Brands in the UAE Turning Social

UAE, December 23, 2014 (Newswire.com) - If social media was a portal to connecting people, it has increasingly become a platform to connect people to brands. Gone are the days when social media was merely about entertainment and socializing; now it’s all about customer engagement, promotions and raising awareness. The Winter Collection at ABC, Christmas Buffet at XYZ or the handcrafted miracles of small online start-ups are filling up news feeds and brands have never had a better hold on people.

In the UAE, advertising and digital agencies offer Social Media Services as an integral part of their offerings, as more brands are now interested in establishing a strong online presence. Mr. Nitya Singbal, Managing Director of Digital Canvas Design Consultants, a fully serviced communications agency specialized in online marketing and operating from Oud Metha, says that his company has been approached by several brands, looking to engage in social media activities. “We have a unique way of establishing our clients’ presence online. We conduct thorough research into the target audience and update the feed regularly with activities that would appeal to them & establish a feeling of affinity towards the brand even among non-users.” Their methods have been successful in that they have managed to build fanbases of over 100,000 for their clients. In June 2014, research by Nielsen showed that smartphone penetration in the UAE is over 78% (one of the highest in the MENA region) and around 88% are active users of social networking sites. Social media is here to stay and brands will do well to get in the game.