On the latest episode of Campaign Middle East’s On The Record podcast, Wang Bing, Head of Marketing, Xiaomi Middle East, discusses the shift from value-driven pricing to value-based premium, the importance of storytelling and seamless ecosystems, balancing brand control and influencer collaborations, as well as evolving marketing strategies in the Middle East.
Wang explains how premium is no longer a question of price alone. In a region such as the Middle East, where consumers are quick to explore new technology and equally quick to judge whether it fits into their lives, the idea of value has become more sophisticated. It is not simply about affordability, specifications or feature comparisons; it is about whether a product feels useful, connected and worth choosing.
In conversation with Campaign Middle East, Wang shares how Xiaomi is reframing its story from being widely known for accessible and affordable products to building value-based premium.
That shift highlights how the storytelling route helps move marketing away from impersonal product details to connect personally and emotionally with consumers within their daily routines, offering seamless tech solutions within connected ecosystems – at work, home and on the move.
The discussion also explores the role of creators, customer feedback and the speed of tech adoption in the Middle East. For Wang, the guiding principle is simple: trends will keep changing, but brands that stay close to users will be better equipped to adapt, learn and grow.
“Customers no longer use price as a proxy for quality, performance or premium. It used to be brand communication and pricing strategy that built the premium image of a brand, but perceptions are changing.”
From affordability to value-based premium
Xiaomi has long been associated with products that offer strong value. Wang does not reject that perception, but he says the Middle East market is now moving beyond older assumptions about price and quality. Consumers are becoming more demanding of premium value, questioning the meaning, relevance and impact of each product on their lives.
Wang says: “Xiaomi is widely recognised as a brand with good value. We are known for providing good products at affordable prices, but we see a clear shift towards value-based premium. Customers no longer use price as a proxy for quality, performance or premium. It used to be brand communication and pricing strategy that built the premium image of a brand, but perceptions are changing. Customers are starting to understand more, and they are reacting to what value this product brings to them.”
For Xiaomi, this means clearer communications rather than focusing only on affordability. Wang explains how the brand proves that its products can offer advanced technology and connected experiences while remaining accessible to a broad range of consumers.
He adds, “From the beginning, we have not only been trying to provide affordable products. Our value has been to provide wonderful products above expectations with affordable prices. Most people know the second half of that sentence. We are trying to elaborate the story that our products provide flagship technology, advanced technology experience and a seamless ecosystem experience.”
This is especially important in the Middle East, where connected living is becoming a more relevant part of the consumer conversation.
Wang says that the time has come for all brands to show how products can fit into different moments of daily life, rather than only describing what each device can do by itself.
He says, “Customers receive our products and they understand from our communication what kind of value can be added through this product in multiple occasions, such as commuting, home life and office life. This is how we enhance perceived value for our customers. Eventually, customers understand this is the product they want, and that is how we build value-based premium.”
“Brands should involve consumers in their decision-making because they reflect and react to every change and shift in the industry. They are not only looking for product-relevant information. They are looking for real usage experience.”
Turning specifications into a connected story
For years, technology marketing has often relied on lists of specifications. Wang suggests that this approach has limits, particularly when brands offer several products across different categories. The challenge is to make the technology meaningful, not merely detailed.
Wang says, “At Xiaomi, every year, our product launch events showcase much more than a single product. There are different categories combined together at the launch. So, if we choose to go through all the specifications of each product, it will make the launch event too long, too complex and too overwhelming for the customers.”
The more relevant approach, he explains, is to highlight how devices work together in real-life situations. This allows customers to understand the practical benefit of the technology, instead of getting lost in product-by-product comparisons.
He adds, “We are telling customers that these multiple different devices can actually have interconnectivity. For example, if you are using a smartphone and a tablet at the same time during office hours, there is an easy task that can be shared between these two devices. When you are going out, your smart watch and smart bands are also connected with the scooter you are using.”
For Wang, this is where product communication becomes more emotional and useful. It is not about abandoning technical details, but about helping consumers see why those details matter in their own routines.
He says, “In real-life scenarios, we explain and elaborate how this ecosystem can bring a better experience to our customer. We are no longer doing specification one by one. Customers start to understand the technology’s meaning behind the specifications, because it is relevant to their own life. This is how we turn the product specification into ecosystem storytelling.”
“We are not only expecting good comments. That is not how we are doing it. We also receive suggestions on how to improve our product. There has been more than one time where our engineer and product managers changed a product based on an advanced QA test.”
The role of creators and customer voices
As consumer discovery changes, Xiaomi is also adapting how it works with creators and users.
Wang says customers increasingly look for lived experience, not only brand-led product information. This is why creators and key opinion leaders (KOLs) have become part of the wider brand conversation.
Wang says, “Discovery and perception is changing. Brands should involve consumers in their decision-making because they reflect and react to every change and shift in the industry. They are not only looking for product-relevant information. They are looking for real usage experience.”
Wang also points out why customer participation must not treated as a one-way endorsement mechanism. Xiaomi actively seeks feedback, including criticism, and uses it to shape product decisions.
He says: “Creators are part of our long-term strategy. Feedback is not only real-time, but also everywhere around us at Xiaomi. There is a philosophy at Xiaomi that we always make friends with our users. So, whether it is our engineer or our commercial team, we sit down, have dinner and have real conversations with the fans.”
This changes the balance between what the brand should say directly and what should be shown through the lives of creators.
Wang suggests that the brand should still lead the conversation if the message is about innovation or its broader narrative, but creators are important when consumers want to see products being used in everyday settings.
He adds, “That is why, in most of Xiaomi’s product launch events, we always partner with creators to spread the news, and we also invite our fans to be part of us, even launching the product together.”
For Wang, listening to users is not about collecting praise. He says Xiaomi also invites suggestions and uses them to improve products before launch. This makes the user relationship a practical part of the product process, not just a community-building exercise.
He adds, “We are not only expecting good comments. That is not how we are doing it. We also receive suggestions on how to improve our product. There has been more than one time where our engineer and product managers changed a product based on an advanced QA test. They collect suggestions, they change the product and they launch.”
This approach gives Xiaomi a more active relationship with its users.
Rather than treating feedback as something that arrives after a launch campaign, the brand sees it as part of a cycle of testing, learning and adjustment.
“In the Middle East, all the customers are open to new experiences and new devices, and the number of multi-device users is growing. Our ecosystem strategy is really working well here. We also use this market as our innovation hub to test and learn and scale our creativity.”
Why the Middle East matters
The Middle East plays a distinct role in Xiaomi’s strategy because of the speed with which consumers engage with new technology. Wang says the region is not only growing quickly; it is also highly receptive to new experiences, devices and connected ecosystems.
Wang says, “This market, the Middle East, is not only a fast-growing market. It is an innovation market, a market with fast adoption of innovation.”
He points specifically to smart home appliances as an area of strong growth. For Xiaomi, this matters because the company is trying to connect more categories into one broader ecosystem.
He adds, “We have noticed that the smart home appliance market is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 10 to 12 per cent, which is really, really high. We also have a human-car-home strategy which shows the extent of connected living. IT also shows how we are not only focusing on smartphone and wearable products but are trying to connect everything.”
The openness of consumers in the region makes the Middle East a useful place for Xiaomi to learn from the market, as well.
Wang reveals that the brand sees rising numbers of people using several devices and responding well to ecosystem-led propositions.
He says, “In the Middle East, all the customers are open to new experiences and new devices, and the number of multi-device users is growing. Our ecosystem strategy is really working well here. We also use this market as our innovation hub to test and learn and scale our creativity. That is why we really consider the Middle East as a strategic market for Xiaomi.”
Premium as a lived experience
Wang’s argument is a reminder that premium does not have to mean distant, expensive or exclusive for the sake of it.
In Xiaomi’s case, the premium story is being built around usefulness, connection and relevance. It is less like placing a product on a pedestal and more like showing how it quietly improves the rhythm of someone’s day.
That distinction matters in the Middle East, where consumers are open to innovation but still expect brands to prove their place in real life. The brands that win here will not be the ones that simply list the most features or speak the loudest at launch. They will be the ones that can connect product, story, ecosystem and user feedback into one coherent experience.
For marketers, the lesson is clear enough. Technology may move fast, but trust still moves through people. Specs can explain what a product contains; stories explain why it matters.
If Xiaomi’s approach is any indication, the next stage of value-based premium will belong to brands that can make innovation feel less like a showroom display and more like a helpful companion woven into the everyday lives of the people using it.
Watch the full podcast video here.
CREDITS:
Guest: Wang Bing, Head of Marketing, Xiaomi Middle East
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: Ekaterina Shirshova, Creative Content Producer, Motivate Media Group
Editing: John Melencion, Content Producer, Motivate Media Group
