jwt mena's 10 trends for 2014 - executive summary

10 Trends for 2014Dec 13, 2014

THANK YOU

In our second annual forecast of MENA trends for the near future, economic uncertainty, social tension and a hyper-connected progressive Arab are at the center of many of our trends. Our report highlights how in our transitional times, these progressive cohorts are taking on the responsibility of shaping their own futures, leveraging crowd-power and technology as the enablers of self-sustainable lifestyles. We also spotlight how businesses are responding to their pull, in an increasingly assertive consumer landscape.

JWT MENA’s 10 Trends for 2014 report is a result of quantitative, qualitative and desk research conducted by Brand Intelligence MENA throughout the year and specifically for this report. Trends don’t happen in isolation. They tend to intersect and work in tandem with each other, as you’ll see here. Our future trend forecasts in the coming years will be extensions or outgrowths of our current day trends; after all, trends with real significance can’t be assigned to just one calendar year. At the beginning of each trend in the full report, you’ll see a heat map indicating how developed or not the trend particularly is across our six key MENA markets and which demographic it is trending among. At the end of each trend, you’ll see a graphic showing which of our other trends it intersects with. The trends we explore here, which we believe will have significant weight and momentum, indicate shifts that are likely to be with us for a while.

10 TRENDS FOR 2014

ABOUT THISREPORT

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Subtitle 1. FABULOUSLY FLAWED

In the anti-climax to the Arab Spring with little change having taken place, the once optimistic Millennial is adopting a more realistic and

at times – flawed - reality. A grounded and more pragmatic urge; instead of looking for perfection, they are more trusting of what is

simple, traceable and even imperfectImage credit: vivimagoopresents

DRIVERS MANIFESTATIONS

Millennial Mindset Shifts From Optimism To Realism

Era Of Hyper-transparency

Distrust In Institutions

Predatory Business Practices

Seeking Authenticity

Rise Of The Selfie And Other Faux Personas

1. FABULOUSLY FLAWED

Brands That Depict The Shocking Truth Or Flawed Reality

Brands That Bare It All Out

Build A Culture Of Openness

Refine Through Feedback And Participation

Show Your Human Side With Acts Of Kindness Here And There

Simplify, to bring Clarity and Speed to Decision Making

WHAT IT MEANS FOR BRANDS

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2. TRUNCATING TABOOS

As social and gender parodies become mainstream in the backlash against extreme conventions, consumers are increasingly coming to appreciate brands that push the boundaries

through honest conversations, more daring innovations, quirky approaches and more risqué experiences – with a more mature approach to acceptance and equality

Image credit: Shutterstock

Intolerance Of Extremism

More Accommodating Regimes

Collaborative Activism And Support

Privacy Control Shifts Away From The Individual

Delayed Adulthood

2. TRUNCATING TABOOS

Brands That Enable A More Mature Conversation

Daring Brands That Push The Boundaries On Sensitive Issues

Brands That Tackle Taboos Head-on

Push The Boundaries – With Caution!

Find Ways To Bring The Like-minded Together

Integrate Niche Attributes Or ‘Etiquette Compliant’ Alternatives

Preserve Heritage And Tradition In Novel Ways

DRIVERS MANIFESTATIONS WHAT IT MEANS FOR BRANDS

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3. CROWD HACKTIVISTSAs consumers become more vigilant, utilizing the wisdom, crowdsourcing ability and

group clout of the internet to work en masse - and even real-time - to find communal solutions to their country’s most pressing social problems and crises, they will come to endorse brands

that step in and become effective agents of civic and social transformation. Brands that use the conscience of the community for the benefit of community

Image credit: Getty Images

Overburdened Or Inefficient Institutions

Rise Of The Collective Conscience

Power Of ‘Yalla’

Online Instancy

3. CROWD HACKTIVISTS

Crowd Sourced Initiatives For Social Transformation

• Citizen Policing• Safety• Education• Tourism• Traffic• Socio-Economic

Development• Controlled Debates• Human Rights• Eradicating Hunger

Communicate Why Rather Than What

Embrace Collaboration With An ‘Ecosystem’ Approach

Spur Real Change

Be Contextually Intelligent

Step In Or Step Up Responsibly


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4. HELLO, I’M AN EXPERTIn our overwhelming and hypercompetitive environments, people are increasingly finding one

thing they are passionate about and making it their focus - super-niche interests to achieve expert status in their crowds. As young Arabs continue to seek out, master and celebrate

narrower diversions, they will breathe new life into industries with their ever growing super-niche interest needs

Image credit: Corbis Images

Coping With Stress

Go Niche Or Go Home Mentality

New Career Demands

Clique Collaboration

4. HELLO, I’M AN EXPERT

Same Interest Niche Communities

Stay On Top Of Micro Pop Culture

Provide The Building Blocks For Skill Development

Build Social Fandoms


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5. PERFORMATIVE RETAIL

As the new normal becomes a prolonged normal in our hampered region, thrifty consumers are increasingly spending smart as opposed to spending less; wanting more for their buck in the relevant now. As the value-exchange shifts from ‘price tag’ to ‘swag’, consumers will opt for

choices that make their lives appear better or more enjoyable – rather than bigger


Prevailing Austerity

Dematerialization

Improvised Consumerism

Looking Like You’ve Lived Is Better Than Not Living At All

New Normal Behaviors

5. PERFORMATIVE RETAIL

Brands That Target Price-conscious Consumers

Brands That Enable Improvised Yet Enjoyable Alternatives

Enable Improvised forms of of otherwise price-heavy leisure activities

Reduce Barriers To Entry

Flexible Pricing Strategies

Empathize With Your Target

Facilitate Social Fame


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6. FAUXSTALGIAAs Arabs strive to define themselves in these transformative times, they increasingly fetish all

things retro and crave the commemorative – brand reformations, remakes & sequels and album mash-ups - finding comfort in the pockets of familiarity of a better-defined and more authentic

representation of themselves in the past

Image credit: Pinterest

Transitional Times

Fragmented Arab Identity

Acculturation Of The Region

Tech-driven Lack Of Tangibility

6. FAUXSTALGIA

Brands That Evoke Nostalgia Through Iconic References Or Emblems

Brands That Evoke Remembrance Of Better Times

Bringing back Nostalgia through Arts and Culture

Engage The Social Self

Bring Back The Kid In Us

Recreate Feelings From The Past

Reignite Tradition

Use The Past To Move Forward


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7. (PRE)PURCHASED


As Arabs increasingly support, be involved with, and fund products and services that interest them pre-launch, crowd funding platforms will transpire as the new retail space, with brands

capitalizing on crowd conception for new and exciting propositions.

Rise Of Pre-development Engagement

Passion-driven Authenticity

Mistrust In Institutions

7. (PRE)PURCHASED

Successfully Crowd Funded Products Or Businesses In MENA

Successfully Funded Creative Projects (Musicians, Films, Series Or Plays) In MENA

Crowd Funded Social Enterprises In MENA

Collaborate to Co-create

Assure A Secure Exchange

Open Up Your Research And Development


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8. SAFETY SOLUTIONSWith rising urban violence and crime becoming a growing concern in the region, people will

embrace new products and technologies that help them stay safe and in touch with family and friends anywhere, anytime


Unmet Social Needs

Rising Crime Rates

Overriding Lawlessness

Cyber Security Breaches

8. SAFETY SOLUTIONS

Brand Or Civic Solutions To Improve Consumer Safety

Utilize Big Data To Pre-empt Conflict

Make Personal Protection User-friendly

Educate The Masses

Collaborate With The Masses


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9. PROLONGING YOUTHPopular perceptions of ageing are changing, with people of all ages taking a more obsessive

approach to staying younger for longer. As everyone seems happy to further this stereotype and medical advances help feed this attitude, brands and governments will need to ramp up

efforts to help people achieve their goals responsibly and prevent the stigmas of extreme physical obsession


People Feeling The Toll Of Age

Flight From Marriage

Media-driven Archetypes

Demography’s Dead

Accessible, Affordable And Accepted Ideals

9. PROLONGING YOUTH

Brands Promoting Youthfulness Through Fitness

Brands Encouraging Youthful Lifestyles

Brands That Celebrate Youthfulness And Vitality

Reverse Assumptions About How Consumers See Their Own Age

Encourage A More Holistic Approach To Youthfulness

Emphasize The Enviable, Aspirational Characteristics That Come With Years

Help People Achieve Their Goals Responsibly


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10. E-EXPECTATIONSAs consumer readiness for digital transactions continues to accelerate faster than the available offering, digital platforms and interfaces are coming to represent a gateway to opportunity. This

presents a challenge for marketers and governments looking to bridge the current content divide and engage with this cohort

Image credit: Corbis Images

Continuous Connectivity

Consumer E-readiness

Demanding Digital Natives

Data Transmission Gets Faster And Cheaper

Lack Of Digital Platforms And Interfaces

10. E-EXPECTATIONS

Movie And Video-streaming Platforms

Services E-platforms

Digital Entertainment

Create Smartphone‐centric Experiences

Use Consumer Data To Tailor Products And Services

Get Ready For The Mobile Wallet Partner Across Sectors

Proactively Address Security Concerns


Image credit: JWT 8 Trends for 2013

COUNTERACTING TRADITION

DRIVING NEW

BEHAVIORS

LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY

Not quite how you imagined the region to look in 2014?

Learn much more by downloading the full report.www.jwtmea.com/trends2014

http://www.jwtmea.com/trends2014

THANK YOU

JWT: JWT is the world’s best-known marketing communications brand. Headquartered in New York, JWT is a true global network with more than 200 offices in over 90 countries employing nearly 10,000 marketing professionals. JWT consistently ranks among the top agency networks in the world and continues a dominant presence in the industry by staying on the leading edge—from producing the first-ever TV commercial in 1939 to today, developing award-winning branded content today. For more information, please visit www.jwt.com and follow us @JWT_Worldwide Brand Intelligence MENA: Brand Intelligence MENA is the center for provocative thinking that is part of JWT, the world’s best-known marketing communications brand that focuses on identifying shifts in the regional zeitgeist. Its aim is to bring the outside in—to help inspire ideas beyond brand, category and consumer conventions - and to identify emerging opportunities so they can be leveraged for business gain. For more information, please visit, www.jwt.com/mea and follow us @jwtmea

10 TRENDS FOR 2014

jwt mena's 10 trends for 2014 - executive summary

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