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I wonder… about the Arab Spring, part 2.
Welcome back to: Part 2 of me wondering about the implications of the Arab Spring for brands and marketing.
Implication 1: People know their power and will use it.
It all starts with the people. Because they made it happen. Having realized their “new” power, these people have turned into critics. They do not accept violations against their newly won freedom. Also they do not accept the exploitation of the revolution for commercial purposes. In fact: they will slam down hard on any such advances.
Need an example?
When clothes brand Kenneth Cole posted what they thought was a “funny” tweet it turned into a social media and PR shitstorm. KC wrote: “Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our spring collection is now available online at…” Let’s put it this way: that did not go down too well with the youth of a nation that was fighting hard for their cause. In fact: not well at all. Thousands of posts followed, the outrage was huge. Just google “Kenneth Cole Egypt” for more articles, posts and reactions like this one.
One might say: that is an obviously stupid post to start with. But there is more.
Especially global brands need to be quite careful in this opinionated environment. Taking sides, trying to be funny, adopting hot topics superficially but without real meaning, “stealing” political topics for obviously commercial purposes – all of these approaches are not a good idea. If you do not know the market and people well enough to understand the brewing social dynamics you better stay neutral.
This is not always easy for Western brands. Let’s face it: many were involved in deals with the former governments. And these deals are going to surface now. There is no way of hiding them. Companies that know about their own complicity better get ready to deal with it in openness, with dignity and a sense of apology.
The people are vigilant. Brands need to realize that the power of the people is real. That their drive for freedom includes a drive for honesty. They have just brought down systems of lies. And they will use the exact same rigor to point out and attack those who are now claiming things they are not delivering. In this context brands need to pay particular attention to being cohesive in actions and words. They need to do what they say. They need to live up to what they claim.
In our interview Amr Salama was rather frank about this: “Corporations should not ask themselves how to sell more without giving attention to the people, respect them, to be honest, to tell us the truth, not to sneak around and try to do something harmful for us or the environment behind our backs. (…) You can’t get away with that anymore. A guy like me or those guys standing on Tahir square see one of those violation, just tweet about it and you are screwed.”
Implication 2: Listen and learn rather than go and preach.
While it may be tempting to assume that the Arab Spring has now “finally” brought the region to “our level” and that “they” now need our help in creating what would be an Arab copy of the Western world, we need to do something very old fashioned: sit down, listen and learn. Try to understand. Watch. Interact. Ask. Here’s why:
The people’s sense of empowerment is leaving them with the conviction that they can make a difference to their society. They feel that their own actions should and will shape the future of their countries. It is not about adopting something from outside, it is about creating something new from within.
So brands need to show how they are truly on the side of the people and help them aspire for a better future. Brands, global or local, need to do things with a human face. Things that the newly empowered people can relate to. Here’s a great example from Tunisia: the June 16th campaign.
In fact: deeply felt and honestly executed CSR might be just the right thing to do for many brands. It can help create real meaning and closeness. There are a million things to be done, fixed and improved in many of these countries. Brands can adopt these projects and make them their cause. Because helping is better than just going in for the quick buck. Persil & Pril are a good example from Egypt.
And we also need to accept that the current climate is one, where local brands, products and services are in a better position. People are purchasing them more than before in order to boost their country’s economical state. Take for instance the case of Egypt Air: huge public support from across the whole region was rallied to help the airline get back on track. Or take the example of the Egyptian tourism campaign that actually works with the new citizens’ pride – see an example here.
All of the above underline: it is key to understand the new mindset of the region. As the regional JWT planning team puts it: “The end goal isn’t to force brands to join the revolutionaries, but to sync their ad messaging with the zeitgeist of a given country and emerging insights into the ever-expanding digital class.”
It is not about pushing in.
But it is also not about sucking up.
It is about reframing our perspective.
And if you ask me, this has been long overdue. For too long there has been a weird colonial undertone in our approach to the region. Not just on the always angstdriven right, but also on the left.
Take feminism: Do the “sisters” in Arabia really want to be freed by the postmodern ladies of Europe? Could it not be, that there is a third option – being well studied, smart (more than 50% of all people finishing university in the Gulf States are women!) and yet imbedded in local traditional beliefs? What if the modern Arab women are actually rather proud of being who they are, what they have reached – and want to find their own way?
Take politics: There is an interesting Arabic saying that goes something like this: “We do not need political parties, we have got clans.” Makes you smirk, right?! Well: why? I sometimes wonder: is there actually that big a difference between the two? Maybe it is simply about a different perspective.
Take values: Is the promise of hedonistic consumerism really all that great – and so much better than a unique new mix of tradition and modernity? No other than Charles Moore of the Daily Telegraph starts to doubt our system of beliefs as does Frank Schirrmacher in his FAZ article.
Maybe there is more than one definition of freedom. But we will only find out by listening rather than preaching.
This year the important WPP Atticus Grand Prix for published thinking went to an amazing study that puts a light on this: “Brands, Islam and the New Muslim Consumer: How to Build Brands That Appeal to Muslims Today“, by Nazia Hussain with Tanya Dernaika – Ogilvy & Mather, London; Memac Ogilvy & Mather, Dubai. You can order it here. It is pricy, but well worth the read and it’s a perfect way of listening to the region. Here’s a first glimpse:
„The focus of our study is on the ‘new’ Muslim consumer – the generation of educated, savvy young Muslims across the world who are quantifiably different in their world views, attitudes and expectations from generations before them. 45% of this new generation believe that ‘religion should be adapted to suit individual lifestyles’ – but crucially, they’re finding their own ways of doing so, with 27% agreeing that ‘protecting Islamic values from Western lifestyle and media influence’ is important to them. With Muslim youth now accounting for 11% of the world’s population, we believe that they are the voice of the future that global marketers cannot afford to ignore.“
Implication 3: Traditional media is tainted in the region.
So where and how should brands communicate once they have listened well and found their approach?
It is important to understand: TV and most of the printed media was media of power and suppression. So these traditional channels are at least somewhat compromised as channels of the dictators (by the way: the free Western press also does not automatically shine in the brightest light with scandals like the one lately in the UK ) .
Nicolas Courant from Tunisia pointed out in our interview: “There was no good tv or newspapers. The only way to find good content was the internet. So people started to play with these social networks.”
Brands need to be careful when using the traditional media for messaging. This is exactly what “the systems” did. In a weird way brands might have to be even more interactive and open for participation in the region than in the West. No; mass media is not dead (mobile and web penetration in a country like Egypt is low). But it needs to be used wisely. Not for bland messaging (see above) and in combination with engagement media.
Implication 4: The Arab revolutions were not Facebook or Twitter revolutions.
I believe all of the points made above clarify that we witnessed social revolutions by people and not by social media. Taking Western pride in the sense of “we made the revolutions happen with our inventions” is therefore a bit off.
The topics were unemployment, corruption, oppression, missing opportunity and a new courage. Nicolas Courant from Tunisia explains: “It started with the guys from the south who had nothing to lose. Twitter and Facebook were just a tool.”
If there is something to be learned here it is this: social media doesn’t create social movements. It is very much about the content. About the topics. And about the people involved. This is something worth noting not just from a regional perspective but for the approach of any brand to social media – just being on Facebook is pointless.
But of course social media did play a role. @alya1989262, a 21-year-old Egyptian student who sent the first tweet with the famous #Jan25 hashtag, said: “The Tunisian revolution was barely covered by traditional media until Ben Ali fled, but the #tunisia and #sidibouzid hashtags allowed protesters to follow the events for the whole month beforehand. I think that further convinced us of the power each of us has to effect change.”
Let’s put it this way: Social movements are echoed & powered by social media. Social media has got the power to change the dynamics of social movements and amplifies them at minimum cost and with low technical expertise.
Social media does not create convictions, courage or beliefs. But social media can help people with convictions, courage and beliefs to organize themselves and let the world know about it. A current example would be the tweeting about Syria.
In this sense, social media always has a local and a global impact. Locally, it can help mobilize and organize grassroots activities, it can help to counter propaganda and help analyze official statements. Globally it can create awareness – in real-time.
A young Egyptian summed it up in an interview with our JWT MENA team: “Facebook was used to set the date. Twitter was used to share logistics. YouTube was used to show the world.”
A lot to take in. A lot to consider.
While all of the above is focused on the “new” Arab world, some of the learnings are universal.
When dealing with the region – as a brand operating there or wanting to enter it now – it is important to understand that a new mindset is taking hold. The empowered audiences are self confident and opinionated – rightly so. And they are very agile and fast in spreading news. This puts all the more importance on getting it right the first time – because your mistakes will spread fast. To get it right the first time, brands should look at the following:
- Listening very closely
- instilling the national pride
- being inspirational
- being re-assuring and hopeful
- focusing on the relationships of brands with consumers
- acknowledging the increasing maturity of the youth
- showcasing positivity and hope
And, finally coming to an end, I wonder: is this not also a pretty good guideline for brands beyond the region? Maybe the revolutions of the Arab world, their special dynamics, point at something bigger. Maybe it is more important for us to learn from them than us teaching. The shifts in the region underline that today brands need to have a purpose. Something that people can align with, gather around. Because this is the only way of creating fans and starting movements. Brands need to impact culture, by understanding it and by joining conversations that are already happening. With relevant content.
Which set us back to the start: you need to listen before you talk!
I hope this long post got you thinking about a topic or two. If you want to know more: contact me. I’m sure JWT can help with all its global and local expertise. I would like to thank all the bright people in the region whom I had the honor to work with or talk to. I also thank those who helped gather and analyze all the information. And most importantly I sincerely congratulate all the Arab people who made change happen.
Till Hohmann
Continue Reading →I wonder… about the Arab Spring.
I wonder,…
…whether there is a lot more to be learned from the latest revolutionary developments in parts of the Arab world than we commonly acknowledge. And I wonder, whether the implications are bigger than we think – not just for politics but also for brands, marketing and communication.
You might say: Yeah, sure, but I don’t live there, so what do I care. I would argue that in our flat, connected and fluid world changes over there do have big importance here. And in the case of the Arab world a few other things are also interesting, giving me reason to write this long post this week. Some food for thought. Enjoy. Debate. Whatever.
It all starts with a minute of silence.
Let’s remember: This is a special week. A week of remembrance leading up to 9/11. That day that has changed our world for the last ten years. All media is full of special reports and insightful dossiers. And as one would expect, ten years have been long enough a time to be a bit more analytical, neutral and also less aggressive in the evaluations.
Many stories from behind the scenes are emerging – making clear that the understandably angry and drastic reactions by “the West” did not always follow best judgment. Then again one needs to note: the actions by the sick terrorists did not either. Quid pro quo?! I leave this whole discussion to all those smart political historians out there – and I will read it all, because it impacted my life. (For those who care, I recommend the documentary by the German station Das Erste called “Die Falle 9/11” by Stefan Aust – I believe so far only in German, but well worth translating.)
So here’s the connection I want to make to the current developments: Our reactions back then to 9/11 and our reactions to the revolutions in the Arab world of late are ironically similar – we stand in shock and awe. We wonder what is going on.
9/11 and the Arab revolutions – two somewhat contradictory “events”.
When the planes were made to crash on 9/11, the political, social and human shockwaves were dramatic. It was not just thousands of people that died (btw: sources say that since then more than 300.000 people have died in the “war against terror”). No: our Western liberalism, openness and the readiness to accept other perspectives also took a huge blow. For many, all Muslims were now terrorists. The Arab world lost even more of its already rather low levels of trustworthiness. And there was a general sense that democracy needed to be brought to “those people” in order to make the world a better place. Roll the tanks…
So now cut to 2011: Suddenly the people of many Arab countries revolt, oust their leaders – or shall I say: dictators – and pursue their own road to social independence. More or less without help from the West. We wonder: how can those people “suddenly” behave so “democratic”? Where do they get their sense of “people power” from? And of course there are many questions about the future: Are these people pro-Western and is that really important? What do they actually envision for their future?
Let’s face it: the revolutions of the Arab world do not really fit into our picture. Here are a bunch of countries that the West did not invade to free them and suddenly the people are freeing themselves. Who would have thought they want to and are able to do that?! Aren’t these the very same people who were under general suspicion of being everything but liberal minded, active or future ready?
The Arab world isn’t black and white.
As some of you will know, I spent some years in the Middle East . Not only did I travel to many countries that have been in the news recently (I’m shocked when I see pictures from Syria lately). I was also responsible for the regional communication of many global brands and thus got to work with some bright local people and saw a lot of audience/ market research.
It opened my eyes. Many of my pre- and also misconceptions about the Middle East were questioned or even shattered, others underlined. And I noticed that Western depiction of the region was often missing the point. In reality it wasn’t all black and white – there were many shades of grey…
I tried to bring it to life at the annual German Art Director’s Club convention in 2009 in a lecture called “Vom Öl- zum Ideenbusiness” . And it is fun to read some of the main points made in that lecture:
- There is a huge social struggle happening. The societies in most countries are extremely young. And many young people are educated. They want, need and will fight for a better opportunity.
- The young people of the region are connected, understand the modern world out there and do not want to be left behind.
- The governments of the region need to find ways to share the riches of their countries more evenly.
- The people of the region are looking for a third option. Not simply adopting Western ideals, but marrying the benefits of modernity with Arabic tradition in what some call an Arabic Renaissance.
- There is a new, modern, young Arabia emerging. It is still looking for its voice. And it will also want very different marketing and advertising.
I guess some of these observations were not wrong. But I guess you had to be there… Anyway: And as you can imagine, I was not all that surprised by the recent events.
Yet now, back in Germany, the same old feeling is creeping up: I’m missing the shades of grey in the news. Especially in the advertising and marketing press I’m not reading a whole lot about the implications. Do we not care? Why not?
There are many lessons to be learned.
Let me put it this way:
As Europeans we should care, because the Arab world is actually our closest neighboring region to the Southeast and South.
As international marketers we should care, because global brands operate in the region and will want to continue to do so.
As German marketers we should care, because we can find many new fans and customers in the region – if we care to understand it.
And as communication people we should care, because the revolutions are also nothing less than an amazing example for the new power of the people.
So let’s put things into perspective.
The following is by no means an exhaustive list. But a well informed one – not at all limited to personal observations. In fact: Being the worldmade company we are, we did a bit of regional research with our friends of JWT MENA. We also conducted a number of very interesting interviews in Cannes – see the Caught in Cannes edition 3 and edition 5. And then we put it all together.
As a foundation: Once you have tasted freedom you will not want to give it up.
This statement is especially true if you have seen your neighbors, friends, brothers or sisters die. Which is what many people in Tunisia, Egypt and now also Libya have sadly experienced (and are continuing to do so in Syria, Yemen and other regional states).
After years of indoctrination and harassment these people rose up. Amr Salama , one of the leading Egyptian activists who’s posts have become famous, explained in our interview: “It was a moment of collective courage. (…) If you are being put in the same position now you might not have the same outcome. But in the moment you do it you have this collective energy between all the people – we are not going to back down. (…) It’s the energy of the people that drives you. It’s not really you.”
And Nicolas Courant , Creative Director with Memac Ogilvy in Tunisia, added another interesting twist in his interview: “I was scared. But when I look back I’m very happy to have seen that. It was what we learned about the values of freedom, equality, fraternity. They are empty words now in Europe. Everyone uses them like a concept. But I witnessed them brought to life.”
The point to be made is the following: The revolutions were not some hedonistic, fun stunt all about expressing individuality – like a flashmob . No: they were the real stuff. A collective struggle for a higher cause. These people have seen what they can achieve together. They have stood strong for an ideal. And they did it by themselves. So one should not think the same people are now ready to be indoctrinated yet again with messages – be they political or commercial. And they also do not want to see their achievements abused by foreign media, brands or corporations.
Tomorrow, I will post what I believe are some implications for marketing and brands. Stay tuned.
Till Hohmann
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