TINK is a trends research and consumer insights platform, designed to make businesses in Africa respond more

effectively to evolving consumer needs, lifestyles, behavior and general cultural phenomenon. We believe in co-

creation and collaboration with consumers, and have designed engagement hubs for our clients and agencies to

network real-time with their consumers and understand firsthand, how brands play in their world.

We are specifically focused on the African market and in growing African brands. Hence, our trends research,

analyses, storytelling and visualization techniques are deliberately skewed towards presenting the African

consumer’s perspective and point of view.

What is the future of digital technology, social media and mobile telephony in Nigeria?

How do they impact and influence buying patterns and consumer behavior in the region?

Has the country completely harnessed these unique technologies at its disposal?

In our first +1bn SERIES Episode,

embarks on a journey; to decode the average Nigerian

consumer and uncover certain cultural phenomena

surrounding Nigerians of this new age. We curate,

investigate and analyze consumer trends, exploring how

companies and brands can positively leverage them in

furtherance of their business and marketing objectives.

The average Nigerian is not your regular Joe-on-the-

block; she is a unique being with mind, body and soul in

tandem; an individual with peculiar characteristics that

makes her see beyond the visual and think like there’s

no box. Here are a few keywords that define Nigerians.

FIRST

The Nigerian Spirit:

The reason we never back down

SECOND THIRD FOURTH

Chimamanda Adichie; Author, Poet, Feminist

Nigerians are a resilient people. Regardless of the

daunting task ahead of us, we will pull through.

Perhaps this explains why individuals like Chimamanda

Adichie keep breaking new grounds in the literary

world with works such as Purple Hibiscus and the

recently released Half of a Yellow Sun, due to her

ability to remain composed, adapt appropriately, and

forge ahead in the face of challenges and opposition.

The Nigerian Drive: The reason we take on

endeavors that seem impossible to some

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH

Audu Maikori; Lawyer, Entrepreneur, Social Activist,

Poet, Founder-CEO Chocolate City Entertainment

Individuals such as Audu give us hope and a reason to

aspire. They fuel us with the zeal to succeed beyond

measures and surmount challenges. A successful

lawyer turned business mogul in the music and

entertainment industry, Audu’s innate desire to change

his environment through music led him to establish

Chocolate City Entertainment, a renowned record

label in Nigeria that has churned out the likes of M.I.

and Ice Prince. You don’t need to wonder any further

why his brand influences pop culture in the country.

“Na We Own”

We are a very emotional people. We love

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH

Nigerian Football Supporters Club

Nigerians are one of the most passionate people on

earth, and this is aptly reflected in the way we talk,

laugh, shout and go on about our daily activities with

gung-ho. Watching the Nigerian Football Supporters

Club is a case in point. They single-handedly capture

the true Nigerian spirit and who we are as a people.

The Nigerian Heart:

Even with all the chaos and conflicts,

We still bond within ourselves… One for all.

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH

Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Business Magnate,

Africa’s Richest Man, Owner, Dangote Group

The name, “Dantata” is a familiar name in Nigeria.

the conglomerate started with the rewarding

business foresight and acumen of Alhaji AL Hassan

Dantata, and with the dynasty continued by the likes

of Aliko Dangote (a nephew to the family), Africa’s

most richest man, there’s no gainsaying that

Nigerians have a very strong attachment to family.

Today, Nigeria is a complex weave of people, ideas, resources and cross-cultural phenomena

with our adoption of different styles and cultures. But it wasn’t always like this. What’s changed

over the years in terms of business, education, career and the economy?

To connect with the Nigerian of today, we

need to understand the evolution of the

country and its people across the generational

divide (from the 60's to the 2000’s).

During the post-colonial era, Nigerians were just discovering what it meant to

be truly governed by one of theirs though some still very strong ties with the

past. The nation’s link with British Monarchy enabled most people to pursue

academic studies in Great Britain and other foreign countries, with the aim of

gaining foreign expertise, return home and work in the civil service. The

discovery of crude oil in the country also enabled the government to establish

new agencies, thus opening up more job opportunities for its populace to work

on improving the nations’ economy.

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH

Majority of Nigerians in the

60s weren’t bothered about

establishing businesses, they

had all they needed until the

start of the civil war.

In the 70's, the Oil boom was at its peak and Nigerians shifted their focus

to pursuing stable and career-fulfilling courses of studies that translated

into them earning “Titles” such as Engineers, Doctors, Lawyers and other

job positions while some had an eye on tapping from the oil market by

setting up small companies to act as support agencies to the country. At

this time, brands such as Shell, Total, Chevron, UAC, Leventis, CAT and

others were gaining popularity in the country.

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH

Majority of Nigerians in the

70’s were more focused on

getting quality education and

chasing rewarding careers.

In the 80's, the trend continued- military rule was in full gear and few business

owners thrived as they had to conform with the rule of law in the country. But the

70's and 80's had rebels like FELA who spoke against the military junta through

his music and newspaper articles written by other human-rights activists. The

80's also had people focusing more on small businesses (petty trading,

contracting-based businesses and small support agencies).

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH

The rebellious nature of the

people and distrust of the

government led to people

seeking new endeavors.

The 90's brought about an expansion of the local manufacturing industry.

More small businesses were getting bigger and focus was on FMCG's, Banks

and the presumed big businesses. At this point, you were encouraged to study

hard, get good grades and pursue a career with one of the successful local or

multinational companies in order to live comfortably. But a paradigm shift was

happening – youths and adults born in the late 70’s and early 80's were

exhibiting rebellious streaks. They were venturing into self employment and

bringing back the SME concept but there was no guiding structure in place.

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH

Even though much emphasis still

laid on getting good grades and a

good job during this era, vocational

studies to establish a small

manufacturing company was rife.

Technology and mobile telephony made an incursion in the 2000's, coinciding

with the global dot com burst. After the dust settled- online brands such as

Amazon, EBay, Facebook et al, rose out of the ashes with solid business models,

getting listed among the world top 100 brands and even surpassing giants like

Coke and IBM. Stories of their founders became tales of inspiration for

Generation X and Y. Youths between the ages of 18 - 27 were venturing into

creating successful tech businesses, dropping out of tertiary institutions to pursue

their innate passions. They had been fired up and they were not going to back

down. They were becoming young CEOs and Product Developers with the zeal to

establish social enterprises that address critical issues in the country.

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH

Access to digital information

via web and mobile exposed

people of this era to focus

on acquiring digital skills.

Today's young Nigerians are all about empowerment, social enterprise and

social networking. They don't want to become engineers but UX Designers.

Doctors! No, they're creating health apps. Lawyers - they founded platforms

where you can contact a legal consultant. And they are doing all these from

their homes, co-creation labs or their office-in-a-box. The incursion of Elance,

Freelancer and ODesk and similar platforms serves as avenues for this

generation to explore their passion and creativity. They are becoming young

CEOs, Solution Providers and Product Developers.

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH

How do you truly connect with the average Nigerian who’s mobile savvy, a dealaholic by all

standards, a social passionista who keeps up with the latest trends on various social media

networks, and a visionary always on the lookout for the next big thing?

In today’s digital world, connecting with

Nigeria’s rapidly evolving populace requires

an understanding of our digital consumption

habits. Welcome to the NEW NIGERIA: a

place where its people change as fast as

the weather, yet as slow as the climate.

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH

Co- creation and incubation hubs are on the fast rise. Brands such as, Fast Launch

and CC Hub are pioneering this trend, creating spaces where techpreneurs and

sociopreneurs collaborate to solve the country’s greatest problems. Nested in areas

accessible to these radically skilled individuals, these brands provide Pre-incubation

support aimed at assisting early stage social technology ventures to build the

foundation for sustainable enterprises.

Impact: CCHub.com has helped developed over 50 start up brand ideas with new

business ventures on the rise daily while FastLaunch.org will reveal its maiden

Founder Design Team, 25 start up social enterprise creators, who’ve been in a three

month training program, in October through its partner financing options.

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH

Growth of the mobile entrepreneur who only needs an office-in-a-box (small office or

collaborative workstation) to work from. They’ve studied at schools like Orange Academy

and Lagos Business School. Today, brands such as CapitalSqua.re and

EnterpriseCreative.org have opened up fantastic channels for idea-driven individuals, who

have an ultimate goal: to create platforms that solves the nations’ problems, are currently

developing product ideas. Providing mini workstations and office spaces for startups at a

minimal fee, the ideas industry is experiencing a major boom at the moment.

Impact: Startup brands such as Printivo.com, Traffix.com, RushHourKiosk.com and

Megaheadzonline.com are examples of beneficiaries of collaborative workspaces. Their

ideas help solve traffic, printing, design and brand development problems.

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH

Afro Pop and Afro Cosmos: Everything African, from fashion gear, hairstyle, tattoos to

Music and the musicians influencing todays’ pop speak - Olamide, Phyno, DBanj, ill

Bliss, Tuface, Davido, 9ice and their likes. Nigerians love their own and they have found

a creative way of incorporating this into every facet of fashion: from Ankara patterned

denims to Adire casual jackets, and turning them into sustainable businesses.

Impact: Global brands understand the need to tap into the culture of a country and

#speaktheirlanguage. Brands such as Etisalat and Globacom used this to their

advantage when they launched in the country, building a culture of NIGERIANESS and

using our colors, language and music. The #MADEOFBLACK Guinness global

campaign is on this same track as well and is gaining popularity back home.

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH

Online shopping sites such as Dealdey.com, Jumia.com, Konga.com and Kaymu.com

have grown in stature and popularity in the last few years, mobile money platforms

like MyPaga.com are becoming de facto payment gateways and global shopping

stores such as Shoprite, Game, Spar, Park n Shop, Mr. Price (located in super malls

across the country) are becoming shopping hotspots capturing different audience

segments

Impact: The marriage of social shopping and mobile connectivity. With various online

shopping platforms springing up to capture the savvy shopper, there’s a market for

someone who has a story to tell and sell. Decoding the average social shopper to

understand their mentality will help brands survive and not go down the Nigerian

failed business hole such as Woolworths did when it ventured into the country.

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH

Lifestyle and entertainment hangout spots are on the rise with brands such as

Rhapsody.com.ng, Bheerhugz.com.ng, Jevinik, La Mango and other bars, clubs,

restaurants and lounges providing exquisite dining and relaxing areas and supported

by brands such as HelloFoods.com (food delivery service).

Impact: On the entertainment side, events such as Afropolitan vibes, Rhythm

Unplugged, BasketMouth Uncensored among others help provide businesses and

revenue for the brand owners and for other online related services such as ticket

sales (Afritickets.com) and destination travel and tours brands such as Wakanow.com

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH

Mobile Telephony; The advent of SAMSUNG, APPLE, TECNO, INFINIX,

BLACKBERRY (the first to start this trend) SONY, HTC and their impact on

communication, connectivity and social business in Nigeria is phenomenal. These

brands have been able to capture a rapidly evolving market, focusing on various

audience segments and carving their individual niche by connecting with the culture

and trends of today.

Impact: Due to high demand for these brands and equally high demand for data

usage and mobile internet connectivity, Mobile service providers have had to upgrade

their service to meet the demands of the consumers, thus creating a massive spill

over affect as access to information and data on –the-go is now a common thing

Brands are all about emotion – and emotion connects with memory, self-image, hopes, dreams and

aspirations. Strong brands appeal to many different senses: sight, touch, smell, taste, sound – either within

the brand itself, or in the way it is marketed. Every brand we identify with is an expression of our own identity.

According to a study, "SocialShop ", shoppers use

social media to meet particular needs. If those needs

aren't met, brands are likely to see a drop-off in

Followers or Fans. The study segmented shoppers

according to their needs. To aptly describe the average

Nigerian Consumer we have come up with 6 terms that

explains the cultural molecules of individuals exhibiting

the same buying patters within each molecule.

Source: http://leoburnett.com/articles/thinking/socialshop/

The Friendly Trendy is a heavy social shopper using social media channels

to broadcast the latest trends and stay connected with favorite brands.

Friendly Trendies are indulgent and use social channels to express feelings

and stay relevant and "in-the-know." According to one Friendly Trendy, "I

talked about the Apple Live event on Twitter weeks before it happened,

because it was unique and made me look in-the-know amongst my friends."

Key point: To reach Friendly Trendies, brands should help shoppers

discover, express and connect on emerging and established platforms –

everything from Facebook to Instagram (which is fast becoming the most

visited social platform in Nigeria) to Twitter.

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH

Thrill Seekers are on a mission to score fun and unexpected deals. With

impulsive social shopping tendencies, this shopper demands timely and

relevant deals. In the words of a Thrill Seeker: "Social platforms such as

Jumia, DealDey and Konga bring me to places that I wouldn't have tried

without a deal. I share deals with friends because I know they'll be interested."

Key point: To connect with Thrill Seekers, brands should invest in tailored

deals that are "too good to pass up." In addition, brands should promote

through geo-location applications like Eskimi and Vconnect, build visibility on

daily deal sites such as OLX and Dealdey, and provide tailored

recommendations on discussion forums like Nairaland.

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH

The comparison shopper who uses social media to find the best deals on the

brands they want; Smart Buyers use social media for comparison shopping

and spend time deal digging only for their favorite brands. According to one

passionate Smart Buyer: "I follow social conversations to get tips on how to

cut corners and save a few bucks."

Key point: To connect with Smart Buyer, brands should aim to validate choices

by offering custom shopping tips and ways to save money by tapping into

blogs, forums, review sites and all social media platforms.

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH

Quality Devotees use social media to shape purchasing decisions, validate

choice and to feel empowered when making a purchase. No matter the time

or research involved, Quality Devotees will find the best product available.

Said one Quality Devotee, "I track postings, watch videos on YouTube or

sometimes, my female friends’ Vine posts and always seek online advice from

people using the products I want."

Key point: To connect with Quality Devotees brands should aim to help

shoppers build knowledge through in-depth reviews and expert opinions via

blogs, forums, review sites and visual based digital platforms.

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH

Efficient Sprinters want to save time and use social media to select items that

are considered most popular to simplify their shopping process. He looks for

the most popular and convenient/time-saving purchases According to one

Efficient Sprinter, "When I social shop, I usually take a quick look at a toy

review and buy the one with the most stars. I don't care about price."

Key point: To connect with Efficient Sprinters brands should simplify the buying

process. In addition, brands should provide a curated list of top selling

products on their social channels, blogs and retailer websites.

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH

The Bargain Shopper has just one social shopping goal: find the cheapest

alternative. With utilitarian shopping needs, Bargain Shoppers choose only

the lowest prices and do not feel loyal to specific brands. According to one

Bargain Shopper: "When using social media to shop I'm always checking out

DealDey and retailer websites to find deals on all types of products."

To connect with Bargain Shopper, brands should broadcast special deals on

retailer websites such as Taafoo.com, DealDey.com or OLX and provide the

ability to share those deals with their friends on all social platforms.

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH

Besides just decoding the average Nigerian consumer, a deeper understanding of the concept of trends

hunting is key to engineering a new train of thought for the consumer. As much as Nigerians have a peculiar

consumer behavioral pattern, the new generation are open to change and a reformation

. Even though brands focus on the low end

users, certain brands have been able to capture

other segments of the market. They’ve

succeeded in focusing on people’s aspirational

tendencies and employing the use of celebrity

endorsements, product innovation and research

to develop new products/services that arrest the

attention of a certain market type.

As content queen Ann Handley reminds us, there’s a paradox to content

marketing: “Your story is not about you; it’s what you do for others.”

When Davido (a Pop star in Nigeria) released his smash hit “Skelewu” (which

has become a lingo in Nigeria), he enlisted the use of YouTube to encourage

his fans to create their own dance steps in relation to the music. Safe to say,

one of the dance steps created by an obviously excited fan was used in the

ensuing music video to much positive acclaim from music lovers.

www.mavinrecords.comDavido Official Skelewu Video

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqflXTvth3s

Guinness’ ‘Udeme” TVC

www.udeme.com

Nigeria is a country blessed with abundant resources (people, natural resources,

food and culture). Its people are very particular about their culture and traditions,

even though they adapt and adopt other cultures to create a unique hybrid. Brands

that knows how to connect with the sights and sounds of these peculiar people will

definitely be on the rise.

South African music groups Mafikizolo, Jozi and MI Casa did this to perfection when

they featured popular Nigerian music artistes in some of their songs at the height of

South African music vibes in the country, creating a musical fusion that spread

across the region like wildfire, gaining acceptance among fans of both countries.

Powered by music and TV, new speak or street lingua comes out of the blue

everyday in Nigeria from a musician or an actor. Pop culture words such as “Pop

Champagne, Alobam, Badoo, Skelweu, Aye, Confam, Duro Bucci, Badoo, Story for

the Gods” have become social speak amongst the growing youth of the country,

and smart brands have successfully tapped into these to create ad campaigns.

Any savvy brand owner should know how to leverage on digital and social media

platforms to connect with the people and SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE.

Understand where a hundred million personal identities are going, and you have the key to your future brand

campaign. Can we really decipher the true Nigerian? Perhaps… Or perhaps not! However, we can channel a

new way of thinking and capture a new market segment if we LISTEN, OBSERVE and CREATE.

Investing in Nigerian trends/culture to connect your

brands to these peculiar people will have a long-

term benefit. In a country where over 70% are

youths under 25 years and will still be a youthful

country in the next 25 years- , there's bound to be

expansion for any business venturing into the

country or perhaps buying into an existing local

brand to boost your brand and the economy.

We are a inter-networked people

(Community first) - Habits, trends,

behavior is influenced by our neighbors,

peers, colleagues. Your brand/business

must act as friend first, product second

We are a VISUAL people - we are

excited by colors, tones, speak,

funkiness, otherness, newness

Understudy/understand the cultural

codes that drive the nation and

design products that have love,

passion and sensory cues

embedded in them

Develop products & services that solve

a problem beyond the functional needs

(Nigeria has a multitude of issues that

has beset the country - from security, to

infrastructure to power etc.)

You can commercialize unique

cultural codes as Nigeria is one of a

kind influenced by passion, language,

design and not just needs. The

market/consumers are open to

change as they want to live the life

NOW; they want tomorrow today

The country is a youthful country,

the market is ripe for building a

nation of loyalists, brand advocates

and consumer fans

Globalization is a trend that impacts everyone more and more each day. Advances in technology

and modern communications are said to have unleashed new contacts and intercourse among

peoples, social movements, transnational corporations, and governments. How much impact will

a New Nigeria have on the African continent and the entire World?

THERE is no shortage of economic growth in Africa.

Six of the world’s ten fastest growing economies of

the past decade are in sub-Saharan Africa. With

Nigeria at the center of development to come over

the next 5-10 years, building sustainable

businesses in the country will have a positive effect

on the African continent in the long run.

According to Tim Brown, CEO and president of

IDEO, the goal of Design Thinking is "matching

people’s needs with what is technologically

feasible and viable as a business strategy" .

With new solution architects rising by the day in

Nigeria, the nation is poised to provide solutions to

Africa's biggest problems in years to come. This

will only happen if investors and VC’s spot

opportunities in budding talents and brands that

stand for change, using design as their tool.

It is estimated that by 2015 sub-Saharan Africa will have

more people with mobile phone network access than

electricity access at home. The rise of cheap

smartphones has allowed vast portions of the population

- from middle classes in cities to small businesses in

rural areas - access to mobile broadband.

What this trend portends is that Africa is poised for a

rapid growth in digitization across countries. With tons of

Nigerian entrepreneurs already employing the use of

digital connectivity to solve problems of education, traffic

congestion, food delivery among other things, expect

the revolution to spread further as we will begin to cross-

culturally solve problems, not per city but per country.

While some may argue that Africa is not ready yet for

some evolution in robotics and engineering, we only

have to consider the benefits of investing in technology

to save the lives of our populace.

With significant investment is science, engineering and

technology, we stand ourselves in good stead to provide

long term solutions that will enable us cure diseases and

give hope to the broken and down-trodden.

We will be able to continue to invest significantly in

renewable energy in order to provide electricity to the

estimated 24 and 32 percent urban dwellers who have

the lowest electricity access rate (rural electricity access

is a mere 8 percent), and to eliminate or reduce, to the

barest minimum, the over reliance on traditional

biomass (mostly wood) used by almost 75 percent of

the population in Sub-Saharan Africa, leading to

premature deaths from lung disease.

With mobile education and e-learning apps or

platforms springing up on a daily basis in Nigeria,

the time has come for us as Africans to integrate

several ideas into one bigger platform where

students have access to simplified versions of the

textbooks and handouts they're given to read -

which are sometimes boring and complex.

A place where Mathematics can be demystified in a

fun creative way, where science subjects are more

practical via video tutorials. A learning and resource

centre, incorporated with existing school curriculum,

with the sole aim of helping to shape the minds of

these young ones so learning becomes easier.

And perhaps several start up universities, to serve

as a breeding ground for the next big thing and

fodder for the incubation hubs to further hone the

skills and ideas of the next African revolution.

Across Africa, an innovation culture is emerging.

Nigeria is among the countries in Africa that have the

potential of creating a vibrant innovation ecosystem.

Students and entrepreneurs have begun tapping

science, art, mobile and digital technology to solve

social and business problems.

We believe that foreign firms and institutions must work

with local universities on collaborative research to

improve the quality of degree programs and provide

much needed tools and resources to co-creation labs

such as FastLaunch.org, CcHub.com, CapitalSqua.re,

ClubOrangeng.com and Enterprisecreative.org.

These are the brands that will shape the next

generation of thinkers who will solve Africa’s greatest

problems and they need to be invested in now.

Africa in general and Nigeria in particular, is poised for rapid growth in the coming years. It's high time we

start converting research outputs into intellectual property, patents, trademarks, industrial designs and

knowledge at the highest level. We will continue to unlock trends and ideas that are worth billions to the

discerning African and international businessman, to help drive our economy and build our continent.

TINK; Intelligence is Magic.

Franklin Ozekhome, Pop Culture Strategist/Chief Storyteller, TINK AFRICA