Unbranded : the challenges of branding for Africa's informal economy

The informal economy’s strategic positioning in Africa’s economic and social landscape creates a unique opportunity for marketers to explore the challenges and opportunities for brand building in this complex context. The purpose of this chapter is to expand the discussion on brand building in Africa from the vantage point of the informal economy to identify challenges and benefits and missed opportunities and prospects. A roadmap that can be used to accelerate and improve brand building in the informal marketing is then outlined. In so doing the chapter raises the following pertinent question: Could the informal economy be the key for marketers to unlock potential opportunities for tapping on the proverbial low hanging fruit for brand building among the often-ignored majority consumers in Africa?