UAE must exploit emerging media opportunities

Dubai : With the advent of more powerful mobile capabilities and advanced broadband internet technology, the so-called "new media" is increasingly becoming a popular means of communication and advertising.

An industry expert noted that the UAE in particular had great potential to make advances in digital media in view of the country's efforts to strengthen its digital infrastructure.

"We have some of the highest rates in the region for mobile penetration, internet penetration and broadband uptake. Additionally, with a young, affluent and technology-savvy population and proactive telecom providers like du, we have all the factors to be regional leaders in digital media. While I do not think that we have yet to reach our potential, the future is bright," Yousuf Tuqan Tuqan, CEO of Flip Media, said in an interview with Gulf News.

Digital media has become the buzzword of the year (think Twitter, blogs, social networking sites), even as marketers struggle to make sense of the decline in influence of traditional mass media and the amplified voice of consumers through online-based platforms.

While many think that taking shortcuts like setting up a Twitter account will solve all their problems, the truth is that adapting to the new wave of marketing requires fundamental changes in how to build brands and customer relationships.

Most companies still view interactive media as an IT requirement, and not a business requirement. And so decisions are driven by IT department discussions around technology instead of meaningful discussions around business objectives. As a result, digital marketing continues to be whimsical and compromised by limited budgets and timelines.

"Interactive media has not evolved as quickly as I would have hoped, and I feel that the gap between regional work and the leading markets in Europe and North America has actually grown wider over the last few years," noted Tuqan.

"Our internet population has grown over 1,200 per cent since 2000, but marketing budgets have not kept pace with this growth.

"I hope that as marketers wake-up to the realisation that consumers are increasingly consuming their news, entertainment and communications via the internet, digital marketing budgets will follow."

Tuqan said that Flip Media is a reflection of the growing potential of digital, interactive media. The company was set up in Dubai in 2003 to provide regional advertisers with end-to-end digital marketing solutions. The agency has grown from a small start-up to the region's leading digital marketing company, with an international network of 160 specialists across nine offices worldwide.

Strategy

Tuqan pointed out that building a meaningful digital strategy begins with things as fundamental as the development of a suitable website, as well as a content strategy to manage, maintain and add value to the company's digital presence.

"We need to look beyond just seeing a distinction between ‘new' and ‘traditional' media — digital marketing is not new, but the fundamentals of marketing have been shaken to their core," he said.

"Mass media's influence is waning, the voice of the consumer is rising, and the brands that embrace this change with ‘new thinking' as opposed to ‘new media' are the ones who will ultimately be successful," he said.