JWT’s AnxietyIndex is designed as a place to discuss how brands and consumers are responding to the global recession. With daily content updates, AnxietyIndex.com includes contributions from around JWT’s network, offering a truly global perspective.
The recession has changed consumer sentiment toward low-cost, basic products, which are no longer seen as cheap and down-market but rather a proud social statement—a shift leveraged in an Effie-winning rebranding for Israel’s Tara Dairy (Tara), Tara’s products had been considered outdated for an age when many consumers opt for milk that’s fortified in various ways or low fat, and communication was aimed at older, conservative shoppers.
JWT Israel decided to tap into nostalgia for a “back to basics” message, but with a fun, humorous spin. To illustrate Tara’s tagline, “It all begins with excellent milk,” a series of commercials feature Israeli comedic icon Menashe Noy cast as a typical 1960s dairy farmer on a kibbutz. Tending to his cows in a rolling green meadow, Menashe Noy tells stories about his favorite cow in an old-fashioned and annoying but funny way, with many irrelevant details, jumping from one loosely related anecdote to another. He conjures up a simpler time for Israeli viewers.
The campaign managed to both create an aura of nostalgic simplicity around the brand and position Tara as a youthful, energetic brand.
In Saudi, where grooms are expected to pay the bride’s family a dowry for her hand in marriage, many young men are asked to bear financial burdens they cannot hope to shoulder. Saco Hardware, in collaboration with JWT, created a social media promotion that spotlights the financial challenges facing young people and positions the retailer as a tool for helping them.
We came up with a simple concept/story: A video clip shows young Mousaed making the traditional visit to his future father-in-law, who demands 28 items from Saco as a dowry. Returning home, Mousead finds the catalogue is ripped to shreds, and the young man is left to guess the names of the items he needs to buy. Photos of torn pages were posted to the Saco Facebook page, and people were encouraged to identify the products to help Mousaed get one more item toward his marriage. Correct guesses won items.
The campaign is doing well with minimal support, and the hope is to evolve the effort into a commitment to sponsor newlyweds who need to furnish their apartments. For more social media case studies, see our Social Media Checklist.
In an arid, hot region, the prospect of a warmer globe is frightening, and our latest AnxietyIndex survey in the UAE found the impact of global warming is now among the drivers of anxiety here. But despite several educational initiatives from the government, consumers haven’t become significantly more green. There’s plenty of room for improvement: The World Resources Institute puts the UAE second only to Qatar in its ranking of countries by per-capita carbon emissions, reflecting years of an oil-rich economy growing at a very fast pace.
The World Wildlife Fund and the Emirates Wildlife Society are behind a visually compelling TV campaign to raise awareness about the link between the UAE’s carbon footprint and consumer behavior. A 2-minute-plus spot encourages people to “be wise about what you buy,” largely by purchasing more local products. “Choosing imported beef, for example, results in a cascade of environmental costs,” the narrator warns, then outlines what some of those are. The ad uses Visual Fluency (one of our trends for 2010) to draw viewers in, with animated newspaper cutouts illustrating the points.
The campaign seems like a good way to start dialing up existing anxiety and motivate behavioral change. It will be interesting to see whether local brands, which haven’t engaged in any real green initiatives so far, take up the cause.
Last year, Israeli radio station 99fm was relaunched and rebranded as a green channel, eco99fm. The objective was to promote awareness of issues such as carbon emissions, water pollution, endangered wildlife and recycling. The effort seems to be more than greenwash. In addition to offering useful tips on solar energy, eco-gardening, greening the kitchen and water efficiency, the station produces talk programs covering global green topics, news and so on. Eco99fm has also initiated campaigns to promote its goals, such as partnering with the Environment Protection Ministry for the One Less Plastic Bag campaign, which urged shoppers to reduce their use of plastic bags.
Israelis are constantly anxious about geopolitical tension, complex internal political issues and the possibility of war, and eco99fm has become the one station providing content that’s out of the ordinary yet surprisingly normal. It deals with global issues from a lens outside the local bubble, conveying a sense of belonging to the global village for a country that’s becoming more concerned about issues beyond the Middle East.
Tapping into the desire for normalcy has proved a big success: After years of mixed results, the rebranded station has achieved a 60 percent increase in ratings.
In Saudi Arabia, there’s not much in the way of entertainment. I grew up spending quite a bit of time in malls and restaurants, the only source of entertainment. They are also among the few open places in a country that mostly segregates women and men. But although religious and social norms call for respect toward women, they are often harassed in malls.
Now some young men in Riyadh have formed a group called Layeg Aleek (“It Suits You”), which sets up stands in malls to educate both young men and women on appropriate behavior in public places. It used to be that only government-appointed officers would be responsible for this; having young men speak to their peers instead is a refreshing and overdue idea. (Socially, Saudis do condone giving advice and discussing matters of religions and manners quite openly.)
While this initiative is very specific to Saudi society, perhaps brands can take inspiration from the notion of helping to make shoppers more comfortable in the retail environment.
Al-Rahji Bank, one of the largest banks in the Middle East, has been doing something interesting: sponsoring advertorials that educate Saudi newspaper readers on what to expect when applying for a home loan. The advertorials provide general information, rather than a promotional message. Al-Rajhi wants to ensure that people seeking home loans are well-informed on the complexities before visiting the branch—a smart move given how poor customer service is here in Saudi. Once an ad has motivated customers to visit the bank, they can’t rely on sales staff to provide much help.
Importantly, the advertorials also help to assuage anxiety around home loans and help people understand that a home is likely within their reach. Recent AnxietyIndex research by JWT found that Saudis are anxious about making major purchases in the near future and that as many as 64 percent are not confident about their ability to get a home loan, making this one of the biggest worries among Saudis. AnxietyIndex has written about educational-themed initiatives from several other financial institutions—a good way to position themselves as supportive and helpful at a time when consumers are anxious.
Much has been said about Dubai since its recent financial troubles and the challenges faced by its economic development model. A wave of criticism, with articles such as “The Dark Side of Dubai” by The Independent’s Johann Hari, hit the city. As the bad news piled up, residents’ anxiety kept rising. (For more on anxiety in the UAE, visit our Trends and Research page.) People were wondering, “What will come of Brand Dubai?”
This Is Dubai, launched earlier this month, is an attempt by the emirate to show the city’s human face. It presents an alternative to the global perception of Dubai as a city that’s home to the most ostentatious—the biggest, tallest, widest—of absolutely anything and instead shows Dubai as a place of determined spirits and cultural diversity. Following the Emirates Airlines campaign “Meet Dubai,” Brand Dubai is moving toward more transparency, dialogue and focus on its people over its construction achievements.
A focus on Dubai’s people is the right strategy to foster more positive attitudes both at home and abroad. The campaign is currently being heavily discussed across local social media—not surprising, considering that a movement of support has been gaining momentum on Facebook in the past year, with thousands of people expressing their trust in the city directly or conversing with its highest authority. The campaign should go further and let the audience contribute, detailing their own experiences and stories about Dubai.
A “money back” plan to incentivize consumers has been a popular promotion tactic in Egypt. We wrote about Kabnoury, a manufacturer of doors, windows and cabinets that offered “investment certificates” that customers could cash in for a 30 percent refund after a certain amount of time. Some real estate companies have also used this strategy to encourage buyers.
At American Furniture, a high-end retailer that’s one of Egypt’s most popular furniture stores, shoppers who bought any two sets, such as a bedroom and dining room set, could get back a full 90 percent of one set’s cost after five years. Customers received bank certificates that they can eventually cash at Al-Ahli Bank. As an added incentive, they could also pay via interest-free installments over two years with a 25 percent down payment.
Though the refund is delayed, consumers respond to these types of promotions because, as one interviewee said, “We feel that we are getting something out of this offer”—in other words, a good bargain. “Money back” gives consumers the impression that what’s being offered is virtually free.
It was a bit shocking to see that Saudi Arabia is the third most anxious country among the 13 that JWT has surveyed since February 2009. (See the Trends and Research page for a full listing of reports.) According to JWT’s October 2009 AnxietyIndex survey of 484 Saudi adults, our nation’s anxieties are centered around unemployment and health.
While Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s richest countries, people have been very worked up about the high rate of unemployment—young men aren’t able to find jobs with salaries that keep up with the cost of living and social expectation, and women find it difficult to compete with men for jobs due to social constraints. The Saudi stock market crashed before the global recession, which has affected many companies here; hiring freezes are prevalent.
It was less surprising, however, to see health and disease register as a major driver of anxiety among Saudis. Although health care is free for all Saudi nationals, the system is very slow, and many people go to costly private hospitals. That said, at least we aren’t upset about the price of gas.
In a country with a melting pot of cultures—local citizens make up only around 20 percent of the population—anxieties vary greatly among residents. Since locals have the security of strong government support (free education, health care and assisted housing loans), it’s not surprising that anxiety levels for Middle Eastern expats are higher across all areas of concern.
According to our most recent AnxietyIndex survey of 503 adults conducted in October and November 2009, the greatest source of angst in the UAE is economic and financial, as the nation saw drastic layoffs and organizational restructuring starting in the second half of 2008. After the collapse of the real estate market, the inflated cost of living did not drop fast enough to reflect the end of the period of speculation, placing purchasing power and family security high on the list of anxiety drivers.
Middle Eastern expats are concerned about a shift in societal values, health issues (we saw a surge in health advertising and psychological advice) and the rising unemployment rate. Locals are not as concerned about societal values, as theirs are preserved within a close-knit community. Interestingly, for a nation criticized for its lack of environmental care, locals’ major concerns revolve around the impact of global warming and food prices.
The outlook for the next six months is pessimistic, with anxiety centered around the cost of living and food prices. Job security, however, is expected to improve.
Click here to download the full UAE AnxietyIndex report from the Trends and Research page.
Importantly, the advertorials also help to assuage anxiety around home loans and help people understand that a home is likely within their reach. Recent AnxietyIndex research by JWT found that Saudis are anxious about making major purchases in the near future and that as many as 64 percent are not confident about their ability to get a home loan, making this one of the biggest worries among Saudis. AnxietyIndex has 
