Campaign 26th July 2020 by Motivate Media Group

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July 26, 2020

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THE NEW MARKETING INDUSTRY LEADERS EXPLAIN HOW COVID-19 HAS CHANGED THEIR PLANS AND OUTLOOKS

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July 26, 2020

And Us wins creative agency-of-record brief for fast-food chain Hardees across the MENA region Dubai-based independent agency And Us has announced it has been named the creative agency of record for fast-food chain Hardee’s in the Middle East and North Africa. And Us Dubai will handle all aspects of Hardee’s as its creative agency of record for its strategic planning, marketing communications, design and branding. The announcement marks And Us’s second big win of 2020, after snagging Bahraini telecoms giant Batelco earlier this year. Hussein Kandil, regional marketing director of Hardee’s MENA, said: “For almost four decades Hardee’s has thrived in this region. Its values of quality, generosity and inclusiveness have defined a generation. In partnership with And Us, we have found great chemistry with a creative partner that understands how to drive these values forward, and how to preserve the spirit of what people love about our brand while reinvigorating its essence for a new generation of burger lovers.” Fadi Yaish, founder and chief creative officer of And Us, said: “The first burger I ever ate was a Hardees burger. “For me and for many other people of my generation, Hardees still

‘Unfiltered joy and happiness’: And Us founder Fadi Yaish says his agency’s work will be ‘loud, brave and impossible to ignore’

evokes a sense of unfiltered joy and happiness. Our creative pitch to Hardees aimed to capture that “lightning in a bottle” feeling with work that that taps into what makes

young people tick. In Hardees, we’ve found an enthusiastic partner that’s hungry for good work and brimming with incredible potential.

“We look forward to doing work that’s loud, brave and impossible to ignore. To do anything less with a client of this calibre would be a disservice.”

Shadani launches The Comms Room

EMIRATES NATION BRAND FLIGHT UAE001 PROBE TO MARS To mark the launch of the Hope Probe, Emirates Nation Brand kicked-off a social experiment to spread awareness. The experiment is filmed at Dubai International Airport, where Mars is added to the list of destinations, pinpointing the Emirates’ ambitions towards a bright future and inspiring confidence that nothing is impossible. Starring Emirati content creator; Khalid Al Ameri, the film amassed massive engagement, attracting the attention of local media outlets and TV anchors. The agency was Socialeyez, which worked with the Public Diplomacy Office.

PR and digital marketing firm Shadani Consulting has announced the launch of The Comms Room, aimed at supporting SMEs and entrepreneurs with free PR resources and social media resources. The Comms Room says it is “a platform where SMEs can access a library of DIY resources, professional templates, webinars and best practice guidelines to learn the fundamentals of communications, develop their PR strategy, engage in effective crisis communications and much more”. As a response to the changing needs of a Covid-19 affected community, The Comms Room offers tools and communication templates to enable individuals and SMEs to enhance their media footprint, break through media clutter and re-engage with customers. For those that don’t have the time to implement the tactics, subsidised ‘pay as you go’ packages are also available.

July 26, 2020

Motivate launches $1m marketing support initiative for UAE SMEs The Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai has approved an initiative, launched in the run-up to the UAE’s 50th Anniversary, to provide $1m in free advertising and marketing support to homegrown UAE SMEs. The support is being offered by Campaign’s parent company, Motivate Media Group. The Dubaibased, leading multi-platform content producer understands the challenges the current pandemic poses for small and medium enterprises and will provide $50,000 of free advertising each to 20 UAE SMEs to strengthen their businesses and see them prosper into 2021 – a major milestone for the UAE. The chosen SMEs will have access to print, digital, marketing and editorial support from Motivate brands such as Gulf Business, What’s On, Emirates Woman, Identity and Campaign. Motivate will guide SMEs on best practices, helping them target relevant audiences, to ensure that campaigns deliver optimal results. Ian Fairservice, managing partner of Motivate Media Group, said: “We are celebrating the UAE’s success by helping others achieve their business goals. This is an incredibly hard time

for all businesses, especially SMEs, and we have one of the largest media portfolios to help businesses across the UAE.” The DED-approved programme allows businesses to nominate themselves for consideration. Motivate Media Group is appointing an expert panel that will look for companies not just with potential to survive during this difficult period but with a plan to thrive in 2021 and beyond. The panel will consist of seven industry leaders from different disciplines. The panel includes Dr. Amina Al Rostamani, former CEO of Tecom Group and now director of AW Rostamani Group. The SMEs must convince the panel they will benefit from the significant marketing support and show how their businesses will continue to grow and contribute to the UAE. Applications are open to all homegrown UAE businesses. The selected SMEs will have access to up to $50,000 each in free advertising and comprehensive advice on how to deliver an engaging, multi-media marketing campaign. The overall budget includes around $275,000 to support Tech SMEs, in partnership with Sharjah

Fairservice: “We are celebrating the UAE’s success by helping others achieve their goals”

Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa). Sheraa’s portfolio of selected tech startups will get exclusive access to these services, receiving benefits from Motivate including advertising space in their print magazines, digital marketing, editorial support and guidance with their marketing and promotional plans. Najla Al Midfa, CEO of Sheraa, said:

“Sheraa is excited to partner with Motivate Media Group to provide media opportunities for our startups, particularly at a time when exposure to wider markets can make all the difference towards their survival. Collaborations like these are a testament to the growing sense of community within the entrepreneurship ecosystem.”

BATELCO #STAYATHOMEHEROES

ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA @WORDSMITHALISHA POETRY

To honor the sacrifices that everyday people in Bahrain and around the world continue to make, Bahrain’s leading telecommunications provider Batelco released a commemorative SnapChat lens to be used at home. The lens celebrates heroes at home by adorning them with medals of honor that recognize their struggle and allows them to see themselves as the brand sees them – at-home heroes of COVID-19.

Dubai-based content creator and ‘Instapoet’ Alisha Patel (@wordsmithalisha) was recently part of a global social media collaboration with luxury menswear brand Ermenegildo Zegna, that sought to draw poetry into mainstream content marketing. The partnership came about as Ermenegildo Zegna believed that during these difficult moments at home due to Covid-19, a collaboration to create something meaningful and inspiring, with a positive message, was important. Patel was drawn to the work by the fact that a luxury menswear behemoth was wildly enthusiastic about the power of empathetic content to embrace change and help break stereotypes around masculinity..

Agency And Us Founder and CCO Fadi Yaish Senior creative Camila Venegas Gomez Creative directors Sandy McIntosh, Jamie Kennaway, Steve De Lange Head of content and video production Serena Chemaly Shot and produced by Studio Melt Online content production Black Box Design agency No One Lens development Tactical

July 26, 2020

Mohammad Kamal, founder of Ogilvy Advize, to head Apco creative practice PR agency Apco Worldwide has appointed Mohammad Kamal as regional creative practice lead. The appointment of Kamal, a multi-award-winning creative industry leader, complements and fortifies Apco’s globally established artificial intelligence and digital capabilities, said Mamoon Sbeih, Apco Worldwide’s MENA president. “We are proud to welcome one of the region’s creative driving forces to lead our creative practice,” Sbeih said. “In today’s always-on world, creative storytelling is part of the fabric of communications practice. Mo’s relentless pursuit of his artform will provide an invaluable boost to the ways our clients can engage the public, their stakeholders and wider audiences, as we fortify our creative capabilities with a truly 360-degree offering.” Kamal brings more than 20 years of experience to Apco’s Dubai office, where he will head-up the MENA creative practice. Prior to joining Apco, he served as the managing partner and executive creative director at Memac Ogilvy Advize in Jordan. He founded Advize, a local boutique agency until it merged with Memac Ogilvy Jordan in 2011. Kamal transformed the company into one of the top agencies in Jordan.

Mohammad Kamal: ‘one of the region’s creative driving forces’

Kamal and his team have been consistently recognised for their professional excellence, including being on award-winning campaigns for a wide array of local and international brands such as G+, Wi-tribe, Jordan Commercial Bank, Total and others. He earned a Grand Prix at the Dubai Lynx for two consecutive years and received a Cannes Lion in 2017 – both first achievements for Jordan.

“It’s an exciting time to be joining one of the world’s most highly esteemed communications firms,” said Kamal. “With the world undergoing a reset in so many areas, a range of new, creative ways to communicate across the spectrum of industry and business have emerged, and I’m thrilled to be starting this era of creative and digital storytelling with a professional team as respected and aspirational as Apco Worldwide.”

Mashreq hires Aimee Peters

UAE bank Mashreq has appointed Aimee Peters as its new group head of marketing and corporate communications. Peters has more than 20 years of experience in marketing, communications and PR, across the Middle East, South Africa and the UK. Prior to joining Mashreq, she served as head of marketing – global B2B coverage & capital markets at HSBC, where she was responsible for the development and delivery of marketing strategies across various functions of the bank, including the wholesale, investment and commercial banking divisions. In her role at Mashreq, Peters will oversee brand and marketing activities across the Group, focusing on all markets where Mashreq has a presence.

BAWABAT AL SHARQ MALL MARS HOPE PROBE

YOUTUBE WORLD-RECORD LIVE-STREAMED IFTAR

In support of Emirates Mars Mission’s launch of Hope Probe, Bawabat Al Sharq Mall launched an inspirational video capturing the UAE’s journey until now. The video attributes the success of the UAE to its ability of realising its dreams. The video touches upon the various stages including the current turbulent times yet gives renewed hope to humanity with the space mission. The video was shared on the Mall’s social media pages and digital channels.

Regional marketing communications group Impact BBDO partnered recently with YouTube to deliver an innovative platform for the people of Saudi Arabia during the Holy month of Ramadan. The collaboration included six of the region’s biggest YouTube creators who invited their subscribers to an iftar that was live streamed on YouTube in an effort to break their fast together. The livestream, which began on the 19th May at 7pm GST on Mohamed Moshaya’s YouTube channel, allowed viewers to engage with influencers such as The Saudi Reporters, Anasala Family, Asrar Aref, Noor Starz and Omar Hussein. At 183,544 views, the six creators set a Guinness World Record for the most views on an YouTube live streamed iftar. Additionally, YouTube showed its support by donating $250,000 to the UNHCR.

Agency AMC – Advertising & Marketing Consultants DMCC Creative director Imran Mohideen English copywriter Samir K. Shaji Arabic copywriter Asem Hatem Motion graphics Zahran Hameed, Yasser Shaker Account manager Rabiah Atat Social media executives Katrina Salaysay, Ghazal Hawwash

July 26, 2020

THE NEW MARKETING MARKETING LEADERS EXPLAIN HOW COVID-19 HAS CHANGED THEIR PLANS

t probably hasn’t passed many people by that there is something called Covid-19 out there, and it’s changed the way we do a few things. For years we’ve been hearing about innovations that will transform marketing, but coronavirus is the big one. So we asked marketing managers across a mix of verticals to look at how Covid-19 has affected their industries, and what that means for their marketing strategies. We solicited case studies from our partners to showcase their insights and learnings from real-life scenarios, recent campaigns and ongoing marketing exercises. By gathering a wide variety of insights, experience and knowledge, we hope that the following pages present a balanced view of where the marketing industry finds itself now, and where it might be heading. One of the themes is a lurch towards digital, even for industries where online communications had previously played a much smaller role – for example, education and automotive. There is plenty of debate about longer-term brand-building versus immediate conversions and easily measured ROI. The debate is by

no means new, but the circumstances are. And the two extremes of strategic vs. tactical messaging have moved further apart. On one end is the need for brands to avoid being seen as mercenary in the face of disaster, and at the other end of the spectrum is the need to lure socially, physically and financially anxious consumers to resume their spending. And what will come next? Some marketers see the shift to digital as one-way street, with spend being ratcheted away from traditional media and little expectation of return (at least in the short-term). Others expect a more smoothly integrated hybrid model to emerge. Digital media will rise in importance, but it will work hand-in-hand with print, outdoor, experiential and other channels. No one pretends to know what is coming. It can be hard enough to get a handle on what has happened so far this year and where we are now. But the many voices who have contributed to this issue help put things in perspective and lead the conversation about what will come next for the industry, and even perhaps what the much-cited ‘new normal’ will look like. Whenever we get there. By Austyn Allison, editor, Campaign Middle East

July 26, 2020

BRAND PURPOSE FIRST

Knowing what your brand stands for has never been so important as during the Covid-19 crisis, writes Babyshop’s Mitin Chakraborty

OVID-19 has truly been an unparalleled episode to learn from, and we are not done with it yet. The market went through a massive shake-up and it’s been interesting to observe the changing consumer behaviour during these times. From what started as a “no-no” to shopping at the beginning of the pandemic, to the relatively smooth transition to online purchase, and now to a recovery phase with much higher buying confidence, these changes have brought about an unprecedented amount of challenges to businesses and to us as marketers. On the business front, we saw a disproportionate surge of customer migration to our e-commerce store. Our call centre and social-care teams were inundated with queries on how to shop online, how to checkout, etc., signalling a tribe of new digital adopters. Customers too were going through a whirlwind of emotions during the lockdown, so staying agile and adapting to the needs of the market was a winning strategy for any businesses. In our case, being a purpose-led brand also called for a higher degree of empathy and responsibility to support our community of parents. On the marketing side, we stayed nimble too. Our focus, for the first few weeks, remained on communicating and keeping our customers informed of all business updates. Our next key priority was to ensure we had a prompt response mechanism across our online and offline customer service platforms to serve customer queries, and our third priority was to ensure that our business partners and agencies were reassured of our commitment to those partnerships. Given our strength in customer and data insights, we were mostly on top of understanding the shifts in customer missions – category priorities, value drivers, motivators, etc. – which was ably supported by a strong communication strategy, with care and empathy at the core of the plan. Our partners, FP7 McCann, turned out extraordinary pieces of communication – from category-led creatives to brand-purpose led statements, which were widely appreciated by our customers. Media focus shifted towards digital, given the changes in content consumption and shifts in customer journeys. These have been tough times, so it’s hard and unfair to critique any actions or decisions that didn’t work. However, I’ll share that my biggest learning has been in leadership and customer management. I could never be more proud of the leadership at our group — the agility, empathy and customercentricity that we have maintained as an organisation. The leadership at Babyshop too has been truly inspiring and optimistic. The support received at every step further bolstered our decisions, and I am glad I was able to contribute and learn from this team. With all this said, another important learning that the crisis has validated is the need to reflect on a brand’s true reason to

‘‘BRAND PURPOSE HAS NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT IN A BRAND’S LIFECYCLE.”

exist – its brand purpose. And that has never been more important in a brand’s lifecycle. Now, our marketing efforts continue to adapt to the shifting customer journeys and the evolving market dynamics. We continue to work smarter on building efficiencies across our business and brand, and remain cautious as we move on this uncertain path, together with the rest of the world. Some of the initial signs of the changing market habits seem to be very encouraging and I am hopeful we’ll see a recovery earlier than expected. The piece of advice I wish I’d known in February is: I wish I had read the book that predicted the pandemic. On a serious note, I think no advice would have prepared us enough to manage a crisis of this magnitude. For our generation this was unthinkable. What’s important, though, is that we learn from this and stay better prepared for the future. Let’s build a world we all deserve.

By MITIN CHAKRABORTY, head of marketing at Babyshop

CASE STUDY

July 26, 2020

Accelerating transformation to fuel sustainable growth: a guide for the CPG industry Rasha Rteil, Regional Director, MCN MEDIABRANDS MENAT

continuously upgrading and evolving our expertise, by re-creating success and, more importantly, by forging strong partnerships with leading experts. Over the past six months, MCN MEDIABRANDS teamed up with Google to develop a Guiding Framework for CPG brands to succeed on the Digital Marketing Transformation Journey. Our Playbook distills learning from around the globe, for brands to understand the impact of data-driven technologies on organisations. At the outset the Playbook maps out where brands are on their journey. Then it utilises a matrix developed in conjunction with BCG that classifies businesses into four stages based on their levels of digital maturity: nascent, emerging, connected and multi-moment.

isruption had taken on a valued, technology-enabled and opportunityladen meaning in the past decade. However, 2020 has found a way for the word to reclaim its core essence. The fundamentals of individual and collective lives have been shaken with industries and organisations re-imaging the foundations of their structures. From a marketing perspective, brands have a pressing need to view consumer journeys through a different lens. More than ever the past six months has seen consumer behaviour shift online. Yes, economies are gradually re-opening and return-to-work policies are rolling out, but the impact on our relationship with brands online is more multi-faceted, ingrained and complex than before the pandemic’s onset. In this context, disruption brings with it opportunity. Digital transformation has long been considered vital to the fourth industrial revolution, and many marketers’ discussions have for some years focused on how consumer journeys have transformed from linear transactions to multi-moment experiences online. The impact of the pandemic fast-tracked the transition to a truly holistic world. While Digital Marketing Transformation (DMT) has long been on the radar of many CPG organisations, COVID has simply shifted the narrative from a question of ‘if’ to a question of ‘when’. That ‘when’ is now. At MCN MEDIABRANDS, our mission has evolved to help our clients win in a world now characterised not just by change itself but by the speed of change. We do this by

THE CHALLENGE

Upon analysing the CPG industry across MENA, our framework highlighted a gap between the speed at which brands are transforming compared with the speed of the transformations that consumers are going through. While individual organisations vary on the level of digital maturity, it was clear that most of the category is at the ‘emerging’ stage, with an opportunity to further evolve. One of the key challenges, historically, has been the over-reliance on wide reach as a campaign objective to compensate for the lack of granular data about consumers. Today, the proliferation of data is allowing companies to identify high-value audiences of consumer archetypes that brands can identify and engage with to produce the highest return on investments.

more importantly, depth of knowledge at the execution level. As companies start to build their plans to embark on the transformation journey, the final thread remains holistic measurement. It is critical to invest in measurement that allows an organisation to understand its customers and the journeys they take, and to help reinvent the way a its products appeals and engages them. We’ve undertook these challenges as opportunities and today our team at Reprise has been on a journey with Google and has developed mastery in leading digital marketing transformation endeavours. This work includes auditing current maturity states then developing and implementing a comprehensive transformation plan built on the principles of the BCG framework for digital maturity and inspired by successful case studies and best practice from around the globe. Our partnership with Google to develop this Playbook is a testament to our commitment to be at the forefront of the forces shaping our industry, and to our mission to help our clients win. We are happy to be sharing this thoughtleadership piece, which brings together the guiding principles adopted by our agencies UM, Initiative and Magna proving the efficacies of the DMT framework and in collaboration with Google’s marketing experts.

BUT WHAT NEXT?

The Playbook provides insights as well as a robust framework on the required actions to be taken for organisations to advance their way forward. And while the framework provides a solid path, navigating the complexities of implementation and seeing the transformation to its final destination requires determination, commitment, leadership sponsorship and,

To download our playbook, please visit www.mcnholding.com/DMTforCPG

July 26, 2020

he Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have, without a doubt, been disruptive to the telco sector. With the new normal seeing consumers demand more, we have responded to meet exceptional rises in demand and support our communities and businesses; an unwavering commitment that saw us step beyond our role as a traditional service provider. This required a relook at our messaging, which we realised had to be more relevant, empathetic, supportive and empowering. We looked at three core aspects: Business continuity: Conveying that we are capable of ensuring business continuity is crucial for the customers and communities we serve as they undertook remote learning and workingfrom-home. Network resilience: Reassuring everyone that the infrastructure will safeguard network resilience is equally important to provide peace of mind. Reassuring the public: In such difficult times, it is important that the country remains optimistic, and it was essential that we relayed messages of hope and positivity. Alongside messaging, we have learned that marketing and communications must also be more relevant, more contextual, and clearly highlight consumer benefits. Because of the unexpected acceleration of marketing into the digital era, the onus was on us to adapt immediately to retain customer service excellence and ensure these criteria were met through new communication channels. Effectively, that meant that we needed to adapt to the changing media landscape and approach both marketing and communications from a holistic and multiplatform perspective. Although the transition from print to online was already occurring, the outbreak accelerated the pace of change, altering the dynamics of marketing channels in the process. As traditional practices were suddenly no longer viable, we have utilised every available resource to deliver messaging through various alternatives, including video, email, social media, search engine optimisation (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC), websites and content marketing – all of which will play a pivotal role in our own digital media landscape moving forward. Agility and nimbleness are the key attributes that should drive brands that hope to see success in the current situation; attributes that should never be taken for granted. We are all aware of the degrees of uncertainty and unpredictability that have accompanied the ongoing circumstances to date. The ability to respond – and quickly – has enabled us to promptly mitigate problems, foster innovation, enjoy scalability and flexibility, and create fast, accurate messaging delivery systems to customers. With these points in mind, brands should – as we have – continuously reassess their proposition in line with the changing reality, providing guidance, support and services. By reaching out to communities and businesses, providing unconditional support and upholding pledges to ensure services are never compromised, we have repositioned ourselves, moving away from a simple essential service. The new normal demands more from us; it is no longer the ‘customer-service’ dynamic that matters, but rather the ‘customer-caregiver’ relationship. No longer is it what we say and what we offer that defines us as a brand, but rather it is what we stand for that we will be judged on, moving forward, by the court of public opinion. This is what the new normal demands. This is what our new reality requires. And this is the new landscape we must address.

By ABDULWAHED JUMA, executive vice-president of brand and corporate communications, Du

‘‘AGILITY AND NIMBLENESS ARE THE KEY ATTRIBUTES THAT SHOULD DRIVE BRANDS THAT HOPE TO SEE SUCCESS.”

TELCOS AND THE NEW NORMAL The Covid-19 crisis has called for a reassessment of marketing and messaging prerogatives, writes Du’s Abdulwahed Juma

CASE STUDY

July 26, 2020

NAVIGATING BRANDS THROUGH A

PANDEMIC Social distancing and forced isolation measures have left brands to seek new ways of reaching their consumer audience without coming across as opportunistic. Striking a balance between ‘real’ outreach while communicating the brand’s message sympathetically without seeming exploitational during these sensitive times has also been a communication challenge for some. However a few organizations have risen to the challenge successfully with the aid of their agency’s insights on consumer content consumption, innovative ideation and authentic storytelling. Suneesh Menon, Director of Projects at BPG MAX and client lead on the Rivoli Group shared an example of this - “Rivoli EyeZone has always been a brand that specializes in eyecare solutions besides its luxury fashion eyewear offerings, and is probably one of the few local home-grown brands who give free mobile eyecare tests as part of its CSR initiative. Taking the idea forward to the next level, we recommended a special campaign honouring healthcare professionals in the UAE calling it, ‘Vision Care for Heroes’.”

The first half of the year witnessed unprecedented changes across the world due to the COVID pandemic that left nothing untouched by its impact. Not surprisingly, the global reach of the virus also affected regional markets such as the UAE, leading to marked changes in consumer behaviour and engagement patterns. BPG MAX PR is part of the integrated services offered along with creative and social media under the BPG MAX umbrella, keeping in step with the ‘one-stop one-shop’ solution for brands that need marketing objectives to be met through integrated communication strategies. Another approach using consumer engagement insights was implemented by the BPG MAX media team to create a winning media strategy for Al Ain Water – Agthia Group during Ramadan. With the entire country under lock-down for the first time in history during the holy month, the challenge was to identify innovative mediums to communicate ‘A Wish in Every Bottle’ initiative by Al Ain Water in collaboration with ‘Make-A-Wish’.

IN OUR EYES

YOU ARE HEROES TRUSTED OPTICIANS

“The basic premise rested on the gifting of free eyeglass lenses by Rivoli EyeZone to any healthcare professional who walked through the doors of the brand’s outlets in UAE, while producing the necessary documentation as proof of their profession. With no financial investments into media spends, the entire campaign was supported by PR stories across traditional and digital platforms pitched by the BPG MAX PR team and social media video content, all of which went viral due to its sheer merit of value and validity”, added Menon. “The campaign generated more than USD 55,000 of free PR mileage, over 133,000 cc of free print coverage, free RJ mentions on all the leading radio channels in UAE and over 300,000 views on social media. With 5000+ enquiries and more than 4,000 eyeglass lenses given away to healthcare professionals proved the success of the campaign’s communication reach”, added Santripti Vellody, PR Director, BPG MAX.

24.8 M IMPRESSIONS

80,634 CLICKS

3.35 MN VIEWS

2.3 MN FULL VIEWS

“During lock-down our analysis showed that consumers were spending more time watching movies online as well as on gaming platforms, so we explored uncharted territories for Al Ain Water with the inclusion of platforms like Shahid.com and other gaming networks, which proved to be extremely effective. These are times when most have learnt that agility and having our ear to the ground are important qualities to survive brand communication challenges during Covid”, added Amit Raj, General Manager at BPG MAX.

July 26, 2020

MARKETING IN THE NEW NORMAL

he pandemic has had a significant impact on businesses and how they engage with customers, even influencing a change in business models. Every marketer has had to race against time to rethink communications strategies – shifting entirely from the physical to a virtual world. As restrictions in social distancing are being slightly lifted, “The New Normal” will most likely bear witness to innovative hybrid marketing approaches. So as marketers, what must we be mindful of?

After marketers raced to shift from physical to virtual, the next generation of marketing is likely to take a hybrid approach, writes Micro Focus’s Sandra Skairjeh

1. Stay relevant, especially in these times of digital overload Digital overload is a phenomenon that all marketers are facing now. Media channels and platforms are being oversaturated with webinars, digital campaigns and more. Submerging customers with continuous content could lead to short-term gains. However, you could set yourself up for negative brand perception over the long run. As marketers, ask yourselves: will one more article or a video make any difference, and is it relevant? You need to differentiate yourself from the pack and stand out. When it comes to content, ensure you walk in your customers’ shoes, address their pain points and identify the value they seek. Having such an empathetic perspective can be a priceless asset in positioning your product or service as the plausible solution. Contemporary customers prefer watching real-life testimonials, the brand’s story and its impact on society at large, as opposed to a technical sales pitch. Tip: A way to choose relevant content to focus on is to stay abreast of trending topics for your business on the search engines. If you know what type of search results are showing up more frequently right now, you can create fresh content along those lines. Google Trends would be your best reference. 2. Tap into the experience economy We are witnessing a rise in the experience economy. Modern customers seek relevant, contextualised and personalised experiences instead of generic offerings. Big data technology and marketing automation tools now provide data-derived and personalised solutions to individual requirements, by segmenting

technological tools and virtual capabilities, marketers tend to favour physical engagement opportunities. However, the pandemic radically affected the opportunity to host such events. Your best bet, under the circumstances, is to pivot to virtual events. But, is it possible for you to drive the same value in virtual space? The short answer is yes. The digital sphere is rich with video conferencing and collaboration tools, enabling you to remotely engage large audiences, across vast geographical distances. In fact, virtual events have now gone mainstream as a facilitator of business continuity during the current crisis. Even Google switched its annual in-person Cloud Next conference to a virtual one for 2020. The New Normal may bring the physical engagement with events back to a certain degree, but after experiencing the benefits of the virtual space we will see more of this in future. Hence, consider a hybrid model that enables the physical touch but also takes advantage of the wider reach, on-demand capabilities and cost efficiencies that the virtual world brings to the table. Tip: All the standard tools of developing an engaging presentation apply in the virtual world. Articulate your event’s essence through background colour and online design. Reduce monotonous, information-rich slides and introduce engaging testimonials and animations. Even gamification strategy and use of VR can be explored.

audience and targeting engagement. The contemporary buyer responds to empathy-based marketing, so create rapport and sell an experience, not a product. You may have to redo your marketing focus and investments based on your customers’ buying behaviour patterns, such as: customers who have halted all investment regardless of value proposition presented; customers who are cautiously optimistic and still investing in prioritised solutions with a strong value proposition; and, finally, those customers who still have an immediate need and strong

investment requirement in spite of, or even because of, the New Normal. Tip: Do not jump on bandwagons that make noise. Facilitate outreach to the right audience, at the right stage of their purchasing journey, on the right platforms. One such technique is social listening, which allows you to gain valuable insights into industryspecific challenges and opportunities, in turn helping you create a unique value proposition. 3. Trust the shift: Can virtual really replace physical engagement? Despite widespread accessibility of

4. Speak to your customers’ aspirations – in a personalised manner Personalisation remains key to delivering value. In a virtual setup, inbound interest and poll responses allow you to generate data, which enables you to segment your audience and deliver personalised value. Tip: Offer valuable on-demand sessions and product demos to targeted audiences. Such presentations can be followed by one-on-one, deep-dive Q&A sessions – which are an opportunity to make up for the lost touchpoints you may have had access to in physical interactions.

By SANDRA SKAIRJEH, head of marketing – emerging markets and international channel marketing – Micro Focus

July 26, 2020

he education sector was uniquely vulnerable to the pandemic. Although it was at the forefront of some of the most proactive responses to the virus – quick to empty classrooms and move classes online – the process was challenging, but we were agile and able to adapt. The biggest challenge was that we instantly lost the ability to have any in-person recruitment event, including domestic and international road shows, campus tours or admission fairs. We had more than 50 recruitment-related events cancelled from February through June 2020, including regular open days, which are our highest conversion events. We also realised we couldn’t rely on international markets for our students when travel restrictions were in place. We were essentially left with digital promotion, social media, websites, WebEx calls and virtual interactions. Customers were naturally wary of all forms of distance learning, as this is something that had been thrust upon them with no warning, and now students were told classes would be conducted off campus. We had to ensure our students recognised there would not be a drop in the quality of the educational offerings, and that we still adhered to a strict academic governance process. These were the negatives. However, Covid-19 also opened up quite a few opportunities for us. The major boost was increased demand from our domestic sector, where 60,000 students will potentially be stuck in Dubai and unable to attend universities in the US, UK or Australia for September. This has created increased demand for accredited, international universities in the UAE. In terms of the overall business effect of Covid-19, I am proud to say that we just had our highest summer intake in seven years, in the midst of a global pandemic and recession. We realised our main recruitment tools – events and exhibitions – were now completely gone, and we had to shift to virtual open days and virtual admission consultation while we worked from home. In a time when we were planning to launch our brand-new campus in September and were planning a launch event to invite potential students to see it, we had to shift everything digitally, with a renewed focus on the domestic sector here in the UAE. As our university was shifting towards blended learning and the digitisation of the learning model, so was our marketing approach, by introducing a targeted, digital approach for lead generation. We were already in the process of moving to 100 per cent digital marketing, and Covid-19 just hastened

AN OPEN DAY FROM YOUR LIVING ROOM Although events are the education sector’s most effective marketing channel, UOWD was able to offer students and parents virtual alternatives, writes Brendan Michael Vyner

this along. We stopped international travel and events and focused on targeted digital and social promotions. Covid-19 has shown the importance of a personalised marketing approach, especially in an environment that does not allow any face-to-face interactions. This has been the biggest change in the last few months, the removal of the human element. We have had to replace this with a tailored, digital marketing strategy that catered entirely to the needs of students. Our campaigns themselves wouldn’t change; however the focus, targets and methods of delivery evolved rapidly. We shifted the significant portion of our marketing spend to be focused on the domestic sector, as we knew many students would not like to waste a year waiting for travel restrictions to ease and would like to begin university as soon as possible. We launched free masterclasses for students who wanted to experience digital and blended learning, as we knew that the summer semester would be delivered online only. We launched virtual open days and interacted with students and parents from the comfort of their own homes, also reaching out at times convenient to them. We offered a digital one-toone consultation service providing tailored appointments for students at their convenience. As we saw students stuck in Dubai and unable to travel, we began aggressively promoting our ‘Pathways’ programmes. Students who were unable to travel due to the current crisis can now begin their education in Dubai with the option to transfer to UOW Australia, one of the top 10 universities in Australia, once the restrictions have eased.

We had to learn and adapt quickly. Blended learning was always coming, but we never knew that it would happen so quickly. We learned that although there is no replacement for face-to-face discussions with potential students, these students appreciated the effort of us calling them and speaking to them and their parents directly. All the new digital masterclasses, virtual open days and personalised consultation services worked; however, these initiatives need to be backed by a strong customer service and admissions team that talk to students every day. The major change on the horizon is that we are looking forward to welcoming students back to our brand new campus in September. Our marketing will continue to remain predominantly digital, since this provides the best ROI, lead tracking and understanding of what works and doesn’t; however, we will soon be able to welcome small groups back to our campus, adhering to social distancing, strict safety requirements and healthcare regulations. We are looking forward to welcoming international students back into Dubai, since Emirates has now allowed travel from certain locations in time for the upcoming academic year. Since we are unable to have a large campus launch event, we are working on ways we can promote our new campus digitally and across the world, via 360 tours and videos to allow our students abroad to see our new campus before they come to Dubai.

By BRENDAN MICHAEL VYNER, director, marketing & student recruitment, University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD)

July 26, 2020

ovid-19 lockdowns have been referred to as ‘The Great Human Pause’. This period has had a wide-ranging impact – from social and economic, to environmental and technological. While it has certainly been a pause for some, it has also been one of hyper-activity for some of the others. The lasting impact of it all is beyond ordinary foresight. The positive and negative impact of Covid-19 has popularly characterised businesses into two ranks: ones that are shock-proof and future-fit, and ones that are fragile and rooted in traditional market structures. Whichever way we decide to look, net impact on GDP of various economies is a good measure of the havoc caused by Covid-19. It has ranged from -37 per cent in the US in the second quarter of 2020, to -6.8 per cent for the equivalent Covid-19 period in China. MENA probably sits somewhere in between, with the compound impact of lowered global oil demand and lesser consumer spending. Whether we classify this as a recession or not, the economies need bouncing back. The good old Keynesian theory suggests that “increase in marginal propensity of consumers to spend” is what brings economies back to growth. Behind that increase in spending is the enhanced confidence in mid-term recovery. No discipline does the job of stimulating consumer confidence better than marketing and communications. Government stimulus, unemployment benefits and furloughs, and tax breaks will provide for the spending power, but not the purchase intent. That job falls upon us as marketers. I will outline here a few thoughts for our industry. These are rooted in what we have gone through in the past months, and a personal reflection on near-term challenges to come. There is a direct relationship between people’s ability to physically move and the decline of certain sectors. Whilst the ability to physically move comes back gradually, it comes back with a fear of a much worse second wave. What could we do to separate that fear from the demand for our products? The answer might not lie on “greater volume of advertising” or in “becoming more performance-focused”. We may need to dig deeper into behavioural science in how we craft messages that spark confidence. This does not mean that we advocate careless consumer behaviour; it means creating a distinction in the minds of consumers between being watchful of the virus spread and fulfilling their needs and wants. Some sectors’ ad expenditure in digital accelerated and became performancefocused. This might not be the de facto continuum. There is something about big brands and consumer trends being rooted into collective social consciousness that goes beyond a targeted digital campaign. The point I am making here is not against digital spending, it is about investing in

MARKETING’S NEXT BIG MOMENT The experience of Covid-19 is leading to marketing’s next challenge, The Great Demand Resumption, writes Unilever’s Asad ur Rahman

building back large-scale demand. Digital does it but with a weaker heart than some of the other media. Digital’s legacy will be its strength in performance, and we will see most digital advertising become performance-focused. This cannot be at the cost of bringing back consumer confidence at scale. What I am highlighting is the difference between the immediate ROI of a last click of a banner ad before conversion, and a message that builds lasting connections between consumers and brands. Our brands’ sense of responsibility was tested during Covid. Our sense of authenticity will carry us forward. During Covid, a lot of societies experienced much more than just the lockdowns. Issues of diversity, racial inclusion and justice, toxic and fake news culture, and topics of environment and sustainability amplified. They amplified not because they had not been acknowledged before; they amplified because when humans are down to survival, courage manifests itself

differently and voices become stronger. Being a responsible brand in such times is not about doing a social media post on a movement or a trend; it is about looking inwards and seeing the impact that a brand has on society, and then having the courage to take a stand that will make a difference. The authenticity with which we do this will define the share of growth our brands get. It is said that hindsight is always perfect. If there is one thing, I wish we had known pre-Covid, it is the lasting impact of the “fear” Covid-19 has caused in consumers. This fear has instilled years, in some cases decades, of behavioural change. Not all of that change is negative, but then not all is positive either. The job to do will be a fine act of balancing the two in alleviating that fear to stimulate the growth. The act I call ‘The Great Demand Resumption’.

By ASAD UR REHMAN, director of media & digital transformation, North Africa & Middle East at Unilever

CASE STUDY

July 26, 2020

COMMUNICATING WITH EMPATHY Other industries can learn from the healthcare sector, while it too is taking lessons from Covid-19, writes Saudi German Hospital’s Rami Zahran

he past few months have been unique for every person on the planet, and the dramatic impact of Covid-19 has spared no one. We are gaining more knowledge each day about the novel coronavirus, and have now reached a point where we are learning to co-exist with it. Still, this global health crisis continues to dominate the news and our day-to-day discussions with family, friends and colleagues. Fears and anxiety over the pandemic have become part of our present reality as we continue to navigate the ‘new normal’. Many brands have been compelled to change their approach to marketing and communications. In order to move forward, addressing the situation head-on and its impact on the lives of consumers is crucial. Communicating with empathy is therefore one of the things that every brand should prioritise – but how can brands do that effectively during these unprecedented times? Communicating with genuine empathy is about putting yourself in the shoes of others. It’s about conveying messages that resonate with people. This is not a new concept, but the pandemic has pushed us to think hard about how we want to be seen as a brand afterwards, and the way we communicate during this crisis will determine that. I work in healthcare, therefore communicating with empathy has always been pivotal in my career. And, luckily, you could say that the field of marcomms is industry agnostic, where you can learn concepts and bestpractices in one industry and then adapt them to another. Ultimately, brands who only recruit and gather knowledge from their own industry are limiting their own potential, and there is a huge wealth of resources when you start looking more broadly. Therefore, while the tactics applied in communicating with empathy in a healthcare setting can be seen as an absolute necessity, there is a lot to learn from the healthcare industry that can be applied to other industries. The number one thing that brands must do during a delicate event like a pandemic, or a social movement like the Black Lives Matter protests, is to immediately eliminate commercial messaging from their comms. Do not take advantage of the situation – if you truly want to empathise with someone,

you shouldn’t be looking for brownie points. Recently, I’ve observed many people asking brands, ‘What will you do to help the world out?’ – and I’ve seen some great examples of companies that have done that. I am a strong believer that brands should lead with purpose – long-gone are the days of meaningless mission statements. Today’s world requires brands to truly express why they exist to begin with, and their reason for existence should benefit society. One of my priorities was to set up a free service in the community that allows individuals to call a trained professional who can help them navigate feelings of anxiety or fear during this time. As healthcare providers, we felt we had to offer the community a place where we could take care of their mental wellbeing at absolutely no profit to us. Of course, this is in addition to the other countless efforts and campaigns we launched across the region, including lectures and providing thousands of free hand sanitisers and facemasks to help educate people on disease spread and prevention. Never forget that ignoring the current situation is not a good strategy. Brands need to make sure that their messaging highlights how the pandemic is affecting people, and they should offer a helping hand. Over the last few months we’ve had to carefully refine our messaging to address the fears that people had in coming to hospitals during this time, making sure we communicated the measures we were taking to ensure health and safety across our hospitals. We also offered alternative solutions to in-person visits, such as home visits, particularly to those with chronic diseases, the elderly or children who needed vaccinations. We even offered telemedicine services, which we rolled out in record time. We wanted to offer our patients what they needed and deserved: peace of mind. People will always need healthcare, and we had to adapt to be there for them. Finally, innovation and flexibility are key. Truly, necessity is the mother of invention, and we have definitely seen this during the past few months. The most successful brands were the ones that abandoned tradition and decided to think outside the box – the kind of thinking that needs to be applied even after the pandemic.

We all learned that working from home wasn’t as bad as we thought and that employees can still remain efficient when doing so. We also discovered that introducing new technologies can be done in a very short period of time, and that, when we really had to, we could easily mobilise our products and services for our clients. Everything is possible – we just need to listen to our consumers, understand what they are going through and deliver on their needs. Brands that can quickly adapt to the so-called ‘new normal’ are

‘‘THE NUMBER ONE THING BRANDS MUST DO IS IMMEDIATELY ELIMINATE COMMERCIAL MESSAGING FROM THEIR COMMS.”

poised to thrive during and after Covid-19. Communicating with empathy not only helps brands flourish amid the pandemic but also allows them to gain the muchneeded respect of their customers. The latter, without a doubt, has more lasting positive effects on the longevity and continuity of any business.

By RAMI ZAHRAN, group chief marketing and communications officer, Saudi German Hospitals Group (and member of The Marketing Society Middle East)

CASE STUDY

July 26, 2020

Binge eating, binge watching and binge sleeping? Sounds like your lockdown? Sounds like everybody’s lockdown! When quarantine hit, the world shut down, gyms were closed and the outside was a no go. Something needed to happen to get the world moving and smiling! Enter Clorox. A global cleaning brand that wanted the world to know that yes, our products clean your surfaces, but did you know they also kill 99.99% of viruses and bacteria? So how did Horizon FCB take Clorox from cleaning power to international disinfecting superstardom? By tapping into a universal insight: what’s better exercise than an intense cleaning session! Horizon FCB launched Clorox Workouts on TikTok, the most popular and creative social media platform, that has truly embraced the quarantine spirit. With a choreographed workout routine and catchy tune, we invited the world to mop & lunge, sit-up & spray, and get disinfecting! Working with 13 influencers from around the Middle East, within 2 days the hashtag #CloroxWorkouts was trending and the challenge was on. The Clorox TikTok page was filled with people having fun whilst staying safe, and the results spoke for themselves. #CloroxWorkouts has so far reached 900 million views (and still rising!), meaning that we really got the world mopping, lunging and disinfecting.

750K+ SHARES

CLOROX GOT THE WORLD MOPPING, LUNGING AND DISINFECTING. OUR

INFLUENCERS: @JUMANA_KHAN_ 8,3 M FOLLOWERS

@DOUJANA 2,2 M FOLLOWERS

@KHALIDANDSALAMA 1,5 M FOLLOWERS

@HAMOODY_BAMBY 139,9 K FOLLOWERS

@3FRETOO 124,4 K FOLLOWERS

@OLAFARAHAT 120,4 K FOLLOWERS

@MARAM.ZBAEDA 83,3 K FOLLOWERS @ISLAMAFRO 1,1 M FOLLOWERS

@NAEL_ABUALTEEN 794,9K FOLLOWERS

@ESWARATTI 347,4K FOLLOWERS

@AMEER_ABUZ 67,2 K FOLLOWERS

@KARENMATTAR V 54,3 K FOLLOWERS

@YASMINYOUSRI_ 38,2 K FOLLOWERS

#CLOROXWORKOUTS

1 MILLION+ COMMENTS

10 MILLION+ LIKES

900 MILLION+ VIEWS

July 26, 2020

he Covid-19 crisis has undoubtedly been a time for self-reflection for both consumers and brands. Being home-bound has meant that now more than ever we have become more self-aware about what we invest our time and energy in. For many, the past few months have inspired rekindling old loves, exploring new interests or enjoying the simple pleasures in life. For brands, this has been a time to stand up and play an integral part in consumers’ lives and shape a new vision of the world. Many brands have united to provide crucial support to communities in need and provide real and tangible value – something that I hope will steer brand agendas with purpose for the long run. On the other hand, it’s also been widely recognised that many brands’ early advertising efforts were received as homogenous or creatively lacking. In the early days of the unfolding pandemic and in a bid to responsively communicate a tone of solidarity, many advertisers found themselves

‘‘RECENTLY WE’VE SEEN AN ERUPTION OF DIVERSE, FEELGOOD CONTENT AND CREATIVITY FUELLED THROUGH ISOLATION.” collaboration with brands in the region to help them reach new audiences and connect in dynamic and authentic ways through our suite of creative tools, targeting features and measurement capabilities. For entrepreneurs who are also looking ahead optimistically to the next chapter of recovery, we’re extending greater flexibility to support the region’s burgeoning SME community.

HOW CREATIVITY CAN THRIVE IN PERIODS OF TURMOIL Users have embraced the creative opportunities of apps such as TikTok, and now businesses need to do the same, writes Shant Oknayan

replacing campaigns with ads composed of interchangeable stock footage and voice overs. While all industries have needed to rapidly change course to find a new groove in this ‘new normal’, what has been incredible to witness is the expanse of creativity emerging online. Naturally, screen-time and mobile usage increased exponentially during quarantine as more people spent time at home. At TikTok, our mission has always been to inspire creativity and inspire joy. Recently, more than ever before, we’ve seen an eruption of diverse, feel-good content and creativity fuelled through isolation. People have used this time to demonstrate their personalities, spread joy through their artistic talents and raise awareness for humanitarian and charitable causes. We saw content creators unite to share their appreciation for the country’s frontline heroes in response to the #ThankYouHeroes challenge,

launched by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). Throughout Ramadan, people took their love of cooking and dining virtual whilst sharing Iftar and Suhoor together over TikTok when they couldn’t be together physically. With the #OpenYourEyes challenge, launched in partnership with OSN during Ramadan, we engaged people to see just how long they could keep their eyes open through a branded, interactive filter. Was it long enough for a quick episode of Brooklyn 99 or did they have the staying power for a gripping, 50-minute episode of Game of Thrones? The campaign was a resounding success and it is still performing organically today. So, off the back of this period of uncertainty, we’ve really seen a shift in how people discover and consume digital content and phenomenal displays of originality. People are signalling with their thumbs, their cameras and their voices that they

want positive emotions. To laugh, to be inspired, to be amazed. For TikTok, our strategy throughout all of this has been to stay true to our mission of inspiring creativity and joy but to be agile and flexible – constantly listening to our users to better nurture their creative expression. Looking ahead, and as we navigate ourselves through the ‘new norm’, our priority remains the same – to create a space that provides a form of positive ‘escapism’ and shares joy. The big question is: what does this all mean for the marketers of today who recognise the opportunity to tap into TikTok’s rapid growth among a highly engaged and creatively inspiring community? Recognising the colossal potential, we’ve invited advertisers to ‘make TikToks, not ads’ and unlock the infinite creativity on TikTok via our recently launched TikTok for Business platform. We’re energised to ramp up our

With limited resources and advertising options, brand building and marketing at scale can be challenging. Our recently launched self-serve advertising platform should alleviate some of that pressure and give businesses the ability to efficiently engage new audiences through an extensive suite of creative tools, intelligent targeting and world-class support. This, coupled with our Back-to-Business programme, which includes $100m in complimentary ad credits to small businesses worldwide, represents powerful assets to help them expedite their journey to rebuilding. 2020 has been tough on everyone, but in times of turmoil I believe creativity is thriving – you just need to know where to look for it and how to tap into it for business success.

By SHANT OKNAYAN, general manager of global business solutions across the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, TikTok

CASE STUDY

July 26, 2020

TAKES 2 TO TANGO + GOOD AUDIO TO SET THE RHYTHM How audio could orchestrate the most harmonious dance between your awareness and lead generation goals By Ayda Tarek, Industry Manager – Automotive, DMS

he decision to focus marketing efforts on brand awareness or lead generation can feel like a constant wrestling match. In the auto industry specifically, the economic impact of the pandemic triggered brands to focus more (or only, in many cases) on lead-generation campaigns to achieve short-term marketing objectives and navigate the uncertainty. Only pinpointing a group of individuals who are willing to exchange their contact information without expanding the audience size through awareness campaigns is destructive on the long run. Actually, stating this right now to auto clients with supply chain disruption and liquidity issues sounds only like preaching. The practical challenge became finding the balance between what is “unaccountable and pretty” and “accountable and gritty”: the first to expand the audience size by driving awareness, consideration and preference/ loyalty, and the latter for an ‘air cover’ of performance. There are very few formats to accomplish both. In DMS’s activation for Mercedes-Benz, we discovered that audio could orchestrate the most harmonious dance between awareness and lead generation goals. Audio has been known as a brand-building canvas, so brand uplift was something we are used to seeing. The new leap of faith was questioning performance (store visits). Can a ‘pretty’ audio brand-building campaign compete in terms of CPV (cost per visit) with your traditional lead generation tools? The answer is yes. In partnership with a third party, DMS’s data team devised a measurement framework to extract the number of showroom visits in KSA influenced by Anghami, then used this to deduce the CPV. The results were beyond our expectations with 15 per cent uplift in showroom visits for those who had been exposed to the ad, 0.1 per cent conversion to the showroom and a competitive CPV compared with other platforms. This came along with a significant uplift in upper-funnel metrics (2x growth in advertising awareness and 16 per cent increase in consideration). Elaborating further on the partnership, Caley Coleman, regional senior marketing executive, Mercedes-Benz Cars Middle East, stated: “This level of technology served as a superb opportunity for the car launches, and footfall attribution is becoming an indispensable KPI. The campaign results were music to our ears – literally.”

Traditional audio/radio ads have been on tactical media plans for years, yet in our transition to digital audio, more than 80 per cent of the campaigns using audio are for brand building and disregard digital audio as a fertile ground for performance. Together with AMQ (Omnicom Media Group’s dedicated agency for Daimler), we identified an opportunity to leverage digital audio solutions. Based on the results of Mercedes-Benz campaign, below are four tips to set the audio rhythm for your brand.

THE RIGHT DRESS FOR THE RIGHT OCCASION

Most of the time an audio ad that works for radio will not work for the always-connected audience streaming online. Long redundant copy with a dramatic build, theatrical voice over and call to action designed for offline engagement is not your best choice. Anghami produced multiple audio ads for MercedesBenz to ensure serving the right ad to the right person at the right time, with vibrant music in the background. Audio craft was key in catching the audience off guard.

PERSONALISE, TARGET, AND 2 HYPER CAPTURE THE TREND

We knew that the CLA audience is even more youthful than the A-Class’s, so we built a platform for each separately while working in tandem. Deeper insights add value beyond just tactical execution. For the C-Class, we focused

“Footfall attribution is becoming an indispensable KPI. The campaign results were music to our ears – literally.”

on engaging the audience with a dynamic personalised mixtape maker creating more than 6,000 playlists, allowing us to increase their engagement time to 36min (with 20min being the benchmark for average time spent). This very personal approach was coupled with a sponsorship of Anghami’s top trending playlist/market, making sure Mercedes-Benz sits on the charts. A mix between what’s trending and popular with what’s personal and niche is the recipe for standing out.

CONSISTENT, CONTINUABLE 3 THINK AND CULTIVABLE

Develop your audio strategy before you think of the audio ad. While ad hoc audio campaigns are effective, developing a consistent and continuable approach doubles your effectiveness. With Mercedes-Benz, we curated a brand page on Anghami, a hub for all Mercedes-Benz content. Throughout the period of the campaign, Mercedes-Benz used the page to communicate with the audience using the most memorable format: songs. With more than 8,000 followers, the brand cultivated a community that is most receptible for their messages, something we used later to optimise our audio, video and display ads.

THE RIGHT MEASUREMENT 4 SET FRAMEWORK

Groundwork needs to be better developed for measurement in the digital audio sphere. For a very long time, we have been applying the same traditional measurement framework to digital audio, which was not necessarily applicable (think viewability versus audibility, for example), nor did it unleash the full potential of audio. For Mercedes-Benz, we challenged our assumptions and questioned the possibility of attributing footfall using GPS. Digital audio falls into two models: “walled garden” platforms and open web, which harnesses the power of consented, logged-in data, an identity-based world along with the needed breadth. Ideally, the perfect combo. Our job is to connect the dots between customers, digital devices and data to deliver omnichannel experiences. When challenged by the impact of the pandemic, are you going to choose ‘performance under pressure’, opting for traditional lead collection tools and hoping for the slightest increase in performance while compromising on upper funnel metrics, or will you just yell “plot twist!”?

July 26, 2020

NEW MARKTING GM CADILLAC Covid-19 has forever changed how automotive brands interact with customers, writes GM’s Kelly Macdonald

here’s no sugarcoating the challenges the automotive industry has faced globally as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, amongst the challenges we have also been presented with many opportunities and a time to reassess our marketing efforts going forward to truly drive brand purpose in these unprecedented times. As marketers, our primary objective is to create desire and excitement and drive product demand. When faced with the global pandemic, this immediately stopped being our priority. Instead, we shifted our focus to how we could best support our customers and communities through our marketing initiatives. We made the conscious decision that our marketing efforts needed to reflect the environment and the current realities that we were facing; therefore, from encouraging consumers to hit the roads we reversed our marketing focus to encouraging people to stay home, stay safe. Utilising our digital platforms as our go-to medium across our GMC and Chevrolet brands, our content solely explored ways to keep entertained whilst in lockdown and keep vehicles in top condition whilst stationary. Giving back to our communities is and has always been a priority for us. Across General Motors, we rolled out extended warranty and roadside assistance on all our vehicles, to alleviate any additional stress on our customers’ minds, allowing them to focus on staying safe at home. Naturally, with customers spending a lot more time at home we have seen a huge spike in online shopping and the demand for convenience. While the internet has become the preferred starting point for many of our customers’ purchasing journeys, this is an area where the automotive industry has historically lagged, as the investment is significantly higher than your average online purchase. Traditionally, when contemplating a new car purchase, the goal of automotive marketing, digital and otherwise, has always been to drive traffic to dealerships. Customers like to interact with their vehicle on-ground in a showroom, have the opportunity to speak to an expert and test-drive the vehicle before committing to the purchase.

However, Covid-19 has rapidly accelerated customer adoption of using e-commerce to buy new cars, and has changed the way people buy vehicles, maybe forever. This is a trend we anticipate will continue, even once all movement restrictions are lifted, and we must evolve in response to consumer demand. The good news is the supporting digital infrastructure from some manufacturers is already in place to support this consumer uplift. Back in 2017, for example, Chevrolet was the first manufacturer in the region to launch an e-commerce platform, allowing customers to shop from wherever, whenever and from whatever device. More recently, we launched ‘Shop.Click.Drive.’ for GMC and upgraded the Chevrolet offering through a partnership with Emirates NBD. We integrated end-to-end financing options on both websites, providing a seamless digital experience for all. We kick-started the year with a strong line-up across the GMC and Chevrolet portfolio, including the launch of new nameplates such as the all-new Chevrolet Captiva. The appetite for these vehicles was already high in the region, so finding a successful way for our customers to still shop with our brands was an important milestone for us. The e-commerce tools have been instrumental in bridging this gap for consumers between researching their new vehicle and purchasing it, all from the touch of a button and from the comfort of their own home.

‘‘E-COMMERCE TOOLS WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN BRIDGING THE GAP FOR CONSUMERS BETWEEN RESEARCHING THEIR NEW VEHICLE AND PURCHASING IT.” Whilst we are looking forward to returning to a place of relative normality, Covid-19 has forever changed how we interact with customers. Long gone are the days of traditional marketing methods of selling cars. Over the past few months, all our marketing initiatives were 100 per cent digital and we will continue to explore tools and methods that reach our customers effectively, while keeping them at the heart of everything we do. The reality is, the perception of vehicle ownership has evolved and will continue to do so. Today, customers are seeing their vehicle as more than a convenient way to travel from A to B; instead, vehicles are being perceived as a family companion and a completely secure way to travel around while remaining isolated and protected. As marketers for a manufacturer, our job is to lean into this trend and continue to create content that resonates with our customers, looking at the safety and comfort of their personal vehicle during these uncertain times.

By KELLY MACDONALD, chief marketing officer, General Motors Middle East & Africa

CASE STUDY

July 26, 2020

BE AGILE AND READY TO PIVOT Performance marketing was only part of Property Finder’s digital reaction to Covid-19, says Alastair Sherriffs

f there were to be semantic analysis done of corporate email as the Covid crisis struck, I’d bet a socially distant hop drink that the phrase ‘cash flow’ would be top trump. At Property Finder this was no different, and we had to think about cash flow primarily through the lens of our clients’ businesses. Scar tissue from the 2008 financial crash meant there was a visceral reaction to the impact the global real estate market saw, and conserving cash was an understandable priority for our clients. We also had to consider the other side of our marketplace, the property-seeking users. How would this affect their lives and how could Property Finder provide an appropriate level of support? Therefore, cash flow from the

perspective of what we should vs could spend on advertising was imperative. Property viewings dropped aggressively at the start of March when it was announced that schools were closing. Our UAE platforms saw a 45 per cent drop in people contacting agents, and our other markets didn’t fare much better. We then entered a 10-week trough. Property Finder was the first in our sector to launch a webinar. This wasn’t doing a webinar for webinars’ sake, however. As an official government partner via our Mo’Asher Price Index, we have exclusive access to rich market data and we wanted to give as much transparency, guidance and confidence to our clients as we could about what was happening. Our insights arm, Data Finder, and our data science team empowered us to give real insight and draw live comparisons to other markets globally that were further down the road than the UAE. The take-out here is do not underutilise a unique asset that you possess as a business. Leverage it to its fullest and be a real partner to your customers. In that same spirit of data, having machine learning at the heart of our digital marketing was a journey we were already far along with. This meant our ability to adapt to changes in consumer demand was flawless. Scaling down spend whilst still capturing all available demand was as smooth as the pump action on your favourite hand sanitiser. For those that live in a world of single-keyword adgroups and labyrinthine campaign structures, for those that say we tried automation and it didn’t work, I can say, with confidence, that you just weren’t doing it right. We now have the security of knowing this approach is battle-tested, that any future storm can be weathered. This created space to focus on looking forward. This situation would ease, but when? What could be done to stimulate the market during lockdown and to ensure that when things started to abate, Property Finder were the first brand considered by property seekers? The mix between pure performance and brand advertising inevitably shifted. In two weeks, a platform-native live-stream property-tour feature was created by our product team. Learning? You need to be agile and ready to pivot and have singular focus when needed. To promote this, in-house video content was created with a ‘House Hunt from Home’ theme and safety at its heart; people still wanted to view properties and as lockdown rules eased, agents could go out and live-stream properties to a wide audience. Property Finder was the second portal globally to go to

‘‘WE KNEW THERE WOULD BE PENT-UP DEMAND AND WE MADE IT A FOCUS TO BE READY FOR THAT ON BEHALF OF OUR PARTNERS.” market with this functionality. The effectiveness and impact of this campaign demonstrated to us how powerful reactive and well-structured brand advertising can be. This investment not only drove property seekers to attend Live Viewings (which were massively popular with our clients); it also put us top-of-mind for when lockdown ended. We knew there would be pent-up demand and we made it a focus to be ready for that on behalf of our partners that advertise on our platform. This paid dividends; now

life has returned to relative normality, we see brand consideration proxies such as brand searches and direct traffic significantly higher than the expected seasonal baselines. The lesson is that digital brand advertising works in performancemarketing verticals. You can move fast, but only if there is a strategic framework in place. We had to polish and refine this framework on the fly, but it enabled us to scale. Sticking a celebrity on OOH or other old, established tactics will drive shortlived uplift but we’ll use the observations of this period and continue to reach our core audience consistently with creative, considered and insight-driven executions. As for hindsight, we’re better now as a team at scrutinising effort versus impact, at zeroing in on what drives results, and this is something we could have always done with more rigour. I hope for Property Finder and other businesses that ,despite all the hard choices, we all come out the other side of this thing maybe a little bruised but a lot stronger.

By ALASTAIR SHERRIFFS, vice-president of marketing and growth, Property Finder

THE HOME OF STORYTELLING IN THE MIDDLE EAST

“I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT BOOKS” THOMAS JEFFERSON

July 26, 2020

DIFFERENT CONDITIONS, SAME OBJECTIVES

Oppo marketing director Cherry Fu says the phone brand kept up aggressive marketing, but moved from in-person experiences to build on its online touchpoints

ovid-19 represents a moment in time that our life has never seen before. People and brands have been thrown into disarray as the pandemic swept across the region. The smartphone industry has also been affected by the epidemic, as many manufacturers look to host online launches and delay smartphone releases. For Oppo, almost overnight we had to look at overhauling and recalibrating our marketing plans and think about the new needs of the customer. Our most significant focus from a marketing perspective was looking at how we could help our consumers through these challenging times by still getting our products into their hands through digital

‘‘WE HARNESSED THE MASSIVE POTENTIAL OF E-COMMERCE AND PIVOTED QUICKLY TO A DIGITAL-ONLY REALITY.” touchpoints as opposed to a physical footprint. While the conditions we were working within dramatically changed, our objectives stayed the same – to launch our phones to our customers with the best possible experience. Of course, our strategy to reach this objective was altered but, despite facing a tough reality, we wanted to ensure we were always delivering our best to our customers; this is the Oppo way. We altered our map, moving away from an in-store, high-touch experience to an equally engaging online journey. We continued to see a strong consumer demand for our products; therefore, our marketing had to keep being aggressive; this was not a time to back away from our customers. As a first step, this meant almost instantly moving our products from offline to online. Previously our experience has shown that the market for online sales when it comes to

mobile phones is tiny and underdeveloped. Still, we saw how quickly consumers adapted to e-commerce as a way of purchasing mobile phones, given the conditions they were presented with. We harnessed the massive potential of e-commerce and pivoted quickly to a digital-only reality. We worked with key partners such as Noon, Amazon, Sharaf DG and Jumbo to ensure that our products were readily available online to adapt to the new socially distanced world we found ourselves in. We knew that with the amount of time people were spending at home, they were going to be highly dependent on their technology, so being available to them was a key focus for us.

Another huge guiding principle for us was to engage with our customers with empathy and find ways to address their new needs and add value as they looked to navigate the new normal. We were always listening to our customer feedback and using real-time data to be a supportive partner to them and deliver what they needed from us at the right time. As part of this, we worked with our service providers to be able to extend the customer warranty on all phones that expired during the lockdown. All devices automatically received a three-month warranty extension so that customers could stay safe and stay home and not have to worry about any phone issues; rather, they could visit the service centre when they felt safe to do so. While of course customers were a big focus for us, the move to digital was also crucial as we looked after our own people. We came together as one Oppo to ensure our people were still culturally close while physically distant. We hosted training sessions online for our staff and partners, facilitated work from home and ensured all safety measures were implemented. We were tough and resilient, and I am proud of the way our team has bounced back stronger than ever. Things will be unlikely to return to the way they were before the pandemic. The GCC is a diverse market, and Covid-19 has affected different places differently. Some countries are living the new normal now, while others are approaching it. As different countries are at various stages of the curve and governments execute different strategies, each territory has its unique features, so of course we must tailor our strategy accordingly. We collaborate with different distributors across markets to plan our launches and make sure our phones are available; if we can’t make this happen, then we postpone the launches. We continue to listen to our customers and stay as close to them as possible, so we are prepared to adapt our strategies, accordingly, ensuring we truly understand what the changing landscape means for them and their needs long-term. For Oppo, moving forwards, while we are of course facing challenges like all brands, we are also being presented with opportunities. We need to keep going, keep listening to our customers and keep providing them with the technology they have become accustomed to.

By CHERRY FU, marketing director GCC, Oppo

CASE STUDY

July 26, 2020

Boxed DrinkingWater INDUSTRY-DEFINING, SUSTAINABLE AND TRANSFORMATIVE

inspired people to be the change for our environment during the pandemic Before the world went into lockdown, Group Partnership worked tirelessly to launch the region’s first boxed drinking water – Oasis Boxed Drinking Water for the National Food Products Company (NFPC). Drinking water in completely recyclable packaging from Tetra Pak that’s better for consumers and better for our environment. The central concept of the whole campaign asked people to ‘Be The Change’ for the only planet we all call home by switching from single-use plastic bottles to Oasis Boxed Drinking Water. The communication was structured as a teaser and reveal campaign, hoping to intrigue, engage and leave a long-lasting impression on consumers across the UAE. We kicked things off with a city-wide drop of Oasis Boxed Water with no branding or identifiers on the packaging except for one simple call to action: #BeTheChange. People sampled the water, took to social media platforms to share the hashtag, and praised the steps being taken by Oasis to combat a serious global issue – plastic pollution. The next challenge was launching the product at Gulfood, the world’s largest annual F&B trade exhibition, amidst fierce competition to stand out from competitors and leave an indelible mark. Oasis Boxed Drinking Water was officially unveiled to the F&B trade market and successfully captured the attention of media and lifestyle influencers in attendance. The teaser and reveal campaign resulted in Oasis Boxed Drinking Water receiving vast

Rahul Nagpal Partner and CEO, Group Partnership

“Adaptation, agility, and staying informed are key to the survival of any business, especially in times of crisis. It would have been easy to put a halt on any messaging for Oasis Boxed Drinking Water. But, the messaging behind the campaign didn’t change, the manifestation of it did.”

“Oasis Boxed Drinking Water was an exciting project, but the added challenge of the pandemic really pushed us to pull out all stops. We exercised our creativity in new ways working remotely and solved the challenges associated with a new product launch.”

coverage across Tier 1 and Tier 2 media publications, as well as influencer accounts, all of which resulted in coverage amounting to a PR value of AED 2.22M. However, as COVID-19 was officially announced as a pandemic, everything changed. We were quick to respond and adapt to the ‘New Normal’, shifting our efforts to devising digital campaigns that met the changing consumer behaviour and focused on inspiring people to #BeTheChange, because while the world was isolating, nature was still deteriorating. Three separate digital campaigns (https://www.youtube.com/ouroasis) were conceptualised, shot and released to consumers, capturing the imagination of our target audience with timely and relatable content. The first set of films made use of everyday situations where a person drinking from a plastic bottle was a matter of shock and disgust for others, before being handed the better choice - Oasis Boxed Drinking Water.

Alok Gadkar MD and ECD, Group Partnership

The two other film routes were fronted by kids of all ages. Over 260 keywords were identified and targeted with kids shared hard-hitting facts on plastic pollution and how you can be the change by switching to Oasis Boxed Drinking Water. Through the combined efforts of advertising, social media, and PR the #BeTheChange campaign resulted in a total of:

26.5M

1.7

15.8M

10.9M

60K

0.23%

Impressions

Frequency

Reach

Video Views

Clicks

CTR

July 26, 2020

WHAT MARKETING LOOKS LIKE IN THE NEW COVID-19 WORLD Don’t be fooled into thinking things will be returning to normal. There is a new normal and it’s here to stay, writes National Food’s Suleman Wasim

one of us is a stranger to crisis management, especially those of us who have been on the block for a while. But the situation that has been brought about by Covid-19 is a first for us all. Its impact has been felt by businesses worldwide and each of us is struggling with issues of safety, health, finances, rerouting resources, and learning new ways to communicate to and with our consumers. Let’s start with consumer behaviour. There are three key behavioural shifts that we have witnessed within our own consumer audience at National Food Products Company (NFPC), and these echo the larger trends that have been noted globally. 1. Spending on essentials: Due to salary cuts and rising rates of unemployment, many consumers have become more budgetfocused in

their spends and are prioritising value and essential purchases. 2. Shifting to online: There was a 75 per cent rise in our online sales during the lockdown and, while restrictions have eased, we are still seeing a considerable amount of online retention. 3. Seeking reassurance: Especially within the F&B sector, consumers have been shown to be more likely to purchase from brands that have shared their hygiene protocols as a method of reassuring customers that their health and wellbeing are a priority. From these learnings, we responded in two ways – tactically and humanely – to act from a position of responsibility. After all, good marketing, at its foundation, needs to be built on a deep understanding of your target market and what they look for. So, we moved communications online, largely to social platforms, to assure consumers that our supply chain remained intact, and accelerated our digital business model to launch a multi-channel home delivery service, Oasis Direct, featuring cashless transactions. We addressed all hygiene concerns with videos from our group

but instead were reassured by all the efforts being taken by NFPC. Transparency, empathy and reassurance, then, are the key takeaways here. This is what the consumers of today are seeking from the brands they buy from. And these can be showcased through a variety of digital-led marketing strategies, spanning content marketing, social media marketing and email marketing. With consumers shifting online, there is also a need to optimise all online channels for the best possible user experience as well as social e-commerce opportunities. There might be some reluctance to change. Marketing plans that were put in effect at the end of 2019 have had to be thrown out the window, and while now may not be the best time to carry them out, it is worth reassessing how they can be modified to fit the new narrative. Any data that was collected pre-coronavirus is now largely obsolete, and as consumer psyche has been permanently changed, it is time to gather fresh data and insights to inform our next actions. Successful marketing is rooted in agility. There is no returning to the old ways. As marketers, we all need to think ahead for the long haul and identify the best ways to communicate with our consumers, which these days is digitally.

‘‘GOOD MARKETING, AT ITS FOUNDATION, NEEDS TO BE BUILT ON A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR TARGET MARKET.” CEO, Iqbal Hamzah, who thoroughly outlined the sanitisation protocols in place including our products being labelled with a ‘Hygiene Protocol Assured’ stamp. Most importantly, though, empathy was at the core of all our communications. Outside of being a business, we were all enduring together as a community, and that messaging was made clear throughout. Consumers and their mindsets were kept at the centre of all efforts, ensuring that they didn’t feel alienated

Change is constant. We must all prep ourselves and our teams with the right information to be able to effectively navigate ourselves through any such situation rather than look back and wish for the old ways to return. If I could go back to February and give myself and everyone else one piece of advice, it would be to take a nice long vacation then, because none of us is going anywhere any time soon.

By SULEMAN WASIM, group marketing director at National Food Products Company

July 26, 2020

WHEN CRISIS SHAPES

AN AUDIENCE Rain’s Kavita Ramrakhiani and Anish Dasgupta look at how Covid-19 has affected millennials and Generation Z

By KAVITA RAMRAKHIANI and ANISH DASGUPTA, Rain

here’s no denying that the pandemic brought life as we knew it to a halt. Today, with the economy opening up, we’re beginning to step out again. But the landscape has changed. And the closer we look at it, the more we see that we’re not going to be picking up where we left off. Covid-19 essentially hit the reset button on everything we knew. The new normal is anything but. The earlier part of this decade pegged millennials as the key consumer. As we edged closer to the 2020s, Gen Z was added to the list. And ever since, marketers have been poring through reams of research to understand these cohorts better (every marketing head we know has a story about the day they learned new

words like “lit” and “turnt”). If we’re being honest, we were just beginning to get a handle on millennial consumer behaviour and had just started scratching the surface with Gen Z. And now, with Covid-19, we have a new spanner in the works. But what makes these two generations stand apart from previous ones, Boomers and Gen X, is the fact that they are generations that grew up in a turbulent world. From the 9/11 attacks to climate change to the global refugee crisis to political turmoil, both generations have been shaped by crises. And however similar circumstances may be today, they have had different experiences of the world. Millennials can remember a time when the world wasn’t jumping from

one crisis to another. They remember the calmer 90s, and it wasn’t until the 2008 global financial crisis that they got their first shock of a world in recession. So, they’ve seen better times and would tend to be a shade more optimistic than their younger cohort. Gen Z, having experienced the 2008 crisis as part of their childhood, are more pragmatic. Millennials today are facing their second recession. They have been working for about 10 years and have an established career. They are married and are possibly young parents. Some of them are probably looking to buy a home. Gen Z today are where millennials were a decade ago. They are either graduating college or have started working recently.

July 26, 2020

So how are these similar, yet different, consumer groups going to react to yet another global crisis? We reviewed a number of research findings from around the world and curated a list of the key accelerators and trends that we thought were interesting and relevant to the region.

Unemployment will affect more than just finances The most immediate impact on both cohorts is the prospect of unemployment. A Euromonitor report on the estimated impact of Covid-19 on unemployment for 2012-2022 shows that young people are hit harder by economic recession, with youth unemployment rates rising faster than the overall rates. To add to this, youth unemployment rates in the MENA region have been the highest in the world for more than 25 years, according to the World Bank’s World Development Indicators, 2018. The result is a lag in getting to key milestones in life. A Euromonitor report on marriage rates in Europe and North America from 2007-2022 indicates that millennials got married later, started accumulating wealth later and got into the property market later. This pandemic will create another difficult challenge for millennials and the resulting recession will affect their wealth prospects further. It’s therefore fair to say that Gen Z will face similar financial setbacks and similar lags in reaching the same key milestones.

Mental health is going to be a serious issue Job and financial insecurity have also amplified stress levels for millennials and Gen Z. While millennials face the increased burden of taking on childcare and home schooling while working from home, the younger Gen Z are worried about how school closures will affect their job prospects. The constant stress and anxiety have led to depression and mental health issues that have made Gen Z the most anxious generation today, followed by millennials (according to the Mental Health Concerns by Generation, Euromonitor International Health & Nutrition Survey 2020). The overall negative state of mental health has put both sets of audiences in a more sombre and contemplative mood. Data from Euromonitor’s Lifestyle Survey in February shows that this emotional isolation has resulted in an increase in selfreflection – with “time for myself”, “time with partner” and “time with parents” being the top three priorities for both generations. And “travel” – which both these generations were heavily associated with – is near the bottom of the list.

Quarantining is forcing re-evaluation of priorities This heightened appreciation for family is the result of people quarantining with their loved ones – which has brought about a fresh appreciation for those who live with them and reframed social connections. However, while family connections improved, new relationships have been strained. Those among the younger cohort who just started dating before quarantine are left wondering how to take things forward. The other result of quarantining has been that audiences have been forced to slow down the pace of their lives. Perhaps for the first time, millennials have the time to sit back and reevaluate their lives and what it means to spend time well. Having more time on their hands has been good for them. They’ve been getting more sleep, working at a slower pace, getting more time for hobbies and self-development. This is reflected in the rise in sales of baking ingredients, arts and crafts equipment and gardening equipment, among others. This is also because studies have shown that manual labour is a means of feeling more in control of circumstances. All this has them increasingly prioritising time affluence, and they may not be so ready to go back to their old pace of work.

From being connected to virtual living The online world is central to both millennial and Gen Z lifestyles. But so far it’s largely revolved around social media, which was looked at as “just another channel” to consume content and connect. It’s now expanding to be a medium where the audience “lives”. Quarantine and social distancing have contributed a push to the evolution of social media, and new digital spaces are cropping up to facilitate genuine human connections in the absence of in-person meetings. With physical venues less of an option for socialising, people are turning to digital spaces for life experiences that would otherwise be sought in the physical world. For example, HouseParty is replacing group movie viewing, and virtual concerts are replacing going to a gig.

Purchases will have more meaning than brand equity Faced with financial uncertainty, it’s no surprise that both millennials and Gen Z will be restricting their spends to necessities such as housing, food, healthcare and education. But this doesn’t mean they won’t be spending at all. As mentioned earlier, social isolation and introspection have them increasingly questioning what brings fulfilment to their lives. The combination of introspection and stress is leading to a shift in their purchase priorities from “excess” to “physical and mental well-being” as a means to regain control. This is why

ANISH DASGUPTA

there’s an increase in subscriptions to apps that offer emotional support and well-being.

“ THOSE WHO JUST STARTED DATING BEFORE QUARANTINE ARE LEFT WONDERING HOW TO TAKE THINGS FORWARD.” KAVITA RAMRAKHIANI

“ WITH PHYSICAL VENUES LESS OF AN OPTION, PEOPLE ARE TURNING TO DIGITAL SPACES FOR LIFE EXPERIENCES.”

From activists to local-vists Both millennials and Gen Z have always been very vocal about social issues and don’t shy away from making themselves heard. They are aware of and sensitive to the fact that some sections of society are suffering worse than others. Research from Euromonitor shows that they will continue to make themselves heard. The pandemic has made them even more “woke”. So they are going to care more about family, health and society. But the pandemic hasn’t just pushed social issues to the forefront, it has also affected global politics, increased tension between nations and regions, and driven up populism and racism with initiatives like travel bans (from specific countries) and managing the flow of medical supplies (to protect states’ own citizens). This has forced people to choose sides. In addition to that, quarantining has made proximity and convenience important purchase drivers. As a result, in an effort to help local communities (and economies), the audience will buy local brands when possible.

Quest for trust and expertise One of the key social impacts that Covid-19 has had is on the way we interact with others, especially when it comes to physically meeting someone. The traditional mode of smile-and-shake-hands is no longer possible because you can’t smile from behind a mask and everyone wants to limit contact. The problem isn’t one of how to greet, but that greetings are a way to establish trust. And we need to re-learn how to do that. When we meet someone who is also wearing a mask, it’s a signal that they share common thoughts about hygiene and give us a feeling of safety. So, today, trust is at a more basic biological and physiological level, where it’s based on common thoughts about hygiene. The mask itself is a marker of trust. At a larger level, the audience has lost faith in the systems that kept us safe. The pandemic has brought to the forefront the lack of expertise. With fake news of treatments and vaccines all over the internet, consumers don’t know what to believe. This has led them to seek out expertise, which is not necessarily something that a social media influencer can provide. The post-Covid-19 market is going to be a first for all of us and promises to be our most challenging yet. As we marketers start to rewrite the book on audience understanding, it is important to understand the context of the behavioural changes that we’re going to see. The above are in no way a comprehensive list of these changes, but are the foundation that will define and shape consumer behaviour for the foreseeable future.

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July 26, 2020

TEAR UP SUNIL JOHN is the founder of Asda’a BCW and president Middle East of BCW

THOSE PLAYBOOKS

In the new normal, everything has changed, writes Asda’a BCW’s Sunil John

he new normal is a rude awakening for the communications industry. It is a call to throw those tried, tested and carefully structured communications playbooks of the past out of the window. Many proven approaches have failed the stresstest of the pandemic. Aas the economy gradually reopens and we cautiously move into the ‘new normal’, it is time to reboot the industry. We will be forever reinventing, changing the rules and adopting new models that, not surprisingly, take us back to the fundamentals of communications: engaging audiences with inspiring messages aimed at behavioural change and moving people. I see seven trends shaping the communications sector in the post-Covid-19 era, so here goes:

The communications industry will see more consolidation, mergers and even a few acquisitions. Expect more disruption.

1. Large is resilient The pandemic has affected several small firms that served ‘niche’ business sectors. When these industries, such as travel, tourism, hospitality, real estate and retail, were hit, they dragged down with them these boutique firms too. I started small and I feel their pain. Now, evaluating the landscape, I see the value of scale in our industry: Agencies that are part of global networks, which are right-sized, demonstrated exceptional resilience. They are diversified yet lean and not tied to the fortunes of any one business sector. The lesson from the crisis is that the communications industry will see more consolidation, mergers and even a few acquisitions. Expect more disruption. 2. Government communications will be the mainstay In February I predicted that government communications and the region’s ‘national champion’ companies will help lift the value of public relations in the Middle East and North Africa to more than $1bn by 2030. Has my point of view changed? No, it has only been reinforced by the pandemic, which sees government communications gaining even more traction. The larger national champion companies with a growing global footprint and ambition also scaled up their narratives because it was important, perhaps more than ever before, to demonstrate that they are steely warriors with unshakeable longterm objectives. On the flip side, several private sector companies were the first to cut retainers or go on pause mode – a mistaken move, no doubt prompted by short-term outlooks. 3. Purpose and profit are compatible partners Corporate purpose will assume even more significance, and not at odds with profits. From product-push, corporate communications will increasingly be about problem-solving, and about how they can contribute to the community or champion a cause. That will mean revisiting corporate social responsibility policy, which many

have been doing with no real conviction. Just as organisations define new strategies and business models and must find innovative ways to deliver value beyond profits, they will need communications partners that can help restore stakeholder trust. It is time to make your purpose real. We can see this globally with Nike and Colin Kaepernick, and the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Or with Patagonia and its environmental position. On the other end of the spectrum, you see Facebook facing a boycott by advertisers for its ‘irresponsible’ handling of misinformation and hate speech. I see a new focus on corporate purpose in the region. 4. Rise of local talent and genuine employee engagement I have always advocated the decisive role that local talent plays in shaping our regional sector. More so now. Organisations will increasingly seek talent that understands local nuances. The new normal will see Arabic talent bloom and thrive, as will expat talent with deep knowledge of the region. Employee engagement and internal communications will assume greater significance. People will continue to be the major differentiator, and keeping them engaged, empowered and motivated is key. 5. The era of owned and shared media The pandemic hit the media sector too as unpaid leave, salary reductions and job losses take a toll. As media houses experiment with new business models, including paywalls and only-digital editions, the age-old reliance on the PESO (paid, earned, shared and owned) model will – and must – change. Organisations will move towards more owned and shared media models with high-impact earned at its core. That means a surge in vlogs, blogs, podcasts and digital engagement. 6. Home is where the office is Work-from-home is here to stay, if not wholly, then in flexible and hybrid ways. The more you trust your team to do their job, the more your teams will surprise you. And this shift in office environment will be pervasive, influencing both agencies and clients. It will contribute to better efficiencies with lesser need for prime commercial space. 7. The demise of the road warrior I see the demise of the road warriors – people flying in and out for meetings. Less travel will be the new norm, without affecting work efficiency, as technology brings in a level playing field that is unhindered by geography. The global pandemic has brought the fundamentals back to the business of communications: that is to be hyper-dynamic, evidence-based and valuedriven. Going forward, our playbooks will be reinvented in real time – and that will make us agile, flexible and relevant. I end with a quote by Andy Grove, the famous creator of Intel: “Only the paranoid will survive.”

July 26, 2020

A VIEW FROM

Ramsey Naja CULTURE NEEDS COMPANY

t’s a lovely word, that of “company”. The original meaning may have been lost over time, but it remains, at heart, something to aspire to and cherish, nurture and grow. In its Latin roots, the word referred to a body of friends – soldiers mostly – who share their bread. As such, it exudes a warm feeling of togetherness in the face of adversity, not to mention the kind of complicité that comes with values and eventually traditions. For a company, in the modern sense, these values and traditions translate into what is generally described as “the

This is why the companies that talk the most about culture are usually the ones that suck at it. culture”. Whether it is one of excellence or barefaced mediocrity, every company acquires – yes, acquires – a cultural label which, unfortunately for those who think they can dictate it, is a result of conduct, not instructions handed down via HR. This is why the companies that talk the most about culture are usually the ones that suck at it. Those are usually the ones that are utterly finance-driven but want to camouflage it with a “cool” veneer, and tend to think that it is all down to

TECH TIPS

Mobile click fraud jumped during Covid-19 Ramsey Naja was CCO at JWT MEA @geminisnake

a foosball table and a massage room, both of which will vanish the moment the rent goes up. Theirs is, in fact, the kind of culture you’re more likely to find in a Petri dish at a lab specialising in degenerative bacteria. The key for a deep corporate culture, instead, lies in fostering the kind of camaraderie that is conducive to realising company objectives. Take the pursuit of excellence as a culture, for instance. It may be a valiant endeavor, but unless it comes with a tangible environment that encourages it and, most importantly, the kind of recruitment and HR policies that would make Darwin blush, it will remain nothing but words on the CEO statement and a recipe for immense frustration. The “company”, per se, precedes the culture. It is as stupid as that. It is the collective and who it is made of – and also the character of the one who brought them together – that determines the label the enterprise will be known for. Ask Ali Baba. Ultimately, however, the best corporate culture has human sentiment at its core. Be it courage, kindness, solidarity or simply innovation and self-improvement, cultures with an emotional tinge at their heart are the ones that will thrive. Sadly, with physical proximity dramatically diminished today, and the notion that WFH and online meetings are the future of work, this kind of culture is under threat: there’s not going to be much sharing of bread in a Zoom meeting.

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 Editor Austyn Allison DESIGN Senior Art Director Olga Petroff Art Director Sheila Deocareza 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

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Click fraud is a $24bn global problem that involves generating fake ad clicks either manually or via bots, and the issue has been getting worse on mobile devices amid the pandemic. During peak coronavirus months, mobile click fraud increased 62 per cent, according to “Trends in Mobile Click Fraud during Covid-19,” a study by ClickCease. The research looked at more than 1.8 billion clicks across 5,000-plus online ad accounts in 78 countries. The clicks were analysed using tech that uncovers nonhuman, fraudulent or invalid clicks. “Search spend is vital for advertisers, from online retailers to realtors, as we seek to restore growth in an economic downturn,” said Ilan Missulawin, ClickCease CMO. “However, a large part of this crucial paid search spend is wasted on invalid clicks, and this is now largely carried out on mobile devices.” While mobile search provides a major source of revenue to businesses, the threat of mobile click fraud remains a significant problem that is costing advertisers billions of dollars in wasted spend globally. CHEQ CEO Guy Tytunovich, whose company contributed to the research, said: “Click fraud has grown in sophistication over the past several years, which means that fraudsters and other bad actors are extremely aware of spikes in online and mobile activity and are ready to capitalise.” He added: “Changing consumer behaviour during the Covid-19 epidemic has led to increased activity on certain mobile-first channels as well as e-commerce consumption. This naturally leads to increased interest on behalf of bad actors looking to exploit the ad tech ecosystem’s innate weaknesses.” • In the analysis of 1.8 billion clicks, 14 per cent of paid search traffic was fraudulent. Of this fraud, 85 per cent originated from mobile devices, compared to desktop click fraud (15 per cent). • In May-June, mobile click fraud rose 62 per cent in total. • Android-based invalid clicks rose from a rate of 12 per cent to 29 per cent between May and June 2020, bringing its share to 81 per cent of mobile click fraud. • In addition, the study found there was also an increase in the rate of IOS-based click fraud from 2 per cent to 12 per cent.

July 26, 2020

Translating the Z factor

e have had a weekly family quiz during lockdown. Parents, siblings and cousins from around the world congregate on Zoom of a Saturday and we dazzle each other with our ignorance. My brother normally runs the quiz (it means he doesn’t have to answer any questions), but he always asks one of us to put together a guest round. Last week I had the bright idea that, since the youngest of us is in her late 20s and you’d have to fell the oldest and count his rings to find out how long he’s been standing, it might be fun to put together a test of the extended Allisons’ knowledge of the words and phrases kids these days are using. So I set about googling ‘Generation Z slang’. The results were terrible. Either they were from sources such as Serious Business CEO Monthly magazine, where someone who hasn’t spoken to anyone under 30 in a decade explained that ‘hip’ is the opposite of ‘square’, and that when the ‘joint was jumping’ that meant the ‘hep cats’ were in the house, or it was by concerned parents on groups like NeuroticMomsforTrump.com, who have been trolled by their kids: “If your son asks a girl if she’s DTF, that means he wants to know if she’s a good patriot who is Devoted To the Flag.” And when you find explanations from teens themselves it’s like they are speaking another language (which, to be fair, is pretty much the definition of slang). To paraphrase: “A Karen is like a female Darren, but without spilling the tea they are lit, cred?” I was lost. In the end I gave up and wrote a round on last lines of classic novels. My family will never know what bullet they dodged. A few days later I moderated a Dubai Lynx podcast about Generation Z (it’s on Anghami and part of a series; check it out). I found I’m not the only one puzzled by teens and younger 20-somethings. It’s getting harder and harder to meaningfully categorise consumers by their age groups in the first place. While marketers have grown accustomed

to addressing millennials according to their interests rather than their birth years, Generation Z are even more individualistic. Like all teenagers, they object to being defined by old fogies who don’t understand them, but are at least adamant that they should not be grouped with ‘avocado-munching, coffee-swilling, over-drinking millennials’. If you turn to page 26, you will find more insights and comparisons between the two age groups in the time Editor of Covid-19, written by Rain’s Kavita Ramrakhiani and Anish Dasgupt. austyn.allison@motivate.ae I’m going to risk offending two @maustyn generations for the price of one by suggesting that today’s teens are almost ‘super-millennials’. While the generation that preceded them are loyal to brands for the values those brands espouse, Gen Z wants to see action over intent, and will look at the companies behind the brands, not only the wellcrafted end product. They are more conscientious (or ‘woke’, in the common parlance) and will put the good of the planet ahead of the millennial love of experiences: authenticity and sustainability over image and identity. I suspect those of us who are now over 25 will never fully understand Generation Z any more than our parents understood us. Instead, we will make ham-fisted attempts to speak like them, trying out phrases from the Urban Dictionary Youthspeak Phrasebook. But the main trick seems to be: just be genuine, and don’t pretend. It’s good advice in general, I think.

AUSTYN ALLISON

Right answer, wrong question I

A VIEW FROM

DAVE TROTT

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

n his book on planning, called Truth, Lies & Advertising, Jon Steel tells a story to illustrate how research can be simultaneously right and wrong. The Hawaiians had a huge problem with rats. They came on ships from America and Polynesia and devastated the sugar plantations. Because they weren’t native to Hawaii they had no natural predators and bred like crazy. The Hawaiians realised they needed to introduce a natural predator to control the rats. The ideal animal would be small, aggressive, fast, agile and strong. Eventually they decided on the Indian mongoose which, famously, could kill a cobra. If it could kill a cobra, a rat should be no problem. But just to be sure, they conducted a proper experiment in laboratory conditions. They placed mongooses and rats in cages together, to observe what would happen. In every case, the mongoose caught and killed the rat; often it also ate it. So the mongoose was proved to be perfect and hundreds were shipped in cages to Hawaii. But the native chief of the island of Kauai, who travelled on the

ship with the mongooses, hated the vicious, angry creatures and decided they were far too cruel to be allowed on to his island. So he had the cages destined for Kauai tipped over the side, and the mongooses drowned. Meanwhile, the rest were released on to all the other islands. The sugar plantation owners waited for the rat infestation, and the damage to their crops to diminish but it continued as before. They compared notes with Kauai, where no mongooses had been released, and found the rats were untouched on all the islands, with or without mongooses. So what happened to the fearsome predators? Why hadn’t they attacked and killed the rats? The answer was the one thing that the research hadn’t revealed. It hadn’t revealed it, because noone thought to ask the question. The fact was that the rats only came out at night, whereas the mongooses only came out during the day, so they never met. By the time the rats had finished gnawing on the sugarcane, the sun was coming up and they headed home. At the same time, the mongooses were waking up and leaving their homes, but the rats had already disappeared.

That didn’t show up in the laboratory experiments because the researchers forced the rats and mongooses into the cages together. It didn’t occur to them that the two species would never normally meet; they were only researching fighting ability, not sleeping patterns. So they got the right answer and the wrong answer at the same time. Because that isn’t research, that’s just testing. Properly used, research is about finding out things we never expected, things we didn’t know. Which is why Jon Steel says the proper way to use research is at the beginning of the creative process, before we even write the brief. As a way to discover entire new areas for creativity, areas we wouldn’t have thought of. To find out things we didn’t even know we didn’t know. What we do in advertising isn’t research, it’s just a fancy name for testing. Just a thumbs up or down to test the idea after it’s been done. We ask the question at the end of the process instead of the beginning. Which is why most advertising is dull, invisible and ineffective. Because we are consistently getting answers to the wrong questions.

July 26, 2020

Volkswagen… ‘I would love to see the same mural on a big hoarding.’ (BB)

Lush… ‘A simple solution is often the most effective.’ (JH)

Home Centre… ‘We must applaud the bravery to tackle the issue head-on and recognise them as the first brand to do so in the region.’ (JH)

Nescafé… ‘Nescafé has succeeded where so many others fail.’ (JH)

MBRGI… ‘An innovative use of media with an outstanding, effective result.’ (BB)

July 26, 2020

Private View BRUNO BOMEDIANO

JAMES HULBERT

ECD, TBWA/Raad

Head of film at Lightblue

VOLKSWAGEN: KINETIC (1) Partnering with artists and giving them the freedom to interpret the briefing can be promising. And in this case, using art to communicate the rebranding of a major brand is even more relevant. However, the piece doesn’t work well as digital content. Although the mural made by Maddy Butcher is beautiful, and the film very well crafted, the story is not interesting enough to entertain an audience for more than 2 minutes. I would love to see the same mural on a big hoarding on Sheikh Zayed Road, not in a video.

HOME CENTRE’S (3) film celebrating single mothers on Father’s Day is a touching nod to the sacrifices and struggles that many single mothers face. Using real cast certainly gives the film some emotional pull but I can’t help but feel that a more gritty portrayal of the real-life struggles would have grounded the piece and given it some more depth. However, we must applaud the bravery to tackle the issue head-on and recognise them as the first brand to do so in the region. Putting the spotlight on these issues is another positive step in the right direction.

LUSH: 30-SECOND SOAP (2) It’s a smart idea and well-executed video case. The biggest hit here was to put the product at the centre, using its well-known dissolving characteristics as a timer. My only concern is that ideas that promise to solve a big problem through an ingenious product might require a big scale to be effective.

LUSH’S 30-SECOND SOAP (2) commercial is a good example of direct messaging and proves that a simple solution is often the most effective. The use of simple animation and clear direction serves as a great educational piece, proving that good marketing is more than just selling. It takes a certain amount of guts to use just one shot to tell a story but the monotony in execution is also its brilliance. You realise on one viewing just how long 30 seconds is and a quick realisation that most of us probably are not getting the job done. Whether the campaign succeeds in converting to sales is one question, but raising awareness around public health is commendable at this time.

HOME CENTRE: A DAD’S JOB (3) The film is a bit too long. They could have revealed the twist much before. Also, I was curious to know more points about single parenting in the region. Any additional data about it, or maybe just using a real cast would bring more emotion to it. NESCAFÉ: STAY CLOSE FROM AFAR (4) Beautiful usage of Instagram grid. Well done. The illustrations are lovely and intrigued me to keep clicking and discovering all those unique stories. MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM GLOBAL INITIATIVES: WORLD’S TALLEST DONATION BOX (5) I got to know this idea through the video case, and the name of the link put me completely off. I’m tired of campaigns that try to jump on any record-breaking or “biggest/first in the world”. It was a mistaken first impression. The idea is not about that. It’s an innovative usage of media with an outstanding, effective result, and that’s awesome. Kudos to the team.

NESCAFÉ (4) has succeeded where so many others fail, by managing to connect meaningfully with their audience and bring their fans together through the power of UGC. It’s an interesting insight into seeing how individuals are approaching Covid-19 and serves as a well-needed positive uplift as we all navigate these uncertain times. VW KINETIC (1) follows the story of local artist Maddy Butcher who creates a large art piece as her personal interpretation of the new VW branding. Although the artwork is impressive, the execution of the video that charts her journey is not as impactful. The voiceover felt a little more scripted than real and a general lack of authenticity found me disengaged. I would have intercut the artwork with an artist interview to drive a more documentary and personal approach, rather than an output that attempts this, but ultimately feels too corporate. THE WORLD’S TALLEST DONATION BOX (5) is a fantastic initiative supporting those who are desperately in need during the Covid-19 crisis. By auctioning off each of the 1.2 million pixels that live across the Burj Khalifia, 1.2 million meals were delivered to those most wanting. In an execution that reminds me of the Million Dollar Homepage, where a similar pixel auction was started, this is undeniably a very well effected campaign with results that go far beyond the numbers.

Volkswagen

Title: Kinetic Artist: Maddy Butcher Videography and production: Jack Leonardo, Crisp Productions

Lush

Title: 30-second Soap Agency: And Us CCO and founder: Fadi Yaish Business lead: Mhmoud Jaber CD: Sandy McIntosh Senior CD: Camila Venegas Gomez Animation director: James Elgie Head of content development and production: Serena Chemaly Content production: Black Box Photo production: Studio Melt

Home Centre Middle East Title: A Dad’s Job Agency: FP7 McCann Regional ECDs: Oliver Robinson, Fouad Abdel Malak Regional head of strategy: Tahaab Rais Creative directors, copywriters: Aunindo Anoop Sen, Tahaab Rais Art director: Bana Salah Copywriter: Kelly Tomes Arabic copywriter: Maher Dawah Production house: Dejavu Executive producer: Manasvi Gosalia Director: Tahaab Rais DOP: Aeyaz

Nescafé

Title: Stay Close from Afar Agencies: Publicis ME, Zenith ECD: Rana Najjar Creative director: Jaison Samuel Ben Senior art director: Marco de Albuqurque Illustrator and multimedia designer: Ritu Poojari English copywriter: Jessica VanDerBerg

Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Title: The World’s Tallest Donation Box Agency: MullenLowe MENA

July 26, 2020

The Spin The Spin is all for celebrating past glories, and there were many ways the official Olympics Twitter account could have chosen to mark what would have been the opening of the 2020 Tokyo Games. But perhaps screening a film of the 1936 event in Berlin, often referred to as ‘Hitler’s Olympics’, didn’t drum up the feelgood factor we were all looking for. We know it can be hard to get your timelines to line up in headlines, but this example from UK tabloid The Sun suggests that either the sub editor could have tried a little harder or the poor kid’s friends were jumping the gun a bit with their respects. We all have to wear masks now, except when we are eating or drinking, when we take them off. But one UAE company has invented a mask with “a unique zip function” that you can eat or drink through. But why not just take it off? The Spin is baffled. At least it comes in a ‘VIP’ version, so we can, um, not take it off in style. Or whatever the concept was. Is there anything more embarrassing than leaving one’s notes to the design/ tech team in a text that’s sent out to all your customers. The Spin feels bad for whoever overlooked this instruction at Emirates Islamic Bank. Luckily we’d never do something like that. [Note to sub: insert scathing wit here].

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