Exploring Africa's heterogenous middle class' brand behaviour in the new digital age : practical insights from a multiple country study

The article's purpose is to critically examine the heterogeneous middle class in Africa's evolving relationships with brands in the new digital age environment identifying drivers for brand purchase decision-making that brand managers can adopt for their strategies. The new environment is conceptualized from the impact of digitalization and the emergence of more discerning consumers, informed and empowered in their interaction with brands. The article contributes significantly to responses to calls by international marketing scholars for further research in global brand building and management in the new digital age. Our article provides insights into how the heterogeneity of the middle class in Africa influences the consumers' relationship with brands considering the impact of digital connectivity and nuances of each middle-class segment. We identify the core drivers for brand selection that the heterogeneous middle-class segments consider and how this influences their attitudes toward brands. The study also highlights the complexities of the relationship between the middle class and counterfeit brands. Practical and theoretical implications to provide guidelines for improving practice and research on managing brands in the new international marketing environment are presented.