Business & money ·
Report dated 20 October 2009.
SourcePress release, October 2009.
CMO Summit highlights key developments for effective marketing
The Chief Marketing Officers’ Middle East Summit, held in Dubai on 12th & 13th October 2009, highlighted some exciting marketing developments in the region. Cuts in overall marketing budgets had resulted in leaner, more focused marketing campaigns. Listening to what customers want and offering opportunities for the customer to dialogue with the company was key to growth. The expansion of internet access and mobile telephone usage combined with younger consumer profile and higher spending power offers marketers a unique challenge.
The Middle East has the fastest growing online population (currently representing 5% of the world’s internet population) but only 1% of content is in Arabic – a situation which is changing as new content providers and search engine technology develop hand in hand, explained Wael Ghomin, Regional Marketing Manager at Google.
Yolanda Delport, Marketing Director, Al-Futtaim Automotive said, “Great marketing isn't about a great marketing budget but about being creative when others aren't,” stressing that being innovative and thinking outside the box can get results which are, at times, even more effective. She also emphasized that whether guerilla marketing targets smaller groups or larger target markets, your message needs to stand out above the competition. She urged marketers to find out as much as they can about customers, try approaching them in places where they might not expect to find you and help them overcome barriers to buying your particular product.
Organized by Artaaj Strategic Business Events, the summit assembled heads of marketing from several international and local companies and presented the latest in cutting edge marketing solutions. Delegates enjoyed presentations from speakers including Hamad M Bin Mejren, Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing, Thatcher Brown of the Jumeirah Group, Ian Hitt of Epsilon International, Klaus Middeler of Ericsson AB and Noah Chancellor from Saudi Telecom.
A panel of the advisory board members of the Chief Marketing Officers Council discussed ‘Challenges and Risks facing Multinational Brands and the requirements for success in localizing global brands in the MENA Region’. Donovan Neale-May, Executive Director, CMO Council expressed his pleasure at the success of the event:
“We had a compelling and insightful day of discussions and interactions on a wide range of topics relating to marketing effectiveness in the MENA region. Measuring, managing and monetizing marketing campaigns for every organization, large and small is the key message from the summit.”
Citi, DTCM, Ericsson, General Motors, Adobe, Spinneys, Maktoob, Google were just a few of the companies offering an insight into their marketing approaches and solutions at the event, which is scheduled to be an annual occurrence on Dubai’s event calendar.