Influencers, love them or loathe them, they do have an important role to play as taste makers and in driving conversation and opinion in our community.
A new report just out by leading agency Weber Shandwick MENAT offers a nuanced understanding of the region’s dynamic influencer marketing landscape by elevating topics on the minds of MENA’s influencers and providing insights for brands to build stronger partnerships. InfluAnswer Arabia 2024 also offers perspectives on how influencers view the region, technology, sustainability, their business, and their position of influence.
Almost two-thirds (63%) of influencers say they have posted more content about causes they care about in the past year, with a third (35%) saying they have posted significantly more. Influencers in MENA are becoming more mindful about their role in society, and a brand’s values, but also the brand’s perception in the Arab world when making collaboration choices.
The risk and reward of Artificial Intelligence are also on their minds. Over half (56%) of influencers in MENA say they are either neutral or uncertain about using AI in their content, but the rest are twice as likely to be positive (29%) than negative (15%). Generative AI has had a massive year in 2023, permeating conversations across markets and demographics with talk of enhanced efficiencies and evolved creativity – but also misinformation, misrepresentation, and mistrust.
MENA’s influencers shared their views on the region through different lenses. Areas where they believe the UAE is excelling on a global scale include tourism (44%), smart government (15%), technology (14%) and sustainability (14%). On whether COP28 would lead to more sustainable behaviours in the region, 69% agreed, saying they believe it will generate more positive initiatives as people and brands do more.
The vast majority (78%) of influencers agree Saudi Arabia is presently the region’s most exciting place for transformative developments. Entertainment is also front of mind – 47% of influencers consider Saudi Arabia as the “e-sports hub of the Middle East”, with 34% saying it’s the UAE and 12% choosing Qatar.
Influencers tap Dubai (60%), Riyadh (17%) and Abu Dhabi (6%) as the best cities to start a small business in the region. And with a flair for capturing and sharing photogenic angles, influencers rate Dubai (55%) as the region’s most instagrammable city, followed by Riyadh (14%) and Cairo (6%).
Influencer marketing is growing across the MENA region, with Statista anticipating a compound annual growth rate of 9% over the next five years. Through multiple platforms, channels and media, influencers are finding creative ways to connect with their followers, and brands are looking for successful ways to connect to those audiences through collaborations.
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