Yellow is the new Pink

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Just returned from a inspirational trip to Cape Town to attend the Design Indaba. Wow, what a group of amazing speakers...from Designer (Michael Beirut) who was willing to discuss the project he almost blew, a South African street artist (Faith47) to a Illustrator (Stefan G. Burcher) who draws a monster a day. 3 Days packed full with lectures left us reeling at the end of it.

But through it all I kept on trying to relate what we were hearing to Tanzania and the 'dollar a day' society.

We as advertisers can come up with

THE NEW and THE IMPROVED,

THE FASTEST,

THE BEST,

THE HIPPEST and

THE COOLEST.

But in the end, to a consumer who has a dollar a day to spend on food, rent, school fees, clothes, transport and medical this does no matter. We see it in every brainstorm that we try and crack a unique selling proposition for our cellular brand. People in Tanzania have 4 simcards (We have 4 main cellular providers) and sometimes carry around 4 phones, this is unheard of in South Africa. The Tanzanian consumer is so 'savings savvy' that they subscribe to each of the different price promotions on the different networks. Calling their Tigo friends on Longa Longa and their overseas friends on Zantel's Friends and Family promotion allows them to have more disposable income.

So we can come up with all the bells and whistles and the beautiful pictures, people will look at it, like it but still go for the cheapest options (Well in Tanzania that is). This type of insight will change the face of advertising and the world we know today. It is already happening all over the world with social media (Facebook and Twitter). As Li Edelkoort (Renowned Trendforecaster) predicted people are coming together in different and fluid societies. Groups are becoming more important that individual although you will still be able to identify the individual in the group. Mass societies and aspirations are falling away and smaller niche societies are arising. People are turning inwards to discover themselves, returning to their roots.

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Li, every year presents a Trend Forecast at the Indaba and interestingly enough she predicts 'The revival of African print' as a discovery of roots. The colourful khanga's worn by Tanzanians have stolen my heart with their beautiful symmetrical patterns and bright colours. This trend have been used by designers like Lalesso, a Kenyan & South African collaboration and even our own Stoned Cherrie. So whenever you see African print, don't see it as a commercial gimmick but a search for self.

Last but not in the least, Li left us with the biggest trend tip of all...

Yellow is the new Pink.

~maisha