Audience magazine

How values can Boost your business ISSUE O1 SEPTEMBER 2017

Industry insights from Ginger Camel’s Stefan Lindberg-Jones

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Targeting today’s Audiences PAGE 3

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LOOKING FOR INFLUENCE The ups and downs of influencer marketing

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- Middle East Content Marketing and Media Magazine -

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Qatar

There have no doubt been some fundamental changes to the marketing industry in recent years. In addition to how technology has reshaped our lives and continues to modify the way messages are conveyed in our societies, there has been a dramatic shift in consumer behaviour and the way people interact with all manner of products and services. The growing role of data has also presented opportunities that marketers are still struggling to integrate fully into their processes.

Editor Jim Kersey

Amidst this change, it is clear there is still confusion from many brands who are unsure about how they should respond. Some are reluctant to give up traditional marketing strategies that have worked for them in the past, while others are at the forefront of the revolutionary opportunities that now exist, working to improve the way they identify and reach audiences on multiple levels. But as it stands, most fall somewhere in the middle - aware of today’s major changes, but for whatever reason unable to truly embrace them.

Executive Editor Miles Masterson

As we see it, much of this inability seems to stem from the unnecessary complexity that permeates marketing discourse. Ironically, we live in a time where voicing our opinions and sharing our stories is more possible than ever, but the marketing community is no different to others in that the sheer amount of information available has been largely distracting. In the end, what truly matters is a single minded focus on the consumer.

Regardless of how significantly society has changed, or the innovations that have revolutionised marketing practice, without an understanding of who your audience is, much of this is irrelevant.

In the launch issue of Audience Magazine we encourage a return to the basics and bring together some major trends in marketing and business today such as the rise of content marketing, the move towards widespread personalisation and the evolution of the influencer marketing industry. With a specific focus on Qatar and the Middle East, we also hope to offer a valuable insight into the reality of the marketing world through some of the voices that reside here with advice largely pertaining to how businesses should be evolving to meet the changing demands of today while retaining the all important core principles of good marketing practice.

Jim Kersey Editor

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Designer Srimani Welagedara

CONTENTS

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Targeting Today’s Audiences

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HOW VALUES CAN BOOST YOUR COMPANY

A critical review of the changing landscape of the marketing world and how to best reach today’s audiences

A look at the Qatari based production house, Ginger Camel and what sets them apart from other companies in the region

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LOOKING FOR INFLUENCE

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BRINGING DIGITAL SOLUTIONs TO QATAR

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Do the benefits of infuencer marketing still outweigh the negatives for this rapidly evolving marketing strategy?

A101’s creative director Lara Nakhle says companies should be using technology to become leaders in Qatar

Evolving your business

Firefly’s Executive Editor Miles Masterson shares his insights into the evolution of content creation over the last 25 years

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Targeting Today’s Audiences

Understanding online communities, consumer segmentation and the journey towards mass personalisation

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wareness and acceptance of the constant change taking place in society is vital to staying relevant. This is especially the case within marketing where success has always relied on meeting the needs of chosen demographics and their evolving preferences. Ultimately, marketers would be useless without the audiences we hope to persuade and losing sight of today’s consumers can be disastrous. Yet with people’s behaviour and attitudes constantly changing, and the rising noise that exists when it comes to the communication of information across the multiple channels available to us, identifying and reaching the correct audience for any campaign has become a complex task.

THE JOURNEY SO FAR When the first brand managers started appearing in the 60’s and advertising agencies rose in the hierarchy of urban 4

Geographic Locations society, the rules were forming that would shape marketing for the coming decades.

For instance, the process was no longer an afterthought to production, but as the only way to stand out in highly competitive and saturated markets, it became a primary consideration for all business strategies. So too did the customer take centre stage.

The 70’s, 80’s and 90’s continually modified its marketing theory to incorporate lessons learned from past years and focused on tactics such as relationship management and ‘datamining’. Sales force automation was also implemented to reach larger numbers.

In short, marketers wanted to centralise aspects of the marketing process while building loyalty and trust to secure sustainable business.

The journey towards ‘personalization’ as we know it today also started here with businesses pioneering the ‘one-to-one’ principle and ‘every customer counts’ mantra.

So where are we now? Some might call this the Digital Age or the Content /

Cultural Values

Social Behaviour

Connectivity Shared Interests

Online Communities

Ideologies

Demographics

By Jim Kersey

Digital Marketing Era - a world of 24/7 e-commerce with increasingly less attention paid to traditional media compared to the giants of digital. Our societies have also emerged as highly diverse and arguably fragmented with much polarity existing even within nations, not to mention globally. With the break away from traditional values and ideological systems, it is now ineffective to market to general demographics in the way it once was.

In respect to available markets, new groups are constantly emerging as demographics previously untapped by traditional marketing have entered the game and communities of likeminded people are now just as likely to exist within digital circles as within physical ones, showing how technology has revolutionised the way messages and their meaning are communicated.

WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT If nothing else, all this has highlighted the increasing need for variety in products

and services as well as a more considerate approach to marketing. People are tired of generic or transparent advertisements that don’t speak to them personally and products that don’t cater to their specific needs. Even for the largest brands of the the past decades such as Adidas or McDonalds, tactics have been greatly modified to build consumer journeys that better understand and match consumer individuality.

We have also seen a rise in the importance of brands with integrity and values. The popularity of the footwear and apparel company TOMS for instance has shown the demand for more morally conscious brands with ethical practices woven into their brand DNA. Companies like this do more than just sell a product, but contribute to a broader lifestyle or mindset too. When there is so much available today, the expectation for companies to stand for something deeper has become necessary.

The era of Content Marketing has since emerged as the new best way of reaching people without forcing marketing messages at them. As the direct advertising of the past has shown its weaknesses, brands are resorting to a softer sell - and it’s working. According to the Content Marketing Institute, 93% of B2B marketers now use this method to generate leads and studies have repeatedly shown that those who are able to offer beneficial and interesting content to potential customers early on, whether this is blog articles or tutorial videos, are much more likely to see greater returns from their marketing efforts in the long run.

It is now much more important to develop a positive image for your brand in the mind of your audience than try to force yesterday’s linear purchasing process (step one, see an advertisement, step two, buy the product), which no longer seems to work as much.

Just consider this generation’s wildly successful Youtube personalities and social media influencers who are essentially pioneering the content marketing method.

Once they have gained trust and loyalty from their audiences through interesting content, they are able to hold a huge amount of influence over their consumer behaviour. Notice the trend?

SEGMENTING YOUR AUDIENCE But despite these shifting dynamics, many of the fundamental principles of marketing still apply. Among these is the necessity to segment your audience. Age, location, gender, income level and occupation are a good starting point for any consumer profile. But as many global communities

Although modern advancements have created new ways for brands to gain exposure, online marketing efforts are merely lost in the vastness of digital space if not carefully guided to specific groups. now transcend these factors, linking groups of individuals globally around shared interests, they can also limit the potential of your campaign.

Are you targeting adult males below 30 who live in an urban location? Good luck, there are literally millions. What else can you find out about the shared values and behaviour of your target demographic? Are there specific trends, role models, social symbols or experiences that really connect with them?

A useful method for all this is generating some specific example personas. Commit to the process and give each of them names and descriptions that capture who they are as people and consumers. You can start with the hypothetical, but why not also reach out to real people too and ask them how your product can be marketed to better serve their needs?

The knowledge you gain at this stage can be linked to your promotional offerings later to truly maximize your exposure.

Consider for instance how knowing the daily tasks of your targeted persona can offer valuable insights into how you can intersect your marketing content with their life. More comprehensive research methods are also available of course, and there are many popular data providers out there such as Contently who can help too, but the key here is knowledge and a lack of assumptions.

PERSONALISATION As social behaviour is continuously analysed to better understand what people want, companies and brands have evolved over time to meet these changing needs resulting in the great amount of personalization that now exists in our lives. According to a recent report from Accenture, 75% of consumers are more likely to buy from a retailer that addresses them by name and integrates their purchase history than one that is not - an eye opening statistic given the concern many critics have voiced regarding how consumer privacy and data protection issues would slow down the personalization trend.

It has also had a dramatic effect on the way certain products and services are shaped. Take Netflix for example, who have integrated tailored experiences and separate family member profiles to offer users the content they want without the need to sift through an endless catalogue of files. Recommendations received through online platforms are everywhere too - from online shopping accounts to your social media channels.

The chances are that if you look through your phone, you will see personalization woven into the very fabric of your favourite applications. No longer static in their design and content, but more like digital organisms learning your behaviour and adapting accordingly. The Starbucks app 5

a blog post for your target demographic by adding more relatable anecdotes or images? Or adjust the visual look and feel of your social media pages? There are many simple ways to alter your content.

A History of Marketing Content / Digital Marketing Era

2010 – Present

Relationship Marketing Era

1980’s – 2010

Marketing Company Era

1960’s-1980’s

Marketing Department Era

1940’s-1960’s

Sales Era

1920’s-1940’s

Production Era

1860’s-1920’s

Although modern advancements have created new ways for brands to gain exposure, online marketing efforts are merely lost in the vastness of digital space if not carefully guided to specific groups. The pressure for all companies is now on to deliver relevant content based on the interests and preferences of a targeted audience and understand that the communication of information has fundamentally changed in our societies.

Pre-Industrial Revolution

Simple Trade Era

Highly personalised apps such as the Starbucks phone app are now widely available.

for example will remember your coffee orders and generate promotions to suit your tastes.

But creating customized content and experiences can a formidable task.

Especially if you don’t have access to the technology that gathers and analyses data.

Or perhaps choice itself is your problem.

Who should you target when the market is so vast and varied? For those of you

who see personalization as simply beyond your capabilities, don’t be put off by the giants pioneering the movement, consider starting small and scaling up as your means allows.

There isn’t always a need to create specialized content from scratch, but instead you can use what you already have and repurpose it to better speak to your segmented audience. Can you personalize

Effectiveness of Personalized vs. Unpersonalized Content 48%

32%

17% 0%

3%

Much less effective

Less effective

About the same

More effective

Much more effective

A recent study by Seismic and Demand Metric surveying more than 180 B2B businesses regarding the effectiveness of personalized content since implemented

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middle eastern CONSUMERS How you should be considering local contexts in your marketing efforts

The bustling market place of Souk Waqif. Doha, Qatar.

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f your main target audience is in the Middle East, you will know how rapidly changing the landscape is. As well as an emerging digital revolution that contradicts a love affair with print media, you have to also consider large contextual factors such as cultural influences from both local and external sources. The rate of development varies massively between countries and the media law that surrounds the portrayal of certain images must also be heeded. To be successful, you must factor in all these elements into your process.

Consider now what we do know about Middle Eastern consumers: big name brands are important. While this means that the idea of quality and prestige is held within a select few internationally recognised products, it also means that consumers are more likely to differentiate a name they trust globally from something mass-produced in China that they do not recognise. So the lesson to learn is that the faster you develop a brand with a trusted name and a public image that communicates quality, the better.

Buying is still very social in the region. This means that buyers are less likely to trust

descriptions and advertisements over endorsements from friends. This can make it extremely difficult for new brands to penetrate the market, but it also means that once you gain a loyal following you may be able to organically sustain this for a longer time. So aim at specific groups and allow positive feedback to aid your exposure.

This translates to social media too. If your brand is positively favored on digital platforms, this massively adds to your value. One of the reasons Influencer Marketing has become so popular here is the fact that people respond more positively to endorsements from people they already have relationships with, even if these relationships are digital. So think carefully about how your audience is consuming content and what platforms are likely to influence their behaviour.

Looking deeper, you might also consider the history of Arabic trade and how consumers in the region have traditionally interacted with products prior to purchase.

Handling products to measure their quality, discussing the details extensively with the shop owner and haggling on price has been standard practice in the region for centuries and in many famous market districts such as Bur Dubai Market (UAE), Souk Mutrah (Oman) or Souk Waqif (Qatar),

The faster you develop a brand with a trusted name and a public image that communicates quality, the better. this is still the case. Now though, with an increasing amount of e-commerce taking place where the interactive element of buying is minimal, there still exists a lack of trust in the process, especially for the older generations.

So for your own product or service, you may want to try harder to find ways to alleviate any buyer’s anxiety with tactics that convey an items quality and gain your customer’s trust. Demo activities or in-shop examples is one approach, another is integration of high quality images and videos or user reviews across digital platforms.

The basic fact is that in any region in the world, people have specific tastes and preferences. So if you are from the region, you must think before you simply follow word for word the messages of your favourite U.S. based marketing guru and look beyond your own doorstep to see what restrictions and opportunities exist for your brand.

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Stefan Lindberg-Jones, Managing Director of Ginger Camel.

Stefan Lindberg-Jones, managing

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A

fter recent economic turbulence, many of Qatar’s SMEs within the media and production industry have found it difficult to survive. Yet, as those still active in the region have realised, there is still much potential that exists in the market.

As we navigate the throes of the year ahead with its uncertain economic outlook, it is valuable to take a look at the companies that have found success within the current climate.

Ginger Camel, a homegrown video and digital production company based in Doha, is a company that has never relied on a traditional marketing or sales department. Instead, the Ginger Camel brand, pioneered by founder and managing director Stefan Lindberg-Jones and his team of passionate media creatives, claim it is the quality of their creative work that has been their best form of marketing and most valued tool.

Stefan suggests that the values and attitude of the agency, including their positive mentality and employee satisfaction, have ultimately been its life support. More so than the expensive equipment or the ‘hard sell’ many others have resorted to within his sector.

Started in 2011, Ginger Camel like other startups in the country carved out a piece for themselves from the small, but relatively lucrative, ‘cake’ that exists here. Also like others, it too found success in catering to a select number of core clients, benefiting from repeat business and stable revenue. But as we all know, times have now changed. For all who have relied in some capacity on money funneled down from Qatar’s large industry entities, the traps of such comfort have presented themselves as financial budgets have been tightened. For much of the media and production industry in Doha, companies have had to adapt to survive.

Stefan comments how for him, adapting meant going back to his roots. “When you start a company you have a focus to succeed,” says Stefan, “this is your driving force. But then you get to a point where you take things for granted, and you lose that drive. And that hit me at the beginning of this year. We relied very much on core clients, and when their budgets got hit in late 2016, and they slowed down so there wasn’t very much coming from them, I had to basically get back out there - knocking on doors like in the beginning. And that’s it. In this place you have to be seen. You have to remind people that you’re still going. A lot of companies have closed over the last year but I didn’t want people to think Ginger Camel was out.”

The Ginger Camel team during production.

that I’m passionate about, all I need to do is talk about who we are, what we’re good at, and just show them the work that we do.

I don’t go in hard. I just leave it to whoever I am pitching to and let them decide.

“A lot of work has come through recommendations.” Stefan continues “It plays a huge role in this region and people really value it. The guys on our team are lovely to work with too and they also act as my sales team, and this goes long way with clients. So I’m very lucky that I’ve got a great team that really gel together.”

Despite a somewhat unorthodox internal structure - one that gives employees input on top level decisions - allowing collective choice to reject projects that are deemed below the standard of the company’s abilities Stefan comments how in the end, it was trusting in the values of their brand that has been the key to success. This has meant placing the importance of creativity over money when necessary.

FUTURE CLIENTS WON’T LOOK AT YOUR BUDGETS OR RESTRAINTS, THEY SIMPLY SEE WHAT YOU’VE PRODUCED, SO IF YOU’RE NOT PROUD OF IT THEN WHAT’S THE POINT?

As those working in the region will know, the Middle East, and specifically Qatar, is a place where face-to-face business is integral. From first impressions to the closing of deals, the relationships that are built between people are often the most effective promotion for business. Perhaps reminiscent of historical traditions of business etiquette in the region, the human element vital to good business is perhaps more important here than in other parts of the world. A fact further reinforced by Stefan’s recount of Ginger Camel’s history.

“Although I don’t like the whole ‘sales’ thing, the kind that is in your face, I have been told that I’m a natural when it comes to organic sales.” Says Stefan. “But because it is my company

“When I worked at places in the past” Stefan says, ‘It was more about the amount of work that they could get through the door, so they weren’t worried about the projects that they worked on. It was more about getting the money in. You always felt that you were on a conveyor belt. You could see the guys, they were disheartened and burnt out. I always vowed that if I started my own production house I didn’t want that. So we are very lucky that we basically pick and choose the projects that come through the door.

“At the end of the day,” continues Stefan, “you are always looked upon by the last project you’ve done. So if you have a bad client - low budget, peanuts - your staff is disheartened and you end up producing something that you’re not proud of. Future clients won’t look at the budget or the restraints, they simply see what you’ve produced, so if you’re not proud of it then what’s the point?”

Expanding on the way his company works, it is clear Stefan’s 9

democratic leadership style was deliberate. Allowing staff to work on their own creative projects during quiet periods is one example of this. A point system established by the staff to decide whether a potential project is the right fit for the team is another. Yet what ties together Stefan’s stategy is the importance of putting quality first and retaining an image in the market for Ginger Camel as creators of original and innovative work whether in 3D animation, film or any other medium.

On the subject of collective choice, Stefan says “my head of film for example, Najwa Hanifi, she has a sixth sense about clients - a gut feeling. I value that.

To be honest, there is a lot that you can’t explain in life. If people are feeling negative, then you will get negative things towards you. If you have a very positive outlook in life, you will get positive things coming back to you.”

“My buzz for running a company is seeing people happy and seeing them in the zones of their creativity or field,” says Stefan, “so I only get involved with projects if there is an issue with the client or if something goes wrong. But I trust them, and I employ these guys to do the best they can, so my job is to create an environment where they are happy to come in everyday, and produce quality work. I don’t think it’s just about the money for them, it’s more about their craft, and that then reflects on what we produce at the end of the day. Which I think is rare in this part of the world, and perhaps why we stand out.”

The fact that Ginger Camel has outlived others of its kind is noteworthy in itself, not least stacking up a collection of awards as seen below, but as it has done this without a dedicated sales team it suggests something about the company’s core values, which have likely been the key to its success. As the landscape continues to change for SMEs in the country, it is heartening to see how brand integrity and a passion for the craft of film and digital production have bloomed here in Qatar. For the remaining players in the industry, Stefan Lindberg-Jones and the Ginger Camel team have set the standard for production quality and offer valuable lessons to be learnt.

My investment is in people. I know other companies that have invested mainly in equipment and they’re not worried about the people. Whereas with my guys, they’ve been here for five years. They’re still here and they want to be here. So we must be doing

With a population formed by many internationals working away from their home countries on temporary contracts, it can be said that in Qatar resides a transient mood - year after year people come and go and the employee structure is constantly changing within many offices - and this has no doubt impacted employee mentality and attitude at times.

To contrast this, much of the staff at Ginger Camel have been around since the company’s formation. “My investment is in people.” says Stefan, “I know other companies that have invested mainly in equipment and they’re not worried about the people. Whereas with my guys, they’ve been here for five years.

They’re still here and they want to be here. So we must be doing something right.”

GINGER CAMEL AWARDS

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LOOKING FOR INFLUENCE Do the benefits of infuencer marketing still outweigh the negatives in this rapidly evolving marketing strategy?

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The key agents of influence in modern society have changed dramatically over the past ten years. Within the context of social media and the shifting power balance away from traditional media outlets, the way ideas are exchanged takes place far beyond the boundaries that once existed. Vast communities now exist online connecting millions around the world and the digital landscapes these groups inhabit are often where contemporary culture is now shaped. Those who want greater power over public opinion or decision making today are constantly looking for ways to access these online communities.

The Rise Before the term became so prominent within the marketing world, social media influencers or digital influencers were merely individuals - sometimes known celebrities but often not - who had become *extremely* popular online. Featured heavily on social media, people looked to these figures for suggestions and inspiration for how to live their lives. Travel Instagrammers such as Chris Burkard or Kate McCulley for instance would offer many their daily doses of wanderlust, while beauty vloggers such as Zoella made names for themselves from their practical tutorials.

To the credit of youth culture today, there has been a trend to undermine inauthentic and superficial mass marketing campaigns. Many are cynical or distristful of mainstream media and are not afraid to voice their disdain on the multiple platforms that are available to them. Whether this is the result of consumer maturity, society less swayed by persuasive messages from large corporations, or simply an expression of boredom in the face of generic and predictable advertisements, the trend has highlighted the failures of traditional marketing methods and the need for something new.

The nature of social media itself also allowed a deeper insight into these Influencer’s lives that was never available from stars of the past - regular updates and behind-the-scenesstyle coverage transformed many into modern day idols, while still allowing them to retain identities as regular people with normal lives, consuming products and services that were no different to anyone else’s. Whether they were discussing the benefits of protein shakes or cosmetic appliances, the value of their product recommendations was worth a hundred TV commercials to their fans. People couldn’t get enough. And all this was a far cry from the unattainable superiority of your traditional superstar endorsements.

Partly because of this, and partly due to the failure of existing avenues to reach the kind of numbers that brands now want, Influencer Marketing has risen to prominence - a method of tapping into the existing popularity of influential individuals with the hope of increasing brand exposure. Whether here in the Middle East or globally, this trend has become too big to ignore.

Many had won large audiences mainly because of their quirky social media presences and regular engagement through video blogs such as Casey Neistat, known for his adventurous daily vlogs amassing him over 5 million subscribers. Others were skilled artists and creatives who received global recognition for the work they displayed online. Whoever they were, these 11

These new stars are are essentially their own content creators, models, publicisers and editors, and often lack the right kind of advice or strategy to keep their brand intact. Because ‘brands’ are essentially what they have become. individuals appeared less manipulated by big media and commanded great trust from their audiences. And thus are the origins of Influencer Marketing.

As the value of such influence became realised, what started with ‘tips’ or ‘recommendations’ from a few figures who received a small token of recognition from companies such as free merchandise, rapidly turned into a billion dollar industry involving agents, contracts and enough money for some Influencers to retire on.

According to a recent study by Twitter and analytics firm Analect, 49% of people said they rely on recommendations from influencers when making purchase decisions. In a heavily saturated world of advertisements and sponsorships, influencers emerged as a refreshing change to the marketing and advertising world of the past, offering brands a way of tapping into new and wider demographics that were previously unavailable to them.

The Fall

There are also a host of expectations that come with being a known influencer, and if you fail - make a mess of yourself publicly or endorse the wrong product - you are likely to come under even harsher scrutiny than say an actor or musician, as you have claimed to be authentic, to have integrity. Just as their fame is a cause of a direct relationship to their audience, so too can their misfortune be, unbuffered by agents or PR managers.

We have seen this happen often. Due to a few bad choices and the temptation to sell fame for reward, Influencers have lost some of their original charm and the whole idea of innocent ‘recommendations’ or ‘insider tips’ is largely a joke - usually a guise for paid endorsements. Ultimately, the perception of influencers as trend setters and social pioneers has been undermined and as was the case with traditional mass marketing ads of the past, people have shown that of people say they rely on they have standards when it comes recommendations from to the messages they receive from influencers when making the media. But is this enough to end purchase decisions the industry? accoring to Twitter and Analect.

When you take all that initially made Influencers popular in the first place; the seeming innocence of it, the organic growth of popularity of influencers or the seeming portrayal of authentic and genuine lives that made people feel their dreams of success and fame were attainable, it is easy to see why consumers favoured these figures over your typical brand-sponsored celebrity endorsers. We all knew they were profiting in some way from their product endorsements, but no one seemed to care that much - it was merely a sideshow that allowed us to keep consuming their content.

49%

However, as some began to feed their audiences products completely unrelated to themselves, failed to disclose sponsorship deals, or even worse, if these products were in contradiction to their supposed values and social identity, the ugly head of corporate agenda starts to rear its head, and the integrity of these influencers was brought into question.

Not just this, but the reputation of the influencer, the brand and the whole idea of Influencers themselves started to crumble. This is largely where we are now - a tipping point of audience favour. One of Instagram’s most followed individual for example is a prime example of this. Clearly in demand from many international brands, Gomez has made millions from her social media endorsements for various entities and has done nothing wrong in a legal sense, but as it now stands, she has been heavily criticized for being the face of too many brands, igniting a wide distaste for ungoverned and rampant influencer greed.

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The reality is, after making the first step into brand endorsement, the game changes for influencers. These new stars are are essentially their own content creators, models, publicisers and editors, and often lack the right kind of advice or strategy to keep their brand intact in the long term. Because ‘brands’ are essentially what they have become.

The Middle East

Influencer Marketing in the Middle East has been especially huge.

Bloggers, vloggers and Youtube stars have found a space away from the media’s traditional restrictions of a more conservative cultural system, enabling them to voice their unfiltered personalities to a huge amount of people.

The availability of Internet and the prominence of social media platforms as primary sources of information in the region has opened up many new possibilities, and the minds of young people today are more likely to be shaped by the individuals who pioneer this sector than traditional media channels of the past.

The love of print still exists in the region, yet many did not grow up reading newspapers and those that did are gradually migrating to digital providers of news and entertainment. The largest influence in the lives of young people today comes from a different place altogether, a digital landscape, a place where today’s social media influencers have become the first real examples of region-based role models, rivaling celebrities on the international stage.

The beauty of Influencers in the Middle East today is that they fill a gap that mainstream Western media has failed to do for a long time.

It is fame and popularity dressed in local garments - whether it is

lifestyle blogger Taim AlFalasi or the self-taught Emirati chef ­Bader ­Najeeb, a more recognisable and relatable form of popularity exists in the region now. The rise of Arab grown influencers shows that despite the concerns some have over influencer integrity, people in the Middle East have a strong desire for something that is authentic to their own cultures.

What Remains Despite the signs that Influencer Marketing might be losing some of its charm, it is clear that it isn’t going anywhere just yet. Influencers will continue to emerge in coming years and if these individuals choose to monetise their fame, there will be plenty of brands ready and waiting to use them.

There is even perhaps more potential in the industry now than there was during its honeymoon period as the process has become much more organised, involving a range of agencies that exist solely to link brands with influencers of varying size and type. There is also less confusion about its benefits of using and more insight into the monetary value and ROI.

As for Influencers, if you are a new-age social icon who can offer quality content to your audiences with authentic recommendations, you will be praised by the X number of followers you boast, and you will inspire the behaviour of many of your fans, with the potential to trump even the levels of success today’s movie stars and artists. But when this newfound popularity becomes too much tainted by the corporate shadow, the public can be even quicker to denounce you as a fraud - a trap many have fallen into.

Ultimately, the world of marketing changes constantly. Influencer marketing remains an interesting phenomena of our generation, but it will undoubtedly undergo changes of its own in years to come. The prediction is that as the industry becomes more controlled by agencies and corporations, there will be less attention paid to them from the masses for the same reason as traditional advertising has been on the decline, yet as many still capture the attention of millions, they will continue to pioneer this generation’s most intruiging form of marketing.

The trick to finding the right influencers for your brand is understanding the audience you want to reach inside-out as well as knowing the dangers of overreaching your boundaries. This means that you can’t just take a list of names and choose the one with the largest followers within your budget. Your influencers and audience must align, or the whole process won’t work and you’ll be opening yourself, and your chosen influencer, up to criticism for the blatant shallowness of the relationship.

Percentage of people in the Middle East who agree: “more entertainment media should be based on my culture and history” 2014 83% 80%

81% 73% 67%

Qatar

2016

KSA

65%

UAE

64% 59%

Egypt

67% 53%

Lebanon

52% 52%

Tunisia

Data adapted from a recent study by Northwestern University and Doha Film Institute surveying media use in the Middle East, 2016.

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A101

Bringing Digital Solutions to Qatar Lara Nakhle, Creative Director at A101, a Qatari-owned turnkey digital & innovative solutions company, stresses the importance for businesses being on the lookout for new changes in the market and adapting themselves accordingly. Focused on design and development, from simple websites and mobile apps, to complex e-commerce integrated systems, A101 offers digital solutions to businesses in Qatar.

How would you describe the kind of clients that A101 typically works with?

Our clients come from various sectors and backgrounds. The thing they have in common is they understand there is a shift happening from offline to online and want what’s best for their company and brand, which is why they approach us in the first place. They are typically looking for our expertise as well as innovative solutions for their brand activations and events.

How aware are clients of your services?

To be honest, a lot needs to be done within the region to educate the market about the digital world and make them understand

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the benefits of our services. Technology is always changing and shifting, and people need to remain up to date and ahead of the competition by taking advantage of the strategic solutions What kind of projects have you been working on recently?

We’ve actually worked with great clients recently. To name some, we’ve designed and developed an Augmented Reality (AR) Photo Booth for the Ministry of Health for Qatar National Day, a permanent AR telescope installation for Kahramaa and VR cycling simulations for Vodafone on Sports day and the Doha Triathlon 2017.

What do you think sets you apart from other companies in the region?

We pride ourselves on our strategic thinking, our specialized team and our ability to work closely with our clients, adapting and tailoring our services accurately and efficiently. We are also the only company in Qatar with native mobile developers in-house to ensure we deliver premium quality apps for our clients. And unlike other companies, we understand this ever-changing market, and focus heavily on cost optimization as well as the importance of data gathering and analytics.

Can you tell me a about the team behind A101?

Our team is blend of technologists, creative thinkers, developers, and business professionals. We are a collective, bouncing ideas off of each other, making sure we end up with the best solutions for our clients and partners. Every role is important and only by working together are we truly a force to be reckoned with.

Has the business / marketing landscape in Qatar changed since you entered it?

I’ve been working for over nine years now in Qatar and can easily say that the business and marketing landscape has drastically changed since I first entered it. The beginning was like an open canvas where opportunity was around every corner.

There wasn’t much competition. Some say things were easier then, but to be honest there was a lot of educating that was needed to be able to take Qatar to a more advanced way of promoting its brands to international standards.

A lot of companies were worried to shift away from the norms and were looking at what others were doing and copying that. It took some time to explain to some clients that they should be taking advantage of the situation and be the first to be different, thus becoming memorable. And of course the use of social media marketing and influencers was probably close to none then, so print was used heavily and we didn’t have all the possibilities we have today.

How important is keeping up to date with technology and the changing digital landscape to A101?

It is crucial. If you aren’t up-to-date with the changing digital landscape and emerging technologies, you will not be able to provide the right tool to the right brand.

We have only seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to technology. There is a multitude of things that will be emerging

In coordination with Qatar Tourism authory, A101 provided interactive digital games as part of a large-scale indoor summer event to boost ctivity during the summer months in Qatar.

Having worked extensively in the branding and advertising industry in the Middle East and beyond, Lara believes that all marketers must be present online and understand the newest technologies and possibilities that exists in today’s digital movement.

soon. We need to remain tuned-in, always learning, researching, adapting, and making sure we don’t fall back like some tech companies unfortunately do.

Have there been any major trends vital to A101’s success?

The major trend that has been vital to A101’s success is the fact that if we like it or not, print is slowly dying. More and more brands are seeking cost effective ways that will lead to big ROI. And the digital era is here to do so. Using interactive media is a great way to keep the public engaged and entertained. People’s attention span is decreasing with time and that is why

we focus on engaging, experiential and interactive solutions ensuring the client’s message gets across with our services.

Can you comment on any specific difficulties that companies in the media and production sectors face in Qatar today’s?

The main difficulties in my opinion are to staying up to date and on trend. It is very easy to become repetitive if you don’t push yourself and your ideas to newer heights.

The public has become accustomed to traditional advertising. Media and advertising companies need to push themselves harder to really engage with the right target audience so they are able to retain the information the brand wants to convey. This does extend globally as many international agencies are breaking ground and finding new ways to get in touch with their audience on a more human level, making the consumer believe in something bigger than just a product or service.

How can these be overcome?

The best way to overcome this is to really understand who your target audience is and relate the information in a way he or she would be interested in. The hardest thing we’ve faced in Qatar is the fact that most companies tend to group their audience into one big bubble instead of really segmenting and reaching the right people in the right way.

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Which companies have a successful marketing strategy in your eyes?

There are many companies that do so, but mainly on a global level. When content created is always engaging and interesting, beautiful to look at and gives you a push to share with family and friends. This is what successful marketing is about. It’s when people share your content not because you tell them to, but because they want to. The best way to promote yourself is to make other people promote you indirectly.

What advice would you give to companies who are in or looking to enter the world of digital media for the first time?

My best advice would be not to think from the company’s perspective but to think from the consumer’s. They need to put themselves in their shoes, and imagine the content they would like to see. Overflowing the user with marketing content post after post will only kill the brand image and make them lose their followers.

A101’s Hayyak smart registration platform offers innovative experiences before, during and after events.

Is there a philosophy or common practice behind your approach to creating content / services?

My best approach is to “give the people what they don’t know they want yet”.

Make them really a part of something big. Get them involved. Going back to the importance in understanding the public you are dealing with, once this has been defined, then it’s a matter of finding a creative and unique way of keeping them hooked. Standing out is very important as well. There is too much noise online, from social media channels to personal blogs to company newsletters. Users have direct access to the world with the click of a button. The question is what can you offer that would make someone want to come back for more.

Many companies are too worried to step out of the box and try something new for a change. We are here to try to push our clients to become leaders.

Have you noticed any trends in terms of the businesses that are doing well in Qatar recently?

Well, the thing that has booming in Qatar is the use of social media influencers to promote a product or brand. Many agencies here tend to do so. But I believe this will slowly diminish as most people become more neutral towards this and want to shift their focus on more “real” content being generated by people that aren’t involved with corporate entities.

How exposed are you to the world of Social Media?

We believe social media is important and every channel needs to be treated differently as each can give lead to different outcome. The one thing we haven’t done yet, which we will soon, is create more of an engagement plan with our followers through competitions and opinion talks, giving them an opportunity to be part of A101 and develop their ideas as well, promoting a modern and positive Qatar.

As a company with your own marketing and promotional goals, how have you employed your marketing methods to promote A101’s brand?

We’re about to launch A101’s new brand positioning and strategy along with our revamped website and services. We are mainly going to focus on our database of clients through the use of our newsletter and reach out to new potential clients through sponsored ads on various social media sites. We are also looking into creating community blogs where various people of the public can comment and 16

give their thoughts regarding the newest technology and digital trends happening in the world. We really want the public to be engaged.

Do you still use traditional methods of advertising / marketing?

As some high value customers still look forward to traditional advertising and marketing, there is still a small need for this to be able to target these customers as well. But in terms of A101, we would rather stick to digital marketing as we are a creative tech company and want to direct the public firstly to our website where you will be able to see everything from our services, case studies, social media channels and more.

Are businesses now using the digital world to market their brands differently these days?

There are always one or two brands that stand out from the rest because they understand that you have to be on the forefront to really make a difference while the rest only follow. These are very rare in Qatar. Many companies are too worried to step out of the box and try something new for a change. We are here to try to push our clients to become leaders.

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EVOLVing YOUR BUSINESS certainly new about content is that it is no longer the purview of media companies to create it. These days everyone - be they individuals or entities - is churning out media content for a variety of reasons, to voice their opinions and be heard, to spread information and achieve marketing and sales objectives.

How is this different to when you started your career?

When I started working in the media, the dissemination of information was strictly controlled and compartmentalised. For journalistic or narrative content, the main mediums were limited to books, magazines, newspapers, television and radio with most media companies focusing exclusively on one or the other. In terms of marketingrelated content, this consisted mainly of traditional advertising in the form of commercials, advertorials and sponsored content or company driven publications.

For non-marketing related content and to a certain degree even advertising material, media companies and the government controlled what made it into the public arena.

Miles Masterson, General Manager and Executive Editor of Firefly Communications.

The keys to a successful content marketing agenda are not in technology or hardware, they are in people. hh

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As an editor and journalist who has worked extensively within the fields of publishing and media in South Africa, Europe and the Middle East, Firefly Communication’s Executive Editor Miles shares his insights about the way content creation has evolved over his 25 years of experience and why businesses should be taking notice of these changes.

What does content look like today?

It depends on how you define content. In my mind, content is anything created to be consumed via media by an end user words, photographs, video or audio. What is

What is new about the way information is created and shared?

Anyone, anywhere can now build a global audience for their content at a much lower cost and faster pace than 20 years ago.

But even at the beginning of my career in print, things began to change rapidly with the advent of desktop publishing technology, which replaced the laborious and largely manual processes of compiling newspapers and magazines. When tens of thousands of typesetters lost their jobs to computers, production chain costs were reduced drastically, which at the time resulted in an explosion of magazines and newspapers. This was followed by the world wide web and increased digital

options with smartphones, tablets, apps, podcasts etc. So in short, the affordability of setting up a media channel has been vastly reduced. But it is really the speed of creating and collating content that to me is the big difference. It has been accelerating at breakneck pace since the late 1990s.

Now you can create content and upload it immediately, whereas back in the day the process usually took weeks or months from start to finish.

Would you say there were any tipping points regarding the way the communication of information has changed?

Yes, DTP was certainly one. I believe we can mostly thank Steve Jobs and his iMacs for that, as well as Adobe, who with the programmes they offered, such as Photoshop, Quark, InDesign, Illustrator and later Dreamweaver, completely democratised visual creativity and publishing. The combination of a Mac and Adobe programmes for magazine production in particular in the late 1990s and early 2000s was in my mind as revolutionary in advancing publishing as the Gutenberg Press, making it more accessible to create and spread content to the world. Broadband completely transformed the online realm - using the old dial up method was stone age compared to the faster download speeds that had largely spread worldwide by the mid noughties, enabling the rapid upload and consumption of online content and spurring e-commerce incredibly. Video enabled smartphones were another, as well as the arrival of apps.

What do people now want from the media and products they consume? Are there any things that have remained unchanged?

I guess the basic tenets of media will always remain: people want to be informed, educated and entertained.

But let me put it another way, people also know what they don’t like, which is poor content. Unfortunately a downside of the democratisation of the media is that now anyone with a computer and internet access can produce content, much of which is amatuer, badly made and in the political sense, heavily biased towards a certain viewpoint. Now that everything is largely free or comes at a very small production cost, it has meant consumers have access to so much more, but it has also meant, thanks to the cutting of editorial budgets, the demise of widespread quality. This is best exemplified in last year’s Oscar winning movie Spotlight. Fortunately people still desire critical, professional journalism and we see examples of this across the internet and other mediums, it is just a bit harder to sift through all the rubbish to find it.

What is Content Marketing to you?

Content marketing represents a massive shift in both the motivation to create content and in its dissemination.

Following the democratisation of media, all companies are now able to create their own content and build their own loyal followings, largely online but also in print like in custom publishing, seen as the genesis of the term content marketing. The idea is that if you put out enough quality content - blogs, website content, video or podcasts - you will attract an audience, who will then become followers of your brand, and in turn be much more inclined to buy your products or services when they are ready to do so. The mantra is ‘Build it and they will come’, to bastardise the term.

The new school of thought is that in order to engage the more discerning consumer, companies have to earn their trust and loyalty, which due to the sheer volume of content we are bombarded with daily is becoming increasingly difficult.

What role does content creation and marketing have in businesses?

Content marketing is the new marketing.

Traditional advertising is increasingly viewed with suspicion. Ads embedded in magazines, newspapers and broadcast media we all know are one-sided, heavy on opinion and light on fact. But the new school of thought is that in order to engage the more discerning consumer, companies have to earn their trust and loyalty, which due to the sheer volume of content we are bombarded with daily is becoming increasingly difficult. Much of the mainstream media is also viewed with distrust and of course television and magazine consumption is on the decline.

It is much better to create quality content online and promote it through social media instead; content that adds meaning to people’s lives by telling them something they don’t know or entertaining them independent of traditional media and marketing. Referrals, always key to sales, are an integral component of this formula – young consumers are much more likely to engage with something recommended by their peers than older Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers might be.

Which kind of companies should be creating their own content?

Every single company on the face of this planet should have a content marketing strategy that incorporates elements of written, photographic / graphic, video or audio content (podcasts!) as well as social media. If they don’t they will not be in business for very much longer. The key for companies is for them to see themselves partly, if not wholly, as media companies. They have to drive the creation of favourable content and tell their own stories about their brands if they want to beat the competition.

Which companies have been successful when it comes to using content to market themselves?

I come from an extreme sports background and early in my career worked extensively with Red Bull in South Africa. They were one of the first companies to see themselves as content creators and marketers, their innovative events and incredible support and promotion of their athletes garnered them widespread free media attention constantly and only in rare or select instances did they ever pay for traditional advertising. Come the new millenium and digital media, they have taken this to a new level with their events, athletes, outlets and media channels. But there are countless other examples. Locally I think the sports brands, such as the World Cup 2022 guys and some of the football teams have done a good job. Qatar Airways are great and of course Mr Q aka Khalifa Al Haroon is the local king of content creation.

What tools are available for businesses who want to integrate Content Marketing?

Every media tool under the sun. A wide range of programmes, apps and platforms are available to half the planet, so there is no excuse really. The keys to a successful content marketing agenda are not in technology or hardware though, they are in people. You need to make sure you have a quality, experienced content creation team - either inhouse or outsourced - that can come up with a strategy that is perfectly aligned with your business goals. And most importantly a creative team that produces great, relevant and topical content regularly and consistently. You don’t have to go viral every day, serving the needs of a loyal and hopefully growing audience through a funny or informative podcast for example, will do the trick.

How would you characterise the media landscape in the region?

I have lived here for seven years, and to be honest the media and people here seemed to be stuck in the 1980s - from a western perspective - when I first arrived.

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technology was available people did not know how to use or engage with it properly.

But I have seen the media landscape evolve rapidly, much faster than it did in Europe, Asia and the US. One advantage a country like Qatar has had, for example, is that they are building much of their modern infrastructure right here, right now and not retrofitting or undoing decades of archaic technology channels. So they have been able to tap right in to the best of modern trends and developments. I think this also counts for the people, young folk here are incredibly tech-savvy and switched on to global media trends.

Have there been any noteworthy trends?

Attitudes towards the media in general have interested me here, thanks to decades of media suppression and strict censorship in most Arab countries, many people distrust the media and do not have realistic expectations or concepts of what a free, independent media is or should be. But this is also changing for the better, though it still has some way to go. Fortunately social media, blogging and even the comments sections of blogs and websites are leading the way to a more critical, robust media discourse in the region.

Has Content Marketing been successful here?

Most companies do not have a comprehensive content marketing strategy, nor a team dedicated to strategising and creating content to further their business objectives.

Traditional advertising agencies and PR or communications companies, who for a long time have been the middlemen between companies and media outlets, are being caught a bit wrong-footed on some occasions by this trend. There are only a couple of companies in Qatar for example that offer the range of services that one would find in literally thousands of agencies in the US or Europe. So there is some way to go and plenty of opportunity for disruption.

What difficulties do businesses in the region face in adapting to this new marketing paradigm?

Well, the biggest challenge, even for marketing managers advocating traditional media spend, is the reluctance of the old guard of business owners to invest at all in media advertising here. In many Middle Eastern companies, each sector has been fairly monopolised and regulated with competition stunted or squashed. Also, media has not been properly audited, so it is hard to measure circulation figures and many old school operators have either been burned by media outlets who grossly oversell their reach, and/or they scoff at traditional ads where ROI is hard to measure, seeing marketing as wasted money. Even though digital marketing 20

is completely measurable through traffic, click through rates, likes etc, many are still sceptical and put off by its complexity. They are also set in their ways and confused by digital and social media. This is a problem as management spans in the region are very vertical and these old greybeards usually have the final sign off on all marketing spend. As the older generation retire though, and younger GenXers and Millenials take control of companies in coming years, this will change rapidly.

Is there still a place for traditional media?

Yes, always. I love technology and embraced the Internet with passion in the mid-90s when I was working in Europe and first saw it emerge there, but my first love will always be physical magazines and books, so I am biased.

But any good marketing strategy has to encompass all forms of media. I think newspapers in the region are going to crash spectacularly in their current form, but they may make a comeback as more independent outlets in the distant future. But TV, radio, magazines, events and even outdoor will all remain relevant media channels and effective marketing tools for companies. The ones that can effectively blend their usage of these and content marketing across digital platforms in a way that reaches their chosen audiences will be the winners in this marathon.

One advantage a country like Qatar has had, for example, is that they are building much of their modern infrastructure right here, right now and not retrofitting or undoing decades of archaic technology channels.

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