Cultural Awareness means Increased Success in MENA - Creative Word

According to the IMF, the six countries with the highest GDP over the last ten years have been Nauru, Ethiopia, Turkmenistan, Qatar, China and Uzbekistan.

With two of these countries located in MENA, it is safe to say that Middle Eastern and North African territories are key markets to consider when looking for potential opportunities overseas.

However, success in these markets isn’t guaranteed just because they have a high GDP.

Cultural awareness plays a massive role in the attainment of international business growth, and this is certainly true when wanting to assimilate into Arabic markets.

Awareness of cultural difference will help your business achieve its goals, increase your chance of success, and ensure you gain a good ROI.

Language, social structure, communities, familial hierarchies, laws, and cultural norms all vary from one place to another. It is vital you understand these differences, and are well-prepared, before entering Middle Eastern markets.

The following points should be considered:

 

Understanding Arabic Culture

Before your company begins trading in the MENA region you must evaluate the culture in the specific area you are targeting.
If you are unsure, seek professional advice from a reputable, professional localisation company who can guide your transition and advise you on best practice.

Listed here are the key differences that need to be reflected upon:

• Language – this may sound obvious, but it is one of the primary differences between most cultures and is often considered first.

Unless you are fluent in Arabic, you are likely to require the services of a translation company to ensure your product, or service, can be accessed by native speakers.

To communicate effectively with potential clients, customers or consumers, you must approach them in a language they trust – their primary speech. Research has shown that the majority of internet users prefer to purchase goods online from companies that offer native-speaking websites, promotional materials, and so on.

Translation alone may not always be enough to fully grasp all the linguistic differences, so consider using specialist localisation providers who can inform you of variances in regional dialects, nuances, idioms, and local cultures.

• Religion – The majority of the Arab world are of the Islamic faith. This gives rise to many potential issues with dual-location advertising, marketing campaigns, imagery and language. For instance, a TV campaign for shampoo in Europe could show a woman washing her hair, however, in an Islamic country this would be considered offensive, or immodest, as many Muslim women prefer to cover their hair in front of anyone who is not of the same sex, or an immediate member of their family.

Content that promotes or alludes to alcohol consumption, overtly sexual or public displays of affection, and violent imagery, should all be avoided if you do not wish to offend most Arabic people.

There are also certain festivals that the Islamic faith observe that should be considered due to rules of conduct throughout the festival. For instance, during Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset every day, so promoting a new food company at this time would be grossly disrespectful.

Arabic Language Online

Within the MENA region the primary spoken language is Arabic. However, English is often used in business situations especially in cities such as, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Online, Arabic is now the fourth most common language according to WorldStats, and is located just behind English, Spanish and Chinese. In 2015 there were approximately 168.2 million Arabic internet users, and by 2017 this number had risen to 219 million.

From these figures it is easy to see that the Arabic language has experienced substantial growth online over the last few years, which can also be linked to a higher internet penetration rate in the area. Arabic-speaking consumers are using the internet more, spending more money online, and becoming more reliant on it for the running of their daily lives.

The opportunities available for businesses to access this high-growth market are limitless once you are able to effectively communicate with an Arab audience.

Localising your online marketplace, marketing materials, emails, and so on, will ensure your message is effectively understood by potential customers, and will increase ROI. Finding the right localisation partner to work with can be paramount to ensuring this success. If you need advice on finding a trustworthy, professional, and creative localisation team, click here.

 

Ecommerce Opportunities in MENA

Once you have achieved an effective localised communication and marketing campaign, the ecommerce opportunities within the MENA region are vast.

Projected ecommerce data published by the regional payment platform, PayFort, suggests that the value of the ecommerce sector in the Middle East will double by 2020 to more than $69 billion. Saudi Arabia ($22 billion) and the UAE ($27 billion) are likely to be the forerunners of this market increase.

A Gulf news report, published at the end of last year (2017), suggested that the expansion of internet connectivity in the region, and increased mobile phone usage, were the two primary factors for this growth, and these are supporting the ongoing developments within the ecommerce sector.

Success for many international companies has arisen through their awareness of cultural norms and restraints, traditions, and local characteristics. For instance, Nivea for Men ran a campaign which addressed the issues around male grooming by promoting the idea that sensitivity and masculinity are not mutually exclusive. Likewise, Vodafone’s ‘Fakka’ (meaning ‘small change’ in Arabic) campaign, based in Egypt, aimed to solve the issue of petty cash for retailers by replacing change with mobile talk-time.

Similar approaches operated by other businesses have increased their chance of success in the region due to their deep understanding of cultural issues. Companies can offer a perceived ‘added value’ to the customer once they understand their needs and requirements.

 

Using language, and an advanced comprehension of customers’ lifestyles and cultures, you will be able to express clearly how customers will benefit from your service or product, thus increasing potential sales.