Category: Marketing

Facebook has teamed up with leading regional creative agency, TBWA\RAAD, for its new campaign, #LoveLocal, an initiative to support local small and medium businesses (SMBs) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, which have been among the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign will amplify the voice of local SMBs, shed light on their stories and challenges to help generate consumer demand for them across the region.

Leveraging the insight that “small businesses are not just businesses; they are people,” the campaign has tapped into the nostalgia and emotion associated with traditional neighborhood shops, clearly portrayed across all of the campaign’s touchpoints, including the brand identity.

The campaign’s main film depicts eight unique stories filmed across Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon, featuring a real and diverse cast of small business owners in local shops, who share their daily experiences and personal anecdotes. A wealth of content pieces and executions have been developed for the campaign, including videos, IG stories, interviews with small business owners, and a content creators’ activation idea.

#LoveLocal by TBWA\RAAD for Facebook

One of the executions includes a #LoveLocal pledge frame that users can add to their Facebook profile and pledge support to SMBs. Facebook users will need to visit this link that will redirect them to their Facebook profile, where they will be able to add the #LoveLocal frame to their display photo. On Instagram, this filter will be available as a trackable AR filter where users will be able to post and highlight their favorite small business.

“The relationship people have with local SMBs extends beyond the products and services. In our region, you don’t go to the hairdresser, to the snack, or to the corner shop. You go to Tony’s, or Emm Nazih’s, or Abou Houda’s. SMBs are not businesses, they are the people. Their names are on the signboards. We wanted this element to come to the fore and this is what is exceptional about the campaign,” said Reda Raad, Group CEO of TBWA\RAAD.
As part of the campaign, Facebook will be rolling out video content that will serve as a reminder of the emotional connection the public has with small businesses beyond the transaction.

“Small businesses are the backbone of any economy and pillars of their local communities. In these challenging times, SMBs need support from community members across the region. Our #LoveLocal campaign will inspire people to rethink the significance of their action,” said Ramez Shehadi, Managing Director for the Middle East & North Africa, Facebook.

Facebook will also be working with content creators and communities from across the MENA region who will take part in a fun, interactive challenge for one day that will see them nominate each other to pick and support a local SMB. “It will be exciting to see how the community comes together to rally support to local businesses by shopping and loving local,” said Shehadi.

A Facebook Inc. initiative, #LoveLocal was launched earlier this month across the Facebook family of apps including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp. Through #LoveLocal, Facebook will provide business owners access to the Middle East and North Africa SMB Training Hub – a platform with up to 40 online webinars available for free that businesses can use to master a range of digital tools covering digital marketing and e-commerce and develop and grow their business presence online.

Consumers can also join the initiative by using the hashtag #LoveLocal to show how they are supporting local businesses and share their local buying experiences towards this initiative.

To find out more about #LoveLocal, check out the Facebook grants program, courses, and webinars.

Human resources. Suppose you’ve worked in an office before you may know them as the people who deal with the payroll or the employment recruitment drives. In reality, however, they do all that and so much more.

Most businesses would struggle to function without their HR departments, which is why companies of all sizes need to understand the most common issues that they may be facing. That way, they can provide their HR departments with the support and technology that they need to succeed – you’ll find more information on the latest HR software for marketing teams here, just click the link.

Here we’ll explore the most common issues that an HR department has to deal with:

1. Health and safety

It’s a topic very few of us are interested in, in fact, most office meetings about health and safety regulations are usually met with groans and wide yawns. However, if you’re an HR representative then it’s more than just dull legislation. Not only does HR have to create, document and regulate health and safety in the workplace, they also have to present their efforts to the rest of the company and (crucially) deliver it successfully.

Keeping the workforce safe and engaged in the importance of health and safety isn’t easy!

2. Discrimination

Sadly, in some workplaces, discrimination is still a problem. Using the law and their knowledge as guidance, HR reps can advise and provide company policies that reflect the company’s standpoint on discrimination in the workplace. These kinds of documents protect the company and any employees who feel they may have been discriminated against.

HR reps will also handle any incidents involving discrimination and ensure everything is properly documented, calling upon their good organisational skills and their knowledge of company policy.

3. Disciplinary action

When something has gone wrong in the workplace, it’s HR’s job to ensure that both sides of the issue are dealt with accordingly. This means following strict disciplinary guidelines and company procedures as well as full documentation of everything that is said and done throughout the process.

Disciplinaries can sometimes prove to be long, drawn-out processes – this is why good filing systems and organisation are crucial for HR workers.

4. Recruitment

Without this, HR businesses would struggle to find the right kind of employees to help propel the company forward. Finding the right candidates isn’t easy, so it’s HRs responsibility to search for talent in all the right places. Whether that’s networking through social media, headhunting at industry events or even incentivising current employees to help.

Once the right candidates have been found, HR then has to create a stringent recruitment process as well as implanting training and ongoing support for new starters.

5. And finally, payroll

If no one gets paid, then businesses would fold fast. Another task that HR has to juggle is the payroll system. This isn’t just a case of getting everyone their pay-packet on time, it’s also ensuring they’re being paid the right amount, and that annual leave or sick days are being taken into account, that benefits are being implemented, bonuses are correct, and any deduction, and are also performed.

It’s hard work, but luckily you have your HR department to take care of it all for you!

Promoting or recommending a product is commonly seen all over the internet, particularly on social media or bloggers pages. Influencer Marketing has become one of the top ways that companies and brands generate interest in their products and services.

This form of marketing can work wonders for both businesses and potential influencers. Businesses get exposure by those who have already built up a fan-base. Influencers then either receive monetary payments for their promoting or they receive free products from the business that hired them.

Influencer marketing is believed to have started around 1760 when a tea set was made for the Queen of England. This allowed the company to market its products as being royally approved, which increased the demand. It was because of this that Wedgewood pottery and china became a household name that became a staple in upper-class households.

Other than this, one of the earliest influencers would have been Nancy Green in 1890. She was hired to become the face of Party Pancakes, as the character Aunt Jemima. Not only did she make the mix more unique than her competitors, but she also became the first African American model to appear in such a role, paving the way for future generations.

Influencer marketing also has the potential to go viral, where it will be seen by far more people than initially expected. An example of viral marketing is the 2010 Old Spice adverts, featuring former NFL star Isaiah Mustafa. Within the first day, the advert had over 5.9 million views on YouTube alone. By the end of 2010, sales had increased by 125% and Old Spice was the most popular men’s body wash in the United States, showing proof of how successful influencer marketing can have a positive impact on sales of a brand.

In the present day, influencer marketing is seen across social media, especially on the platform Instagram. One of the most successful and well-known influencers in 2020 is Kylie Jenner. Other than promoting her own brand, Ms Jenner also collaborates with other businesses in the form of sponsored posts. Due to her following, businesses know that getting Kylie Jenner to wear, use, or discuss their product is an easy way of drumming up business. In short, fans and followers may aspire to use a product that has been advocated by their role models. The majority of businesses would probably not be able to afford to use a celebrity for these means, however other bloggers or influencers would also be able to achieve marketing goals, albeit on a smaller scale.

Incorporating influencer marketing alongside promotional codes can also drum up sales quickly, particularly if there is a designated expiry date on the code. Making sales time-gated means that fans and followers will need to be quick to make a purchase. This method can be especially successful if the influencer is a role model that people aspire to be more like, rather than simply a named figure.

It is expected that, in the coming years, the usage of influencer marketing will increase as a means of advertising and promoting products.

History has shown us that images are worth more than words. Thanks to the rise of visual-based communication, we are returning to more graphic forms of expression. Driven by a desire for intimacy, there is an urge to convey our thoughts and feelings as we look to connect with others in the midst of a bustling world.

This is reflected in a new vocabulary of emojis, GIFs, and camera-based messaging, which helps us express ourselves more dynamically. Given the unprecedented times we live in, and with people spending more time at home, emojis are becoming more relevant than ever before.

The people of the MENA region heavily rely on emojis when posting and commenting on Facebook.

The top ten emojis used across the MENA region include: face with tears of joy, red heart, heavy black heart, smiling face with heart-shaped eyes, rolling on the floor laughing, face throwing a kiss, rose, sparkling heart, heart suit, and the broken heart. Hearts and laughing smileys are the most popular forms of expression among people in this region, pointing to the positive mindset that still resides in communities even as we navigate unfamiliar and challenging times.

The top 10 emojis used across the MENA region:

1. Face with tears of joy 😂
2. Red heart ❤️
3. Heavy black heart 🖤
4. Smiling face with heart-shaped eyes 😍
5. Rolling on the floor laughing 😂
6. Face throwing a kiss 😘
7. Rose 🌹
8. Sparkling heart 💖
9. Heart suit ♥️
10. Broken heart 💔

In the world we live in today, the use of the face medical mask emoji is also gaining popularity in the region. The top five countries across MENA that use this emoji in Facebook posts include:

1. Egypt: 3.4M+ posts
2. Algeria: 3.4M+ posts
3. Morocco: 1.2M+ posts
4. Saudi Arabia: 900K+ posts
5. UAE: 600K+ posts

Top 3 emojis in each country (MENA)

A closer look at some of the most popular emojis in different countries in MENA.