A Case Study of the Application of the Kenyan “Sheng” Language in Marketing

Abstract

As societies evolve, different demographic groups come up with their own vocabulary for social interaction. The young generation of a society uses a language usually made up of special words and phrases for communication to fit their needs. The language of the youth is often derived from a standard language that is widely used in the community. This paper explores the language used by Kenyan youth called “Sheng”, which is developed from Swahili and English. We will discuss the use of “Sheng” in advertisements and its connection to two major marketing strategies – blue ocean strategy and marketing myopia.