Socially-Beneficial Technologies in the African Marketplace: Product Perceptions and Consumer Preferences

摘要

The African marketplace is gradually opening to the external world and integrating into the global economy. An increasing number of foreign companies are striving to design and commercialize socially-beneficial technology products in African markets. However, many companies and their products fail in emerging economies, due to their lack of understanding of African consumers whose brand preferences, advice-seeking behaviors and perceptions of worth are largely unknown. This article uses data collected from 158 semi-structured interviews in rural Zambia to understand the perception of American (western), Chinese, and African products. Participants were presented with a series of photographs regarding different aspects of their preferences for solar lantern advertisements, country of origin, as well as perception of product worth. Participants had a strong preference for products presented and marketed as American, though advertisements featuring local ethnicities were favored. The aspirational motivations of the participants were a driving force behind their purchasing decisions. The results of this study provide actionable insights not only into product design but also product branding, positioning, and marketing in rural Zambia and other similar settings.