By Aruna Rajaram, Brand Domain Lead at Kantar Middle East

The BrandZ™ Top 30 Most Valuable Emirati and Saudi Brands ranking 2020 reveals the power of the brand in the mind of the consumer creating predisposition to buy, and most importantly, validates a positive correlation with better sales performance.  At our launch we shared five core themes your brand needs to master to succeed in the region, now and in future.

While COVID-19 has certainly shifted consumer attitudes and behaviour in ways previously unheard of, the BrandZ™ Top 30 Most Valuable Emirati and Saudi Brands report offers a glimpse of what’s motivating those shifts. 

Five things your brand needs to know now for future brand growth

  1. Closeness is everything

Marketing and advertising consultant Cory Torrella said it best: “A brand is worthless if it doesn’t connect with the right audiences in a relevant way.” 

So, striking a chord with consumers means having a deep understanding of what makes them tick and keeping pace with their fast-changing shifts in sentiment. It’s something that local and international brands have equal potential to do well because it’s not where your brand is from that matters, but rather how well it fits in with local lifestyles and priorities. Take this clarity of local consumer needs further to champion local pride and collaborate with other brands to succeed, where the opportunity arises. 

  1. ‘Business as usual’ is over

In these unusual times, brands need to realise that the days are gone of expecting the same results today from what worked yesterday. Your brand needs to think outside that ever-present box as it’s disruption that leads to long-term wins. Consumers expect brands to be bold, to push beyond category norms, and to offer the best experiences that they’ve had in any category. They want Emirates service, Ferrari World fun, Noon speed, and utility in everything they do.

  1. ‘Getting online’ is only half the story

According to Amazon visionary Jeff Bezos, we need to always look into the future, so it’s unfortunate that brands in the region have been slow to provide the ecommerce, digital content and other online experiences demanded by consumers’ increased internet use, especially under lockdown. But keep in mind that playing catch-up and getting online is only half the story, as true digital success is all about the customer experience. For the best results, strive for seamless integration of online and offline experiences that mirror the way people live.

  1. Purpose is not just about ‘saving the planet’

No one expects world peace from their yoghurt and an end to global warming from their bank. What 2020 consumers do expect is proof of small, tangible steps your brand is taking to help make life a little better for a person, community or part of the world, as actions have never spoke louder than words. This in turn creates a more credible and achievable brand purpose than ‘saving the world’ and results in more sustainable brand growth, as the BrandZ Global Top 100 Most Valuable Brands consistently grow in value at a faster rate, because they’re striving for purpose rather than profit.

  1. Diversity isn’t a buzzword

True diversity isn’t marketing jargon – it’s about the lives of real people. Christine Lagarde, MD of the IMF says, “When women do better, economies do better.” This is seen in action in Saudi society where the lives of women are changing incredibly fast, making it essential for brands to be at the forefront of how that changing context affects consumer behaviour and attitudes. But newly liberated women are just one emerging target audience among many. Brands need to be aware of the emergence of many new consumer tribes and remember that on any given day, an individual plays many roles.

Nigel Hollis, former Chief Global Brand Analyst at Kantar says it best: “Brand-led growth requires building out the right perceptions over time, as a big brand is not necessarily a strong brand. Learn from the Top 30 Emirati and Saudi brands of 2020 how disruptive innovation provides the opportunity to shake things up, creating a reason for people to switch brands as well as how to walk the talk, as you enhance perception of your brand today to better build for future growth.”

Join the conversation on LinkedIn and Twitter.  Find out more about coming out stronger on the other side of the crisis from this year’s BrandZ™ Emirati & Saudi movers and shakers: https://www.kantar.com/campaigns/brandz/UAE-KSA