Middle East Marketing Campaigns: Effective Strategies Revealed

Perfetti Van Melle's Marketing Director Sinatra Carneiro recently shared her thoughts on several marketing campaigns in the Middle East, highlighting the effectiveness of each strategy. In a Private View section for Campaign Middle East, Carneiro analyzed five campaigns: Annahar, Dorco Sleek, McDonald's KSA, Orange Egypt, and Visa.

Annahar's campaign is described as 'textbook distinctive-asset-thinking in reverse,' where the brand weaponized its own format to create a measurable commercial outcome. The campaign resulted in significant earned media attention, outstripping any paid budget.

Dorco Sleek's market-entry strategy involved building mental availability first and then converting it into consideration. The campaign included an anthem that gave Dorco its own distinctive brand codes, resulting in two million impressions in four weeks.

McDonald's KSA campaign effectively targeted Saudi fans by leveraging a popular Japanese IP during the season premiere. This resulted in penetration among 18- to 34-year-old fans and organic advocacy from an otherwise skeptical fandom.

Orange Egypt's campaign harnessed the emotional connection of Egyptian fans with their team, using the phrase 'every Egyptian fan knows the feeling: wanting to believe but not daring to say it.' This strategic rigour showed in the campaign's success in creating earned cultural currency.

Visa's campaign focused on the journey and white space where the product genuinely lives. By emphasizing payment certainty for spontaneity, Visa effectively localized its message across 15 markets and 13 languages.