Communication trends: a view from abroad, 10.23.2019
Saudi Arabia turned to influencers to shape the country's image
As war continues in Yemen and disagreements over the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia is turning to influencers to shed positive light on the kingdom as it gradually opens its doors to tourists. Travel and tourism public relations experts believe that using authority to change Saudi Arabia’s ultra-conservative reputation is a sensible step to bypass traditional media and attract young travelers so they can see the country themselves.
Campaigns aim to make Saudi Arabia an attractive place with beautiful sights included in the World Heritage List. Posts on social networks contain vivid photos and videos with mythical places, accompanied by positive descriptions.
The use of influencers to promote tourism in the country is hardly new, but in the case of Saudi Arabia, this is a relatively new tactic to create a new image of a country that tightly controls its internal media and the use of social networks by its citizens.
“The Saudi Vision 2030 plan to reduce Saudi Arabia’s dependence on oil and diversify its economy sets an ambitious goal to attract 30 million tourists a year. To achieve this, the modernization and mitigation of strict laws are crucial. In this case, tourism could very well become the largest catalyst for change in the country, ”says James Brook, Managing Director of Rooster PR (USA) and travel expert.
“The visual content of published content has a huge responsibility. He must catch his eye, make the user stop the swipe and read the post, watch the video to the end. This plays a particularly important role in promoting national and tourism brands. In Saudi Arabia, such content is also an integral part of the Visit Saudi project. The project maintains its own accounts on social networks and is aimed at attracting travelers from all over the world to the country, ”said Vladimir Stupnikov, President of iMARS Communications.
#WelcomeToArabia
Top PR Trends of 2020
In recent years, the boundaries between marketing and PR have been blurred. The rapid evolution of technology and reliance on data, the constant emphasis on content creation and the growing popularity of influencer marketing and much more have forced PR specialists to drastically change their proven tactics in favor of something more fresh and effective for a modern audience.
Wil Ho, Communications Director, Movement Strategy (USA):
“One of the most important trends that are observed in the field of public relations is the value that the industry attaches to our role in marketing campaigns, and this does not just focus on the end results. Agencies should include their PR teams as early as the campaign planning stage. This will make them strategic thinkers, not executive machines. ”
Haley Johnson, content strategist at Three Sixty Eight (USA):
“PR professionals and marketers working together and sharing knowledge are a new trend. The audience is increasingly wary of content. For this reason, all content must be genuine and transparent. Agencies should hire PR professionals as writers who can focus on strategically creating content that connects the brand with the audience. ”
Michelle Crowley, PR Director TriComB2B (USA):
“Agencies can better position themselves in 2020, helping customers understand the value of creating the right content. The content may be distributed by a public relations specialist in the format of a story, video or podcast, but it should also be transmitted through social channels for wider reach. ”
Jalila Levesque, Head of PR and Communications, FF Creative Agency (USA):
“In a world driven by algorithms and robots, the PR strategy must be based on emotions and include a human element. The question for PR professionals is how to prove themselves in the modern world of hyperconnectivity and digital addiction. Agencies will need to demonstrate a deep understanding of their customers' businesses and use creativity to support PR strategies. ”
Issa Savabini, FUSE Communication Partner (Netherlands):
“For a wide coverage of one appeal to the media is not enough. Information platforms continue to consolidate, close and shrink, and yet journalists are still overwhelmed by the number of offers they receive. ”
Heather Segal, Strategy Director, Zulu Alpha Kilo (Canada):
“Over the past few years, influencer marketing has replaced the feast. This media initiative creates dialogue at the social level. So, the campaign of The Away Game of the Tim Hortons restaurant chain was able to win the hearts of Canadians and hockey fans around the world, enabling the only hockey team in Kenya to play a match in Canada. Result: more than 300 million hits in the media and a 100% increase in the brand’s positive mood. ”
Jason Falls, Director of Digital and Social Strategy, Cornett (USA):
“The main trend over the past few years in the field of public relations is the way data affects the work of public relations. We need big data because the media landscape has grown rapidly and divided into parts, and as a result, the audience has also been divided into groups. An influencer on Instagram with 40,000 subscribers can have a greater impact on your brand than a local newspaper with a circulation of 300,000. We can't just send press releases and assume that traditional media will reach everyone we want to reach. ”
What are the most effective digital ad formats?
A new report published by Kargo , a mobile advertising company , found that ad visibility does not necessarily increase user engagement. The study revealed a connection between the visibility of an ad unit and its memorability (advertising efficiency) by examining the following formats: Instagram ads, large in-article mobile ads, fixed mobile ads offered by Kargo, in-app ads in gaming applications and desktop ads.
Instagram has one of the highest ad performance metrics. Advertising on Instagram was 8.3 times more effective than in gaming applications, and 5.4 times more than on desktops.
Large in-article mobile ads are just as effective as Instagram ads. These ads also received 10.8% performance with a 4.1% share of sessions. The session share of these ads was 4.1%, and visibility was 50%.
Kargo's pinned mobile ads are 2 times more efficient than desktops. This indicator is 3.9%, and visibility reaches 90%.
In-app banners in gaming applications showed the least efficiency. Although in-app banners had high visibility (90%), users rarely looked at them, and the performance indicator was only 1.3%.
Desktop banners rank second in terms of ad performance on all platforms. These ads were visible at 80%, users looked at them only 1.9% of the total session time, and their performance indicator was 2%.
The results of the study show that the highest visibility rates were observed for in-app ads and pinned mobile ads. At the same time, in-app advertising had very low memorability.
“In order to ensure a successful advertising experience today, brands need to consider whether their creative endeavors really display clear information and resonate with consumers,” said Harry Kargman, CEO and founder of Kargo.
Only one in five marketers believes brand values and actions are consistent.
According to a Gartner Brand Strategy and Innovation study, only one in five marketing leaders (19%) believes that brand values and actions are consistent, with a majority of respondents (79%) reporting “moderate consistency”. These shortcomings are exacerbated by growing consumer distrust, with 70% looking at marketers with active skepticism.
According to Chris Ross, Vice President of Gartner (USA), given the high level of consumer skepticism and the mismatch between brand promises and their actions that cause negative associations, marketing leaders cannot afford to ignore their values in their work. To fix this, marketers are encouraged to use more data sources and come up with new ideas to align them with brand values.
How technology helps brands grow
Today's customers are technically savvy, have access to brands in the global market, are not limited to trading hours, and know what they want. To compete in such a market, brands must evolve to meet customer needs and exceed their expectations. This can only be done by implementing technological solutions that ensure smooth operation, whether in the store or online, locally or globally.
Technologically savvy customers
Customers rely on expert judgment before making purchasing decisions. They search, browse and research products on the Internet and make purchasing decisions before they enter the store. In some cases, thanks to instant Internet access via smartphones, they compare products and prices in the store before making a final purchase decision. Buyers are also not limited to trading hours or geographical boundaries, since online shopping and purchases on mobile devices are a convenient alternative to spending time in stores. This is confirmed by Nielsen research, which says that by 2020, 30% of global retail sales will be through applications or software.
Using data for decision making
Brands should use technology to improve customer engagement and foster brand loyalty. This can be achieved, first of all, thanks to the data. For example, Starbucks implements technology that allows you to instantly track and combine sales data and other data to determine which products are most popular among customers and to understand when and where customers make purchases. This data is then used to determine which new offers should be entered according to customer preferences.
Customer Experience is the Key
Companies need to focus not only on product releases and marketing campaigns, but also pay attention to all customer experience in the initial planning of their market entry strategy. It is equally important that brands also look at themselves to make sure they attract employees to consistently provide brand experience in every customer interaction. Technology solutions can help employees exceed customer expectations by automating repetitive tasks that are time consuming.
Personalization
Human interaction is a key factor that will distinguish brands from other offers on the market. Customer technology and data work hand in hand to help provide a personalized experience that meets customer needs. Customers no longer want to simply receive SMS or email indicating their name, they need information that is important to them, they seek personalized experience and want companies to know who they are and what they want based on their previous behavior.
Embed technology in the brand
With tech savvy customers, brands cannot afford not to make technological decisions as part of their offer. The wise use of technology is critical to the success of a business in today's global market.