Summer Voltage Deep Dive

23
Image credit: Corbisimages JULY 2013 SUMMER VOLTAGE MENA

description

Summer is around the corner and with months of potential memories, adventures, heart breaks, firsts, and next steps ahead of them, we asked some, “Would you rather.. ?” questions to Millennial 18-35 year olds, for a snapshot of the dreams and desires of this generation and understand what they're hoping for right now. In these uncertain times, independence is the greatest aspiration of the Arab Millennial as chaos reigns and everything around them falls apart. As they come to terms with the fact that reform is a far-off reality, this generation - ‘Generation ‘Why not?’’ - have decided to forge their own futures on their own terms and according to their own needs. The report highlights how the archetype of the Arab Millennial is evolving beyond being mere ‘Material Collectors’ to ‘Experience Collectors’, where the journey is more interesting than the arrival point itself. While traditional marketing and advertising techniques have a place at the Millennial table, it is the more digital-enhanced methods – particularly mobile – that seem to play a larger role at capturing the attention of this group. The Summer Voltage report is the result of quantitative, qualitative and desk research by Brand Intelligence MENA during 2012. Specifically for this report, we conducted quantitative surveys in 6 key MENA markets - KSA (25), Egypt(44), UAE (16), Morocco (30), Tunisia (16) and Lebanon (47), in which we polled 180 Male and Female Arab youth.

Transcript of Summer Voltage Deep Dive

Page 1: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

Image credit: Corbisimages

JULY 2013

SUMMER VOLTAGE M E N A

Page 2: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

���Executive Summary ...................................................................................... 3 Summer Info graphic .................................................................................... 4 Summer Motivations & Drivers ......................................................................... 5 What It Means For Brands .............................................................................. 18 Thought Starters ......................................................................................... 21

M E N A

TABLE OF CONTENTS 2

Page 3: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

���Summer is around the corner and with months of potential memories, adventures, heart breaks, firsts, and next steps ahead of them, we asked some, “Would you rather.. ?” questions to Millennial 18-35 year olds, for a snapshot of the dreams and desires of this generation and understand what they're hoping for right now. In these uncertain times, independence is the greatest aspiration of the Arab Millennial as chaos reigns and everything around them falls apart. As they come to terms with the fact that reform is a far-off reality, this generation - ‘Generation ‘Why not?’’ - have decided to forge their own futures on their own terms and according to their own needs, trying out anything new and searching for better experiences to achieve their new benchmarks of ‘success’ – enjoyment, self-reliance and freedom. Our report highlights how the archetype of the Arab Millennial is evolving beyond being mere ‘Material Collectors’ to ‘Experience Collectors’, where the journey is more interesting than the arrival point itself and mistakes are an acceptable part of the learning process. The result? – an ‘Experience Economy’, where Millennial Arabs are seeking to spend more time with or spend more on individuals and things that disrupt the status quo or inspire them. To engage with them means rethinking the paradigms of ‘experience’. Think real stimulation as opposed to idle escape. While traditional marketing and advertising techniques have a place at the Millennial table, it is the more digital-enhanced methods – particularly mobile – that seem to play a larger role at capturing the attention of this group. They rely on their devices for everything, from finding friends to sharing pictures of themselves on social networks to tapping into event or product apps to guide them through any experience. Our Summer Voltage report is the result of quantitative, qualitative and desk research by Brand Intelligence MENA during 2012. Specifically for this report, we conducted quantitative surveys in 6 key MENA markets - KSA (25), Egypt(44), UAE (16), Morocco (30), Tunisia (16) and Lebanon (47), in which we polled 180 Male and Female Arab youth.

M E N A

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3

Page 4: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

M E N A

SUMMER INFO GRAPHIC 4

Source: Brand Intelligence ‘This Summer would you Rather.. ?’ Survey 2013

Page 5: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

SUMMER MOTIVATIONS & DRIVERS

Archetype: “Experience Collector”

Image credit: JWT Brazil Generations

Page 6: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

���Delayed adulthood: Buoyed by the highest recessionary mindset in the Middle East this decade (78%), Arab Millennials have been shying away from anything that anchors their own liberty, as they struggle with scarce job opportunities, regional inflation and home ownership. Marriage patterns across the MENA have risen from 27-33 yrs. for males and 23-27 yrs. for females. But rather than appease their stress, delayed adulthood has actually exacerbated it. In fact, Millennials want, need and crave a relationship more than any other generation, driving them to seek out a life partner for the stability of dual household incomes and a ‘happily ever after’. Shallow interpersonal interactions: Years of political & religious advocacy and the region’s rising celibacy have undermined basic human behaviors and interactions and digital spaces have eliminated the need for the courtesies of physical connect. Relationships that were once forged and maintained through common value sets of transparency, empathy and trust, have been replaced by an overall lack of human commitment, where nobody belongs to anybody and human interactions are fleeting and rooted in personal gain. As real sentiment diminishes, Millennials are reaching out for that one special person to share and and enjoy real connections with. Living publically: In an era where living publically is becoming the default, people are increasingly coming to value their privacy and carve out private spaces in their lives, preferring to enjoy life’s moments with one special person as opposed to the general masses.

DRIVERS

M E N A

1 | INTIMACY 3

�Love is the more sensible and stable option for life and the timing is right.

– 28, Female, Lebanon

Source: Nielsen Q1 2013 Consumer Confidence report; Un.org World Marriage Patterns 2000

�I want to fall in love to collect moments not things.

– 27, Male, Tunisia

�It’s a rare and refreshing feeling that moves your whole being.

– 32, Male, Lebanon

�I’m getting older and lonelier. – 30, Male, Egypt

�I don’t want to be the center of attention, I prefer more personal and personalized experiences.

– 26, Male, Egypt

Page 7: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

COUNTRY AND GENDER BREAKDOWNS

M E N A

1 | INTIMACY... 3

Source: Brand Intelligence ‘This Summer would you Rather.. ?’ Survey 2013

64

36

43

57

50

50

64

36

44

56

51

49

Fall in love

Become a YouTube star

True love vs. Adoration (Country) Percentage of MENA Millennials who would rather:

Figure 1A:

Egypt Morocco Tunisia KSA UAE Lebanon

46

54

61

39

Fall in love

Become a YouTube star

True love vs. Adoration (Gender) Percentage of MENA Millennials who would rather:

Figure 1B:

Male Female

Page 8: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

���Lagging local life: Consumer confidence declines for Q1 2013 in the MENA are the highest globally, particularly KSA and Egypt at -17 and -20 respectively. One-in-four respondents in the region said they had no spare cash after paying living expenses. Cash-strapped in debt and with a bucket list of current and future desires to fulfill, money is their means to usher their own freedom and long term happiness through through the security of better possessions and optional life experiences. Failed status quo: Societal superheroes that were once regarded as role models or icons for shaping social change are slowly losing their regard, as the region comes to terms with the fact that reform is a far-off reality. Weary of fighting ceaseless battles with the masses, consumers are trading in earned social fame for enforced material leverage, where money actually does walk and talk and yield better options. Generation ‘Why not?’: Entitled narcissistic heroes that they are and impeded only by financial limitations, Millennials want to live and shape their own experiences. They have the motivation and determination to make things happen, but not the money. Success is being reframed as enjoyment, independence and freedom not by possession of tangible goods. The impulse to travel is their ultimate metaphor of freedom and is the catalyst of being enriched by experiences.

DRIVERS

M E N A

2 | AUTONOMY

3

Source: Nielsen Q1 2013 Consumer Confidence report; JWT Generations

�Having money is better for the future, I can enjoy life through better experiences.

– 26, Male, Lebanon

�I would love to be a hero, but in the summer I need all the money I can get. Too many outings and events.

– 23, Female, Lebanon

�With a suitcase full of money I could realize my dreams; visit a lot of places and countries.

– 25, Female, Morocco

�Money will get spent travelling and enjoying myself, but I will always have the memories and the experiences.

– 23, Female, Egypt

�Money gives you leverage to achieve whatever you want.

– 19, Male, Morocco

�I’d gain people’s respect and consideration with the money I have.

– 25, Female, UAE

Page 9: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

M E N A

2 | AUTONOMY…

3

45

55

63

37

69

31

64

36

63

38

60

40

Find a suitcase full of money

Do something that gets me regarded

as a hero

Figure 2A:

Egypt Morocco Tunisia KSA UAE Lebanon

61

39

56

44

Find a suitcase full of money

Do something that gets me regarded

as a hero

Figure 2B:

Male Female

Self vs. Others (Country) Percentage of MENA Millennials who would rather:

Self vs. Others (Gender) Percentage of MENA Millennials who would rather:

COUNTRY AND GENDER BREAKDOWNS

Source: Brand Intelligence ‘This Summer would you Rather.. ?’ Survey 2013

Page 10: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

DRIVERS

M E N A

3 | FUNCTIONALITY 3

���Cash-strapped consumerism: The rising cost of living remains the greatest concern of Arab youth – highest in Lebanon (73%) and UAE (66%) and is cited as the greatest challenge facing Arab youth today. Although the Middle-East/Africa exceeds the global average for both impulsive spending (39%) and early adoption (43%) of products, it is towards more functional or useful products that enable the here and now or enable better experiences. E.g. mobile phones, branded clothes, etc.. The ‘emotional void’ of digital: With more and more time spent in the virtual world and the evaporation of most physical things into intangible formats, people increasingly fetishize the physical and the tactile. As more digital products are consumed and screens become our default interface, consumers are increasingly seeking out physical objects that enable real emotional experiences and stimulating tactile interactions. Interestingly, Egyptian youth appear to revere social Klout more than the rest of the region, as it significantly extends their reach of influence versus their offline social circles.

Source: ASDAA Burson – Marsteller Arab Youth Survey 2013; JWT Embracing Analogue; JWT MENA 8 trends for 2013; Nielsen New Wealth New World 2013-Report

�A car is more useful, I don’t care how many followers I have.

– 26, Female, Lebanon

�A car of course, its more convenient for daily life. – 21, Male, Morocco

�With a car, I will go places and have exciting experiences. Followers are useless unless you want to promote your own business.

– 25, Female, Lebanon

�Physical things are still important and a car is the perfect image enhancing thing in the real world.

– 26, Male, Lebanon

Page 11: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

M E N A

3 | FUNCTIONALITY… 3

70

30

93

7

81

19

84

16

94

6

83

17

Win a new car

Get 20k new followers on a social media

account

Pragmatism vs. Klout (Country) Percentage of MENA Millennials who would rather:

Figure 3A:

Egypt Morocco Tunisia KSA UAE Lebanon

80

20

85

15

Win a new car

Get 20k new followers on a social media

account

Pragmatism vs. Klout (Gender) Percentage of MENA Millennials who would rather:

Figure 3B:

Male Female

COUNTRY AND GENDER BREAKDOWNS

Source: Brand Intelligence ‘This Summer would you Rather.. ?’ Survey 2013

Page 12: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

���A Health/ Happiness rebalance: By living in the moment, 89% of Arabs are making a conscious choice to live better, right now. As a result, Millennials are shifting focus from satisfying their basic needs to seeking fulfillment through bettering their mental, physical and emotional wellbeing, which secures greater value and personal rewards. Psychological rewards: Millennials are becoming increasingly aware of their diets and are tuning in to the psychological rewards of ‘looking good’ and its ‘halo effect’ as a large dictator of acceptance. According to Daniel Hammermesh, author of the book ‘Beauty Pays: Why attractive people are more successful’, beautiful people in the workplace earn 3-4% higher than people with less then average looks. Perhaps a reason why UAE Millennials are more intent on personal appearance than the rest of the region. While a study by Kenealy, Frude and Shaw indicates that an individuals attractiveness is an important social cue, used by others as a basis for social evaluation. Bureaucracy haters: With no trust in dictatic or authoritarian institutions, Millennials prefer to usher their own perceptions of what is best for themselves, preferring to adapting systems to themselves, as opposed to adapting themselves to systems. They are a generation with a heightened awareness of flaws, moments of weakness, and the fact that any public figure potentially has a scandal looming around the corner. They have begun rejecting any attempted “public displays of perfection” as inauthentic. Those individuals who take themselves too seriously, carefully guarding their “realness” behind a mask of flawlessness, may be doomed to be mocked and un-liked, while Millennials embrace self-effacing and imperfect personalities.

DRIVERS

M E N A

4 | SELF-UPGRADES 3

�Getting in shape makes me a happier person – 27, Female, Lebanon

�I don’t believe a book can change my life – being in great shape? HELL YEAH

– 30, Male, KSA

Nothing matters when you’re not healthy. – 27, Female, Lebanon

�Being in shape will make me more confident. This confidence will give me the ability to do whatever it takes to change my life forever

– 25, Male, Lebanon

�It’s beach season. I’ll read that life altering book on the beach, looking super hot

– 25, Female, UAE

Source: JWT MENA 8 trends for 2013; JWT Generations; Ypulse.com

Page 13: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

M E N A

4 | SELF-UPGRADES… 3

59

41

50

50

56

44

64

36

81

19

53

47

Get in the best shape of my life

Read a book that will change my life

forever

Body vs. Mind (Country) Percentage of MENA Millennials who would rather:

Figure 4A:

Egypt Morocco Tunisia KSA UAE Lebanon

48

52

68

32

Get in the best shape of my life

Read a book that will change my life

forever

Body vs. Mind (Gender) Percentage of MENA Millennials who would rather:

Figure 4B:

Male Female

Source: Brand Intelligence ‘This Summer would you Rather.. ?’ Survey 2013

COUNTRY AND GENDER BREAKDOWNS

Page 14: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

���YOLO (You Only Live Once): In an environment that is now open to change, Millennials believe it is time to invest in themselves and collect experiences. These go-getters are constantly seeking out outlets and opportunities to experience novelty and build up new ones. Trial, flaws and failure are an acceptable part of the learning process and they are readily willing to recalculate their route when they make a mistake. Constantly challenging themselves, they are always open to changes and opportunity that will drive them a step closer to their dreams. Lack of anticipation: The borderless acceleration and amplification of information and routines has spurred an ecosystem of predictability, with the anticipation of Arabs trying out something new being close to nothing. 79% of Arab Millennials look for new experiences to enjoy, preferring to pack their time with dense, high quality multidimensional experiences, which provide stimulation not escape, particularly high among Egyptian Millennials 81%. Experience cramming: More and more of our identities are wrapped up in our online and offline personas and this requires work to stay on the trending edge. Arabs now seek experiences in a shorter amount of time, as an ever-richer source of social status.

DRIVERS

M E N A

5 | EXHILARATION & SURPRISES 3

�I feel younger with new experiences. – 30, Female, Tunisia

Doing things for the first time is far more impactful and is saved in your memory forever.

– 27, Male, KSA

�Trying anything new, awakens your enthusiasm for other things.

– 32, Male, Lebanon

New experiences give you a fresh perspective and inspire you.

– 22, Female, Egypt

Each new experience makes me feel alive. – 26, Male, Tunisia

I want to do things that I can share with someone and have a great story to tell afterwards.

– 27, Male, Lebanon

Source: JWT MENA 8 trends for 2013; JWT Generations

Page 15: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

M E N A

5 | EXHILARATION & SURPRISES… 3

94

6

93

7

100

84

16

94

6

94

6

Experience something totally

new and blood rushing

Party every night with a different

girl/guy until dawn

Figure 5A:

Egypt Morocco Tunisia KSA UAE Lebanon

91

9

96

4

Experience something totally

new and blood rushing

Party every night with a different

girl/guy until dawn

Figure 5B:

Male Female

Mindful indulgences vs. Mindless impulsiveness (Country) Percentage of MENA Millennials who would rather:

Mindful indulgences vs. Mindless impulsiveness (Gender) Percentage of MENA Millennials who would rather:

Source: Brand Intelligence ‘This Summer would you Rather.. ?’ Survey 2013

COUNTRY AND GENDER BREAKDOWNS

Page 16: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

DRIVERS

M E N A

6 | SUPER-NICHENESS 3

���‘Go Niche or Go Home’ mentality: One of the adaptive strategies Millennials employ to cope with their rising stress levels is a phenomenon known as ‘Mono-tasking’ - being totally absorbed with by one activity, to tune out the rest of the world. While this is very different from their characteristically older ‘multi-tasking’ Gen X’ers, it sets the stage for a group that is turning to super-niche interests to both soothe themselves or stand out in the crowds. While older Millenials were taught to pad their resumes with a wide range of activities, young Millennials are increasingly finding one thing they are passionate about and making it their focus. With ‘niche expertise’ becoming a main goal from a much younger age. Low barriers to entry: Whereas once, cultural emphasis was placed on safer education, career ladders and pension plans, today’s youth are less risk averse. A career is no longer regarded as a single linear trajectory, it is flexible and has many possible ways. Arab youth are ambitiously impatient and refuse to waste time climbing corporate ladders, opting instead for productive autonomy and wanting to be their own boss. Unprecedented access to information about any topic imaginable as well as pocket communities and platforms online where one can showcase and promote their self-niche-ness or niche businesses, are key elements to the profound ‘Maker Movement’ in the Arab world today.

�It’s not about competing with other people, in this journey you compete with yourself .. You are your own opponent

- Generations

Work is slavery, business makes you a master – 25, Male, Egypt

My own business allows me to control my life, not be controlled by others

– 25, Male, KSA

I would have less constraints and les pressure – 29, Female, Morocco

A promotion is instant happiness. A business is building something for the long run that will always be mine – 27, female, Egypt

Page 17: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

M E N A

6 | SUPER-NICHENESS… 3

73

27

80

20

56

44

68

32

56

44

74

26

Start the business I've always dreamt

of

Get a promotion at work

Independence vs. Dependence(Country) Percentage of MENA Millennials who would rather:

Figure 6A:

Egypt Morocco Tunisia KSA UAE Lebanon

71

29

71

29

Start the business I've always dreamt

of

Get a promotion at work

Independence vs. Dependence(Gender) Percentage of MENA Millennials who would rather:

Figure 6B:

Male Female

Source: Brand Intelligence ‘This Summer would you Rather.. ?’ Survey 2013

COUNTRY AND GENDER BREAKDOWNS

Page 18: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

WHAT IT MEANS FOR BRANDS

Image credit: JWT Brazil Generations

Page 19: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

M E N A

2. Gen Y doesn’t accept a professorial, didactic or authoritarian tone, coming from someone who “owns” the truth and is teaching others who are not. Allow them to co-create. Provide choice.

3. Give priority to AUTHENTICITY and FUNCTIONALITY; show them how a product will make their lives better rather than making them bigger, and not believable.

1. Find ways to bring the LIKE MINDED together; through specific interests or mindsets or incorporate relationship-building dynamics into activations and events.

4. Never laugh at them, but WITH THEM IRONY and SARCASM are the ways of humor that better captivate them and make it easier for them to work through their flaws.

Page 20: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

5. Make them protagonists of your brand story. Gen Y doesn’t want to see life through a screen; They want to be actors in the experience itself.

8. SURPRISE THEM!! enrapture them with the unexpected and become an ingredient for a status story to tell.

7. Address their craving for adventure, build a sense of ADVENTURE into brand experiences.

6. Be a tool to help them improve their lives or the world at large; disrupt the STATUS QUO or have a PURPOSE

Page 21: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

THOUGHT STARTERS

Page 22: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

M E N A

POWER WOMAN MOTIVATIONS 22  

THOUGHT STARTERS

•  Think Participation: Millennials are interested in participating in your marketing. Has your brand built a listening and participation strategy that will help you connect to your brand advocates?

•  Think Speed: Millennials plan and make decisions much faster than the older generations. Make sure your information and transactions are easily accessible. Don’t keep them waiting

•  Think Groups: This group is social – they appreciate and seek out peer affirmation – but will do what is best for themselves. Millennials love brands whose purpose (or “why,” if you prefer) inspires them. How does your brand enhance or detract from their social media experience? Two of the most likely ways to create shareworthiness are either to disrupt the status quo and or to have a purpose.

•  Think Niche: Give them the means to shine within their tribes. The best way to get them to

share your brand, is to make them feel good about themselves when they buy it.

Page 23: Summer Voltage Deep Dive

M E N A

THANK YOU

Brand Intelligence MEA 47 Patriarch Howeiyek St. P.O. Box 11-3093 Beirut, Lebanon www.jwt.com

Summer Voltage

Head of Brand Intelligence Mennah Ibrahim Head of Corporate Communications Philippa Clayre Field Survey MENA Planners

Rita Haddad

CONTACT

Mennah Ibrahim [email protected]

Phillipa Clayre [email protected]

© 2013 J. Walter Thompson Company. All Rights Reserved

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 for brands such as Johnson & Johnson, Diageo’s Smirnoff, Macy’s, Ford and HSBC. JWT embraces a “worldmade” philosophy, making things inspired by the world through blending technological innovation with international imagination. JWT has forged deep relationships with clients including Bayer, Bloomberg, Brand USA, Cadbury, Diageo, DTC, Ford, HSBC, Johnson & Johnson, Kellogg’s, Kraft, Nestlé, Nokia, Rolex, Royal Caribbean, Schick, Shell, Unilever, Vodafone and many others. JWT’s parent company is WPP (NASDAQ: WPPGY). For more information, please visit www.jwt.com and follow us @JWT_Worldwide Brand Intelligence MENA: is the center for provocative thinking that is part of JWT. We make sense of the chaos in a world of hyper-abundant information and constant innovation – finding quality amid the quantity. We focus on identifying changes in the regional zeitgeist so as to convert shifts into compelling opportunities for brands. We have done this on behalf of multinational clients across several categories including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food and home and personal care.