HUMAN DIGITAL is our trend report #6. Although it is about digital, it is not about the jargon, like “personalisation,” “real-time,” and “co-creation.” It is about natural human instincts to improve the standards of their living... this time digital living. Some trends might have already been captured in other markets. This trend report is about the Middle East, so as always we apply a strict rule: if we don't find numerous local examples, it is not a trend.

1. MOMENT
DIGITAL TRENDS - 2015 MIDDLE EAST
HUMAN DIGITAL
At Cheil MENA, our observation skills, trendspotting & pattern recognition are “MADE IN THE REGION.” From different
global and local research to supermarket visits, cafe ear-dropping, social behaviourism and practically anything that
showcases or hints to any new pattern being built, we develop our MENA 2015 collection of trends.
It might sound like an oxymoron, but digital has never been so human. Hard-core marketing jargons like “personalisation,”
“real-time,” “co-creation” are finally being filled with a clear meaning, real examples, and best practices. In 2015 consumers
will comfortably drive innovation and creativity acting so human in their digital environments. They will just be themselves
and follow their instincts to pave way for better standards of digital living.
People around the world are
posting 75% more videos to
Facebook than they did a year
ago and the number of videos
showing up in people's news
feeds has increased by 360%
(AdAge, 2015). Saudi Arabia
is #1 globally in YouTube views
per capita. Two hours of
content is uploaded every
minutefromourregion (Campaign
ME, 2014). With today’s
technology everyone can
create killer videos like a pro.
Video snippets boost popularity
and nurture narcissism.
Vine, Keek, Vimeo, and Instagram
under-15-seconds videos
provide easy-to-consume
content for the viewer and
a sense of recognition for
the creator. Brands facilitating
co-creation and exploring
multiple types of video content
will show their human face and
get closer to the consumer.
The concept of Brand Butlering
is not new, but the potential
scope of its reach is.
Round-the-clock connectivity
and omnipresence of mobile
devices provide consumers
with instant access to services
and tools while offering brands
to sharpen their butlering skills.
Value-added service can now
travel together with the consumer
in the form of an app or
web and can be availed
whenever, wherever. Brands
have a chance to review
and reconsider how they
enrich their clients’ everyday
lives and service them
beyond what’s expected.
Once there was e-commerce,
then m-commerce, then
s-commerce. Now there is
i-commerce. In reality, people
don’t care what the latest
jargon is as long as it helps
them to buy and sell goods
they want at the lowest cost.
So home-grown entrepreneurs
figured out faster than marketers
to go where their consumers are
– Instagram and WhatsApp.
From curating products
available in the market to
selling home-made goods,
people are enjoying human
interactions that also bring
some profit. Besides, creating
network connections that
outlast the purchase is what
makes working online a
fulfilling experience.
“Don't dress to kill, dress to
survive!” - Karl Lagerfeld
tweeted in June 2014. Surely
he did not realise he was
giving a valuable tip to brands
on social media. It’s in human
nature to judge a person by
their looks. And in the digital
environment it is sometimes
the only way for people to
decide whether to engage or
not. The way the digital
persona is “dressed” and the
images it chooses send quick
cues to the visitor on how
interesting and worthwhile
the interaction might be.
Brands are realizing that the
more human and appropriate
they look the more appealing
and approachable they will be
viewed as. In 2015 even more
brands will be quitting stock
images in their social
conversations in favour
of unique and original
custom-made content.
People are getting used to
real-time marketing; their
senses are becoming immune
to generic real-time messages
and calls to action. As always,
EMOTION remains the best way
to entice the consumer into
a meaningful dialogue. Joining
a wide conversation to latch
onto a topic is no longer
enough because tapping into
the right emotion requires
advertisers to be personal
and relevant.
So, brands are discovering
how rewarding it is to engage
the audience not only with
the right content but in the
right moment, the moment
that matters. Real-Time
marketing is evolving into
Right-Time marketing;
native advertising is picking
up momentum.
SARCASM
The Arab Spring made
people in the region very
comfortable discussing
politics and sharing their
opinions in the public fora
through social media. Three
years later with no traces
of aggression but rather
with a touch of humour and
lots of creative user-generated
content social media
continue to host highly
opinionated and sarcastic
conversations.
Social calamities and
concerns are instantly and
unabashedly debated and
analyzed through vlogs,
memes, Facebook statuses
and tweets. Sarcasm
comes to rescue to keep
people positive in
situations beyond their
control. Brands can win
by giving audiences a
sense of being heard and
by nurturing the positive
spirit.
In 2012 a high-end Samsung
TV would turn on in 7 seconds,
in 2013 in 5 and in 2014 in 3
because consumers just don’t
want to wait. A photo on
SnapChat remains visible for
maximum 10 seconds because
that’s how much time the
viewer has before he moves
onto the next thing.
Attention span shortens, shrinks and
shrivels. Impatience becomes the
norm as the world of technology
takes our professional and personal
lives by storm. When YouTube
viewers have an option to skip an ad
after 5 seconds, what’s the point in
a 30-second ad with key messages
at the end? Smarter brands started
to challenge their creative and
media strategies.
With some 60% of the MENA
population under the age
of 30 it is obvious that youth
become brands’ core target
audience. But everyone
seems to be ignoring
a segment that has both
time and money to embrace
innovation - senior citizens.
In the US since 2011 the
older generation’s interest in
Facebook has increased 41%
for 35-54-year-olds and 80%
for the 55-80 age bracket
(iStrategy Labs,2014).
In the Middle East senior citizens
are creating usage habits following
the pattern “Offline Traditions
Gone Digital”: WhatsApp “Home”
& “Family” groups, cooking
groups, Majlis groups, accompanied
by heavy use of voice recordings.
Seniors do want to be connected,
but might feel intimidated.
The first mover in this segment
to facilitate their connectivity
while maintaining their pride will
gain fame, loyalty and business
results.
To find out more or view examples, please visit:
http://bit.ly/cheil-trends-2015-6
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