The IAA UAE Chapter’s third session of its professional development series, held last week, asked marketers in the Middle East to step up their game and jump aboard the digital boat. The comprehensive one day session ‘Pathways to Purchase: Plotting the Consumer Journey’ examined the evolving media landscape, tracking the new rules that drive purchase and how to retain brand loyalty post purchase, together with an evaluation of digital’s role in demonstrating greater ROI.
The session, held at the IAA’s Dubai Media City offices, was attended by a broad sector of the industry and boasted an impressive line up of expert speakers led by Mark Hamilton, Planning Director, Starcom MediaVest Group (MENA); Rami Saad, Director of Emerging Technologies, Publicis Groupe Media (MENA); Rishi Saxena, Associate Research Director, Compass (MENA), Sara Metwally, Associate Media Director, Starcom Dubai (MENA) and Robert Salomone, Business Director, Starcom IP (MENA).
Kamal Dimachkie, Chairman of the IAA UAE Chapter Events and Talent Committee, that runs the programme, explained that the IAA series offers insightful perspectives from specialists that offer real life, practical, problem solving solutions that individuals from many industry sectors will be able to utilise in their day to day workings. “The current market pressures necessitate the maximization of skills, value and results across all areas of our business,” said Dimachkie. “And the IAA series is designed to support such requirements.”
Following a fun theatrical opening that satirized the brand and consumer relationship, Saad’s ‘Evolution, revolution and Implications’ went on to illustrate how the path to purchase has changed and no longer involves communicating with the masses in the hope of converting a small percentage, but instead involves focusing on the actual target group and on being open to their feedback.
Saxena’s interestingly titled segment ‘Peeling back the onion’ uncovered the core needs that drive consumers to associate with products or brands and assess if the relationship is as complicated as we think. The session looked at simple truths that drive consumer behaviour and how the marketer can create meaningful connections with consumers.
Metwally’s ‘Dialling up the new driving rules to purchase’ tracked the evolution of our information overloaded world, and how this has affected the traditional consumer path to purchase and how as marketers and communication experts we need to relook at the way we converse with our consumers in order to create meaningful brand experiences.
Salomone advocated that measurement is the key to growth of digital in the Middle East in ‘Demonstrating effectiveness and tracking ROI through digital. He tackled past, current & future measurement capabilities in the region, the difference in ROI between direct response & branding advertisers, and what can be achieved in relation to social networks both digital-only campaigns and integrated campaigns.
In the final session of the day, entitled ‘Building Brand Love Post Purchase’, Hamilton summed up how to keep customers once you catch them. “The days of just advertising to the consumer and expecting him or her to pick up the product and be loyal to the brand are out the window,” said Hamilton. “If a consumer has a bad experience with a product they actually have a massive influence on the perception of that product with another person who has yet experience it, so you can no longer promise what you cannot deliver.”
Running from March to November 2010, the IAA series is moderated by professionals from a broad industry base, all leading players in their field, who will provide participants with perspectives and tools that are instrumental in the analysis and solution of many challenges confronting the industry. Individuals will have the opportunity to interact with local experts and delegates on a one on one basis.
In line with the IAA UAE Chapter’s commitment to supporting the development of skills, talent and creativity in the industry, the fee is very competitively priced and further discounted rates are offered for group bookings of more than three delegates.
Each workshop session, to be held at the IAA UAE Chapter premises in Dubai Media City, will be limited to only 50 delegates, offering intimate close group sessions.
