Kantar report shines light on forces driving brand growth in ME

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Four levers set growth brands apart from the rest: convenience, innovation, value, and communication
Four levers set growth brands apart from the rest: convenience, innovation, value, and communication

Published: Tue 26 Oct 2021, 6:23 PM

Shining a light on the forces that drive brand growth, Kantar has launched its 2021 BrandZ Emirati and Saudi Spotlight Report.

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A Staff Reporter

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Covering over 250 brands spanning 13 categories with opinions of 10,000 people from Saudi Arabia and the UAE through the lens of equity and consumer perceptions, the study provides insights on how consumer sentiment towards brands has changed between 2020 and 2021.


The report covers brands in categories ranging from banking, real estate, airlines and communication providers to retailers, food delivery services, skincare, video entertainment and dairy products to find out what sets apart those brands that have succeeded from those that have simply stayed afloat.

Brand growth is not hostage to brand size, category, or the marketplace. Even in these difficult times, one in 10 brands have been able to grow that all-important relationship with consumers by tapping into new, emerging needs with timely innovations, riding the wave of technology adoption in making consumers’ lives easier, and communicating effectively with their consumers.


The Kantar BrandZ spotlight report this year dives into how brands in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are faring and takes a slightly different approach which is befitting of the extraordinary times that brands have been operating in due to Covid-19.

Kantar BrandZ findings are usually based on two key contributors to brand value: financial value and brand contribution. Financial value is the proportion of the total dollar-value of the parent company that can be attributed to the brand in question, considering both its current and future performance. Brand contribution quantifies the proportion of this financial value that is directly driven by a brand’s equity. This is the ability of the brand to deliver value to the company by predisposing consumers to choose the brand over others or to pay more for it, based purely on perceptions. Together, these two factors give us a dollar figure for the brand value of each brand we assess.

“This year, we’re looking at more than 250 brands through the lens of equity and consumer perceptions alone. We are setting aside financial valuations and, instead of providing a dollar-based ranking of the most valuable brands, we shine a light on how consumer sentiment towards brands has changed between 2020 and 2021. This provides insight into how people feel coming out of a difficult year, and how winning brands have adapted to changing consumer behaviour,” explains Amol Ghate, MD for the Middle East, North Africa & Pakistan, Insights Division, Kantar.

Noon, with its extensive marketplace of goods, is widely seen by consumers as fitting well into everyday life and being a brand that will grow in importance. Noon VIP, offering free next-day delivery and priority customer support, offers delivery within 90 minutes through its new Noon Insta grocery service, launched during the pandemic. Talabat is another growth brand this year. Already the region’s largest online food ordering service, the brand has helped develop cloud kitchens for online-only restaurants.

Careem is another brand powering growth through meaningful innovation. Originally developed as a ride-hailing app, Careem has expanded to become a one-stop-shop that handles food and drink deliveries, bus rides and anything else that involves reliably and comfortably getting people and products from A to B. The business was acquired by Uber in early 2020 and looks to other categories for inspiration in providing the most seamless user experience possible.

The food and beverage brand Almarai serves as a powerful example of the growth that’s possible when communication, backed by innovation, is done well. In 2020, the brand further increased its investments and focused on media efficiency as part of its communication strategy, at a time when the pandemic led many brands to cut back on their investment.

rohma@khaleejtimes.com


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