Listen to the article

• 

Deloitte released its 2023 Global Marketing Trends report, providing for the first time insights into the priorities and concerns of brands in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The report covers the findings of a Deloitte survey conducted in June 2022, which indentifies sustainability and the metaverse among the most prominent marketing themes in the region.

Deloitte Digital Partner, Hussein M. Dajani said, "This survey provides valuable insights into the current state of marketing in the Middle East and the priorities for brands as they look to the future. We are encouraged to see a strong focus on sustainability, creative transformations, and the adoption of emerging technologies to drive growth and customer engagement."

Sustainability is a key focus area for the surveyed brand guardians in the region, as consumers today value efforts related to improving the sustainability of internal practices, the promotion of sustainable products and service offerings, as well as establishing long-term sustainability commitments.

64% of company leaders in Saudi Arabia are highlighting their internal sustainability practices in their marketing efforts. Additionally, over half of the  surveyed leaders (56%) expressed their commitment to long-term sustainability initiatives.

While in the United Arab Emiates, 56% of company leaders are taking steps to solidify their marketing strategies through long-term sustainability business commitments. Additionally, 54% of company leaders believe their marketing strategies should incorporate more sustainable products and service offerings.

In addition to sustainability, the Deloitte findings indicate that company leaders in the region also have their sights set on emerging technologies. A remarkable 90% of leaders in Saudi Arabia believe the metaverse will play a significant role in their brand strategy in the next two years. While in the UAE, 82% of leaders think that the metaverse will be a crucial part of their brand strategies also over next couple of years.

Dajani added, “This highlights the importance of staying ahead of the curve and embracing the latest technologies to remain competitive in the market. The findings show that high-growth brands are more likely to foster a creative environment, while the main reason cited by brands for not engaging in the metaverse is the difficulty of complex technology implementations.”