Women in the Middle East are experiencing significant changes in 2012 according to this report from Cheil UAE. [1] Educated nannies are taking on heavier childcare responsibilities to allow parents to pursue careers. [2] Women enjoy the thrill of finding exclusive deals and use of group-buying sites. [3] Emirati women prefer Twitter to Facebook for social networking due to privacy concerns. [4] Women are gaining powerful roles in business and government in the region. The report outlines 10 key trends observing changes in women's roles and behaviors.
2. INTRO…
What will make the world tick in 2012? What will consumers do in 2012?
What is the forecast of trends in the near future? Planners and intelligence
departments did their share of the job and thousands of reports
everywhere are evaluating, analyzing, studying and demonstrating the
crucial trends of the current year..
At Cheil UAE, our observation skills, trendspotting & pattern recognition
are “made in the region”. From different global and local research to
supermarket visits, café ear-dropping, social behaviourism and practically
anything that showcases or hints to any new pattern being built, we
developed our second MEA 2012 collection of trends, this one focused on
women.
4. #01
Super Nanny
Although often grouped with other household workers, the new nannies
often carry responsibilities that are heavier and more significant. While
parents pursue careers and work to make life better for families, this
new age of educated nannies ensure that the children are safe, healthy
and happy. They only take care of the children, playing with them, while
their main focus is teaching them, just like old school governesses.
Example: According to Philippine
Overseas Employment Agency (POEA)
figures, the Philippines deployed 13,184
household service workers, including
“Certified Nannies” to the UAE in 2011.
The UAE is the third largest employer of
Filipina nannies, next to Hong Kong and
Kuwait.
6. #02 deal
The wonder
Is it because it brings us back to our bargaining traditions, an activity
that especially appealed to Arabs throughout time? Or is it because
women take pride in finding THE exclusive deal in town? Women in the
Middle East now can show off when buying Smart! Social commerce
is now an integral part of consumers’ lives: Groupon, Cobone,
LivingSocial etc.. aren’t just about saving money: it’s the thrill, the
hunt, the control, and the perceived smartness these women are after.
•
Example: Banyan Tree and LivingSocial
Escapes ME have set a new standard in
online travel sales in the ME: The
promotion featured a 50% discount on a
romantic one-night stay for 2 at the
Zawya April 2012
Banyan Tree RAK and has seen over
USD 1,100,000 of room nights sold
within a space of 14 days.
8. #03
Local social
There are 2.3 million Facebook users in the UAE from which 66% are
male and only 34% are female. Though Emirati women are becoming
increasingly aware and digitally competent with Smartphone devices
that enhance the constant use of social networking sites, as a
majority they prefer to use Twitter over Facebook, finding
Facebook’s privacy settings “untrustworthy”.
Research conducted at Zayed University- The National
Example: Women in the United Arab
Emirates tweet seven times more than
the average user, with 60 percent
admitting that they are constantly
checking their accounts throughout the
day. They trust the micro-blogging site
and don’t feel exposed like with
Facebook
*Arab Social Media Report
10. #04the new Men
Women
Women in the region are becoming as powerful as men if not more.
Women are the majority of the workforce in Dubai where expat women
are Managers and CEOs of international companies. Local women are
becoming ministers and directors of major governmental companies.
In the Middle East the power of the purse has never been more
powerful.
Example: Lebanese Actress and
Director Nadine Labaki is the new face
of the Scotch Whiskey brand Johnnie
Walker. This new campaign marks the
first time ever a woman has appeared
in a Johnnie Walker Ad.
12. #05
Reces-shion
If the devil wears Prada, the world wears H&M. Call it recession, call it
fashion, we call it “back to reality”! Brands’ (and designers’) aim is,
today, having the opportunity of reaching a wider audience. The
difference between the new reces-shion and the all time masstige
(mass luxury) is that the consumer can afford to pay more but is not
necessarily willing to pay more for luxury after the recession.
Example : When High street giant H&M
announced their latest designer
collaboration with Versace, people in the
UAE actually waited in line from 5:am for
the Dubai Mall and MOE stores to open.
Source: Gulf News
Collection was sold out in 30mn. Last
year’s Lanvin collection for H&M was
sold out in the UAE in a matter of hours!
14. #06
Fat Phobia
Being obese or overweight is a worldwide concern.In Dubai and the
UAE the problem is a main subject of conversations between new
expats and old residents. We acknowledge that the sedentary life we
live and the long working hours help us gain weight.. But from diet
food in a box to boot camps to private trainers to VelaShape™ and
Power Plate®, the fat war became somehow more of a trend matter
than a health problem.
Example: The diet food delivery
companies are one of those fast-growing
trends in Dubai: Live’ly, Right Bite,
Gulf News.com June 2012
`
Health Factory, Kcal... Women (and men)
receive the diet food in a box along with
the promise to help her shift the pounds,
while eating healthily, saving her time..
and looking trendy.
16. #07chic
Granny
Grannies aren’t what they used to be! At 60, 70 or even 80 years old,
women still want to look their best and wear the best. I dare you to
label a 50 + women by “3rd age”. They understand beauty and they buy
Fashion. Brands also understand that age today is nothing but a
number and grand-mothers these days will not wear granny clothes. Is
it too cliché to say 70 is the new 30?
Example: The new Burberry Ad featuring
Isabella Rossellini aged 60, and the new
Dolce & Gabbana campaign featuring a
happy mix of generation in UAE local
magazines : Monica Belluci 47 years with
model Bianca Balti 28 and model Daphne
Selfe 82 years old… are today all equally
considered brand consumers.
18. #08 Nation
Lipstick
UAE women spend 38% more than their French counterparts on
cosmetics and consider these products “daily necessity”. Particularly
young women who allocate a larger part of their income to Make Up,
especially “bold color lipstick”. This clearly shows a change in trend
from a traditional discourse on beauty based on modesty to one
influenced by Western brands, moving away from a conservative
approach to a modern affirmation of personal beauty attributes.
.
Example : Consumption of facial and eye
Euromonitor International, Gulf News 2011
make-up and lip care products will
continue to grow over the next years in
the UAE to reach 519.5 Million dirham in
2014. Eye make-up but particularly lip
make-up products including lipstick, lip
gloss & liners are projected to be the
largest segments of this market.
20. #09
Duos-Mom
One does not have to look very far to see that multiple births are on
the rise in the region. The statistics do seem to show a trend toward
higher multiple births. According to scientific research conducted, age
and fertility treatments are the leading two causes of the increase in
multiple births. A new demographic target is “Born” (pun intended)
which represent an amazing opportunity for brands in the region.
Example: Brands should take this new
target into consideration when
*Middle East Fertility Society Journal
developing new services or new
promotions: kids products, FMCG’s,
clothing, hotel promotions... You name
it! The ‘buy one get one free’ has never
been so rationalized.
22. #10wave
Korean
Many Emirati are “captivated” by Korean Culture. They are obsessed
with everything from the boy band members, to TV dramas, food,
fashion, beauty products and language. They study Korean at the
university. They order creams and make-up from South Korea. Soap
operas, subtitled in Arabic, are more conservative than their Western
counterparts. Lyrics also are less explicit than in American hip-hop.
Example: The popularity of K-pop is
growing in the ME. Last April, 7 members
of boy group ZE:A held a fan meeting in
Dubai sponsored by Samsung. Thousands
of fans arrived for a chance to receive
Gulf News. April 2012
autographs. The boys also held a special
showcase in Abu Dhabi where thousands of
female fans where waiting for them.
23. ABOUT CHEIL
Cheil worldwide (www.cheil.com) is Korea’s largest and one of the world’s
leading advertising groups. Established in 1973 with headquarters in Seoul,
Cheil operates 53 offices in 28 countries with over than 3,000 employees.
Operating in Dubai since 2006, Cheil UAE is an integrated ad agency
producing creative and added value solutions for its clients through
“ideas that move” - Ideas that move consumers, brands metrics, products.
24. To find out more about our “ideas that move”
or more info on our local Trendspotting &
Marketing to Women knowledge
and how it can help move your business,
please contact: seongjin.ki@cheil.com
or joumana.hage@cheil.com