Expanding digitally to global markets has become a top priority for many brands over the past few years, and this trend has accelerated particularly over the last couple of years. As more of the world went online through Covid-19, brands were focused on bringing their products meaningfully into new markets filled with customers who were eager to spend.
Are you in Riyadh on June 14th? Do you want to meet the movers and shakers in Saudi media, marketing and advertising? Would you like the latest information and insights into the industry in KSA? Then join us for our first Campaign Saudi Briefing 2022: Vision and Ambition. Click here to learn more and register.
Entering the Saudi market has become a point of interest for many businesses, as it’s one of the fastest-growing e-commerce markets in the world.
Like any new market, it is important to get it right from the start. Countless brands will fall into the same trap of hoping to replicate successful business strategies that worked in other markets. This doesn’t apply, even within countries in the GCC, as each country has its own unique culture, dialect, consumer behaviours and habits.
For brands looking to expand into the GCC, and specifically the Saudi market, there are a few key areas to consider.
Use of ‘correct’ language
The Arabic language is one of the most widely used in the world, spoken officially by 22 countries and by as many as 422 million people. However, none of these countries uses Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) in everyday life. Everyone grows up with a distinctive dialect. Localisation for digital marketing is not only about translating content into different languages; it is about understanding the message, the target and the brand. It’s about choosing the correct and relevant terms while maintaining creativity, epecially in a market like Saudi, where the Saudi consumer is highly sensitive about Arabic content, in terms of how relatable it is to their needs and culture.
Throughout the years we’ve seen a lot of instances of campaigns that failed or had a negative impact on the brand because of the wrong tagline or the wrong messaging. It is crucial to be mindful of the specifics of the Saudi consumer as they are one of the most sophisticated and advanced audiences when it comes to content.
Data-Informed Content
Making the content relevant to your audience is key. Saudis are some of the biggest content consumers in the region. Therefore, tailoring content that matches their needs is crucial. In this era when we are driven by data, it is vital to understand the target audience and perform A/B testing on different forms of writing, whether it’s formal Arabic vs. spoken, English brand names vs. translated ones, or even as simple as testing out different calls to action. Content is not only about ad copy, articles and blog posts. Testing out different forms of creative, whether images or videos, is also as important. Look into engagement metrics, view times and content interactions.
Taking in all these learnings, automating, and exporting this data in an easy way to digest and make small adjustments over time will help you take more data-informed decisions on the best form of curated content for your target – whether it’s minor modifications to the first three seconds of a video, the colours used and the placement of your logo or the form of language you’re using with your audience.
Understanding Search behaviours and the effects on website structure
When searching in Arabic, people don’t usually go into details; the search terms are much more general, consisting of one or two words. English searches are more specific and include on average three to five words, which we call ‘long-tail keywords’.
Moreover, fashion categories, for example, are much simpler in the region than they are in other non-Middle Eastern countries. For example, when searching for fashion product or items in Arabic it’s common to search by style and colour rather than occasion, cut or size. Therefore, website structure and categories, especially for fashion retailers, need to be reconsidered. ‘Prom dresses’, ‘sweet 16’ or ‘homecoming’ won’t be searched for as much as ‘evening’, ‘simple’, ‘floral’, or ‘bridal dresses’. Users won’t relate much and will find it difficult to navigate the website, which will eventually affect the customer journey.
Seasonal marketing calendar
Consumers in Saudi respond quite well to promotions. Therefore, mapping out local events to align with all marketing efforts (such as national and religious holidays) is very important and a great potential marketing opportunity. It’s important to note upcoming events to be present and relevant and expand brand recognition in the market. Promoting an irrelevant occasion to the region can harm the brand and have a negative impact that will ultimately cause loss of money.
Measurements and currencies
Something else that usually gets ignored is looking into what’s popular in terms of measurement, sizes and currencies in the target market. Brands need to either convert or provide a very clear size chart to make it easier for the users to shop.
The Middle East represents a critical expansion opportunity for many brands, with digital acceleration alive and flourishing across the region. But it’s equally critical for brands to do the proper research to ensure they’re meeting Saudi consumers with a relevant experience of their brands and products. Whether this means doing small tests or putting in the extra time and resources early on to gain significant learnings before launching more widely, it’s important to understand the nuances, and that consumer expectations will be different from other areas of the world.
