It comes as no surprise that, among its riches, the UAE also possesses a rich cultural landscape. However, in such a multicultural atmosphere, why do we keep talking about locally relevant advertising? With locals occupying such a small minority, is “local” communication diametrically opposed to global messaging, or is it possible to satisfy both local and global markets?
Many western advertisers have answered these questions by establishing specialized in-house units that cater to diverse demographics. The formation of various Latin and African-American shops has coincided with the US Census’ yearly claim “that ethnic groups have continued to increase as a percentage of the population and as a viable target market.” But it’s not just ad agencies at the pulpit of personalization. Bolstered by numbers and research, large global clients are beginning to demand ethnically targeted campaigns.
Coca-Cola’s Chief Marketing Executive addressed Univision and BET (African-American and Latin television networks) recently, announcing that “targeting ‘multicultural’ Americans will be paramount for the company over the next decade.” According to financial records, the brand’s “Life tastes good” campaign will vanish in most countries and be “replaced by regional rather than universal theme lines in others.”
On the flip side, IBM developed the ‘Solutions for a Small Planet’ platform in an effort to portray itself as a single global company with “a common look and feel around the world.” Alternatively, Mars Inc. is a brand behemoth that’s opting for a more targeted and diverse communication strategy. Will brands in the UAE follow in their stead, or is our landscape much too diverse to warrant such distinctly tailored tactics? It is important to keep in mind that such diversity not only influences the quality of communication, but also dictates the medium.
Increased growth in digital marketing, for example, throws another monkey wrench into the equation. Technological adoption differs from group to group and discrepancies are far more noticeable in the digital domain. With each consumer cluster occupying a different position on the experience curve—some groups being more advanced than others—a one-size-fits-all digital communication model becomes tricky. And adapting to these groups becomes essential in any customized communication strategy.
With an array of options in delivering “the right message to the right consumer at the right time,” does a message get diluted when trying to speak to various groups at once? Does a brand then loose elements of its voice and personality? Doesn’t “Hop the train to tasty town” have more personality than “This stuff tastes good”?
Perhaps a mix of global positioning with local advertising is best. Rick Wolfe, president of PostStone, a Toronto research and strategic planning company, says that brands have histories and these intangibles push global marketers to local campaigns.
Perhaps there isn’t a perfect formula or solution, but one thing for certain is the fact that the UAE will have to answer these questions as it continues to forge its path into a rich new decade—a small price to pay to exist in as diverse and multicultural a landscape as ours.
Amina Abdel-Halim
Copywriter, Ogilvy, Dubai has experience both in the Middle East and the US working in a truly integrated capacity in digital, activation, and traditional advertising departments.