Should more firms in the Middle East be using new digital
methods of marketing?
That’s the philosophy of some experts taking a close look at
what works in today’s modern Gulf Region.
Naufel Vilcassim, professor of marketing at the London
Business School, suggested how companies in the region can move from
traditional print and broadcast media marketing to a more sophisticated and modern
multichannel strategy. This is just one of many reports in the region recommending that some of the newest forms of marketing can do well for
businesses in the Gulf.
Vilcassim recently spoke about how the older forms of advertising such as newspaper and television
advertisements and billboards are expensive and sometimes awkward, while new
digital marketing methods can be deployed much more easily. There is also the
ubiquity of wireless connections and smartphone customers in the region.
So what kind of digital marketing does he suggest?
Vilcassim talked about things like content creation, agile
email marketing, social media marketing and the use of business intelligence
and analytics, as well as modern forms of lead generation that utilize the
Internet.
Another point Vilcassim stressed is to use “guerrilla
marketing,” where marketing messages rely on central local events or phenomena.
Giving the example of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Vilcassim
contended that these types of promotions can foster brand awareness.
However, it’s not always easy for the region’s digital marketers.
One challenge to this type of marketing strategy is language. Experts have pointed out how cross-language distribution can lead to translation errors and other kinds
of disconnects across a target audience.
So how is digital marketing seen and used in the Middle
East?
Greg Geronemus, owner of smarTours, runs tours to areas of Israel, as well other
destinations like Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
“We promote our
tours heavily through various digital marketing channels, including email
marketing, social media, SEO, and more.” Geronemus told the Gulf News Journal, while also addressing the unique way that digital marketing can work in the
MENA region.
“We believe that (digital marketing methods) are particularly effective for
the Middle East.” Geronemus said. “The region offers such incredibly rich
visual and video content that really lends itself to telling the story through
digital marketing. Whether it’s the historic and religiously significant
visuals from Israel, or the awe-inspiring visuals from up-and-coming Abu Dhabi
and Dubai, digital marketing is a perfect fit for the region.”
Geronemus said digital marketing will surely play a role in future
markets, while some challenges remain.
“I believe that we’ve still only
scratched the surface of what’s possible.” Geronemus said. “That
said, like with any form of marketing, you need to be smart and careful with
digital marketing. As powerful and effective as it can be, it’s also very easy to
waste a lot of your marketing budget on digital marketing efforts. In other
words, it’s a great opportunity, but it’s not without risk.”
