WHAT ARE THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITIES IN THE KINGDOM FOR AGENCIES?
Ask not what the Kingdom can do for you; ask what you can do for the Kingdom. Because now, when the first bumps in the road appear and there is a fear that the gold rush is finished, THAT is the perfect time to deepen roots.
It’s when the builders stay, seeing a long-term project, worth the wait for those who believe in Vision 2030 and stick around to contribute in whatever way they can to making it happen. We’ve been in Saudi Arabia for a long time, and we will be there for even longer.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITY FOR BRANDS?
We see a lot of missed opportunities with brands looking for quick fixes instead of investing in platform creation. Instead of waiting for the perfect event venue or media booking, we need to look to adding value by introducing new platforms, like Coke Studio did for the music industry, or Michelin did for fine dining.
If you build it, they will come. More dedicated experiential marketing assets on client side will also unlock massive opportunities for the future.
Saudi Focus: Read more insights, opinions, and work from the Kingdom
WHAT IS YOUR OUTLOOK ON THE SAUDI CONSUMER?
We’ve been operating in Saudi Arabia for 12+ years and are so proud of where the nation has come from and is going. We see a few key trends, including a frustration with fakeness and a resistance to ‘traditional’ influencer marketing – that’s quite interesting.
We particularly love the unstoppable drive of Saudi women. Our work with Hyundai in the Her Souq campaign underlined the wide range of women-led small businesses with big ambitions. We see the youth discovering and expanding passion points, from gaming and music to fitness to beauty, and beyond, evolving them in their own ways.
WHAT DOES THE NEAR FUTURE HOLD FOR THE SAUDI ADVERTISING AND EXPERIENTIAL MARKET?
The buzz over Saudi’s advertising market will ebb and flow as is normal for a market charting a new course; as it does, we’ll find out who’s in it for real.
Some will run off, realising the competition is fierce, the talent demands and client standards increasingly high, and business challenging if everyone is competing for the same slices of the same pie.
That’s why it’s time to help grow that pie; to realise that as an industry looking for long term growth, we need to make long term investments, adding more than we take.
The post-hype, quality-driven, savvy marketers of Saudi Arabia will work with the best, and the best will excel here.
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU FACE IN THE KINGDOM?
Hiring is challenging because truly locally rooted talent is so in demand, supplier standards vary widely (both in terms of quality and costs), and we still want to see the venue network for events and activations continue to grow, because currently, demand outstrips supply.
By Steven Hetzer, CEO and Founder, Sweetwater MEA
