5 Ways Castle Lite Uses Hip Hop Culture To Attract SA’s Youth

In Trends

One brand that knows hip hop culture should not be taken lightly when it comes to SA’s youth is Castle Lite. The brand’s been synonymous with SA youth hip hop culture consistently and this steered the brand to become one of Afrillennials’ (African millennials) most loved beer brands as a result. Mostly attributed to the fact that students are heavily driven by music lifestyle and replicate the trends they observe from the music scene in their own lives, students feel connected to Castle Lite on another level. They’ve surpassed being a typical beer and become one with the youth and we unpack five tactics of their hip hop lifestyle strategy.

1. Bring The World To The Youth

For years Castle Lite has hosted the most relevant music artists and brought them to South Africa for youth to experience. By always being in touch with the youth’s need for international experiences and aspirations, Castle Lite has given life to students’ dreams by putting them in touch with global experiences that they actually want.

From hosting their first music concert in SA which featured world renowned rap superstar Drake which sold out within a few hours, to bringing others like Kanye West, Wiz Khalifa, Timbaland and Nas. Castle Lite brought international artists to SA as part of its Extra Cold Music collaboration with world renowned music producer Timbaland. They recently added to the long line of music icons when they unlocked J Cole at The Dome and the show was once again packed to the brim with tickets sold out.

2. Know Their Roots

Being a South African brand that started out with democratic era in 1994, Castle Lite has stayed true to their roots and fed the wave of opportunity and possibility with SA’s youth. Instead of following the usual international attraction route with their approach to concerts, Castle Lite added some local flavor to their international line up bringing the likes of DJ Speedsta, Emtee, Nasty C, Reason and Kwesta to join in the J Cole action. The concert’s performances were on point and the crowd showed local artists as much love as they showed the headline act.

Castle Lite’s great support for local hip hop has helped them to attract and retain the SA student market as the genre’s local artists continue to become more commercial and are increasingly recognised as global players. They understand that the growth of our country’s hip hop scene speaks to Afrillennials’ love for their country and belief that they can achieve greater things from their South African seat.

3. Always On Trend

What Castle Lite does really well is to keep their ear to the ground and know exactly what the youth like and want at that particular time. SA has had a lot of hip hop concerts in SA over the last few years but Castle Lite knew exactly who was in demand and responded in kind bringing in the hottest talent. What they’ve gotten right is to not simply present a mix of artists for the sake of filling the set but that young people absolutely crave seeing.

They’ve gotten further involved in the music scene through Extra Cold Music which delivered five top tracks to the youth weekly, featuring one international track and four local tracks recently released. Students were allowed a limited amount of downloads, creating some serious competition for obtaining the latest and hottest tracks. Students also had the chance to unlock performances through the platform and gain access to exclusive content.

4. Tapping Into Youth Aspirations

Hip hop culture radiates sociability, affluence and excitement, spurring on the image in students’ minds of their future. Associating these local hip hop artists with Castle Lite events and exposing them to international opportunities in the process, gave SA youth exposure to a versatile mix of artists to enjoy but also affirmed to them that they can be whatever they want to be without limitation.

Students have gotten real music lifestyle value from Castle Lite through the brand’s active pursuit of meaningful experiences that youth won’t be quick to forget but rather aspire to relive. Afrillennials are young, unwilling to settle for ordinary and looking for brands that can help them experience life to the fullest without having them be limited by their circumstances.

5. Offering A Stepping Stone

J Cole is one of the biggest rappers in the world right now and when his concert hit SA, tickets were affordable, helping youth to fulfill their hopes of going to see the show without having to break the bank. Being young has its limits however this generation holds no bars and are entrepreneurial about experiencing all life has to offer. Students take a liking to brands that understand this and go out of their way to help them achieve their goals and aspirations. Whether it’s enabling them along the way with that ice cold beer or giving them some boost to see that upcoming hip hop appearance. Students want to experience the world and are using brands as stepping stones to bring them to opportunities and grow into their ideal self.

Boys and Girls Oblige

Hip hop culture is in your face and sets the scene for what youth do every day and through tying this into their brand, Castle Lite became part of students’ lives. From what they wear, to how they speak and also what their daily hustle looks like, Castle Lite has involved itself. Hip hop culture is honest and open and also resonates with the youth’s attraction to real and honest brands that are sincere about being a part of their lives.

By targeting the hip hop scene the brand also opened up its doors to both a male and female market as opposed to keeping beer to the guys. Hip hop remains an evolving youth culture around the globe and speaks to the youth’s need to find meaning and purpose either on their own or as a cohesive whole. Brands have a responsibility to help students seek their purpose and fulfill their dreams. Making your brand part of this mix is not just making you part of a trend but their lifestyle, creating brand loyalists for life.