Campaign 31st May 2020 #279

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May 31, 2020

A M OT I VAT E P U B L I C AT I O N

#279

AED25/USD7/SR25

A SOCIAL-DISTANCING SOCIAL STRATEGY

MCDONALD’S COUNTS DOWN TO IFTAR

MAKING THE MOST OF FIRST-PARTY COOKIES

Socialize’s Ailidh Smylie analyses new research. P24

Sand Clock by Leo Burnett takes over Drive-Thru screens. P3

Robert McGovern on how to leverage your own data. P7

THE NEW MEDIA “You can advertise, and you should, but we would recommend being thoughtful about tone of voice.”

Influencers lift their masks

What a trolley good idea

Publicis Media’s Dina Alsayej examines how the coronavirus has changed the way influencers, brands and consumers relate.

Geometry is reintroducing Handle on Hygiene, the shopping cart sanitisation system it developed with Lifebuoy five years ago.

BENJAMIN AMPEN, MD of Twitter, on communicating in a time of crisis.

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THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WILL CHANGE CONTENT AND TARGETING FOREVER. THE INDUSTRY LOOKS TO THE FUTURE

It’s all in the delivery Check out some of what was said at Campaign’s first webinar. Panellists covered aspects of e-commerce from data to diversification.

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May 31, 2020

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The Marketing Society adds two members to its Middle East board as new global CEO is announced The Marketing Society Middle East has made two additions to its regional board, while global CEO Gemma Greaves has left, replaced by Sophie Devonshire, CEO of The Caffeine Partnership.

In the Middle East, Trixie LohMirmand, executive vicepresident of events management at Dubai World Trade Centre, and Fran Owens, chief commercial officer of the Insights Division at Kantar, have joined the Society’s board.

LohMirmand brings with her more than 27 years of experience in the global events industry. Fran Owens has more than 20 years of global expertise working with leading businesses and brands. For the last 12 she has held senior executive roles in Kantar across its consulting and insight divisions in Europe and UAE. She is a sociologist, international brand strategist, innovation expert and sustainability champion.

When asked why she wanted to join the Society, LohMirmand said: “Curious and tempting, bold yet authentic is how The Marketing Society has inspired the region’s marketing community towards greater excellence in not only their field of specialisation, but the wider impact on economic growth and social positivity. Peer influence and learning is probably now greater than

New board members: Trixie LohMirmand (left) and Fran Owens

at any other time, and for any executive this is an irresistible opportunity to be part of the Society to re-share, re-learn and re-create new meaningful outcomes that matter to all of us.”

Owens said: “Collaborative impact is where it is at. Now more than ever is the time we all need to work together,

to devise unique and creative ways to maintain vitality and momentum in the Middle East’s marketing community. I’m honoured to be joining The Marketing Society as a new board member, bringing another fresh voice to the table, collectively pushing boundaries with braver discussions, braver events and braver

innovation that shapes the industry .”

The Marketing Society has appointed Sophie Devonshire, CEO of The Caffeine Partnership through Hunter Miller as its new chief executive taking over from Gemma Greaves who announced earlier this year that she was stepping down to focus on new business ventures.

Vice and ADMO launch platform

MCDONALD’S IFTAR SAND CLOCK During Ramadan food companies must abstain from showing food in their ads to avoid temptation during fasting. Despite this, McDonald’s Saudi Arabia created a novel way to advertise its products. Turning outdoor McDonald’s Drive-Thru screens into Ramadan Iftar Sand Clocks, falling grains of sand slowly reveal the exact time customers can break their fast. Taking 12 hours for the sand to fall – exactly the period of fasting – the grains of sand come together to form a McDonald’s meal. When the meal is complete, customers are free to order and enjoy it… just in time for Iftar. The agency is Leo Burnett.

Abu Dhabi Media Office (ADMO) and global youth media brand Vice are partnering to launch a digital content platform for young people in the Arab world. Lamma, which translates as ‘gathering’ in English, aims to champion and support youth.

The platform will feature content focused on young creators in key areas of popular culture such as music, fashion and arts. It will tackle socially conscious topics that are important to youth in the region, from the environment and mental health through to job creation.

A broad spectrum of regional personalities will be sharing their views and insights, from musicians and comedians through to educators and psychologists. These will take the form of workshops, live Q&As, performances, podcasts and more.

However, Lamma is primarily designed as a platform where youth gather to display their creativity.

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May 31, 2020

Geometry re-deploys Handle on Hygiene device for sanitising shopping trolleys

Clean sweep: The device applies a layer of sanitiser to the handle

WPP commerce agency Geometry has re-deployed its ‘Handle on Hygiene’ during the current global pandemic, and for what is likely to become the new norm afterwards.

The world-first innovation was conceived in 2015 by Geometry MENA and Barrows, a manufacturer of physical and digital experiences for retail, in partnership with Lifebuoy, a Unilever sanitiser brand.

Deployed across more than 500

supermarkets over a two-year period, the technology instantly applies a thin layer of sanitiser liquid to any supermarket or store trolley handle, killing 99.9 per cent of germs, with one simple swipe. As customers touch food, swipe and then retouch the handle, their hands and the handle are completely re-sanitised.

Geometry will introduce the creative commerce solution to retailers and brands globally in response to the

current Covid-19 pandemic.

The need for vigilant and efficient shopping hygiene and sanitisation measures has increased dramatically over the past few weeks as consumers and retailers worldwide grapple with ways to combat the spread of Covid-19. With health organisations urgently recommending the public to take the right hygiene precautions, notable among them is the frequent disinfecting of areas touched by others. Retailers have been quick to respond to concerns, deploying a variety of in-store solutions.

More than 60 per cent of shoppers globally are avoiding touching objects, according to YouGov, while half are looking for ways to enter and exit stores as quickly as possible, according to Global WebIndex Report.

These behaviours will have lasting implications on the physical retail environment, with new considerations of hygiene solutions being tested globally from the addition of sanitiser wipes and pumps at store entrances and ‘no touch’ zones to innovations in packaging and contactless payments.

“The Handle on Hygiene device is the only sustainable innovation that can be implemented and controlled with confidence by the consumer along their shopping journey,” said Geometry in a statement.

Sunil John wins PRWeek title

Sunil John, founder of regional public relations agency Asda’a BCW and President of BCW Middle East, has been named Best PR Professional in the Middle East in the PRWeek Global Awards 2020.

This latest individual award for John from the global PR industry coincides with the 20th anniversary year of Asda’a, the agency he founded. He is credited with transforming PR from a communications function struggling under the shadow of big advertising agencies “to a thriving industry that attracts global capital and talent to the Middle East,” according to PRWeek. Other judges’ comments highlighted his role as “a renowned expert in the region, a true leader with a point of view on all things communications and business related”.

OMANTEL RAMADAN

BOSE DEAR NEIGHBOUR

Through its Covid-19 Ramadan campaign, Omantel wanted to bring to life a faithful message that this too shall pass and that the power of Oman’s people will help celebrate the values and traditions that make Ramadan so special to us all. Omantel’s message is clear: Though we may not be able to gather with our loved ones to celebrate the Holy Month, we can still come together virtually to make this month a truly blessed one, because together we share the same fate. The hero film is a song that reminds every Omani that we have the power to unite, comfort and support each other, to break our fast together, laugh, love and live together, despite the distance between us.

Normally, hearing your neighbour playing the accordion early in the morning or using their blender all day would be frustrating. But at times like these, it’s become a reassuring and even welcome sound, knowing that your neighbours are safe as they carry on with their daily routines. The film uses #StayNoisy as a call to action reminding people to stay home and stay positive as we get through these tough times together. The production of the film was a challenge as no stock footage was used in its creation. Following regulations, the scenes in the film are a mix of actors in their homes shot from outside; the director’s material from his travels to Sweden, Italy, France, the USA and Brazil; and some post-production.

Agency Leo Burnett MEA Media Zenith Production house 35 Film

Agency Wunderman Thompson Dubai ECD Pablo Maldonado Sr copywriter Waleed Bachnak Sr art director Saymon Souza Medeiros Production house Asteroide Director Thiago Prestes

May 31, 2020

KFC starts using blockchain platform for digital advertising and media buys KFC has become the first quickservice restaurant (QSR) in the region to implement an innovative blockchain platform for its digital advertising and media buying.

The platform’s decentralised, shared ledger approach will empower KFC with greater and more efficient digital ad transparency to create trust in the advertising supply chain. This means that the brand can continue to leverage the power of real-time data and analytics to create disruptive communications strategies and campaigns – all while addressing concerns around security and privacy by advertisers, publishers and the brand’s consumers.

This blockchain-based solution is expected to deliver tangible benefits that KFC says will enable it to: “Harness more accurate data to increase the brand’s visibility and penetration, enabling the distribution of more timely and relevant messaging, reducing over saturation of any communications, maximising on ad placements and optimising advertising revenue.”

It will “drive increased efficiencies and a more trustworthy supply chain by resolving any issues of fraud. Due to its shared database, every ad delivery and placement is seen, shared and updated on the blockchain on a real-time basis,

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New CBO for Yum’s Pizza Hut Yum Brands has appointed Beverley D’Cruz as the chief brand officer for Pizza Hut META, responsible for overseeing the development and success of the brand’s image, customer experience and commitment to excellence across the region.

D’Cruz first joined Yum Brands as a marketing manager in Dubai in 2007, before moving to roles within the company in both Canada and the UK.

CNN promotes Rani Raad Revolutionary: Ozge Zorailioglu, CMO for KFC

bringing in ultimate transparency to the digital ad supply chain.”

Ozge Zoralioglu, chief marketing officer for KFC at Yum Brands, said: “Over the past decade, the global communications industry has witnessed exponential disruption.

Blockchain is proving to be yet another revolution, having already transformed several global industries and processes.

Historically, marketers have collected data from various different sources and

run a campaign pegged on these mismatched insights. Today, marketers must get to the original source of the data: the consumer. Blockchain technologies ensure that they get first-hand information from the target audience themselves.

“By innovating a sophisticated blockchain solution, KFC can now benefit from enhanced visibility of real-time data and the most updated insights.”

CNN Worldwide has appointed Rani Raad as president, CNN Commercial, in a new global position to broaden the company’s new business streams and increase the value that CNN provides to commercial partners around the world.

By centralising the management and strategy of its commercial activity in one operation, CNN is creating a more integrated, agile and global approach to the way it assesses market needs, develops solutions and works with partners, said the broadcaster in a statement.

AL MOSAFER STORIES OF MECCA

CADILLAC CT5 THE PLEASURE IS ALL YOURS

It’s a tradition among Muslims to try and visit Mecca during Ramadan and Eid. But this year, due to the situation and the health crisis owing to Covid-19, Mecca is under absolute lockdown. Even people living in Saudi Arabia cannot travel there. This has never happened in our lifetimes, and this year Ramadan and Eid are uniquely challenging, on a spiritual level, for those who follow the faith. So, on the occasion of Eid, for Al Mosafer, a travel platform from Saudi Arabia, FP7 Riyadh decided that if people can’t travel to Mecca, their stories of Mecca can. Memories of Mecca are brought to people in a film made by people themselves, titled ‘Stories of Mecca’.

Production house Camouflage’s aim was to create a trendy, sleek and pleasurable film targeting a younger demographic and give a futuristic feel to the setting of the story. To create a human connection, the film was driven by its heroine. With the creative vision of Saachi & Saachi and the elegant execution of Camouflage’s director/DOP Alessandro Pavoni, they produced a passion piece that combines the sophisticated and debonair nature of the Cadillac CT5 with the fashionable surroundings of Dubai.

Agency FP7 Riyadh Production company Dejavu Executive producer Manasvi Gosalia Director Tahaab Rais DOP, cinematography, editor, grading and colourist Ayas Hassan

Production house Camouflage Productions Agency Saatchi and Saatchi Director/DOP Alessandro Pavoni Executive producer Dania Salha Quaglio Producer Keshav Purushot Post-production producer Khalid Jabaly Editor Ameya Gupta Colorist Dan Mitre (DMM) Online Editor Ghassan Abboud Music Composition Nnamdi Prince Elu

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May 31, 2020

By MOHAMED ABU GABAL, social content manager, Publicis Media

BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE Publicis Media’s Mohamed Abu Gabal examines how UGC can support your brand post-Covid

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he Covid-19 crisis is an unprecedented one for most of us, and it is predicted to lead to the largest quarterly decline in economic activity since WWII. With all the changes and impact that it’s causing, it will surely come to an end at some point. When this happens and the world slowly starts to re-open, there will be a lot of us who will not hesitate to rush outdoors to make up for lost time. But, on the other hand, and as the authors of a paper by McKinsey & Co. predict, there will be a huge chunk of consumers, the ‘nesters’, who will continue to spend more time at home, either to save money or due to persistent safety concerns or simply for a newfound pleasure in nesting at home.

Those nesters and their purchase powers are a crucial element in the long journey of economic recovery. While price sensitivity will play a big role in their purchase decisions, the instilled fear and diminished trust that the crisis generated will play a bigger driving role in those decisions. Yet, amid all the uncertainty, brands still need to plan for the next phase. This might include initiatives such as offers and discounts with an underpinned focus on hygiene measures to try to make up for lost opportunities. On the other hand, as 92 per cent of global consumers prefer recommendations and word of mouth from friends and family over brand messaging, user-generated content (UGC) should play a pivotal role in any post-pandemic plan.

In a wider sense, UGC is defined as any form of content such as blogs, discussion forums, posts, chats, images, videos, audio files or product reviews that were created by users and made available on social networking sites.

As 92 per cent of consumers prefer recommendations from friends and family over brand messaging, UGC should play a pivotal role in any postpandemic plan.

HARNESS THE UGC EXPLOSION During lockdown, we witnessed an explosion in the UGC space. All the solidarity and entertaining moments on the balconies went viral. Pictures and videos of workout routines, indoor marathons and home-cooked meals found their way to almost all social feeds. And I’m sure you’ve seen tens of screenshots of video calls that your friends were having. Tourism boards launched #FromMyWindow urging people to share shots of their city from their window, to keep the residents engaged and the aspiration alive for future tourists.

The second explosion of UGC will, in my opinion, come from those who will rush outdoors when this is over. Their desire to share their

long-awaited moments of freedom with their loved ones will be unprecedented. Brands need to harness that explosion and use it in their favour.

Not only as a cost-effective source of visuals amid all the budget cuts, but also as a credible source of information that can be used to reinstate the feeling of safety and connect with consumers on a human level.

Although it might not be the case across all sectors, marketers need to think of the best way this can be used to their brands’ advantage, creating a ripple effect aimed at facilitating the return to normality or near normality and getting the economic wheel spinning.

Start off by utilising your most valuable resources, your employees. They are users, own smartphones, and can create content. Think of company-wide initiatives that incentivise them to create and publish content on your brand’s behalf.

Give them the freedom to post about your offers in their own way or, if you provide an experience, let them give it a try and document it on their channels. Tens or hundreds of employees doing that in an organised effort is a solid way to kick-start your brand’s comeback.

The global wave of “Insta-friendly” restaurants should now be expanded to other businesses as well, crafting each element of the experience or service you offer in a way that urges people to want to tell their friends about it. In the case of restaurants, the way food is presented, the lighting and the décor are all important factors of “Instagrammability”. If your brand is different, then consider launching an initiative that not only pushes people to create content around your brand, but also celebrates those who do so. You can offer them extra perks or discounts on their next purchase. Additionally, work with your content creation agency to put together a video that is purely made of UGC and that tells a story about your brand. But remember that whatever initiative you plan to launch, it is crucial to always credit the original creators.

Start your planning from now with multiple agile scenarios that can be deployed when the time is right, always keeping in mind that the sharing of experiences among consumers is indispensable in the contemporary purchase decision. And with all the changes the world is going through, your plans need to be dynamic to break through the clutter.

May 31, 2020

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THE POWER OF FIRST-PARTY DATA IN A COOKIE-LESS WORLD Not all cookies are equal, writes Horizontal Digital’s Robert McGovern. Once third-party data is killed off, what you do with the information you gather yourself will become much more important

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he humble web browser cookie doesn’t get much love these days. Despite being part of the fabric of the internet since web browsers took off in the mid-’90s, cookies still get a bad rap. While they may have been integral to the way digital advertising and e-commerce has worked for more than 20 years, things are about to change, with Google revealing plans to block third-party cookies on its Chrome browser from 2022 onwards.

Not all cookies are the same, however, and it’s important to know the difference.

First-party cookies can be helpful, enabling websites that you visit to remember who you are when you go back to them, keeping users logged into their accounts and remembering website preferences, shopping carts, etc.

Third-party cookies on the other hand can track user activity as you move from site to site across the web, letting advertisers record information about your web-browsing history and behaviour over an extended period of time.

This type of cookie provides the foundation for programmatic advertising, ad targeting and retargeting – an essential element in the effort to serve relevant ads to each user. The digital ad ecosystem we see today would not exist in its current form without them. But change is coming. With third-party cookies being blocked, it will be harder to get people to your site in the first place, and also harder to get them to come back once they have already visited. Basically, it’s about to get a whole lot harder to create effective digital ad campaigns, which means that it’s even more important for brands to capitalise on every visitor that comes to their site in the first place.

‘‘WITH THIRD-PARTY COOKIES BEING BLOCKED, IT WILL BE HARDER TO GET PEOPLE TO YOUR SITE IN THE FIRST PLACE, AND ALSO HARDER TO GET THEM TO COME BACK ONCE THEY HAVE ALREADY VISITED.”

MAKING THE MOST OF EACH VISIT TO YOUR WEBSITE While third-party cookies are about to go the way of the dodo, first-party cookies will remain alive and well. Indeed, their value will increase, giving any brand that collects and truly utilises their first-party data a big advantage in this new environment.

Knowing who your website visitors are, where they are from and whether they have interacted with any of your campaigns or website elements before can be incredibly valuable, but it’s what you actually do with that information that is key.

Too many brands today rely on retargeting as a safety net for not making a sale or conversion at the first time of asking, rather than putting a system in place to take what they know about their users and using it to make the experience better and increase conversions. The onus is on you to make the most of the data that you have. And there is a whole lot that you can do with that data.

Offer a personalised experience Offering a more personalised experience to your website visitors will reduce the chance that they will bounce, letting you make the most of their initial visit and removing the need to retarget them with a message to revisit your site at a later time. To personalise your website, you can adapt elements like images, copy and calls-to-action based on what you know about your user – such as who they are, where they live and whether they reached your site from a campaign-specific source.

Nudge visitors along the customer journey As visitors engage with your site, you can adapt the content based on their behaviour. For example, on the first page a user sees on your website you could use a designated element to showcase a brand video. If the visitor watches the video, the same module can update to feature a newsletter sign-up form, then a call-to-action to download an e-book or white paper and, after that, communicate a product offer. Showing sequential content lets you warm up a prospect with educational material before trying to close the sale.

Build a user profile based on behaviour over time Offering a more personalised experience and nudging visitors through the customer journey will increase the chances of making a sale there and then. But it will also make it more likely that your visitors will return to your site of their own accord once they leave. And when they do, you can use the data you collect to

Robert McGovern is digital strategist at Horizontal Digital build an ever-evolving user profile to help you better cater to them over time. You can track page views and interactions with site elements and calls-to-action, etc. and use this to segment your website visitors into personas and show them more relevant content based on their persona over time. Having a full 360-degree view of your customer that includes email marketing and purchase history, etc. will give you even more power to show them relevant stuff over time.

FUTURE-PROOFING YOUR BUSINESS In a cookie-less world, brands will be forced to rethink the way they communicate and interact with customers on digital channels. The tides are turning and brands that don’t adapt will be left behind. The good news is that there’s time to adjust. Data is power, but measuring and acting on it can be a challenge. If your CMS is not capable of any of the above, it might be time to rethink your web platform. What are you waiting for?

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May 31, 2020

May 31, 2020

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ADVERTISE BUT BE THOUGHTFUL

Twitters’s regional managing director, Benjamin Ampen, tells Austyn Allison the platform’s user base is growing and those users are open to advertising, but brands must communicate with consideration and compassion

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witter’s recent announcement that it will add warning labels to disputed or misleading information around Covid-19 is another shot fired in the ongoing war between social platforms and misinformation.

While the latest move is intended to moderate false news spread by individuals on the platform, in April the platform also updated its advertising policy to moderate ads relating to Covid-19.

Benjamin Ampen, Twitter’s MENA managing director, tells Campaign that his advice – based on research into consumer attitudes during the coronavirus crisis – is: “You can advertise, and you should advertise, but we would recommend being thoughtful about tone of voice and copy.”

He says: “Whatever brands do today, they should keep in mind the needs of their customers right now.

And these needs are simple. First, customers need accurate, reliable information – of course, as long as it’s relevant to the brand. Customer service and access to support is super-important as well these days. Another thing, that has more to do with tone of voice, is the community feeling: empathy and positivity. These things definitely have to be present in the communication of the brand, because at the end of the day you may be a major local brand or a major global brand, but behind these brands, behind these names, behind these companies, you just have people like you and me, locked down.

“Last but not least is [people are looking for] distraction and levity. Obviously brands should never be making light of, or making fun of the situation, but when we talk about levity it’s not for the ads themselves, it is just the approach. It’s really important to just be human and realise that the people you’re talking to right now are going through very difficult times.”

In March, Twitter had prohibited all references to coronavirus in ads. But that was eased in April. The platform began to allow managed clients (that is, advertisers who have a direct relationship with Twitter) to run campaigns with both implicit and explicit references to Covid-19, providing they follow certain rules.

These rules include a prohibition of distasteful, sensational or panic-inducing content, and a ban on advertising goods at inflated prices. It is not allowed to advertise face masks or hand sanitisers.

Further safety rules are meant to avoid the spread of fake news and misleading or wrong information.

“While we [are in touch with] the brands and the agencies that we talk to every day, we realise that

while they are as businesses trying to adapt to the new situation, they need to adapt their way of communicating as well,” says Ampen.

The pandemic has meant people are using Twitter more. The platform’s April 30 earnings report said: “In Q1 Twitter saw 24 per cent year-over-year growth in Monetisable Daily Active Usage (mDAU), driven by typical seasonal strength, ongoing product improvements, and global conversation related to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

It has added 14 million average mDAUs since the previous quarter.

This makes Twitter’s self-policing even more important. “If we want the users to be on the platform these days, we need to make sure the information you’re seeing is credible and coming from authoritative sources,” says Ampen.

However, that doesn’t mean people won’t tolerate marketing. Research from the UK and the US shows that Twitter users are receptive to product advertising now.

“It means that you can advertise and you should advertise,” says Ampen. “But we would recommend being thoughtful about tone of voice and copy.” He says some brands that are relevant to Covid-19 have been marketing themselves without referencing the pandemic directly. Examples are television broadcaster MBC and its streaming platform Shahid, and Saudi telco STC, which has been promoting its home delivery services.

Brands that have specifically mentioned the pandemic on Twitter include Riyad Bank, which launched a service to allow customers to open accounts and bank from home. The campaign saw a 200 per cent increase in new account openings. BMW used the platform’s ‘Tweet to Unlock’ feature for its Joy Within campaign, encouraging users to tweet #StayHome to unlock a short video.

When it comes to advertising around Covid-19, Ampen says brands should ask themselves two questions: 1. Does this campaign describe an adjustment to business practice or describe some sort of support to customers or employees?

2. Is this tasteful? Is it helpful and non-opportunistic?

Twitter’s goal is to maintain ‘the health of the conversation’, says Ampen. To this end it has partnered with such authoritative voices as Dubai Health Authority, Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Medicins Sans Frontiers to push reliable information to users.

PANDEMIC PREFERENCES

Twitter polled users in the UAE and Saudi Arabia to find out how they felt about Covid-19 and help brands understand their audience. In KSA and UAE, 88 per cent and 93 per cent of Twitter users respectively are witnessing a change in their daily routines.

The top activities that people in KSA are doing more of as a result of Covid-19: 1. Spending time on social media 2. Using streaming services 3. Playing video games The top activities that people in UAE are doing more of as a result of Covid-19: 1. Spending time on social media 2. Using streaming services 3. Working out at home The top types of content that people in KSA and UAE are looking for on Twitter during the Covid-19 pandemic are: 1. Reliable news on Covid-19 2. Optimistic/uplifting messages 3. News on local and global economy 4. Philanthropic efforts from brands/ businesses responding to Covid-19 The top topics that people in KSA are most interested in and actively interacted with more on Twitter between March and April are: 1. Entertainment 2. Self-improvement 3. Education 4. Consumer Technology 5. Gaming The top topics that people in UAE are most interested in and actively interacted with more on Twitter between March and April are: 1. Entertainment 2. Self-improvement 3. Education 4. Consumer Technology 5. E-commerce

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May 31, 2020

THE NEW MEDIA

MEDIA LEADERS LOOK AT THE EFFECTS OF COVID-19 AND HOW IT WILL CHANGE THE INDUSTRY IN THE LONG TERM

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hile talk of ‘the new normal’ has become something of a marcomms cliché in recent years, it is fair to say that the Covid-19 pandemic has finally bridged the gap between rhetoric and reality. ‘The new normal’ is actually becoming the new normal.

Media, marketing and advertising have been transformed by lockdown, and when things return to ‘normal’ – yes, the new normal – they won’t suddenly un-transform.

One of Covid’s most obvious lessons is that none of us can see the future.

But we can still try. So that’s what we have done. We have asked some of the region’s most senior experts in media ranging from print to outdoor, events to influencers, to tell us how their fields have been affected and what they think will happen next.

The overall theme is one of optimism, which is a relief. But there is little sugar-coating. Times are tough, and even media that has seen a growth in consumption thanks to our enforced lifestyle changes has been hit.

The optimism doesn’t come from a rosy economic outlook and bullish spend predictions; rather it stems from the unusual subtext of a highly competitive and often cutthroat industry working more harmoniously than most of us are used to.

Everyone is adapting their business models. This is never as simple as just putting print or events online, although digital integration is a large part. It means offering cross-media packages while renegotiating debts and billing terms and forging new relationships direct with clients or leveraging agency expertise in new directions.

We are not in the new normal yet. We are in the new abnormal now, when anything goes. And out of this turmoil will emerge a synthesis between what went before and what is happening now. Nothing will be the same again, and none of us knows what to expect. But if you read on you’ll be better prepared for whatever the media will look like when it is reborn from the ashes of Covid-19.

By Austyn Allison, editor, Campaign Middle East

NEW MEDIA

NEW MEDIA

May 31, 2020

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DIGITAL

STRUCTURED FLEXIBILITY

DMS’s Georges Zakkour says digital marketers have had to react with agility at all levels, while recognising and implementing the right structures and procedures has been key to making the best of the situation

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ooking at the Covid-19 situation, the market is shifting in a lot of ways, as market forces are asserting pressure on organisational structures and practices to become more agile and reactive.

Looking at the immediate short term, most changes thus far have been brought about very spontaneously, including brands across the industry engaged in cost-cutting. This solution has been simplistic, effective and obviously aimed at preserving P&Ls to remain as healthy as possible.

But there is a massive downside to this approach in the long run. Consumers will start to forget their favourite brands, and years of advertising investments that have gone into building brand equity stand to go to waste; that too in a relatively short period of time.

This, however, does not hold true across the board, as we seeing some brands really taking the initiative to adapt to the Covid-induced ‘new normal’. These players have adopted the process of digital disruption, not only across their organisational structures, but also in their allocation of media channels.

The use of ‘new’ media, such as audio, is picking up at an exponential pace in the form of podcasts.

Similarly, traditional media investments into radio have shifted from on-air platforms to radio channels’ social and digital platforms. Investments towards music apps such as Anghami are also on a rise due to an increase in media consumption, as consumers have more time on their hands.

E-commerce advertising investments are also soaring, driven by certain brands within the e-commerce ecosystem. The exceptions are brands facing logistical issues with their supply chains.

In the long run, we see the marketing industry adapting itself, based on where consumers’ share of time will eventually be focused. Brands will continue reaching out to their customers. The volume of this outreach will largely depend on how macroeconomic indicators perform moving forward. Should we come close to a situation where these indicators completely fail, then there will not be any spending power left for brands to advertise.

Our clients, as well as our balanced, multivertical portfolio, have been critical to our survival of the crisis and have allowed us to prioritise firm objectives against clients’ potential growth, as well as the future recovery of any losses that are currently being endured.

In terms of capabilities, our focus on digital has seen us take on a more structured planning, monitoring and operational approach. This was achieved through frequent training programmes aimed at converting teams of single-platform specialists into multi-platform experts.

From a client perspective, the automotive, luxury and travel and tourism segments have had no room or little room to adapt to such unprecedented times.

This was largely due to the impact of global and regional policies and regulations.

Supermarkets and pharmacies have seen tremendous growth in traffic and orders, so much

so that they have struggled at times to maintain their logistics supply. Fixing the supply chain and partnering with third-party logistics companies has allowed them to leverage the increased demand and continue advertising at a high pace.

Government authorities, meanwhile, have focused their messaging on supporting the community and creating effective fundraising campaigns, resulting in robust campaigns that have witnessed some of the highest level of engagements we have seen to date.

Traditional retailers have been reinventing themselves by shifting into fully equipped digital stores, through their own properties or by partnering with large global or regional e-commerce marketplaces. Their focus remains on performance channels through tactical promotional activities, aimed at winning over consumers’ temporary scepticism and getting them to spend.

Video-on-demand platforms (such as Shahid, Weyyak and Zee5), along with gaming entities, are gaining the most momentum, recording recordbreaking levels of content consumption and growth in their subscription bases. They can acquire at a lower cost than ever before and boost their customer lifetime value through the right content and app re-engagement.

At DMS we are working closely with our partners and publishers to gain a better understanding of the issues at hand and to draw clarity on how to navigate this evolving situation, with an aim of supporting our clients during this crisis. We have also started planning with our agency partners on how to help brands today and tomorrow from a variety of different angles. We have been trying to find solutions that will enable brands that have been affected to become active again once the pandemic subsides. We believe this will give us greater leverage once things kick off again.

At the same time, we are fairly clear that only time will tell and that the duration of this crisis will serve as the main factor in determining its long-term effects. If the situation clears up soon, businesses should be able to move forward with minimal losses, but if it persists, further re-evaluations will need to be made.

Georges Zakkour is senior agency trading and partnership director, DMS (part of Choueiri Group)

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NEW MEDIA

May 31, 2020

TELEVISION

THERE’S HOPE IN THE NEW NORMAL News, Saya, MBC in a Week, and MBC4’s Trending, amongst others.

It is important for us to continue to inform and edutain during these unprecedented times, whilst also ensuring everyone’s safety.

The media that has been quickest to adapt is already ahead, writes MBC’s Mazen Hayek. And agility will continue to be of the essence as the ‘new normal’ starts to emerge

W

ith millions of people across the region staying home, working from home and maintaining social distancing, it’s little surprise that more and more individuals are turning to TV and digital streaming.

Naturally, audiences have become bigger than ever.

And while Ramadan is normally a big season for the MENA broadcast industry, the current situation has resulted in something of a shift; increases have not only been happening during Ramadan, but they were happening in the run-up to the Holy Month, and were also set to continue throughout Eid onwards. Viewership has positively affected MBC’s share of audience (SOA) for linear (free-to-air TV channels), over-the-top (OTT) – via Shahid and Shahid VIP – and our other digital and social platforms.

Demand for news and entertainment has been surging.

Audiences want news updates about the coronavirus pandemic, but they also want to wind down when they can. Therefore, working with the relevant authorities – to ensure the right precautions were in place – we were able to continue airing live shows, such as MBC1’s

FRESH MATERIAL – THE SEASONAL ADVANTAGE Compared with other territories at the moment, I would say that Ramadan planning has been invaluable in providing fresh material to meet the bigger demand for content. TV channels and digital platforms across the world have suspended productions, with some broadcasters bearing the brunt of it more than others. Thankfully, our Ramadan roster was nearly complete ahead of the lockdown.

During this season, we traditionally shift from live broadcasts and gear towards more drama series, comedy programmes, entertainment and gameshows, religious infotainment, cookery and so on.

Most Ramadan content is planned at least 12 months in advance, meaning that production was already near complete for the majority of the titles televised during this season.

Only a handful of series have been delayed or postponed due to the outbreak.

It will be interesting to see how the industry returns to production post-quarantine. Will we see more companies work on having a bigger buffer between final product and airing time, where possible? Perhaps some live shows might need to be recorded in advance instead? Will some titles reconsider having live audiences for the coming year?

THE COMMERCIAL CONUNDRUM In times of crisis, large commercial advertisers tend to consolidate their budgets; it’s all about the utmost priorities. As a result, these advertisers choose only to invest in indispensable media that can provide their brands andservices with the highest impact and return on investments (ROI).

Typically, this comes in favour of industry market leaders, such as MBC and Shahid. We saw and felt it during the 2007/08 global financial crisis, and we’re witnessing it again today.

Again, the season has provided an advantage for commercial advertising as Ramadan ad spend is usually higher than normal. The forthcoming expected drop – due to the implications of Covid-19 on most businesses – is inevitable and considerable – but manageable, somehow.

Surprisingly, the Egyptian market witnessed slight increases this Ramadan versus last year, which is quite an achievement especially when put in the context of “flat is the new growth”. It’s only a matter of time before Saudi and the rest of the GCC markets regain their momentum gradually as businesses resume their operations.

LOOKING AHEAD The medium- to long-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the media and entertainment industry are clear to everyone in the industry now; and subsequently one will require a new mindset going forward. In the region, we need to accept that we need to be innovative, agile and capable of solving problems quickly and anticipating new trends. Those who have been quick to adapt are already ahead.

The global lockdown has also highlighted just how important it is to diversify your business model; it’s crucial to always be prepared to find new sources of revenue, whilst working towards reducing costs. Most importantly, do not take your star performers for granted. Work towards retaining your team and continue to invest in them. The right people make a company, after all.

I realise it is at times easier said than done, but it’s crucial to retain a sense of positivity where possible, and this is something we encourage in our entire team at MBC. As our ‘televisionary’ group chairman Waleed Al-Ibrahim and CEO Marc Antoine d’Halluin clearly say, MBC will continue to invest in the future; in premium content, productions, acquisitions, channels and platforms, operations and, of course, talent. We want to provide hope in the time of the ‘new normal’ – to our viewers, to our partners, to our industry and to our own communities.

Mazen Hayek is group spokesperson at MBC Group

NEW MEDIA

May 31, 2020

13

CINEMA

INTERMISSION

Cinema has proved itself through many crises before, writes Motivate Val Morgan’s Avinash Udeshi. And despite a total shutdown, it will make a strong comeback when the time is right

“I

’ ll be back.”

This iconic line of dialogue from the Terminator series comes to my mind when asked to write about the state of cinema as a medium post the Covid-19 imposed lockdown.

Cinemas, globally as well as here in the Middle East, have been asked to stop operating by their respective governments. We and similar organisations thus face a serious challenge as business has come to a 100 per cent standstill.

We have been currently working from home attending to the administrative side of the business, keeping in regular contact with cinema operators, agencies and advertisers and working on pre and post-opening strategies.

While in business we are pursuing prudence on reductions where possible, we cannot deny that there is serious pressure on operational costs, as cash flow management is affected by the delay in collections. Luckily, we are blessed to have great partners who are supporting us as much as they can – sometimes the agencies even pay us prior to receiving the dues from their clients – and a terrific core management team that believes in

‘‘YES, THERE WILL BE CLOSURES, BUT NOT BECAUSE OF THE DEATH OF THE MEDIUM, RATHER DUE TO A LACK OF LIQUIDITY OR HIGHER OPERATIONAL COSTS.”

protecting the work force for the day when things start to take a turn for the better.

As we have always seen, any event brings out polarising views. In recent weeks, we have heard doomsayers predicting the death of movie theatres and the rise of streaming services as a complete replacement. The entire incident with Trolls: Word Tour – an animated movie set to release in cinemas before the pandemic hit – being directly released on video on demand (VOD) has cinemas at loggerheads with Universal Studios.

The negative voices become louder when there is news that some of the smaller cinema chains and standalone movie theatres are going to close down. Yes, there will be closures, but not because of the death of the medium, rather due to a lack of liquidity or higher operational costs within these individual businesses.

These pressures on profits existed even before the forced Covid-19 closures. These are the same challenges as with any other business, where the objective is higher demand and lower operational costs, in which rents play a very significant role.

In the end, let us not forget that ‘movie theatrical release’ is a very successful business, and that even amid fears of competition from streaming and other media, worldwide box office revenues in 2019 reached a new global record of $42.5bn (as reported by Comscore). The other rights, such as cable, VOD, DVD, etc., contribute a substantial revenue for the studios, but that is post the revenue derived from cinemas. So the cinema business model will continue to thrive, with KSA and China continuing to multiply their screen count. All of these viewing outlets will continue to live in harmony with each other and each one cannot and will not be replaced by another.

My personal opinion too is that we as humans are a very resilient race and our ability to accept hardships as a new normal has always shone through. I, for one, despaired hopelessly when wearing a mask as mandated while going for a daily walk on day one, but by the third day

accepted this as a standard if I wanted to step out of my home. Similarly, as cinemas reopen with the proper safety protocols in place, there will be consumers. Initially there will be lesser admissions, which will slowly rise up to good capacity, as we all love the larger-than-life cinema experience and are ultimately social at heart.

The key to the magic of this medium has always been the consumption of content in the best viewing conditions, and that is what will always drive patrons to cinema.

Thus, the fact that most studios have delayed their film releases has proved that their ideal curtain raiser is cinema, a fact that negates the doomsayers.

On the overall local and global market, just like in every crisis, those who survive and/or have war chests will come out far stronger and success

stories will start rising again. One important thing to remember is that those that remain have to support each other with flexible terms and avoid rigidity.

Cinema has survived catastrophic events such as world wars and other pandemics, and will undoubtedly emerge as a medium of choice again.

Our region has one of the highest cinema occupancy percentages in the world and that is not going to change.

The third- and fourth-quarter movie releases remain intact, with a number of blockbusters releasing and, in fact, some of our advertisers have already confirmed that they are looking forward to returning to cinema for advertising – hence ensuring that we as a medium will not be terminated, even by a global pandemic. We’ll be back!

Avinash Udeshi is chief operating officer at Motivate Val Morgan

14

A

NEW MEDIA

May 31, 2020

bout six months ago, I published my ad tech predictions for 2020. It may as well have been six years ago. Disruption, so often rippling under the surface of our industry, has become a way of life. The ‘new norm’, whatever that means.

It wasn’t optimism on my part that led me to project positive growth for the year ahead; it was reading the signs, understanding the market shifts and coming to a rational conclusion. The pathway to a new programmatic era was starting to take shape.

Education was improving. New channels were beginning to mature. Trust within the ecosystem had been rebuilt.

Apparently, Covid-19 didn’t get the memo. This pandemic bulldozed everything in its path, forcing change at every level. For clients and advertisers that didn’t buy into digital transformation until now, it’s been a rude awakening. Some major corporations are finding this out the hard way too; size and scale mean nothing when your business isn’t optimised digitally.

We’ve become used to seeing dire headlines; it sells better. Evidently, we love misery. The US economy lost a record 22.5 million jobs in April.

Currencies around the world are expected to drop in value as the situation worsens. This recession is set to be the worst in living memory. And it goes on.

This is the news that will stick. That’s not to say this isn’t an accurate depiction of what’s going on, but still, if this is all you read, looking for opportunities amidst the doom and gloom becomes that much harder.

I’ve never been one to sugar coat things either; things are tough right now. There are winners emerging from this economic downturn and there are industries struggling; that’s a given.

E-commerce, already pegged for substantial growth this year, is booming, accelerated by the coronavirus-heightening demand. Majid Al Futtaim Retail’s online orders increased threefold year-onyear in March and reported a 59 per cent annual jump in new online customers.

Separately, purchases of skincare products and makeup in the UAE soared 144 per cent and 275 per cent respectively in the same period, according to data from Itcan. It paints a promising picture; however, it’s unlikely this can be sustained longterm, particularly if job losses continue to mount during lockdown. Nothing, no industry, is untouchable.

Elsewhere, the big spenders in advertising, such as telcos, banking, automotive, travel and tourism and governments have either restricted or stopped expenditure for the foreseeable future. Now, when one industry freezes, regardless of how big other industries grow, there is a knock-on effect that’s felt throughout. What may seem disconnected at first glance is much more complex. Enterprises rely on one another, the wheels need to keep turning and everyone must play their part, otherwise it’s only a matter of time before everything shudders to a halt.

That’s the biggest challenge, operating in a climate that’s so volatile. Our business is robust based on three major factors: talent, ad tech and other associated technologies, and internet connectivity. As long as these three things continue to be readily available and utilised, we are in a good position, and fortunately we’re not reliant on being in an office to operate efficiently either.

Programmatic still offers the most effective way to run media campaigns today; that hasn’t changed, even in the midst of a global pandemic. The fact that things are evolving so quickly online is actually an advantage. Algorithms can anticipate, interpret and optimise in real time to ensure brands stay in step with the shifting consumer mood. Opportunitywise, there’s still a lot to tap into, as audio, OTT and connected TV begin to take shape programmatically,

PROGRAMMATIC

TALENT, TECH AND CONNECTIVITY – THE TOOLS WE NEED As Covid-19 continues to disrupt at every level, there needs to be a collective effort for all industries to support one another, otherwise the whole system risks collapse, says MMPWW CEO, Ayman Haydar

buoyed in lockdown as audiences listen to more podcasts and stream for longer.

Add into the mix that social media is experiencing a surge like never before (Facebook is closing in on 3 billion total active users across all of its platforms, whilst TikTok has just surpassed the 2 billion download mark) and it’s clear there is potential here.

Don’t discount digital gaming either. Billed as the ‘one to watch’ for a while, in March, figures from Statista show global spending rose to $10bn on this medium.

Ultimately, our role isn’t just to offer solutions, but to support our clients in maximising their opportunities and safeguarding their reputation; that

won’t ever change. I’d be making a false promise if I said we’ll return to normal any time soon. In reality, perhaps we never will. As humans, we aren’t the best at learning from our mistakes, but if anything, once we overcome this, our attitudes need to change.

No more stalling, no more excuses; we need to be fearless pioneers, taking technology and the digital world more seriously moving forward.

In a fight for survival, action must be swift, embracing change to rebuild and thrive. Retreat and it’s game over. So, what will it be?

Ayman Haydar is CEO of MMP World Wide

NEW MEDIA

May 31, 2020

15

INFLUENCERS

MORE ENTERTAINMENT, LESS PERFECTIONISM Influencers are developing more organic personas under lockdown, writes Vamp’s Karl Mapstone. And brands are figuring out new ways to leverage their skills

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he way Covid has affected the influencer market so far has been a mixed bag.

Some campaigns had to be cut straight away because they were no longer relevant or appropriate.

Travel campaigns were the most obvious. Then, as lockdown started to affect businesses and budgets were tightened, some marketing departments found they needed to scale back their influencer marketing activities.

Others have continued to invest in influencer marketing, uninterrupted.

With customers spending more time than ever on social media, increasing their interaction with influencer content, it’s still a highly relevant marketing channel. Some brands are shifting spend from channels such as out-of-home into influencer marketing because of this.

Influencers are also being called upon as a content resource, generating much-needed assets for brands. With shoots cancelled, digital creators are fuelling marketing channels with high-quality content shot at home. It’s really giving them a chance to show what they can do.

At Vamp, we’ve taken on a real supporting role. For our creators, who have lost out on a lot of work elsewhere, that has meant continuing to deliver paid briefs. For our clients, that has meant offering advice and resources (such as webinars and reports) to help them navigate a sensitive and quickly evolving landscape.

It’s a particularly difficult time for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). So, while we all adjust to the impact of Covid-19, we are offering SMBs free access to the Vamp platform.

This is allowing them to generate the content they need without platform or management fees.

We’ve seen our clients adapt by shifting the focus of their campaigns.

Some have pivoted to showcase delivery options; others have shown how their brand can be enjoyed at

‘‘WITH SHOOTS CANCELLED, DIGITAL CREATORS ARE FUELLING MARKETING CHANNELS WITH HIGH-QUALITY CONTENT SHOT AT HOME.”

home. Those who have navigated this situation the best are the ones who have responded to their customers’ change in lifestyle and then offered them content to entertain or add value in some way. They’ve moved to a much softer-sell and customercentric approach.

Our influencers have done an amazing job of adapting. They’ve been setting up makeshift studios at home and finding a million different ways to make their content look new and exciting. As @iddavanmunster, one of our Dubai influencers, said: “This is the perfect time to slow down and push myself to create magic between my four walls. During lockdown, I’ve challenged myself to

create images with limited props and space. I want to see how far I can go.”

It’s also given them more time to interact with their followers, building even stronger connections. With captive audiences receiving more interaction, many have seen their engagement levels increase as a result.

In the long term, this experience will accelerate some existing trends in the space.

Firstly, lockdown will have opened many marketers’ eyes to the adaptability and quality of influencer content – and just how fast they can deliver it. They are realising that an influencer’s value isn’t just in their following. I think a long-term effect will be more brands reaching out to influencers for content-only briefs, perhaps shifting more of their spend from creative agencies over to influencers. Creators who can diversify their skillsets now, whether that’s in photography, videography, editing or styling, will really feel the benefit in the months and years to come.

There are also some content trends we’ve noticed gain pace. A less polished aesthetic had been becoming more popular even before lockdown. Consider the popularity of TikTok, which is much more focused on entertainment than perfection. Lockdown has really pushed this forward.

The reality is, influencers are at home every day like the rest of us. Not only is curated perfection no longer obtainable, it no longer feels relevant.

Many have shifted to a much more candid and relatable approach. As influencers continue to share their reality through lockdown, this is a trend we’ll see continue. Audiences have always connected with influencers because they feel more relatable than brands and celebrities, so this very much feels like a return to their roots.

Karl Mapstone is head of Middle East at Vamp

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D

NEW MEDIA

May 31, 2020

uring a global crisis, advertisers will second guess the need to spend; they will consider going dark to ride out financial uncertainty. There are many articles out there warning against this, but inevitably advertising spend will decrease, driven by a need rather than a want.

Being an out-of-home (OOH) media owner during a time when people are subjected to restrictions in movement means we have been affected on another level. Media budgets have been cut but our audience delivery has been compromised too.

During a recession people are still on the move; they are still travelling to work, they are still travelling to the mall, they are still travelling to see friends. Their spending considerations may have changed, and brands will have to fight harder for their attention, but they are still out there moving around.

We aren’t in a normal recession; we aren’t officially in a recession yet, and although the population is now allowed to move more freely, there is still uncertainty and caution, meaning a more static population. OOH advertising budgets are still on hold, although audiences are increasing, and brands are looking for the right time and the right message to return to OOH media.

The key to success for BackLite Media, and all other companies, will be to have a long-term perspective on both the day-to-day operations and product development. This virus has hit hard and fast, but businesses decisions should be based on a long-term vision.

BackLite Media has had many of the same clients for two decades, and hence we are working with our major clients, including working with them on payment terms and extensions on our unipoles. It isn’t easy for our core luxury and premium brands; however, their customers will return, and we will be there with them.

On the business development side, BackLite Media is moving forward on our massive investments with the installation of world-class quality digital signs on Sheikh Zayed Road.

We had intended to have our iconic signs installed by the original start date of Expo 2020, and will still have our signs fully installed by the new schedule in 2021.

We are also launching a new digital network at Dubai Festival City, which is one of the most capable signage networks in the region. This isn’t easy or cheap, but it is important to continue to push the boundaries of OOH advertising and be the leader in the market.

Companies that continue to invest in technology and Dubai will come out stronger in the end.

READING THE SIGNS OUT-OF-HOME

OOH advertising took a big hit as population movement fell by 90 per cent, says BackLite’s Bill Fordyce.

But there are already slight signs of recovery. And suppliers are working with their long-term clients to provide more attractive, more data-led options as their audience returns

The media industry has become data-hungry, and in some cases data-dependent. Programmatic advertising would not be possible without audience data; the digital world revolves around data. The OOH sector, however, lags far behind and is still predominantly traded on sites and panels. The UK market has a leading audience analysis measurement in Route, and is slowly moving more towards an audiencebased buy and sell, but there is still a very linear buying process here in the UAE. As consumers have been driven indoors, advertisers will undoubtedly have moved budgets towards a targeted digital strategy. Once this crisis is over, brands will demand more from their OOH media; they will want to know who they are targeting, where, and with what message. The OOH sector will need to embrace its audience, analyse the audience and offer more targeted solutions to brands. The long-term effect on the OOH sector will be a movement towards more data and audiencecentric planning.

With the launch of BackLite Intelligence, BackLite Media is leading the way in audience analysis and targeting in the OOH sector. BackLite Intelligence tracks daily audience figures around digital screens and static inventory. This is done through the use of highly accurate mobile location data and carefully selected geofences, helping brands understand their audience more.

We have used this data to track the effect of Covid-19; we can see that the population movement of Dubai fell by 90 per cent as the government imposed the lockdown and local communities began to observe social distancing. As advertisers and agencies look to understand the impact of these numbers, we can already see the green shoots of recovery. Traffic volume has tripled after the lockdown restrictions were lifted on April 24, with counts now at 50 per cent of the baseline set back in February. This is still a long way off the pre-Covid counts, but they are definitely trending in the right direction. A variety of sources indicate audiences will gradually recover across the coming months as social restrictions are eased, most likely in stages to avoid a second spike of infections.

In conclusion, we will expect to see a steady recovery back to normal, both in traffic flow and in consumer and brand confidence. Media owners will have to be able to offer more flexible, relevant and dynamic solutions to adapt to the new market demands.

Bill Fordyce is CEO of BackLite Media

NEW MEDIA

May 31, 2020

17

PRINT

STAY VISIBLE Save in haste, repent at leisure, writes Motivate Media Group’s Ian Fairservice

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s I wrote a couple of short weeks ago, there is a global surge in the consumption of news and, with so much of the fake kind out there, people are turning to established media for reliable information. And it’s really not important if that content is found in print, online or interactive content such as hosted webinars.

Companies just need to think long and hard about the best possible media mix and do their utmost to stack the odds in their favour.

Motivate are not just focusing more energy and talent on our online editions, we’re also maintaining the balance by ensuring that much-loved print products reach readers in spite of the increasing difficulties. We have already moved the vast majority of print to a free distribution model, allowing us to put our magazines directly into readers’ hands. These delivery platforms so far include Gulf News subscribers in selected areas, the British Business Group membership approaching 2,000, Troon Golf members across the Emirates and our own subscriber and direct marketing lists. We are actively promoting our print readership during this time, while others have used this as an opportunity to save on costs by reducing – and in some cases virtually eradicating – print runs.

Motivate Media Group’s digital capabilities make it easier for us to effectively target readers by identifying current print subscribers and those who have not subscribed. As a result, we are able to track the client journey to determine how they are engaging with our content on multiple platforms.

From an advertising perspective there is a big push to contentbased advertising in print, in the same way as digital has seen a shift to native advertising. This also allows for integrated packages across multiple media, giving advertisers increased reach and content appeal, such as including video and social into the overall offering.

What we are witnessing with the changing dynamics brought about from “working from home” is that there has been a big shift in dealing with clients directly, as some agencies are less responsive, which is going to bring more challenges – and opportunities – to the industry moving forward.

We see an increased demand in branded content online and the new trend of virtual events (including webinars). With

‘‘MOTIVATE MEDIA GROUP’S DIGITAL CAPABILITIES MAKE IT EASIER FOR US TO EFFECTIVELY TARGET READERS

BY IDENTIFYING CURRENT PRINT SUBSCRIBERS AND THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SUBSCRIBED.”

brands such as Emirates Woman, there is still a strong demand for fashion content and exclusive cover shoots, which are often re-posted and shared on social media. With reduced mobility and our broad offering of free downloads, we are experiencing an increase in digital downloads of the magazines. So, strange as it might appear, print is still a very important part of the media mix and brand offering.

While still maintaining stock at retailers, free copies of What’s On, Emirates Woman, Gulf Business and Identity are being delivered directly to Gulf News subscribers in Emirates Hills, Emirates Living, Arabian Ranches, JLT, Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah, Umm Suqeim and Trade Centre 2. The philosophy is very straightforward: We are adapting our business model to ensure that no magazines go unread. Add to that the other, previously detailed distribution platforms, and our advertisers are assured of a very decent bang for their buck.

This is Motivate’s strategy to maintain service to our readers, visibility for our brands and ROI for our advertisers – all three are equally important to see us and our stakeholders navigate safely through these potentially calamitous waters. Maintaining brand visibility is absolutely key to survival. The alternative is the far more risky and expensive option of being left behind – and going back to square one.

Ian Fairservice is managing partner and group editor of Motivate Media Group

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NEW MEDIA

May 31, 2020

L

ike almost every business in the world right now, we find ourselves battling against the many repercussions of Covid-19.

Whilst all forms of marketing have been hit hard, with brands redirecting spend into areas deemed more essential, experiential agencies are particularly vulnerable, as building physical experiences as part of the overall consumer journey is our raison d’etre. Social distancing has put a stop to all gatherings across the world, with events being put on hold for the foreseeable future.

Despite these challenges, we’ve found that here in the UAE, within the industry there is a great sense of solidarity between clients, agencies and suppliers alike. We find that relationships are becoming stronger, as we care about each other – not only from a business point of view, but more importantly with regards to our health and wellbeing. Everyone is in the same boat and ultimately has the same goal: to try and survive the crisis and find ways to adapt to the restrictions we find ourselves under.

As experiential marketers, ultimately our job is to bring people together to create memories and help brands tell stories.

BUT, IN THESE TOUGH TIMES, ARE PEOPLE STILL LISTENING TO WHAT BRANDS HAVE TO SAY? We think yes. People don’t want or expect brands to disappear and stop communicating, but the messaging and tone has to be spot-on. Right now the most important thing for all marketers is to demonstrate empathy. It’s a hard line to walk, acknowledging the crisis without being despondent, whilst trying to be positive without coming across as flippant or insensitive.

The situation has created a unique opportunity for brands to show their true colours and connect with audiences on a more human level.

We’re working with our clients to navigate towards outcomes that work for all of us, postponing events rather than cancelling them in the long term and looking into virtual and digital solutions that can be activated immediately. We’re doing everything we can to make sure that during this time we don’t stop creating experiences.

‘‘AN EXPERIENCE IS CENTRED AROUND HOW STORIES CONNECT ON AN EMOTIONAL LEVEL. WE’RE FINDING WAYS TO ACHIEVE THIS VIRTUALLY.” EXPERIENTIAL

EMOTIONAL MOMENTS There is a great sense of solidarity within the industry, writes Samira Sadatgousheh, co-managing director of Auditoire UAE. Virtual experiences are about more than just watching a screen, but the “new normal” when it arrives will be a combination of the old way of working and what we are learning now

At the moment this means rethinking the way we approach them, which we’re doing by creating virtual experiences. To us, a virtual experience needs to be more than just watching events unfold on screen; it needs to have the same exciting offerings as an in-real-life event. As Auditoire, we craft our experiences based on a series of emotional moments; moments of surprise, moments that make you think, moments that make you ask questions, moments that make you tell your friends and moments that you remember.

An experience is centred around stories, and how they connect with our audience on an emotional level. And for now, we’re finding new and exciting ways to achieve this virtually.

DO WE THINK THIS IS THE “NEW NORMAL” IN THE LONG TERM? Honestly, no we don’t. We’ve found that with this new (and exciting) move into the virtual space, the current climate has demonstrated people’s need and yearning to come together, now more than ever. The world is craving human interaction again and brands are looking forward to when they can host this celebration of togetherness. People will never again take for granted being able to gather and share ideas, have conversations and interact with each other on both a social and business level.

The road back will be a gradual one. Even now, it’s still unclear when it will be safe to start, and any return to “normal” will be slow, steady and cautious.

When the time comes, the experiential marketing industry will be ready with its knowledge of creating virtual experiences and we believe the future of events will be a merging of the two worlds.

Ultimately, everything we’re going through stands to teach us a great deal about the true nature of interaction and collaboration. To prove that together, as an industry, we are capable of adapting to adversity and to continue to create positive impact through our work.

Samira Sadatgousheh is co-managing director of Auditoire UAE

PARTNER CONTENT

May 31, 2020

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF CAMOUFLAGE PRODUCTIONS DANIA SALHA QUAGLIO AND THE REST OF HER TEAM HAVE BEEN REFLECTIVE OF FILM PRODUCTION IN THE TIMES OF THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK AND SHARED WITH US THEIR THOUGHTS ….

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If you have any enquiries or projects you would like to share with us please contact us on any of the following addresses:

he Covid-19 outbreak has disrupted the entire film and entertainment industry worldwide; many film festivals have been cancelled or postponed, releases put on hold and, most importantly, the livelihoods of many affected within the Industry.

The reality of the matter is that we have to adapt to the implications of the Covid-19 pandemic and to the new norms that will be forced on our professional lives. As we are transitioning back into a fully active economy, we have to act upon our societal duties to ensure a safe environment and embrace the norms that will become part of our practice.

DFTC and NMC have issued guidelines and regulations to be followed as filming permits are being issued again. We will strictly follow the health and safety guidelines that are in place, such as everyday sanitisation of the set, work stations, wardrobe and any equipment; restriction on number of cast and crew on set and maintaining social distancing norms; provision of masks and gloves; and a lot more measures to ensure everyone’s utmost safety.

Dania Salha Quaglio – Executive Producer: Executive @Camouflageproduction.com 056 300 8070

There will be on-set medical staff to take people’s temperature, monitor for symptoms and ensure any personnel who show symptoms will not be allowed into set. Lastly, we need to be ready and open to alter any regulations that would result in the betterment of a safe environment.

With all this in mind, we are looking forward to the new challenge in these unprecedented times; in many ways it will remind us of our beginnings in the industry, where we always aimed for exceptional work by relying on our creativity, limited resources and collaborations.

We feel this would be the perfect time for everyone in this industry to reflect on how we should all move into the future and plan ahead along with partners and clients as we embark into a post Covid-19 world.

Keshav Purushot – Producer: Keshav@ Camouflageproduction.com

In the meantime, it is important that we maintain relations with our respective networks of agencies and clients. We have to assure them that we are their backbone and will always thrive to bring their visions to life under any circumstances.

During the period of lockdown, our team was busy in post-production for some projects we had shot prior to the outbreak, including an exciting project with our very own Hollywood director, Harald Zwart. We have also been offering consultations to our clients where we discussed different methods of how to approach different creative concepts and ideas that may arise in the future. Additionally, we took the opportunity to widen our network of suppliers of various departments and for various production requirements.

By the time this article is out, there will have been significant progress and a clearer picture towards the post Covid-19 world, and we wish you a safe and stable journey.

Khalid Jabaly – Post Production Producer and Director Researcher: Researcher@ Camouflageproduction.com

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May 31, 2020

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n May 18, Campaign hosted its first webinar, a first cousin to our popular Breakfast Briefings (but at a more civilised time, and you can wear what you want to attend). The topic was e-commerce.

E-commerce is one of the hottest topics today, important for a number of reasons including: during lockdown, consumers have been using e-commerce sites more and spending more on all sorts of things; for many retailers, e-commerce has been virtually their only source of income, their saviour in some cases; everyone with goods or services to sell is learning a lot about e-commerce fast; and media, marketing and advertising is central to all aspects of e-commerce.

I was joined on-screen by Mathieu Yarak (pictured, top right), digital research director at Choueiri Group; Nagham Akileh (bottom right), senior

DIVERSIFICATION, DATA AND DELIVERY

Campaign’s first webinar addresses the challenges and outlook for regional e-commerce during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.

By Austyn Allison e-commerce director at OMD; and Shailen Shukla (top left), head of logistics at a leading UAE electronics retailer. The breadth of knowledge and experience these three brought to the virtual table meant we were able to cover a range of topics that moved from consumer data and predictions through marketing strategy for different sizes of business, and different verticals, to data integration and tech automation.

The best way to appreciate the topics is to revisit the webinar. It is archived on our Facebook page, where we streamed it live, or you can watch the edit on our website. Below are some of the insights you can enjoy there.

NAGHAM AKILEH: In terms of consumer behaviour, what we saw at the beginning was people were

starting to stock up essentials, and that’s where we saw spikes in personal hygiene … as well as things like consumer electronics for home office needs. It was very much about the essentials. But once the first two weeks subsided, what we actually saw was people shopping for long-tail items. Gaming increased by around 50 per cent. Furniture as well. Fashion retail has seen maybe not a huge increase like grocery (grocery has grown by about 88 per cent.) However, fashion retail has also grown and we’ve seen that e-commerce revenue contribution has gone from 5-10 per cent (which had been achieved over the past two or three years) to 20-25 per cent over the last two months.

SHAILEN SHUKLA: A lot of buying behaviour was based not on prices, which is normally the case in

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

e-commerce. The consumer behaviour suddenly shifted, and the companies or the websites who were delivering faster were preferred. … Whoever was able to deliver even in two days, three days or five days was a clear winner.

MATHIEU YARAK: At the beginning, when the whole situation started, there was a bit more of: ‘You can deliver fast, and I’m willing to pay for that’. But now, after things have settled down a bit, people have gone back back to the factors that they used to be influenced by to buy online. So now comes the price again.

NAGHAM AKILEH: There was a surge in online traffic. You have a lot of people who are new to these platforms and are exploring them. It’s an opportunity to widen the funnel, and capture that new customer base to eventually convert them throughout the funnel.

MATHIEU YARAK: We have lots of e-commerce players going on TV nowadays, in order for them to create that top-of-mind awareness level to increase the user base and then funnel it down. TV plays a dual role: it gives me that user base, that reach, but at the same time it can play a performance role.

SHAILEN SHUKLA: On an overall basis, there was a lot of data available, but not enough analysis being done by all the ‘gurus’.

SHAILEN SHUKLA: No amount of advertising could have sold clothes and cosmetics in these times. We all need to reinvent ourselves.

NAGHAM AKILEH: Just because you’re online and just because you have a website doesn’t necessarily mean that you have the back end in place to capture the right data.

NAGHAM AKILEH: With the smaller players, there’s obviously an opportunity there. It’s about the right setup, and also understanding the circumstances.

MATHIEU YARAK: Once we understand if people are willing to go back to shopping the traditional way, it could become a heavy burden on the e-commerce platforms to actually retain these people.

NAGHAM AKILEH: If e-commerce is just something that companies are doing short-term to check off a box, it’s not going to work. They must use that as an opportunity to really change the way they do business, and also drive their marketing and maintain their marketing spends.

PRESENTED BY

May 31, 2020

E-TAIL THERAPY Liquid’s Sachinn Laala outlines how to succeed in the everchanging world of e-commerce

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ith many countries following quarantine orders due to the Covid-19 pandemic, consumers around the world are shunning human contact.

This has left brick-and-mortar retailers scrambling to adapt to changing times.

According to a recent report, 75 per cent of retailers reported major negative impact since the start of this pandemic. While this is a very sobering figure, we have also witnessed (and are currently seeing) a positive impact on e-commerce.

Prior to the current pandemic, both the UAE and KSA attributed 4 per cent of their overall sales to e-commerce. With categories such as fashion, make-up and groceries recording double-digit growth in the last 24 months, this figure is projected to increase two-fold in the next two years.

No longer just a buzzword used by industry professionals to impress their clients, omnicommerce is a tangible concept driving today’s e-commerce ecosystem.

With more than 48 per cent of UAE and KSA consumers starting their journey online, the internet is a key enabler in the successful implementation of a seamless customer journey.

Needless to say, e-commerce is here to stay.

Long gone are the days when it was the sole responsibility of the sales team to drive the productivity and success of this channel. Today, e-commerce is an integral part of the consumer’s life. The time has come for marketers to deliver in the best light possible.

It is time for brands to prioritise the love, care and attention needed for content optimisation because, unlike physical stores, e-commerce is less forgiving of a brand’s status quo. E-commerce is an equalopportunity channel, with several examples of bigger brands losing market share to smaller brands just because they rested on their laurels.

The magic formula for winning online can be categorised into two parts: content and operational excellence. Content primarily means telling your brand story across various e-tailer platforms. Operational excellence leans towards ensuring product assortment, search, availability and maximum utilisation of the technical capabilities the e-tailer has to offer.

Sounds pretty self-explanatory, right?

Wrong.

Today, many brands entrust the responsibility

of content creation to the e-tailer themselves. If you’re a brand that banks on this, you can rest assured this will have an overall adverse effect. To give you another perspective, your brand’s product is one of at least 30,000 listed items on the retailer’s online store, so would you leave your offline shelf and packaging to the retailer?

Is it really fair to expect e-tailers to give dedicated care and strategic attention to your brand? Absolutely not. E-commerce is a highly competitive market, and brands must endeavour to do more by taking on the responsibility of creating the story they wish to tell.

Let us look at some of the primary tools that brands can use to win with e-commerce content. There is basic content or B+ (as referred to by Amazon), rich content A+ (another Amazon term), and the brand store experience.

As the name suggests, basic content is the foundation of your e-commerce content. The basic content consists of a primary image, secondary images and product description. Platforms such as Amazon even allow video uploads as part of the image inventory, which, if used correctly, give brands the opportunity to showcase even richer and more engaging content.

The main objective of the primary image is to help the shopper identify the product and the variant.

Secondary images are used for either solving a barrier that a brand is trying to address, or showing the key product benefits. Ensuring the use of the right keywords will drastically improve the product’s standing in search results.

Getting the content right is the first key step on the journey to success for any e-commerce strategy.

It positions brands a step ahead of the shopper, and enables the delivery of the right look, feel and messaging. Get this right and brands can expect to see double-digit growth within a short period.

Moving on to rich content, or A+, this material is meant to wow and inspire the consumer. Amazon allows two versions of rich content on its platform, the aforementioned A+ (which is free), and A++, which is paid for and uses HTML.

‘‘IT IS TIME FOR BRANDS TO PRIORITISE THE LOVE, CARE AND ATTENTION NEEDED FOR CONTENT OPTIMISATION BECAUSE, UNLIKE PHYSICAL STORES, E-COMMERCE IS LESS FORGIVING.”

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Both of these versions have a multitude of modules that allow you to create great content, and tell your brand story effectively. Utilising rich content such as this enables you to delve into the significant details of your product, and the all-important opportunity to upsell. Combining engaging lifestyle images with smartly worded descriptions will serve to seamlessly introduce consumers to the product.

Last, but by no means least, is the brand store. The right online brand store transforms your e-commerce capabilities from a simple sales channel to an unforgettable brand experience.

The brand store is essentially your home on the e-tailer’s website, a pseudo website of your own, if you will. Hence, implementing the right resources will drive traffic to the brand store. Similar to rich content, the brand store has a vast array of design modules. This can be a daunting prospect if a brand has to go it alone. However, engaging an agency to bring this story to life will definitely streamline and simplify the process.

Typically, a brand store starts from putting together a carousel of banners that focus on your power products, followed by showcasing the main category segments just below these banners. Then the focus should be on product listings, special launches, special offers or special-occasion packs.

As a general rule, you must always look to leverage your ‘power’ SKUs. Similar to how a car showroom tends to display its most flashy car at the entrance, the job of the power SKU is to draw the consumer in through your virtual doors, settle them down and afford you the opportunity to show off and sell the rest of your portfolio.

This is the beginning of a long and illustrious journey for the online world, that will inevitably see a spike in live content and streaming as selling avenues. With a history of affinity toward shopper engagement in physical stores, the UAE will only see a surge in the need for more engaging online content.

This offers a great opportunity for brands to create a compelling narrative coupled with the best consumer shopping experience.

The truth is, most shopper journeys today start online, and brands must prioritise in providing content to e-tailers that satisfies this exploration or lose out to other brands that will do so.

By Sachinn J. Laala, CEO of Liquid

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May 31, 2020

COVID MASK ON, INFLUENCER MASK OFF

Content creators are revealing more of their personal lives during the pandemic, and those that have adapted best are the best bet for marketers, writes Publicis Media’s Dina Alsayej

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n an era when often more questions arise than answers, people are eager to read, share and explore everyone’s views on a particular topic. With the world transforming as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, marketers are struggling to find effective ways to engage members of their audience.

Amidst all this chaos, content creators – influencers – have found ways to increase their engagement in the face of the present crisis. Not only are influencers helping their online communities cope with fear, but they are also helping them make critical buying decisions.

‘‘IN A SENSE, INFLUENCERS HAVE SHED THEIR MASKS AND ARE ALLOWING PEOPLE INTO THEIR LIVES IN A COMPLETELY NEW WAY.” THE TRUTH BEHIND THE MASK In an ever-changing industry like ours, we often wonder what is real, who is real and is everything we see on social media as pretty as they make it seem? I often get asked these questions from friends in different fields, along with the questions: Are influencers as nice as they seem on social media? And are they who they claim to be?

Covid-19 is affecting every corner of our lives, yet, with strength and resilience businesses and influencers are looking to find a new normal amid the crisis. With everyone staying indoors, life has become digital-first, with content consumption skyrocketing. And to give credit where credit is due, influencers have for the most part provided us all with at least a few

hours of entertainment. The challenge for them was to shed all their layers and open up to a whole new level of personal.

They not only took us into their homes but are constantly showing us new sides of themselves in the process.

However, this did not come easily.

While the first few weeks gave room for throwback pictures and positive motivational content, the reality was they needed to create more. And with this we not only witnessed a change in the content styles and formats but a shift in platforms. Fashion influencers shifted to making funny TikTok videos and fitness influencers became the kings and queens of Instagram, with hordes of fans seeking home workouts.

In a sense, influencers have shed their masks and are allowing people into their lives in a completely new way, which could be carried into a post-Covid world.

The question remains: How has the influencer marketing industry adapted to this new phase? The headlines show the industry is divided between those who believe this could be the end of the industry as we know it, and those who feel in light of the increased content consumption there are even more opportunities to collaborate with influencers. Something we can all agree on is that selecting the right influencer has never been more crucial. Content creators who have adapted to the current situation will have a much higher engagement rate during this time.

INFLUENCER MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES IN LIGHT OF COVID-19: Demand for content: Research shows that the average screen time is up to 5h 40m per day, an 18 per cent increase from the weeks prior to Covid-19. With that said, an automatic demand for content and engagement levels has increased by 46 per cent across all social platforms as well as TV in comparison to this time last year, as people seek information and guidance. A higher proportion of people are watching YouTube and browsing Instagram ‘more often’, with YouTube and Facebook being the top most consumed media platforms in this wave, followed by TikTok. Increased interactivity through emerging platforms and content: With the rise of TikTok, influencers have ventured into

Dina AlSayej is influencer and content marketing manager, Publicis Media

creating different and unique content that is mirrored across multiple platforms, enabling them to engage with their audiences and get closer to them.

Agility in creating or adapting content: Our ability to produce content is very limited due to movement restrictions, and with the rise in demand for content, influencers are the best solution for brands to ensure quality, relatable and adaptive content while steering away from having total control over sponsored influencer posts and swapping creative direction for creator direction. The beauty of social creators is they know how to convert, without the hard sell. At their best, collaborations feel like a recommendation from an expert you admire, or a style suggestion from the person you wish you dressed like.

Potential for e-commerce: Product demos and direct links to purchase are proven to be a moving purchasing force due to the current inaccessibility of physical retail stores.

While these times remain uncertain, one certainty is that the influencer economy is striving for survival and brands and influencers will need to work together to earn their consumers’ trust.

PARTNER CONTENT

May 31, 2020

Influencers under Covid-19: a communications game changer… again

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s the entire planet comes to grips with this unprecedented crisis, it is official that our lives have been transformed forever.

Covid-19 has become a household name and the inspiration behind much of the content we see on a daily basis.

If you thought the media landscape was disrupted by digital transformation a few years ago, well then brace yourself for a rollercoaster ride ahead. Around the globe, news of magazines and newspapers suspending their services echoes as other mediums such as OOH and radio grapple for dear life. And yet, influencer marketing – the one medium we all disregarded and thought of as a passing fad – seems to have reinvented itself and extended its roots far deeper into the hearts and lives of consumers than ever before. Yep, influencers’ resilience for survival has paid off, literally.

Through thick and thin, influencers have secured, even bolted down, their seat at the marketing medium table, surpassing other mediums and proving to be one of the only gateways to consumers amid lockdown. Be it teens, women, consumers of all ages or the mommy segment, the majority of consumers trust influencers more than they do brands and celebrities, often turning to them for advice on all aspects of life and down to the smallest of purchases; even though that may not be the wisest of decisions when it comes to more serious issues.

But we must give them credit. These crafty content creators have leveraged this lockdown in more ways than one and dug into a whole new level of authenticity. One can go as far as saying that they are helping the world get through this horrendous chapter of their lives, sane. What was once red-carpet fashion, makeup tips and tutorials have turned into DIY haircuts and face-mask videos; culinary trips around the world have turned into best recipes to make at home using pantry items; gym fitness provocateur has turned into ‘how to transform your home into a gym’; and how to land a man turned into how to keep him a mid-lockdown.

Influencers of all genres have defaulted to their organic roles as average Joes and Janes. Parents pulling their hair out while trying to homeschool their kids, and juggling that with the endless Zoom calls (some of which one influencer recommended taking in the bathroom for ultimate privacy and quiet time) have become part of our daily lives, and influencers are a main player in the ‘convo’.

Covid-19 has truly pushed everyone to re-evaluate their values and aspirations and driven the discussion towards the spirit of community, hope and altruism. Even celebrities are joining in and helping to capitalise on this humbling global moment by helping to raise funds, praising health workers on the front line and affirming the need-to-follow safety precautions, amongst other trending topics.

As brands sit by the sidelines waiting for an opportunity to jump into the conversation without coming across as opportunistic and out to exploit their consumers on the back of a crisis, influencers may

“We must give them credit. These crafty content creators have leveraged this lockdown in more ways than one and dug into a whole new level of authenticity. ”

very well be your access point. How so? Well, in light of the new level of authenticity, influencers can help you translate your brand message using their own voice and tone. Consider it a filtering system through which only the content that resonates with the values they have become known for will actually make it.

Despite the doom and gloom of the current state of affairs, social media usage has practically doubled in light of the ample time consumers have on hand to make sense of the world around them.

With the average screen time at some six hours every day, the mission for brands at present is to get in on the conversation and preserve their communication chord with their consumers.

Why reinvent the wheel when influencers are experiencing 80 per cent higher engagement with their followers? Consumers are not interested in what you have to sell, for now. They want to know your deepest, darkest secrets. Well maybe not that deep, but potentially how ethical a brand you truly are and if your values resonate with their heroes: influencers. Certainly, budget spend is down, but let’s put this into context; we are talking about a discount – up to 30 per cent on average. Because, in truth, the influencer medium is as prevalent as ever. Agility and resilience played in their favour as they reinvented themselves to sustain their relevance and connection with their followers. Brands can learn a thing or two about how to reinvent themselves in turn, whilst of course staying true to their original brand values. Until then, let influencers who have access to your consumers do the decoding for you.

A word of caution: don’t let the number of followers fool you. Until we have reliable tools to gauge the legitimacy of engagement claims and influencers the world over, follow protocol on the recently imposed transparency guidelines and search for those who stand to be true ambassadors for your brand, be they micro or mega.

Would a double-digit growth in engagement levels encourage you to make the leap? If so, until the world resumes its modus operandi, let’s talk hacks, board games, yoga, meditation and reflection.

It will make all the difference in your brand equity, when the time comes.

By Johnny Khazzoum, Managing Partner, Fusion5

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May 31, 2020

CREATING IN A CRISIS

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Socialize’s Ailidh Smylie examines how Covid-19 is affecting Middle East influencer marketing AILIDH SMYLIE is head of strategy at Socialize

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gainst the backdrop of declining global ad spends the question of how commercial entities can, and should, communicate during Covid-19 has been met with uncertainty. As brands and marketers scrupulously rework strategies, we see influencers and content creators adapting in real time, connecting with their unique audiences in ways they haven’t before.

As global head of cultural insights at We Are Social Lore Oxford explains, “Influencers and creators are uniquely valuable during this time – not just as marketing channels, but as conduits of audience understanding.”

We’ve spoken to numerous Middle Eastern creators, across a variety of sectors, to understand how the pandemic has affected their content creation. We’ve translated our learnings into five key take outs – for brands today, and for tomorrow’s new reality.

authentic content outperforms overly stylised posts that lack substance: My content has now shifted [from fashion] towards a key focus on mental health and wellness. I get daily messages whenever I post a reassuring quote about how my followers are currently struggling so I try to do what I can to help them.

(Bijal Soni, @myprdiaries) I’m more honest [with my fans]. There’s a lot more to be said for more real images and videos – and I’m not afraid to share stories that I wouldn’t have been able to in the past. (Amanda Rushforth, @amandarushforth) Brands should emulate this approach, TikToking into the future in a genuine, authentic way. They need to show their consumers who they are, what they stand for and how they are helping – forgetting the filters.

APPEALING AND ADAPTING TO NEW AUDIENCES People have more time on their hands. Inevitably their behaviours are changing, as they seek to defy boredom, overcome mental barriers and better themselves in new ways: People have more time to cook now. They have the urge to try and interact more. [With more time on my hands], I’ve started live cooking sessions for fans who prefer to watch videos.

(Suad Shamma, @ladyspatula) I’ve had more time to start jumping on ‘fun’ trends that I wouldn’t have done before, e.g. the pillow challenge, which has allowed me to talk to this evolving audience. (Amanda Rushforth, @amandarushforth) Elements of these changed behaviours will continue post-lockdown, and brands too must forge a way to appeal to these new (captive) audiences, activating new platforms with content that feels organic and real.

CREATING LASTING CONNECTIONS In times of crisis, we look to those we can trust.

In today’s world, social media creators serve as a pillar of inspiration and hope. We see them using this extra time to create stronger relationships with their communities, in a more human way: [The virus] has actually had a positive impact on our sense of community. [Bloggers] have all become so much more supportive of each other and our fans are sharing their own stories with us as well.

(Suad Shamma, @ladyspatula) Quarantine has forced me to reflect [...] and I’ve been using my platform to share this experience with people – the response that came as a result is remarkable. (Haifa Besseiso, @flywithhaifa) Collaborating with creators to tap into the needs and desires of their unique audiences, will help foster an intimacy between brand and consumer that did not exist before.

AUTHENTICITY IS KEY We’re seeing creators move away from ‘picture perfect’, finding themselves more at ease with their audiences and on platforms such as TikTok, where

ESCAPING REALITY In the most ‘socially savvy’ region in the world, consumers are spending roughly 3-4 hours a day on social media – yet many brands seem to have forgotten why people are there. Often what we really need in times of great uncertainty is a little relief: We’ve seen many regional influencers break away from their stream of wellness and lifestyle posts and share a funny TikTok challenge off-platform, on their [Instagram] channel, giving their audience a little dose of fun. [...] It’s almost a physical representation of them escaping reality.’ (Shivani Kulshrestha, FrontRow Influencer Platform) Keeping some things ‘light’ really is OK. Testing, learning and adapting your approach to content is also OK. Consumers aren’t going to chastise a brand for trying to find new ways to connect with them, as long as the tone is right and it’s based on relevant cultural insight.

CREATORS TO BRAND AMBASSADORS Finally, we must remember that creators are their own brands. They too are facing uncertain times, affected by decreased media spends. Brands that are able to support them now won’t simply be forgotten.

Building strong relationships with relevant creators during this time, turning them from influencers into brand ambassadors who will help pivot and shape the future of a brand for years to come, is definitely the right move.

May 31, 2020

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ENTER THE CELEBFLUENCERS IAM’s Sonal Vara looks at how global superstars have made themselves accessible to their fans through the Covid-19 crisis

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ajor festivals and global live events, such as Burning Man, Glastonbury and Coachella, have either been cancelled or postponed indefinitely.

Global touring schedules and Vegas residencies have all halted. The annual pilgrimage for festival junkies has ceased until further notice.

Is this the new norm?

Whilst we could dwell on not camping out at Glastonbury, or seeing our favourite acts perform in Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena, the truth is, we weren’t given the opportunity to dwell for long.

A large part of this is the tenacity shown by resilient entertainers who have not slowed down, but embraced the pivot and accepted the challenge to entertain us in a different way to still bring us together.

The pandemic is a long-term game which very early on artists such as Coldplay, one of the highest grossing touring bands in the world, understood.

Known as an elusive, shy band, with frontman Chris Martin not having a social media presence, it is all the more telling and full of foresight that they were the first band to embrace the at home concert series back on March 17. Martin started the playing-in-your-living-room concept, with all the right intentions, to help raise awareness and funds for the World Health Organisation. A simple stripped-down gesture of playing for us at home, void of all the razzle and dazzle of the multi-million-dollar stage show was so compelling, so novel and so endearing that Martin captured the hearts of the world. His -30minute IG Live performance attracted more than 110,000 viewers, a larger audience than a single packed-out arena.

What came next was the birth of “celebfluencers”. Overnight, fans were given more access, more content and more time than ever before with their favourite artist or entertainer. Covid19meant that while artists couldn’t bank a buck touring, they had time to build their brand equity , stay relevant and expose themselves in a way they never had before, to remain close their fans and consumers.

Ellen DeGeneres, notoriously private, opened up her home

to do a slimmed down version of her talk show; Eva Longoria started doing at home workout sessions; Michelle Obama read children’s books to us. Kevin Hart shared his funny content with us online because he didn’t know when he would be doing live stand-up again. And, guess what, seeing his face, being motivated by him, laughing with him, all helped towards buying his audio book. Ellen still kept her fan base engaged. Chris Martin teased us with new material. These aren’t cynical remarks, but ingenious ways to ultimately create commerce in a changing world whilst keeping consumers engaged and at the forefront at all times.

A good friend of mine, entertainer and producer Swizz Beatz recently broke the internet (well, Instagram, to be precise) with his ingenious music vattles called ‘Verzuz’. He paired two musical icons to battle one another. The debut show on IG Live was Babyface vs. Teddy Riley. Instagram couldn’t cope with the bandwidth for subscription, and the show ended up being postponed and rescheduled to an even bigger live audience of more than 400,000, not counting the reposts and recorded views. OG fans and millenials alike tuned in to see the epic battle, which lasted over an hour, for free.

So where is the upside for the artists?

A new legion of fans, brand awareness and the benefits of taking this concept on the road.

Money in the music industry is made via touring, not in record sales. U2 grossed more than 1$bn over this past decade as the highest earning touring band, with the Rolling Stones and Ed Sheeran close behind.

Packing out stadiums is not an easy feat; you need loyal fans across the globe.

Social media is the new currency for commerce. Will it have a role to play once the arenas open? Or do we go back to how it was pre-covid.

We can expect a positive change for sure, where celebrities become more engaged with fans, and become better role models because they see the impact social media can make on the world. This all culminates in the industry becoming more relevant and even bigger.

Entertainment is not secular, it is communal. The entertainment industry brings us together because by nature we are tactile. Yes, we can all put on our Beats and Airpods and listen to music, but ask a 100 people whether they would rather go and see their favourite artist live with their friends, and you know the clear winner.

One to watch is D-Nice, legendary hip-hop DJ, producer and photographer in Hollywood. He is known to DJ A-list parties and better known within the music industry, rather than to the masses. In March, D-Nice changed the course of history and his destiny when he started Club Quarantine on IG Live from his home as a way for people to come together and dance. On March 21 he played for nine hours with more than 100,000 people tuning in, Face Timing each other, dancing and uniting remotely. Rhianna, Lenny Kravitz, Oprah, The Obamas, Janet Jackson, Bernie Sanders and many more tuned in to the power of music. His live stream went on to capture more than 200,000 viewers.

A quick glance at every post on every feed on any social network tells us to take this time for growth, regeneration and change. A look at the trendsetters, entertainers and musicians who never stay on a flattened curve but are always ahead of it tells us entertainment, concerts and shows that will be born out of Covid19- will be there for us all to revel in. We will build those memories and emotions again not remotely, and not in the too distant future.

By SONAL VARA, co-founder and managing director, International Artist Management

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May 31, 2020

FIVE IMPRESSIONS ON INFLUENCING IN A NEW WORLD

Five PR professionals at Weber Shandwick – including some part-time influencers – give their advice on working with content creators in the current situation

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s there a sweet spot for influencers in our new normal? At the best of times, working with influencers can be hit-or-miss, so in a time of crisis or uncertainty, one could reason that the risk – and rewards – are magnified. True: influencer marketing can amplify brand messaging to extraordinary levels almost impossible to achieve otherwise with the same investment. Also true: influencer marketing can end up being a very expensive screenshot. So, what are the ingredients to collaborate on creating captivating content that gets you both ROI and a tick next to the KPI? Five of Weber Shandwick’s PR professionals in the UAE – some of whom are influencers in their own right –give us their take on how to approach influencer marketing and communications to ensure the most memorable content, genuine engagement and the best chance of success. This article was created with the valuable insights of Zeeshan Masud, Nada ElBarshoumi, Carine Arif, Sahar Makki and Sarah Skaf.

1. BE AUTHENTIC; IT MATTERS MORE THAN EVER BEFORE Lockdowns have led to a rise in digital content consumption, and communications are largely taking place through online mediums. In this digital sphere, storytelling is still as important as ever and authenticity has never mattered as much as it does today. Social media is an incredibly powerful tool during times of change and brands have a special

opportunity to remain engaged with their audiences through authentic and empathetic content tailored to the current climate.

2. RECOGNISE THAT CREATIVITY REIGNS OVER THE FEELING OF CAPTIVITY The rise in online content across the board, coupled with limited places from which to produce content, means influencers and brands alike must evolve in order to creatively engage their audiences with dynamic, relevant content. Whether they are storytellers, photographers, videographers or artists, the best influencers are creative masters of their own craft. These individuals are able to truly embrace client briefs and produce genuine content that their audiences passionately identify with. Brands are moving away from a pay-for-post regime and investing in more qualitative and creative solutions to reach their audiences. While this requires a bigger time investment and an open dialogue, this approach yields more engaging solutions – ultimately driving better ROI for clients.

3. PRIORITISE PROJECTS THAT ARE TRUE TO YOUR BRAND ETHOS Countless brands and influencers have come under fire for trying to profit from the current global healthcare crisis. It’s imperative that any project remains true to the brand ethos of both company and content creator. Influencers might support multiple brands, so it’s important to work with someone who represents the brand’s values, is loyal to the brand and wants a supportive, collaborative, long-term relationship to generate the best possible outcome for both parties.

4. CHOOSE THE RIGHT PLATFORM TO ENHANCE RESONANCE Comms specialists have many options, but choosing the right influencers – and platforms – for brands can make all the difference. Instagram offers stories,

IGTV, posts and live streaming. SnapChat is great for a raw, candid, unfiltered approach. Entertaining short-form video platform TikTok is thriving due to its easy and light-hearted nature, which influencers are now using to spread positivity and feel-good content during tough times.

5. NAVIGATE CRISES BY OFFERING REAL VALUE AND GENUINE CONSIDERATION Be mindful of audiences who are adapting to maintaining their mental and physical wellbeing at home. The influencers that have gained popularity during this time of crisis are those who have quickly adapted to the new normal, using platforms to promote strategies to cope with lockdown and self-isolation. Many social media influencers are posting content encouraging their followers to practice social distancing, some are creating videos with home workouts, others are raising the bar on home cooking. Think about the value that your audience needs right now, and team up to share that with goodwill and kindness.

WITH THANKS TO THESE CONTRIBUTORS FROM WEBER SHANDWICK UAE: Zeeshan Masud: Senior manager, client experience, and explorer behind ZeeTravelDiaries Nada El Barshoumi: Senior manager, client experience, and lifestyle blogger at OneArabVegan Carine Arif: Senior manager, client experience Sahar Makki: Manager, client experience, and intrepid urbanite of FearlessTwenties Sarah Skaf: Associate, integrated media

THE HOME OF STORYTELLING IN THE MIDDLE EAST

“THERE IS MORE TREASURE IN BOOKS THAN IN ALL THE PIRATES’ LOOT ON TREASURE ISLAND.” WALT DISNEY

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May 31, 2020

“PANTS ARE NOT OPTIONAL” Shadani Consulting’s Zaib Shadani takes a practical look at how to idiot-proof your next Zoom call

W

ith traditional business meetings going out the window and Zoom video conferencing becoming the new norm, welcome to the world of ‘WFH’ and remote work meetings. Here are the do’s and don’ts of Zoom to ensure you’re productive, polite and you don’t end up being ‘that guy’ who is caught on-screen in his underwear.

Look at the camera Ensure that you always look at the camera – this is the equivalent of making eye contact and gives the impression that you are talking to each of the other participants. Try not to stare at yourself in the screen, as it will seem like your attention is elsewhere. A good tip is to position your web camera at eye level, so as to ensure eye-level contact with others.

Lighting is everything Who needs filters when strong lighting will do the same job? Ensure you have good lighting and are not sitting in a dimly lit area. Point a light at your face, so that you’re illuminated and basked in a soft glow. A standing lamp is perfect as a quick fix, or natural sunlight streaming from a large window.

Pants are not optional It’s important to dress professionally for Zoom calls, no matter how tempting the lure of boxer shorts or sweatpants, when working from home. It will help promote a sense of normalcy, as well as ensure that you’re not caught in an embarrassing situation if you have to get up and forget that you aren’t fully dressed.

Don’t do anything private or intimate until you confirm you’ve logged off We’ve all seen the videos and memes of people thinking they’ve logged off Zoom and then getting caught doing something private or intimate. Seeing guys in their boxer shorts or people going to the bathroom are probably the most common ones, proving how easy it is to forget to turn off your video or mute your mike.

Always make sure to double check that you have in fact logged off or muted the desired functions.

Use the video function to make a ‘human connection’ People need to feel connected and put a ‘face to the name’, so make sure to enable your camera whenever possible. With social distancing in effect, people are craving human connections and want to be able to see who they are speaking to.

Avoid eating during the Zoom call No one wants to see you eat your jelly doughnut while you slurp your tea during a Zoom call. Keep it professional and avoid eating during the Zoom session. Most people want to discuss the topic at hand and get off the call, so eating can also be interpreted as someone being non-serious or dragging the meeting on. Drinking is a little more acceptable, but even then it should not be so excessive or loud as to distract from the meeting.

The host should be the last to leave As the host of the meeting, it’s your responsibility to ensure that everyone has had their say and leaves at their own pace, after saying any final words and disconnecting. So the host should stick around and only leave after everyone has gone.

Don’t interrupt – use the chat function to ask questions People usually have questions during a meeting and it can be disruptive to have them interrupt with their interjections. An effective and non-intrusive way to answer questions is to use Zoom’s chat function, where colleagues can submit questions during the meeting. This will enable the host to answer the questions when appropriate, since the queries remain visible in the chat message sidebar.

Stay on ‘mute’ if you’re not talking.

A general rule is to remain on silent if you’re not speaking. A medley of background noise can be disruptive and distracting, especially if it includes kids crying, dogs barking, the doorbell ringing, etc.

Stay focused and avoid distractions People come under heightened scrutiny and are the centre of attention during Zoom calls, so it’s important not to fidget, look elsewhere, etc., as that can be misconstrued as uninterested or distracted behaviour. Don’t give in to the urge to multi-task while on a call, and instead focus wholeheartedly on the meeting.

Be selective – don’t invite everyone Most people prefer emails over meetings, so try to only include people who have something constructive to contribute. The more attendees you have, the harder it is to manage the meeting. Plus, remember that these meetings can be recorded, so they can also be shared with additional colleagues if necessary.

Zaib Shadani is managing director of Shadani Consulting

May 31, 2020

MATTER OF FACT

News, views & trends from across the spectrum

29

NOW IS THE FUTURE

A season of relevance The voluntary act of fasting, through a sense of systematic disruption and support, expands one’s understanding of self and simultaneously acts as the empathic doorway for connecting to the world around us. It is also a great metaphor for how our businesses must approach the current crisis: melding personal disruption with discipline and the need for support with constructive empathy towards individual betterment.

As such, in the communication field, one must reflect the same discipline and be mindful, purposeful, and organised in how one makes use of one’s time. Equipping the right resources and tools can be the difference between understanding consumer behaviour and presenting a business as one that is contained within an echo chamber. It is also what will deliver the anticipated results that will concurrently benefit a company as it would its stakeholders.

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Ahmad Itani is a passionate educator and entrepreneur who is the Founder and CEO of Cicero & Bernay.

listed relevance as the key motivator for making a purchase from their mobile device

2020 Ramadan MENA

82% purchase online

using their smartphones

Purchase & online consumer behaviours:

69

67%

plan to indulge by browsing social media content

The rate of added time people were looking to spend socialising online vs last year

60% reported making purchases directly from a mobile advertisement Yougov & Adhoc

G A M E C H A N GE R Could a touchless sensor be in the works? Several Japanese manufacturers, including Fujitec, have recently launched a panel that uses infrared sensors to choose a selection based on the hand’s position.

This is an inevitable progressive innovation in light of the Covid-19 outbreak that will certainly pave the way forward.

BREAKING THE NET Looking to get a shout-out from Prince William? You may have to wait a few more decades or just take a cue from Tom Moore, a 99-year-old British war veteran, who raised 17.9 million pounds (AED 82 Million) for the health service industry by walking 1,000 laps around his garden before his 100th birthday. One is never too old to make a difference.

#N OT Draper James, Reese Witherspoon’s lifestyle brand, claimed it was giving free dresses to teachers by having them submit their email and a copy of their teacher’s ID. When the campaign blew up with millions of submissions, the team switched up the terms, labelling the campaign a raffle. Worst part? They still poached all those emails and are sending them promotional material.

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May 31, 2020

A VIEW FROM

Claire Beale TRUE LEADERSHIP WILL COME TO THE FORE DURING THIS CRISIS Claire Beale is global editor-inchief at Campaign

“A

nyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm,” said Publilius Syrus a couple of millennia ago.

Well, the sea is raging and we’re finding out who our industry’s best leaders really are.

There’s an agency chief who makes a weekly video for his staff. Many of them watch it cramped up in studio flats where the silence can be torture or in flatshares where the braying of loud (and by now loathed) flatmates can be torture.

Every week the CEO looks a little more tanned, a little fuller-of-cheek, a little more relaxed. At first he was ashen, his staff even felt sorry for him carrying the burden of leading the company through lockdown. But seven weeks in – with furloughing and redundancies mostly done, extraneous costs slashed to virtually nil (with his remaining people picking up all the jobs previously done by axed freelancers or external suppliers) and his regular grocery delivery now happily secured – he’s starting to quite enjoy the country bolthole peace.

Too many leaders have failed to be transparent and decisive and have even issued dictats to staff insisting that they should not talk to anyone about the cuts at their agency.

And, yes, he’s taken a hefty pay cut for a few months but he’ll still be making seven figures if things don’t get worse.

He’s proudly told shareholders how many of his staff have volunteered to take a salary reduction (or rather “voluntold”, as his people describe it) as evidence not only of his skillful handling of cost reductions but of how committed the staff are to protecting the business.

So “committed” that one of his senior people (a single parent) tells me that she’s just had to take out a loan to cover her usual monthly outgoings (mortgage, school fees, mum’s care home costs) because her “voluntary” 20 per cent pay cut has plunged her cripplingly into the red.

Yes, having a mortgage on a nice house, kids at private schools and an elderly parent cared for in a private nursing home are all signs of privilege and, heck, she’s alive and well – but this idea that “we’re all in it together” to protect profits and shareholder returns isn’t quite the whole truth.

One local leader of an international network who I spoke to recently said they had never felt under greater pressure

to lead but had never felt less in control of some of the key decisions that needed to be taken. Their parent company rulebook on what cuts to make and where savings must come has proved to be a blunt instrument, leaving very little room for local nuance and having no real respect for the challenges of individual offices and client/agency relationships. It was a message to shareholders and to analysts, not to staff and clients.

The holding company-isation of the advertising business over the past 30 years, and particularly in the last decade, has centralised decision-making, bureaucracy and, increasingly, agency culture. Too often local agency leaders are simply middle-managers with little jurisdiction over their own businesses.

There can be real advantages from this centralisation.

But in this time of unprecedented crisis, this degree of concentrated power ensures that although all the necessary decisions on furloughing, four-day weeks and cost-cutting are easier to dictate, they take longer to make and are harder to manage at grass roots.

Too many leaders have failed to be transparent and decisive and have even issued dictats to staff insisting that they should not talk to anyone about the cuts at their agency, even though there’s never been a greater need to share our problems and pains with others and be able to ask for help and support.

So if you really want to know how well your company will emerge from this crisis, look at your leader. Are they transparent, open, decisive and empathetic? Are they really making the same degree of sacrifice and compromise they’re asking of their staff right now?

And while they’re asking staff to share the pain of this crisis, are they prepared to think about how their staff can properly be rewarded by sharing in the gain when recovery comes?

An agency’s best staff are its only real assets and its best chance of coming through this pandemic in reasonable shape. The best leaders have always known that and are making sure they have their priorities straight.

Motivate Publishing Group Head Office: 34th Floor, Media One Tower, Dubai Media City, Dubai, UAE. Tel: +971 4 427 3000, Email: motivate@motivate.ae Dubai Media City: Motivate Publishing FZ LLC, Office 508, 5th Floor, Building 8, Dubai, UAE. Tel: +971 4 390 3550, Fax: +971 4 390 4845 Abu Dhabi: Motivate Advertising, Marketing & Publishing, PO Box 43072, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Tel: +971 2 677 2005, Fax: +971 2 677 0124, Email: motivate-adh@motivate.ae London: Motivate Publishing Ltd, Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London NW1 3ER. motivateuk@motivate.ae www.motivatemedia.com EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer Managing Partner and Group Editor Ian Fairservice Editorial Director Gina Johnson Editor Austyn Allison DESIGN Senior Art Director Olga Petroff Art Director Clarkwin Cruz Junior Designer Thokchom Remy ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Tel: +971 4 427 3000 Chief Commercial Officer Anthony Milne Group Sales Manager Nadeem Ahmed Quraishi (+971 50 6453365) Group Marketing Manager Anusha Azees PRODUCTION General Manager S. Sunil Kumar Assistant Production Manager Binu Purandaran HAYMARKET MEDIA GROUP Chairman Kevin Costello Managing Director Jane Macken

The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.

Campaign Middle East includes material reproduced from the UK Edition (and other editions) of Campaign, which is the copyright of Haymarket. Campaign is a trademark of Haymarket and is used under licence. The views and opinions expressed within this magazine are not necessarily those of Haymarket Magazines Limited or those of its contributors.

May 31, 2020

31

Infuriating but effective

A

t best, influencer marketing helps amplify a brand’s messaging in an organic way that cuts through digital and psychological ad blockers. At worst it can be, in the words of the team from Weber Shandwick (page 26), “a very expensive screen shot”. Scratch that; at worst it can be so much worse, with tantrums, missed messaging, and cataclysmic brand associations.

As a grumpy-old-man-in-training, I’m sceptical of influencers. It’s mainly because I’m jealous that they can get paid for having fun, but I rationalise my bitterness like this: I’m quite happy to follow people on social media with whom I share interests, and I respect many of their opinions. If they recommend something, I may be inclined to buy it. But I take issue when the person I follow ceases to be a fellow cheese enthusiast or another collector of Victorian dental tools and begins to identify themselves using the ‘I’ word.

That’s when I feel their power over me becomes more important to them than our original shared passion.

I suspect this is the point at which many of the region’s media and marketing professionals join me in rolling our eyes, even as they work on influencer marketing plans. Because the world of influencers is simultaneously infuriating and effective.

There are plenty of reasons for this, and also why the region is particularly ripe for influencer marketing. It has high social media usage, it has a young population with disposable income, and it is a society rooted in conformity. From strong family ties to a strong sense of national pride to tribal allegiances, the Middle East likes to be in with the in crowd more than many individualistic societies. What this means is that, love ‘em or hate ‘em, influencers are kind of a big deal around here.

That’s why our editorial calendar called for a series of articles on the topic this month. When Covid-19 first led us into lockdown we began to wonder

if we should quietly shift focus. But then we saw the influencer landscape start to change. Influencers became more personable, less entitled and less mercenary. We all have more time for social media, and traditional forms of content generation have dried up.

Platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter are booming. The way the public looks at influencers and celebrities, and the way they look back at their followers are changing rapidly.

Editor There are still issues, of course. There are those who mistake popularity austyn.allison@motivate.ae or fame for expertise. But that’s as @maustyn applicable to the White House as to the blue tick, and platforms are going out of their way to tackle false information and fake news.

In the right place, at the right time, influencers are now more relevant than ever. They can inform and educate us on those topics they can legitimately speak to. They can also entertain, and provide light-hearted distraction from, and support for, our shared current condition. Those brands that get on board with that are on to a winner too, whatever label they give it.

AUSTYN ALLISON

In other news, if you are pining for Campaign and ISSUU just isn’t enough, drop my colleague a line on siraj@motivate.ae and he’ll have one of our drivers deliver a hard copy to your home. Now that’s the personal touch.

Get to the bottom of it I

A VIEW FROM

DAVE TROTT

Dave Trott is the author of Creative Mischief, Predatory Thinking and One Plus One Equals Three

n 1912, the Titanic sank, the most famous shipwreck ever.

For more than 70 years, no one could find it until, in 1985, Dr Robert Ballard did.

It was over two miles down in the Atlantic, where the pressure would crush any human.

But Dr Ballard had developed a remote-control submersible that could show a TV picture of what no human had ever seen before.

The discovery of the wreck reignited the public’s interest to such an extent it knocked all other news off the front pages.

Which was exactly the point.

There are three creative parts to the discovery of the Titanic on the seabed.

The first part is that discovering the Titanic wasn’t the real mission at all.

Discovering the Titanic was just the cover story to disguise the real purpose.

The real purpose was to investigate the wrecks of two US nuclear submarines: the USS Thresher and the USS Scorpion.

In 1963, the Thresher had disappeared in the Atlantic with nuclear weapons onboard.

In 1968, the Scorpion had disappeared while shadowing a Russian naval task force.

The US Navy wanted to know if

either sub had been sunk by the Russians.

But they didn’t want to let the Russians know what they were doing.

Searching for the Titanic was a great cover story, all the newspapers concentrated on that, and nobody even suspected the real reason.

Which leads us to the second creative part in the story.

The US Navy didn’t know that Dr Ballard really was searching for the Titanic.

He’d spent years studying the exact location of where he thought the Titanic would be lying, but he didn’t have enough funds to conduct a search.

Then he found it was roughly between two missing American submarines.

He went to Deputy Commander of Naval Operations, Ronald Thunman, with a suggestion.

Dr Ballard had developed a new deep-sea exploration vehicle.

Wouldn’t it be a great idea to fund it to investigate the two missing subs and use the Titanic as a cover story?

Thunman agreed and the operation went ahead, with only a few people knowing the US Navy’s real purpose.

Ballard found the two subs and established that they hadn’t been sunk by the Russians.

He then had to pretend to go through with the cover story which, for him, was the real purpose.

Which was the third creative part.

Dr Ballard said: “I didn’t look for the wreck, it’s too small in a vast ocean – I had to think like a deer hunter: a deer hunter doesn’t look for a deer, he looks for tracks, then follows the tracks.”

So that’s what he did, he knew that the heaviest parts would sink first, so he looked for debris and followed the ocean current until the trail lead him to the wreck.

Dr Ballard did what the US Navy never expected him to do, he actually found the wreck.

Which, in the event, made the cover story work even better.

The US Navy let the public believe what they wanted to believe, and Dr Ballard let the US Navy believe what they wanted to believe.

That’s a great lesson for those of us that work in advertising.

Instead of thinking about what we want and trying to force people to agree with us, just work out what they want.

Then work out how what we want lines up with what they want.

Then get out of the way and let them have what they want.

And they’ll be so pleased they won’t even notice we’re getting what we want.

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May 31, 2020

Volkswagen… ‘I don’t think it’s cool to not show your brand any more.’ (RM)

Nissan… ‘It was contextual. But nothing Nissan about it.’ (AS)

Honda… ‘Right idea at the right time.’ (RM)

MG… ‘Refer to piece number 2.’ (AS)

May 31, 2020

33

Private View RAMZI MOUTRAN

AUNINDO SEN

Founder and CCO, Do Epic

Creative director FP7 McCann

Before you read this, please go to YouTube and watch the collage edit of Covid-19 related brand films ‘Every Covid-19 Commercial is Exactly the Same’. How can so many brands, so many copywriters, creative directors, planners, directors, marketing directors, editors and sound artists all lose their creativity at exactly the same time?

And no, I am not only talking about the lack of creativity.

I am talking about their creativity when thinking about their brands. Everyone has forgotten what all these brands are all about. What their positioning is. Their purpose. And what they really stand for. To quote the Joker, “Introduce a little anarchy, upset the establishment, and everything becomes chaos.” Everyone loses their minds. Is this what’s happening to advertising right now?

All of the ads we are reviewing are car ads. And all are suffering from exactly the same thing. They have lost their brands’ personality. They all forgot who they are. I know It’s incredibly hard to do a good car commercial. I have tried and can honestly say I have never created a really good car commercial. So to try and do one in a time like this is even harder; to be empathetic to the current climate, the production limitations and be consistent to your brand.

Challenging, I know.

VOLKSWAGEN: THE JOURNEY (1) It has no relationship to the VW brand, and it’s not even a Covid-19 ad. The stories are great, amazing people. Films feel too long and why the visual analogies of sand clocks and doors? Call me old fashioned but I can’t see the relationship to the brand. I don’t think it’s cool to not show your brand any more. Just do it naturally. Be proud of what you are and make it relevant.

NISSAN: ODE TO EMPTY ROADS (2) Nissan is an amazing brand, a very creative brand. They have set a high benchmark. This is not at that level. Missed opportunity.

MG: TOGETHER IN SPIRIT (3) Please just watch that generic Corona-19 ad I mentioned above. I can’t say anything more, it says it all. Missed opportunity.

VOLKSWAGEN: THE JOURNEY (1) Compelling, believable and well-directed six-minute stories in today’s smash-and-grab times? Who would have thought.

HONDA: UNTIL WE DRIVE AGAIN (4) Great ad. Actually brilliant. Shot perfectly. Right idea at the right time. I just wish the copy didn’t congratulate itself so much. It could have been a bit more subtle.

All in all, at a time when creativity needs to shine through and push barriers, if feels like this group of ads have simply settled for what works within the constraints of the current climate, rather than striving for something truly original – except for Honda, possibly.

NISSAN: ODE TO EMPTY ROADS (2) It was contextual. But nothing Nissan about it. Also, probably 20 seconds longer than it needed to be.

MG: TOGETHER IN SPIRIT (3) Refer to piece number 2. A slick edit though.

HONDA: UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN (4) A simple and refreshing piece . The opening supers do the hook job quite well. And by the end, you like what you’ve seen . What more can you ask for, really?

Volkswagen

Title: The Journey Agency: Socialize Senior account director: Ailidh Smylie Account manager: Rhia Samuel Sr copywriter: Peter Mazloumian Sr interactive designer: Nour Mohammad Director: Ekta Saran DOP: Robert Babekuhl Production house: Abstracts Studios Exec producer: Ashwin Menon

Nissan

Title: Ode to Empty Roads Agency: TBWA/Raad CCO: Walid Kanaan ECD: Bruno Bomediano ACD & copywriter: Alex Pineda Motion designer & editor: Lucas Pimenta Head of copy: Simon Raffaghello

MG Motors

Title: Together in Spirit Agency: Merkle MENA (Dentsu) ECD: Cristiano Tonnarelli Copywriters: Cristiano Tonnarelli, Omer Medani, Stephen Johnson Designer: Rayaan Cassiem Edited and produced in-house

Honda

Title: Until We Drive Again Agency: Memac Ogilvy Dubai

34

May 31, 2020

The Spin The Spin is quite delighted at the phrasing used to advertise Emirates Loto. The draw is, we are told, “changing lives one ball at a time”. Is there any better way to change one’s life, we wonder.

These past few months have been tough, which is why we assumed the ‘Everything Fin’ email we received was from a morose French nihilist despairing at the end of the world. It turns out ‘Fin’ refers to financial technology. It’s going to be all right after all.

“You can now turn a selfie into a work of art”, proclaims a UAE newspaper. And it shows us a cute dog rendered somewhat incongruously in the style of Edvard Munch’s The Scream. The dog is cute, but The Spin takes issue with the term ‘selfie’. Surely a selfie is a photo taken of and by, you know, yourself. Or perhaps the dog is just very adept with a camera. (As well as being cute.)

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