On the latest episode of Campaign Middle East’s On The Record podcast, Ahmad Numan, Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ), calls for the Middle East brand and marketing industry to double down on originality, human creativity and connecting with individual consumers as partners rather than merely ‘targeting’ large subsets of the ‘advertising audience’.
Earlier this year, the Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) was named the the fastest-growing economic zone in the UAE, despite operating within a competitive landscape, and through this conversation with Campaign Middle East, Numan reveals the ‘chemical X’ to success within marketing.
“That ‘chemical X’ to success is being a good growth partner,” Numan said, “We realised early on that in order to stand out, we needed to offer much more than just a business license. We strategically shifted our positioning from being merely a destination to being a long-term growth partner. As such, our differentiation comes down to three key areas: ease, experience as well as a fully rounded ecosystem that provides our clients and investors with everything they need to succeed.”
Numan goes on to share his take on ‘two sides of the marketing coin’: on one side, creativity – relevant storytelling and relatable content, and on the other side, technology and data-led decisions – CRM strategies, customised LLMs and automation, which ensure that RAKEZ remains ROI-driven and meets its success metrics.
He said, “Technology and data gives us invaluable insights, helps us understand the customer and reach out in the right way, and even maybe predict possible pain points, while creativity complements that with a relevant narrative, compelling storytelling and a nice way to reach a prospect with something that matters to them specifically – that’s where all the magic happens.”
Taking this a step further, Numan added, “Often when we talk about B2B marketing, we naturally think of dealing with businesses. We shouldn’t forget that behind every business is a person – and that person has hopes, plans, ambitions and a dream. And it’s essential that we understand that person, understand that dream, live it with them, and help them get to that dream.”
He reiterates the importance to lean on technology to understand each of these individuals at various stages of their journey towards their dream.
“This is where marketing efforts stand out. You need to have the right set of tools and technologies to not only tell you what’s new and happening in that space, but also to tell you what each individual is looking for, the next service they will need to request, or the next pain point they are likely to face,” Numan said.
Through the conversation, Numan also delves into:
- managing internal and external stakeholder buy-ins into brand values.
- finding the balance between brand and business outcomes and being a growth partner to have an impact on society and the ecosystem at large.
For more insights from a very intriguing conversation, watch the full video above.
CREDITS:
Guest: Ahmad Numan, Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ)
Host: Anup Oommen, Editor, Campaign Middle East
Production: Surajit Dutta, Content Production Manager, Motivate Media Group
Videography: Mark Mathew, Creative Content Producer, Motivate Media Group
Studio: Ahmed Abdelwahab, Studio Manager, Motivate Media Group
Editing: John Melencion, Content Producer, Motivate Media Group
