Dr Yasser Zamzam, Director of Marcomms, Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) under the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (Abu Dhabi DCT), and Zeena Kurd, General Manager, Boopin – UAE, join Campaign Middle East on its latest On The Record podcast episode.
In conversation with Campaign Middle East, the leaders discuss hyper-localisation, bridging cultural and linguistic gaps, digital-first approaches to Arabic marketing, balancing regional culture with global trends in digital marketing, the rise of local talent in creative industries, and more.
The leaders discussed how Arabic content creates stronger emotional connections between brands and their specific targeted audiences, especially given the fact that Arabic has so many different dialects regionally.
While English-speaking audiences may respond well to concise, direct, and often casual communication, Arabic-speaking audiences tend to appreciate more relevant and elaborate language, which emphasises cultural values, respect, and community in a specific tone within a campaign.
Hyper-localisation involves tailoring content to reflect local dialects, which makes the message feel more authentic and makes the brand feel more approachable and relevant.
The rise of digital tools and platforms has further helped craft tailored Arabic content that speaks directly to diverse segments of the regional population, through data-led decisions on personalisation, engagement and real-time optimisation of campaigns.
The leaders also discussed examples of successful experience-based marketing campaigns in the UAE, as well as opportunities to local talent in the creative sector.
Before the podcast concludes, the leaders address the local vs global debate, and share how local talent can provide deep cultural insights, and how this informs global campaigns, encouraging people from across the world to come and experience the region’s beauty first-hand. This requires creatives to have both a local perspective and a global outlook, the leaders concluded.
For more such insights from a very intriguing conversation, watch the full video above.
CREDITS:
Guests:
Dr Yasser Zamzam, Director of Marcomms, Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) under the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (Abu Dhabi DCT)
Zeena Kurd, General Manager, Boopin – UAE
Host: Anup Oommen, Editor, Campaign Middle East
Videography: Mark Mathew, Creative Content Producer, Motivate Create
Production: Rupashree Ravi, Content Producer, Motivate Create
Studio: Ahmed Abdelwahab, Studio Manager, Motivate Media Group
