More zig, less zag

Over 150 marketers came together for the Marketing Society’s first ever Brave Conference to hear insights on how to move the marketing needle and create more impactful work. Speaking with the BBC’s Ros Atkins at the start of the half-day event, the Marketing Society’s MENA Chair Asad ur Rehman spoke of the need to embrace failure and take risks.

Using award-winning entries from the MENA region including Saudi Telecom’s “La Ywagif” and Murr TV’s latest campaigns, Warc’s case study editor Lucy Aitken spoke about more zig, less zag, and the need for marketers to break away from the norm.

“We need to be bold, we need to be brave and we need to experiment with our work. Brands need to break away from the status-quo, stand out from the crowd and look to make an impact on audiences.”

One of the challenges highlighted by the expert panel was how to keep up with the changes in the region. The Middle East has one of the youngest, most connected populations globally, and with the cultural evolution taking place in countries such as Saudi, marketers need to work harder to keep up with what is happening on the ground. “My one brave action would be to do more to understand the changes we’re going through and use those insights in campaigns,” said. Dana Al-Kutoubi, Head of Strategic Planning, JWT Saudi Arabia.

Building on this concept, Olga Kudryashova, strategic planning director at Y&R Advertising, spoke of the need to have a strong purpose. “We need brand purpose that is people focused. Brands need to think of the role that they want to play in people’s lives. Having a robust purpose, which is different to a vision and mission, is the best way to future-proof your brand.”

By Alex Malouf, Corporate Communications and Reputation Manager, Procter & Gamble