Rasha Mansour, Owner of Marketing Mind Consulting and Head of PR Proximity Markets at DETWhen I began my career in 2003 as a brand manager at Jumeirah, storytelling in Dubai’s communications industry was all about projection. Brands had a message, and they told it loud and clear through print ads, press releases, and brochures.
The emphasis was on delivering a polished narrative, carefully crafted to shape the perception of the audience. It was a world of “telling” where the audience passively received information, and the conversation ended there.
However, the landscape of storytelling in Dubai’s communications industry has changed dramatically over the past two decades. The rise of digital media and social platforms has transformed how stories are told, shifting from a one-way broadcast to a dynamic dialogue. Now, it’s no longer just about telling your audience what you want them to know.
The real power of storytelling today lies in listening.
Social media, customer feedback, and direct engagement have all turned storytelling into a conversation. Brands can no longer assume that they control the narrative.
Instead, they must open themselves up to the voices of their customers, employees, and even competitors. The story isn’t complete without their input. Audiences have become active participants, shaping and contributing to the story, rather than merely consuming it.
This shift means that storytelling in Dubai has become more collaborative than ever before. Brands that truly succeed are those that understand the importance of listening. They don’t just deliver their message—they ask questions, pay attention to feedback, and adapt their narrative based on the conversation that unfolds.
Whether through social media comments, direct messages, or public interactions, brands now engage with their audience to refine and reshape their stories in real time. It’s a much richer, more flexible form of communication, where the brand listens as much as it speaks.
In this environment, AI plays a significant role. The tools available today allow for greater personalisation and real-time adaptation of messages, giving brands the ability to listen at scale. Data analytics and AI help brands understand their audiences better, enabling them to craft content that resonates with individuals on a more personal level. But the real value lies not just in data collection—it’s in the ability to engage in a meaningful dialogue, where listening becomes as important as telling.
The same shift can be seen with leaders in Dubai. Successful leadership today is not about dominating a conversation or imposing a singular vision. It’s about listening to the people, understanding their perspectives, and allowing the story to evolve together.
Leaders who thrive in Dubai understand that their narrative is shaped by those around them—their teams, their communities, and the wider ecosystem in which they operate. Their story is not written in isolation; it’s co-authored with the people they interact with.
A key example of this dialogue-driven approach in Dubai’s communications landscape was the 2015 initiative where the city invited the public to vote on its new logo and tagline. For the first time, Dubai sought input directly from its citizens and global audience in a process that was both inclusive and interactive.
The city’s leaders recognised that Dubai’s brand is not just about what the government or the private sector wants to project; it’s about how the people feel about it, how they experience it, and how they want the world to see their city.
Through this campaign, Dubai demonstrated a new way of creating a brand — one that acknowledges the people’s voices, giving them a stake in how the city presents itself to the world. The logo and tagline were no longer just the work of a branding agency or government mandate; they became part of a larger conversation that involved the very people who are the lifeblood of the city.
This wasn’t just about a new logo; it was about recognising that a brand’s identity must be a living, evolving story—one shaped by the feedback, insights, and contributions of the people who engage with it.
In today’s rapidly evolving communications world, the importance of listening cannot be overstated. As the tools for personalisation and engagement become more sophisticated, the power of a truly engaging story lies in the exchange between brand and audience. Stories are no longer just about what is said—they are about how they are received, how they evolve, and how they resonate with those who engage with them.
In Dubai, a city that thrives on innovation and change, the shift from telling to listening has fundamentally reshaped how stories are crafted. The narrative is no longer solely owned by the storyteller; it’s shaped by the voices of the people, the feedback of the audience, and the dynamic flow of information.
The communications industry here has embraced this shift, recognising that the future of storytelling isn’t about control — it’s about creating a dialogue that invites participation, fosters connection, and evolves with the needs and voices of the community.
By Rasha Mansour, Owner of Marketing Mind Consulting
