4 Apps Afrillennials Love!

In Trends

When technology first started taking over our days, we could simply not imagine a world where machines, robots and apps do our jobs better than us. Now brands are facing a digital disruption in the form of apps that deliver better services than they do. Students are forever finding newer and better ways to do what they love in order to fit as many experiences into their day. Now the bulk of their mobile usage is on apps that make their lives easier. This week we’re looking at the impact of 4 popular apps, on brands looking to attract the youth, and how these are set to change the traditional marketer’s playing field.

1. A Taste For Uber Eats

Instead of spending hours cooking up a storm or minutes reasoning with a restaurant manager who’s clueless about the menu while they’re trying to place an order, students would now rather pick up their phone and enjoy a hot meal in minutes. It’s hard to believe that Uber Eats was introduced to South Africa less than a year ago as it’s become popular with the youth -boasting a 14% adoption of the app from this market, according to the 2017 Student Spend Report.

It’s a crucial time for restaurants owners to create attractive experiences for the youth, in order to make them want to drive to an eatery. This means going back to the drawing board and relooking at the look and feel of restaurants and what more brands could do to add a touch that will leave the younger generation wanting to come in and spend more. Students who don’t feel like they’re missing out would rather use an app and get on with the good stuff. Why not consider tying in with an app, instead of seeing it as a threat to your business, it might help you collect some valuable youth pie.

2. Trust DJ Shazam

Shazam is an app that’s based on a simple idea – answering the question the youth constantly find themselves asking in the car or during a night out, “What’s the name of that song?”

Instead of calling up the popular radio DJ, or spending days googling the song with the few lyrics they remember, Afrillennials can now simply whip out their phone and Shazam the song playing on the radio to get the name, the artist and sites of where to download it, almost instantly. Afrillennials are also buying less and less CD’s, turning to iTunes, and other music apps to get their music from. Brands like Look & Listen certainly felt the pressure while Musica is now one of the last well known music stores standing.

3. AirBNB Takes Them There

Imagine living in a beautiful house that has a way better view, less rules and lets you access the beach with your friends? AirBNB can do that at a fraction of the cost. AirBNB is an app that allows home owners to rent out their homes to would be holiday goers from around the world. It’s holiday season and the youth might be going away, but where are they staying? Not at a hotel, thanks to AirBNB. Besides helping young travelers to save money on a place to stay, they’ll also likely have a homely experience and be better positioned to see what the different parts of South Africa have to offer. The Vodacom Durban July was a great example of a time hotels were missing out on the youth’s spending power. Afrillennials were booking out houses with their friends, living it up and sharing the costs.

Hoteliers should carefully scan what the competition to their submarket is like, and understand that AirBNB is here to stay. It may be time to polish up on their offerings if they want to remain relevant with the youth during the holidays. Afrillennials love new experiences that are over the top and memorable, so to attract to them it’s worthwhile ensuring that the experiences you’re creating, meet or exceed their expectations.

4. More Is More: Take A Lot!

This year’s student spend report revealed that although still skeptical about the online shopping space, students are still buying online and one of the biggest players is Take A Lot (Read full “Add To Cart Article” here). According to the Student Spend Report 38% of Afrillennials are using the app to make online purchases and the reason is exactly what you guessed, convenience!

Retail is still a booming industry in the country but one can’t deny the impact of ‘Take A Lot’ and other online shopping outlets that serve on demand and deliver items at the youth’s door steps. It’s certainly a great time for retailers to spruce things up and ensure that the youth get to indulge in all the latest trending items with the click of a button. The best performing digital platforms right now generally offer a mix of user friendly display of products, easy to follow purchasing steps and fuss free instant gratification.

Irreplaceable?

Apps are becoming almost creepy in the way that they have infused themselves into almost every aspect of our lives, they know everything about everyone and they’re becoming great at connecting the youth with what they want. Apps are making life a lot easier by the minute but what does this mean for your brand and what should you be doing to make sure you don’t get left behind? We’ve got the answers so contact us on 011 885 3918 or email .