Author: Annabel Bolton, Shenel Wickramaratne
Technological enhancements are showing up more regularly — and often inconspicuously — in the consumer experience today. Opportunities here include wearable tech, like smart watches, in-app or in-store gamification, and augmented reality (AR).But it also means showing up in digital communities, engaging with consumers through comments online and chat functionalities — to sustain touchpoints both online and offline.These kinds of interactions offer a means of elevating brand touchpoints and enhancing customer engagement to distinguish brand offerings amid an abundance of choice for consumers. And with 70 percent of retail sales now digitally influenced, according to The Business of Fashion and…
Consumers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) want more than products from the brands they purchase — they expect meaningful engagement, exceptional service and to feel a sense of community and connection.BoF’s latest knowledge report, Building Brand Resonance With Gulf Consumers, in partnership with Snap Inc. in MENA, examines strategies for regional and global fashion and beauty brands to create lasting impact and culturally resonant activations in the GCC. “Community is not just a marketing level in the Gulf — it’s a currency of trust,” says Hussein Freijeh, Snap Inc.‘s vice president and general manager of the Middle East.Indeed, building…
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) — which consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — is proving a bright spot for the fashion and beauty industries today.These countries and their governments are investing heavily and strategically to diversify their economies, with key aspects of spend channelled into creative, retail and tourism industries — and their fashion and beauty markets are benefitting.Euromonitor International forecasts the apparel and fashion market in the GCC to be worth $51.3 billion by 2027, up from $40.2 billion in 2023. Meanwhile, the beauty and personal…