Email interview with Rauf Hameed - Communications Manager, Tetrapak 05 Dec 2007
What businesses and organisations in the
Blogging is still in infancy in the Middle East; exceptions are countries like
Blogs in this region from a corporate point of view are in their infancy. However, some of the big brands like Coca-Cola, Burger King, Tetra Pak, USOS, KFC, Nivea are seriously evaluating the efficiency of these social media tools to build their brands.
Is there an enthusiastic online culture in the
There are, on last count, 4 million active bloggers in the region, and around 10 million registered blog followers (people who thread them and interact with them). Facebook is becoming very popular in the Middle East, especially in countries like
What is the impact of social media and online communications on culture/ personal lives?
Social media is going to be (if not already) the next thing now in the region. There are more than half a million registered Facebook users in the region.
The impact of social media and online communications on our personal lives is immense. The average Middle Eastern person receives a host of messages per day in some form or another and a huge percentage of it is digital – meaning, SMS, phone calls, Bluetooth, email, web browsing, banners, online advertising etc.
Social media is relevant in the region because it is an avenue for expression. Blogging is becoming huge in countries where freedom of expression is often not at its best.
What is the role of mobile communications? (eg. In parts of
What are the current trends/ hot issues around social media in the
Topics:
Fashion (New Trends Watches, Fashion Clothes)
Lifestyle
Electronics (New Launches e.g. Mobiles & Laptops)
Hamas "Islamic Fundamentalism"
Emergency in
Bin Laden
Saudi Stock Market
Automotive "New Launches"
A special language developed using Latin letters to write Arabic, supported with numbers assigned to Arabic letters that have no English equivalent.
Using the internet is picking-up:
- hardware cost is getting cheaper everyday with more specialized computer retailers coming to the market
- internet cost and accessibility is improving; internet providers aggressively promoting the service thru attractive promotions and big discounts
Facebook is the leader in all formats. But there are several others like Maktoob and d1g that are catching up. It’s all about expression and channels that gives one the freedom to do this.
Are there any social media issues that you think is important for business communicators to be aware of, especially if they or their clients are considering doing business in the
Language is main barrier… with low English literacy; I believe developing an Arabic version of Facebook could be a major success. Sensitivity of inter-gender communication intense fascination of new and high technology gadgets is growing. Getting brand engagement via consumer voice is the key here and brands like Coca-Cola, Tetra Pak, Burger King, Virgin, Loreal, Mars, Nescafe, Nestle, MTV, BA etc are heavily into it.
Here in the ME, we need to find the resonance with the brand and the consumer, and then let the consumer do the bit on advocacy. Finding the right resonating tone of voice and brand space is the key factor.