by Nabil Moutran, business director, Ogilvy One
When asked to prepare a short article on my point of view on the subject of digital and social media, the first thing that came to my head was: Why?
Why is there an interest in our thoughts on digital and social media?
It must be because there is a need. It must be because this is a discussion that everyone is having. It must be because this is what the industry – including our clients – is thinking about, in terms of incorporating it into marketing plans.
But then another thing came into my mind: We, as an industry in the Middle East, must be doing something wrong. After all, we have a total online penetration in this region at around 25 to 30 percent, compared to a global average of 35 percent (depending on which report you read). Yet our total advertising business online ranges between 1 and 5 percent of the total industry (again, depending on who you ask).
So, what are the main discussion points we need to be having at this stage in the digital game?
Having the discussion with our clients.
At the end of the day, we wouldn’t have an industry if it wasn’t for our clients and, therefore, they need to have a seat at the table.
The first thing that comes up when we talk digital with our clients is often the “shiny new toy” syndrome. Because it’s so new and exciting, everyone wants to play with it, without really knowing what it does or how it can benefit their business.
For more than a year now, I have been having this discussion with our clients, and the one thing that has been constant across most of the biggest advertisers in this region is that they are very keen on exploring this relatively new space. However, the way in which they want to explore it has yet to be determined. The first port of call must be having the right skills, resources and knowledge, to be able to make the right decision.
This is where is the marketing community needs to take bold steps in improving the digital space, be it research or audited online data, through to bringing in the right digital specialists from around the world to help move the Middle East up towards the global standard.
So what is digital marketing?
For us, digital marketing is a new process – a new process in the sense that the way we work as an agency has completely changed in terms of our thinking process. Today, we don’t necessarily have to wait for the creative to be cracked in order to start planning our media strategy. In fact the opposite is true: We don’t wait to engage our production teams only once the idea has been developed, because the production team will always (if they’re any good) add tremendous value to how we can improve our communication idea/platform.
For us digital marketing is not a new discipline, but a new language that we are all learning to speak. It still delivers the same result, but in a different way. All the agencies are now looking at integrated models as a solution, and I am sure some of them are working exceptionally well. The reason they are working is because the discussion of digital has been woven into the fabric of every strategic discussion they have with their clients.
Digital marketing is a new way of measuring and, more importantly, targeting our consumers. With the metrics and data we get from the digital space, we now have the ability to make our communication so much more focused and targeted that we by default become more effective in our management of budgets and ROI.
How does social media play into this?
The top 10 sites in the world are social of one form or another. So what is social media?
For us, all digital is inherently social. Anything that allows me to share, comment, respond to, adapt is social.
When we think of social media, we immediately think Facebook and Twitter. Well, it’s true that with more than 400 million people subscribed and totally engaged to Facebook, it’s hard to ignore them. However, let’s look at why they are so effective.
a) They defined Web 2.0 and allowed consumers to have their own conversation and develop and share their own content.
b) They are constantly innovating and improving their model, providing fresh and up-to-date technologies for people to enjoy.
c) It’s so simple, and it’s for everyone. The fastest growing segment on Facebook are women over the age of 55. It’s not just a teenage phenomenon; it’s for everyone.