are significantly impacting who I am as a person. and I am not clear what your brand stands for,” she explains.
To be authentic requires work. “You need to understand what is happening in culture but then make sure it is intrinsically linked to who you are as a brand. What your brand identity is, what makes your brand different and what your brand promise is.”
To connect with the youth, brands need to:
The brand that does this well is Nike, and that is why they are still top of the list in the Sunday Times GenNext Awards. “This is because they based their ads on a fundamental human truth. People say it’s because they used Serena Williams but it’s the brand’s human understanding of what connects us that resonates. Williams only amplifies that message, even though I am not a tennis player,” she explains.
Locally she says Woolies has also been able to become the top grocer because it is clear in its purpose. “It has a very clear brand promise around the future making sure everything is sustainable and because young people are starting to care about the environment they are naturally moving towards the brand."
This said, she admits that while the youth care about the environment, they still buy at Shein, despite the articles on Shein not being environmentally friendly.
“We need to be aware of that dichotomy that is happening with them; where they know this is the right thing to do but then their budgets dictate otherwise.”Looking forward to the next five years, Brown says the youth will remember how a brand treated them when they were younger, so brands need to solve the challenges that young people are experiencing now.
She adds too often we circle them - instead of dealing with what is limiting young people. “The youth will remember brands that were with them when they were struggling and stuck with them, so it is important that you are seen as helping them right now so that when they are successful, they still remember the brand that was with them all along.”