Brands across the Middle East, especially in Saudi Arabia, have been focusing heavily on forging deeper, more meaningful connections with their local and regional audiences.
In order to achieve this and differentiate themselves in a competitive and crowded landscape, brands have been exploring routes to humanise their identity and align their values with those of their consumer by turning to value-driven storytelling and culturally sensitive narratives.
At the recent Athar – Saudi Festival of Creativity held in Riyadh, Ashish Verma, the Global Head of Bloomberg Media Studios, delivered a presentation on ‘Smart Storytelling: Serving Not Selling’.
Through the presentation he unlocked the power of brand storytelling that goes beyond selling to create more meaningful connections with audiences.
Verma also explained how blending creativity, context, culture, and cost-effective strategies with strategic content marketing can elevate a brand’s presence, drive engagement, and build long-term loyalty.
“Context changes everything,” Verma said. “At Bloomberg, context is essential – news and information alone is not enough. They go beyond the headline to reveal the deeper story, helping audiences understand the ‘story behind the story’, make connections they might not have considered, and foster a loyal, informed following.”
“Brands can add value by simplifying complex issues into clear, actionable insights.”
In a day and age where consumers are inundated with advertisements, compelling and authentic stories resonate on an emotional level, fostering trust by making the brand more relatable and memorable. Effective storytelling allows brands to communicate their purpose, mission, and impact in ways that engage and inspire, transforming passive consumers into active brand advocates.
Commenting on brand storytelling driven by values, Verma said, “Brand storytelling isn’t about advertising; it’s about serving your audience’s needs. Connect with their values, passions, and curiosity to create meaningful impact.”
This approach not only differentiates the brand, creating a sense of community and belonging among consumers, who feel personally connected to the brand’s journey and aspirations, but also enriches the consumer experience by transcending transactional relationships, paving the way for enduring brand-consumer relationships built on shared values and authentic engagement.
“Audiences engage with media in diverse ways, which is why brand storytelling must be flexible and adaptable across platforms.”
Verma also pointed to the need for brands to simplify complex narratives, saying, “In an era of information overload, brands can add value by simplifying complex issues into clear, actionable insights. This approach helps audiences make sense of intricate topics and can be achieved by breaking down concepts such as ‘customer-centricity’ into actionable components.”
He explained how Bloomberg Media targets ‘modern leaders’ — individuals across industries driven by curiosity, ambition, and a desire for meaningful change.
“These leaders seek stories that resonate with their values and support their decision-making, not just products or services. They are not only CEOs but could also be entrepreneurs and students,” Verma explained.
He also mentioned ways to turbocharge content marketing by going beyond a ‘one-dimensional’ approach to brand storytelling.
“Audiences engage with media in diverse ways, which is why brand storytelling must be flexible and adaptable across platforms. Bloomberg Media exemplifies this by using various formats, from podcasts to live events to meaningfully engage its audience,” he added.
Addressing the most-talked-about concern around costs, Verma concluded, “Impactful brand storytelling doesn’t have to break the bank. Bloomberg Media Studios ‘QuickSight’, a social-first series, which uses proprietary Bloomberg data — whether from the Terminal and/or Bloomberg Intelligence research — provide brands with value by presenting data-driven insights in accessible, social-first formats, achieving wide reach without substantial costs.”
