On December 6, OMD hosted the Future of the UAE event at the Waldorf Astoria in Dubai. Throughout a series of talks and panels, the agency aimed to explore expectations and attitudes of consumers toward life in the UAE and its future.
During the talks, results of a 2,000-person face-to-face survey of UAE consumers were revealed, showing that 75 percent of residents consider respect, family and ethics to be the most important values, but what does that mean for brands?
Sustainability and ethics
70 percent of residents feel positive toward initiatives that aim to help the environment
57 percent are happy with brands’ sustainability efforts
42 percent are more loyal when brands have sustainability efforts
37 percent report positively altered brand image when a brand partakes in sustainability efforts
Although, 39 percent agree that they care more about affordable products than whether they are sourced ethically.
Choosing a brand
64 percent choose a brand for quality
61 percent for trust
58 percent for value
38 percent for reliability
25 percent choose a brand based on a recommendation
19 percent choose a brand for image
9 percent choose a brand for heritage
Trust
The trust index for the UAE is 79 percent
*Trust index reflects the trust a country has in the four institutions of government, business, media and NGOs.
88 percent of consumers in the Emirates trust in the UAE government
82 percent trust in UAE businesses
72 percent of UAE consumers trust a brand’s website
The first talk of the day was delivered by Fadi Maktabi, OMD UAE’s head of strategy, who said that there are some paradoxical elements to the UAE consumer that were discovered through the survey, like their desire to travel and shop luxury, but also, to rid themselves of debt.
In her talk on insights about the UAE consumer, senior director at OMD UAE, Farah Moumneh, shared what brands can do to reach consumers in the UAE.
According to Moumneh, based on insights gathered about the UAE’s consumers, brands need to:
be authentic, stay relevant and be inclusive, yet personal
embody the dream, reflect their ambition and be a part of that journey
inspire people to make health-conscious lifestyle changes
know consumers, stand for something that resonates with them and be open and honest
- use tech to keep up with the pace of consumers, be part of their lives and provide utility
