What have been the biggest long-term changes over the last year?
The biggest change is the one noticed by the majority. Prior to the pandemic, digital experts always pushed their programs and were sometimes faced with resistance. Covid has accelerated the digital boom even further and organisations, as well as people, realised that a lot of the old habits are dispensable. Take the QSR segment as an example; many outlets did not have their digital backend systems developed or deployed and, consequently, this affected their ability to adapt to the drop in walk-ins and pickups. This was a lesson that will now ensure that businesses are more open-minded to change.
What work are you most proud of from the last year?
The year was challenging on different levels for all of us. I am proud that we helped our clients stay afloat in the situation by adapting to the unprecedented business environment. In almost half of the cases, we actually saw a growth in business of our clients compared to 2019, by tapping into and understanding the opportunity of spiked internet usage and the new consumer behaviour. While working from home, the online and offline consumer behaviour changed and we adapted to that change, considering our whole business is dependent on the internet. This in turn led to our growth during the unprecedented time.
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What industry challenges do you see in 2021?
I believe the biggest challenge is uncertainty. Our inability to know or forecast what tomorrow or next week holds. Most parts of the world are back under lockdown or travel bans, with fear of new strains and doubts revolving around the efficacy of the vaccines in the market. This uncertainty will be the biggest challenge to forecasting what can be done. For digital marketers, this uncertainty is paired with reduced budgets and unchanged business outcome expectations to continuously perform and deliver return.
What should brands focus on this year?
Brands should focus on two key facets:
Personifying themselves to build a bond with the consumer. This can be achieved by being more socially attentive and responsible.
Personalisation of communication to appeal to interests and passions and create a connection that is beyond a product or service.
What are you most excited about in 2021?
If you are residing in Dubai, the most exciting thing is the upcoming Expo. With the world rushing to heal from Covid; Expo will stand out as the event to attend and be part of. Such global events could map out the next five to 10 years. Finally, on a personal level, the expansion plans for Boopin outside the region.
