In marketing, there’s a golden rule that’s stood the test of time: be where your audience is. That’s why football stadiums are lined with banners, why cricket matches in Zimbabwe boast logos on everything from jerseys to pitch-side panels, and why top-tier brands flock to golf days with samples, pop-ups, and sponsorships. These spaces are where today’s buying power gathers — and brands compete fiercely for top-of-mind awareness in the now.
But here’s the question: what are brands doing to secure relevance in the next 10 years?
What are they doing — today — to reach tomorrow’s consumers?
Are You Building Future Loyalty or Just Riding the Current Wave?
It’s easy to market to adults with disposable income. They’re the ones buying, subscribing, and spending. But what about the young people who are watching, scrolling, liking, and aspiring — often well before they have any buying power? Are Zimbabwean brands actively engaging the next generation, or are they waiting passively for teens to become customers once they enter the job market?
We need to ask:
- Are brands growing with their future customers?
- Or are they simply waiting until the consumer shows up with a bank card?
What Are Young People Interested in Today?
The youth market has evolved — fast. While traditional sports remain relevant, the attention of young people is increasingly captured by digital experiences, gaming, anime, social platforms, and niche creative subcultures. From TikTok trends to esports tournaments, high schoolers and college students aren’t just passive spectators — they’re creators, competitors, influencers, and community builders.
This shift presents a huge opportunity — but only for the brands that are paying attention.
Imagine if brands took the same energy they put into golf day hospitality and applied it to school esports leagues, anime festivals, or digital creator programs. Imagine if the next decade of brand loyalty was built not through impulse billboards, but through shared cultural experiences that resonate with teens where they are right now.
Is There Value in Targeting High School Audiences?
Some marketers shy away from engaging audiences “too young to buy.” But that’s a short-sighted view in a world where brand identity is formed well before brand spending begins. High schoolers already align themselves with brands they admire, even if they’re not spending yet. They know what looks cool, what feels premium, what matches their values.
Smart brands understand this. They treat high school engagement as a long play strategy — not for next quarter’s sales, but for the consumer who’ll be buying a car, opening a bank account, or booking a trip five years from now.
Besides, youth influence household spending decisions more than ever before. If your brand isn’t part of their world now, will it even be on their radar later?
So… What Are You Doing About It?
This isn’t a call to slap a logo on a school t-shirt and call it engagement. It’s a challenge to go deeper:
- Are you present in the events, platforms, and stories young people care about?
- Are you sponsoring culture that they relate to — or still pushing ads in spaces they’ve already tuned out?
- Are you creating room for conversation, creativity, and community — or just shouting offers from a distance?
If your marketing strategy ends at the present, your relevance might, too.
The brands that will lead in 10 years are already building loyalty in places their competitors don’t even see.
So again, we ask — what is your business doing to get tomorrow’s consumers?
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