Seven for 2013

INTRO… What will make the world tick in 2013? What will the consumer do in 2013? What is the forecast of trends in the near future? Planners and intelligence department do their share of the job and thousands of reports everywhere are evaluating, analyzing, studying and demonstrating the crucial trends of the coming year…

At Cheil UAE, our observation skills, trendspotting & pattern recognition are “MADE IN THE REGION”. From different global and local research to supermarket visits, café ear-dropping, social behaviourism and practically anything that showcases or hints to any new pattern being built, we develop our MEA 2013 collection of trends.

For  previous  Trend  Reports  please  log  on  to  h4p://www.slideshare.net/Cheil_Worldwide_UAE  

Gluttony #01

Today, obesity rates in the Gulf exceed those of the U.S: In Saudi Arabia, recent surveys found that 28% of men & 44% of women are obese. In Kuwait, 36% of men & 48% of women are obese while 41% of people in Qatar are obese. Obesity rates are higher among women in the region not only because they don't eat healthy, but most importantly because they lack physical activity! Brands should become a positive force for change and seriously think of how to introduce exercise in the Arab culture.

#01 Gluttony  

Example: Visitors to Emaar’s Downtown Dubai, can now rent a push-bike to explore the myriad wonders of the iconic location. Not only are the push-bikes a convenient & green way to travel, they also promote physical well-being. Great initiative but how many Emirati women will ride those bikes?

According  to  the  Supreme  Council  of  Health  2013

Envy  #02

It’s natural for any person/consumer/shopper to always desire more. Contrary to what one might think, it’s not low income consumers that are the most vulnerable to feelings of envy. It’s the privileged few who are the most “ENVIOUS” & always in constant war to show-off. In this region exclusivity is still the name of the sin. Luxury brands and some new brands understand how the limited edition & the pre-ordering are totally working for the show-off, Envy creator, Arabic shopper.

#02 Envy  

Example: In Jan 2013, Beirut-based W Motors unveiled the HyperSport. With a 750 horsepower engine, it’s capable of a top speed of 240mph, and is priced at 3.4 million $. The brand (which is the 1st luxury sports car brand from the Arab region), planned to produce only 7 units. However, over 100 orders were received within the 1st week of the launch.

#03 Pride  

For years, native Arabic speakers used to avoid speaking in Arabic due to a lack of pride in who they are. A lot has changed during the past years. Today, Arabs in the region are proud of their origin & highlight their culture in Art, Fashion, Music.. Even Arabic calligraphy has never been more trendy. Therefore, brands tapping into heritage and traditions will definitely ring true with the contemporary Proud Arabic consumer.

Pride  `  

Example: The Wild Peeta is a truly imaginative brand that builds on culinary heritage: Its success comes from the fact that it reflects the UAE culinary tradition as well as other cultural aspects including the restaurant design, which includes pop art portraits created by UAE artists representing young National characters.

#03

`  #04 Wrath  

The mad men industry is really mad these days, creating a new trend of campaigns seeking to channel the frustration and rage of consumers in the region trying to cope with a cost of living that is getting higher and higher. This presents an opportunity for brands to address consumers’ concerns and turn their Wrath into effective, light-hearted campaigns. Brands addressing consumer outrage are trending high as a result.. Talk about Anger Management Therapy!

#04 Wrath  

Example : Prepaid card users in Lebanon have created “missed calls” codes to save on their cell phone credits (Service provider Touch ended up with approx. 300,000 missed calls daily) Answering the consumer anger, Touch launched a satirical campaign for prepaid lines, that would save them up to 62% on calls & SMS.

#05 Greed

Customer “Service” has never been so literal. Servitude is what brands are turning to facing greedy consumers who are more demanding, and definitely more educated, with a huge sense of entitlement. When all brands are expected to provide higher and higher levels of “Service”; good becomes not good enough. Going the extra mile today is the only differentiator between brands to be visible in the sea of competition.

Greed  

Example: Dubai is now home to the world’s most expensive police patrol car, the Lamborghini Aventador at a cost of $550,000. Deputy director general of police Khamis Matter AlMuzaina admitted that the cars are going to be used in popular tourist areas for show-off and impression. As if we are not already impressed by Dubai.

#05

Sloth #06

Sloth  #06  Gen Z are a generation born with a mobile in hand. They expect everything: info, products, friends to be INSTANTLY available in their hands. It makes this generation a very impatient and LAZY one at the same time! This techie, geeky and lazy generation use their mobile for everything. Does this explain why Mobile payment is on the rise? Fact is, for this generation, mobile payment is definitely the future of credit cards.

Example: Tim Hortons coffee chain is the latest addition to the UAE’s mobile payment scene. The chain is joining other names like Subway, Cold Stones, Géant Supermarket and other outlets across Dubai’s malls. The Beam Wallet is one of those mobile payment solutions made possible just by downloading an App.

Gulf  News  May  2013

#07 Lust

In a market like the Middle East, you don’t expect Sex to sell. You actually don’t expect any sex, lust, passion, or desire. Brands who play that game (Axe, Wonderbra, Häagen-Dazs) are usually challenged to find alternative ways to communicate. But truth is, Sex does sell, and more than anywhere else in the world, lust and desire are very attractive in this conservative society. The challenge for brands will be to find the right tone & manner.

#07 Lust  

Example : An Emirati man was expelled from Saudi by its feared religious police for being too good looking has become a famous person worldwide after his expulsion hit headlines in global newspapers, triggering a feminine deluge on his social website. Omar Borkan Al Gala, was previously a hardly known actor and poet.

The Huffington  post,  April  2013  

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Cheil is Korea’s largest and one of the world’s leading advertising groups. Established in 1973 with headquarters in Seoul, Cheil operates 57 offices �in 32 countries around the globe and about 4,000 employees. Operating in Dubai since 2006, Cheil UAE is an integrated communication agency producing creative and added value solutions for its clients through “ideas that move” - Ideas that move consumers, brands metrics, products.

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