By: Ahmed Hamed, Marketing Manager at Qashio

Dear Global and EMEA Brand and Marketing leaders,

We hope you are well and that you are having a productive week. We have been meaning to write this email to you for quite a while now. But never got around to actually doing it. We guess the time has come for it. We have spent a lot of time together, working on campaigns across MENA. We had our ups and downs, but we definitely got through it all in the end. But we think we need to talk (and we all know nothing good ever follows after that line). We think it’s time for us to see other Global/Central Marketing teams. You are probably thinking what brought this up and how long have we been feeling that way. Well it’s been brewing for a while now, and we know why we are feeling that way that we are feeling right now. It’s because you treat MENA as one big country and never give us room to develop creatives and make decisions about campaigns that help make them relevant, representative, and localized to the specific markets we are working in.

By now you are wondering why you should’ve ever let us do that. Well it’s simple. Allow us to copy paste a response that we have gotten from a GPT we created called 3azooz… (Thank you Sam Altman)

Q: “3azooz, please tell me how many countries, markets, languages, dialects, cultures, and subcultures there are in MENA?”

A: “Quantifying the exact number of countries, markets, languages, dialects, cultures, and subcultures in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is complex due to the rich diversity and fluidity of these elements. However, here’s a general overview:

1. Countries: The MENA region typically includes around 17 to 21 countries, depending on the definition used. Commonly included countries are Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

2. Markets: Each country represents a distinct market, and within each country, there can be multiple markets based on factors like geography, demographics, and industry. Additionally, there are broader regional markets, such as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) market, which includes several Gulf countries.

3. Languages: Arabic is the predominant language in the region, but there are also many others, including Persian (Farsi), Kurdish, Berber languages, and others. English and French are also widely spoken in some areas due to historical influences and international relations.

4. Dialects: Arabic alone has numerous dialects that can vary greatly from one country to another, and even within different regions of the same country. For example, Moroccan Arabic is quite distinct from Egyptian Arabic or Gulf Arabic.

5. Cultures: The MENA region is home to a rich tapestry of cultures, each with its own traditions, customs, and social norms. These cultures have been shaped by various historical, religious, and socio-economic factors.

6. Subcultures: Within each country and culture, there are numerous subcultures, often based on factors like ethnicity, religion, social class, urban vs. rural lifestyles, and more. These subcultures can have their own unique customs, beliefs, and ways of life.

It’s important to note that these categories are fluid and overlapping, with a high degree of diversity and intersectionality. The MENA region is characterized by its rich cultural heritage and complex social fabric, making it one of the most diverse regions in the world.”

Thank you 3azooz for dropping some knowledge on us.
And if that is not enough to convince you, please refer to the below:

So let’s take a look at McDonald’s. (No, I am not about to talk about what you think I am going to talk about. I will leave that to make another point, at another time.)

Take a look at this post from McDonald’s KSA twitter (Now X) from 2019

Can you tell us what’s wrong with this post?…Besides the lazy design… No, how about this one from 2020?

Still nothing?
Well probably because there is nothing wrong with it. If you are a Saudi National, or a national of GCC. Most likely you won’t find anything wrong with it.

However, if you are Egyptian,you might read this differently. “McDonald’s…I’m a Bitch”
For those who are unfamiliar of Egypt slang أنا أحبھ means I’m a Bitch. “But this is the proper way to say it in Arabic” Technically no.

Much better.

What about Egypt? You may ask. Well they localized.

This is one of our favorite examples of how something so small can make a massive difference in how your brand message is perceived. Just let the Marketing team of each country run a check and have some freedom to influence campaigns.

At least McDonald’s put in some effort. Nivea, on the other hand…

No comment.

That was posted on their Middle East Facebook page. Aaand here is the BBC coverage of it.

We don’t think we need to say anything here really.

We don’t regret our time together, but we are tired of waiting for you to change. So we guess this is goodbye. We really hope you change and be more open and free with the next Local Team you work with.

  

MENA Marketing Teams

https://www.atltranslate.com/blog/advertising-localization-challenges https://twitter.com/McDonaldsKSA/status/1311259504537825280https://twitter.com/McDonaldsKSA/status/1178680206980243459