1.
10 TRENDS
for MENA
2015
May 2015
J. WALTER THOMPSON MEA
BRAND INTELLIGENCE MEA
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

2.
foreword
Dear reader,
J. Walter Thompson MEA has always believed in the need to understand change. Not just what’s
happening now, but what’s happening next. And also that insight, innovation, ideas and inspiration
are more often found by throwing the net wide outside our doors, to different sectors, communities,
disciplines and minds. When applied, the combination of all this knowledge can truly elevate work
and lead not just to creative solutions, but also shrewdly plotted strategies.
That’s why, five years ago, our agency made the pioneering move to set up what we now call Brand
Intelligence, with the purpose of interpreting these changes and what they mean for the future.
Brand Intelligence is J. Walter Thompson MEA’s trend forecasting, thought leadership and insight
platform, and its annual 10 Trends report has become widely known for setting the agenda on trends.
This report outlines 10 of the most compelling macro trends identified today—trends whose impact
will be felt in 2015 and beyond as they continue to unfold, the ones shaping societal mood, behaviors
and attitudes. This report explores where these trends stand now and where they’re headed, with
insights gleaned from a J. Walter Thompson MEA survey of consumers across six key regional markets
and a spectrum of industry experts and innovators.
Never has it been more important to understand change. The world is evolving at a rapid rate.
Consumers are changing their behavior and adopting services at breakneck speed, creating real
challenges for businesses but also exciting opportunities. It’s our aim to identify the changes that
matter, the most impactful ones, and help inspire brands to adapt and create future-ready initiatives.
We hope you enjoy.
Mennah Ibrahim
Head of Brand Intelligence
J. Walter Thompson MEA
2BRAND INTELLIGENCE MEAJ W T M E A

3.
inteience
3
executive
summary/
methodology
In our third annual forecast of MENA trends for the near
future, transformative shifts are happening amongArab
consumers as a result of hyper-connectivity in this digital
age.These better informed consumers are fully aware that
the regional turmoil of the past few years has stunted their
progression and disrupted their ambitions and hopes for
the future, and people are redefiningall of their priorities,
perspectives and affiliations, expecting brands to step up
with more responsibility than ever before. From empathetic
and ethical behavior to the convenience and service they
offer to speed of response in our culture of immediacy,
brands must make purchases seamless, offer highly
personalized services and put more good back into the
communities they take from, to win their audiences over.L
Leading almost all these trends is the young Millennial
Arab.They are early adopters of technology and new
services, particularly if they offer extra convenience and
long-term social value. Because they are more open to
alternative ideas than older cohorts, they are driving the
revolution in mobile payments; the rise of the
collaborative economy; and the equalization of gender,
transforming the way brands must do business.
Betterment is the prominent buzzword of the year, as
consumers become set on creating long-term social
change. These proactive cohorts are taking on the
responsibility of reshaping their identities, futures and
theArab landscape at large, leveraging crowd-power and
technology as the enablers of self-sustainable lifestyles.
Perhaps what is changing and challenging brands the most
today is the Millennial value system. The ideas of ownership
and traditional status markers are giving way to more
temporary and experiential purchases—like travel or rent—
that offer up a new angle, bring in a fresh perspective, or
provide the ingredients for telling a great status story. Raised
on good design, the Internet and social media, this
generation can decipher disputable elements immediately or
discover them online, meaning that brands need to be
utterly open and transparent with them.
Coupled with all of this, we see smartphones becoming
highly embedded in our everyday lives as the portal to the
world. It is the connection to our social circles, the channel
for shopping and payments, and the enabler of small
business growth. It is also the way we document and share
our lives.The phone’s ubiquity and convergence with
other digital devices is making people more aware of their
world and their own behavior, and they now expect their
data to provide real-time and better solutions, helping
them adjust to the situation at hand.
Bookmarking the Millennial cohort, the Middle East’s
population is growing older than it’s ever been, with a
generation of 50-plus consumers who are set to live
longer and more vivaciously than previous generations.
Here too, things are changing. This cohort is living with
an ageless sensibility. They are influential stakeholders in
their communities, and what’s more, they’re wealthy.
There will be endless opportunities to engage them with
appropriate products and services that bring the possibility
of an exciting new stage of life.
Methodology
This forecast is the result of quantitative, qualitative
and desk research conducted by Brand Intelligence
MEA throughout the year.L
Specifically for this report, we conducted a quantitative
survey from 5-19 Jan. 2015 across six key MENA
markets, using SONAR™, JWT’s proprietary online tool.
We surveyed a total of 1,661 adults aged 18+ in
Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and
Lebanon. We also received input from JWT planners
around our MENA network and interviewed experts
and influencers across sectors including media,
technology, retail and sociology.
J W T M E A BRAND INTELLIGENCE MEA

4.
J W T M E A 4
Benevolent Brands
As corporate distrust and contempt levels rise, Arabs are opting for
brands and companies that show them empathy, social conscience
and generosity—or, simply put—a more virtuous side.
Caring Tech
The proliferation of data—as consumers obsessively quantify
everything from footsteps to dollars spent—is leaving people
paralyzed for choice. However, with information architecture
becoming all the more sophisticated, brands can now prescribe
personally crafted solutions that inform a better, stronger, faster
now.
Generation B-Old
As the Middle East population grows older than it’s ever been,
the Arabworld is on the cusp of a demographic transition.Watch
for a proliferation of products and services catering to this
tenacious demographic as they strive to live independently in a
lifestyle landscape that has changed beyond their recognition.
Retail Rivalry
The crowd economy is gearing up, disrupting retail as we know
it. Better-informed shoppers and better tech are allowing small
businesses to grow in unexpected ways. As everyone (and
everything) becomes a retailer and the channel wars kick in,
brands must become increasingly imaginative about where,
how and when they sell their goods.
Mashing Up Tradition
Arab Millennials are ushering in new social norms with an “anything
goes” attitude and a new mindset that is open to alternative ideas.
People are now mashing up long held traditions with a mix of new
flavors, creating their own recipe of what feels right to them.
Bil 3arabi
We’ve entered an era where Arabic has officially regained its
“cool”factor.Newlanguagesystems,wordsandmethodsof
communication are emerging, as people hunger for content in
their mother tongue; visual and aural denotations of cultural
relevance that can only be polished off in Arabic—“Bil 3arabi.”
Nifty Naturals
Ever more aware of toxic lifestyles, the “worried well”are turning
to natural alternatives as they attempt to preserve (or restore)
their health, wellness and balance. As consumers look to
Mother Naturefor ingredients, remedies and superfoods, brands
and retailers must rethink their position and ingredient funnels in
the new natural marketplace.
Rise of the Incognito
Forget FOMO! If there’s anything our increasingly
connected world has taught us, it’s that there is an unlimited
amount of coolor meaningful things we are not doing. And with
this realization—that it’s not really that coolif everyone else is
already doing it—a growing segment of people are reclaiming
their privacy and shrouding themselves in anonymity, reveling in
the curiosity they’re evoking by evading the masses.
Everyday Extreme
Bogged down by mediocrity in a world where everything feels
so déjà vu, people are increasingly walking on the wild sideto
jolt the momentum of life. “Risky business”is taking on a
positive meaning, as the extremeversion of anything is now
widely assumed to be an improvement on the original,
motivating more young Arabs to take on experiences of
unconventional, daring and even unknown outcomes to put a
kickback into everyday life.
Buying Betterment G
Plagued by a constant battle between their consumerist
impulses and moral intents, Arabs are trading in mindless
indulgencesfor a more considered approach to living.
gravitating toward choices that draw on what’s better for themas
opposed to what’s gratifying,and seeking out purchases with less
negative impact or with a more sustainable effect on both
themselves and their societies.
1 0 T R E N D S F O R M E N A 2 0 1 5
inteience
BRAND INTELLIGENCE MEA

5.
5
J As corporate distrust and contempt levels rise, Arabs
are opting for brands and companies that show them
empathy, social conscience and generosity—or,
simply put—a more virtuous side.
Where It’s Headed
Consumption today is increasingly being driven from the
heart, and consumers are making choices based on their
positive impact on themselves and on their societies. After
years of one-sided corporate gain, people expect brands to
balance out the value exchange with sympathetic solutions
that demonstrate an understanding of their goals and most
pressing setbacks. Brands that stand to benefit are those that
will not only do good in their communities,but also represent
good and put good back into the cycle they “take from.”
“WE HAVE JUST COME TO TERMS WITH JUST HOW MUCH LLGL
PEOPLE ARE LACKING IN TERMS OF BASIC NEEDS AND
HOW MUCH OUT THERE NEEDS TO BE FIXED. IF WE ARE
TO MOVE OUR COUNTRIES AND THEIR CITIZENS
FORWARD, IT’S EVERYONE’S DUTY TO PITCH IN TO FIX
THIS—BRANDS INCLUDED.”
—TINO WAKED, FOUNDER OF TRAIN FOR AIM“
Where We are
benevolent brands01
J W T MEAinteience BRAND INTELLIGENCE MEA

6.
inteience
caring tech02
J W T MEA
J Theproliferationofdata—asconsumersobsessivelyquantify
everythingfromfootstepstodollarsspent—isleavingpeople
paralyzedforchoice.However,withinformationarchitecture
becomingallthemoresophisticated,brandscannowprescribe
personallycraftedsolutionsthatinformabetter,stronger,faster
now.
Where It’s Headed
The convergence of the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial
intelligence and Big Data is making people more aware of
their world and their own behavior.We are moving from the
territory of predicative technology that “knows”people to
the territory of prescriptive technology that “tells”people,
proactively helping them adjust to the situation at hand.
Instead of trying to blindly increase penetration and
frequency, future brands will understand people’s
consumption better and help them optimize their health,
wealth and happiness.LLGL
“PEOPLE ONLY KNOW WHAT THEY WANT, NOT
WHAT THEY NEED, AND CARING TECH SHOUlD BE G
PROACTIVE, STEMMING FROM [BRAND] INITIATIVE, GLLGL
NOT FROM CONSUMER DEMAND.”
—TAREK HADDAD, REGIONAL PLANNING DIRECTOR, JWT LEVANT
“
Where We are
6BRAND INTELLIGENCE MEA

7.
7
J As the Middle East population grows older than it’s
ever been, the Arab world is on the cusp of a
demographic transition. Watch for a proliferation of
products and services catering to this tenacious
demographic as they strive to live independently in a
lifestyle landscape that has changed beyond their
recognition.
Where It’s Headed
As Boomers seek independent and fulfilling lifestyles,
brands can no longer turn a blind eye to this growing
segment. There is a huge need for products that not
only give Boomer savings much-needed mileage, but
also allow them to enter a world of endless and
‘‘ageless’’possibilities, all the while ensuring that these
experiences are entertaining, easy to navigate and
safe.
WHERE WE ARE
generation b-old03
J W T MEAinteienceLG
“WHAT WE’RE DEALING WITH HERE IS A COHORT OF LLLLLGGGLLLLLLGLGGL
OPTIMISTS, WHO STILL WANT TO ADD VAl UE TO
THEIR LIVES AND THE LIVES OF OTHERS. TO THEM
THAT MEANS GETTING UP OFF THE COUCH AND
SEEKING OUT NEW EXPERIENCES FOR THEIR OWN
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT OR REALLY PAYING
ATTENTION TO PEOPLE AROUND THEM AND
FIGURING OUT HOW TO MAKE THEIR LIVES BETTER.”
—ROY HADDAD, DIRECTOR, WPP MEA
“
BRAND INTELLIGENCE MEA

8.
8
retail rivalry04
J W T MEAinteience
J The crowd economy is gearing up, disrupting retail as
we know it. Better-informed shoppers and better tech
are allowing small businesses to grow in unexpected
ways. As everyone (and everything) becomes a retailer
and the channel wars kick in, brands must become
increasingly imaginative about where, how and when
they sell their goods.
WHERE WE ARE
Where It’s Headed
As mobile devices and unbound connectivity help
make everything ‘‘shoppable,’’ the traditional buying
cycle becomes a continuous loop of marketing and
merchandising—informing, inspiring and helping guide
shoppers by way of various touchpoints so they can
buy as the need or impulse arises. The aim is to make
the process as fast and frictionless as possible. Taking
advantage of these new systems only opens up more
opportunities to capture consumers and frequently
enables new ways to gather data on ROI and shopper
behaviors.
GGGLLLGGGGLLLGLLGL
“WHAT WE’RE GOING TO SEE IS BRANDS MAKING MORE
DYNAMIC USE OF ALL THE CHANNELS OUT THERE, BUT IT
WON’T JUST BE ABOUT SHIFTING TO TECH, AS BRANDS ARE
GOING TO HAVE TO BECOME QUICKER AT PUTTING A
FACE OR VOICE IN FRONT OF CONSUMERS TO CLOSE THE
LOOP TO PURCHASE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.”
—TAREK HADDAD, REGIONAL PLANNING DIRECTOR, JWT LEVANT
“ BRAND INTELLIGENCE MEA

9.
9
J Arab Millennials are ushering in new social norms with
an “anything goes” attitude and a new mindset that is
open to alternative ideas. People are now mashing up
long held traditions with a mix of new flavors, creating
their own recipe of what feels right to them.
Where It’s Headed
Although traditions have always evolved and adapted to
the times, today they’re mutating at an increasingly rapid
pace, precisely because life is moving so fast.At times like
this, traditions—old and new—become more important
than ever, something to hold onto as everything else
changes around us. Brands have multiple opportunities to
place themselves at the heart of this tradition mashup,
guiding consumers down new paths or bringing back the
best of the nostalgic past into the present.
Where We AreGG
“THE TRADITIONS THAT ARE CHANGING THE MOST IN GLGLGG
OUR REGION ARE THE ONES THAT ARE HOLDING US
BACK AND THE ONES THAT WE CANNOT AFFORD TO
KEEP HOLDING ONTO, FOR FEAR OF MISSING OUT
ON A BETTER FUTURE.”LL
—MARIANNE AZZI, CLINICAL PSYCHIATRIST AND PSYCHOTHERAPIST
“
05 mashing up tradition
J W T MEAinteience BRAND INTELLIGENCE MEA

10.
1 0
bil 3arabi06
J W T MEA 1 0
inteience
J We’ve entered an era where Arabic has officially
regained its “cool” factor. New language systems,
words and methods of communication are emerging,
as people hunger for content in their mother tongue;
visual and aural denotations of cultural relevance that
can only be polished off in Arabic—“Bil 3arabi.”
Where We Are
Where It’s HeadedG
The primacy of Arabic over English is changing how we
see and understand both our region and ourselves, with
people pushing back against the proliferation of bland,
irrelevantArabic content around them. Given the rich
new toolset of ways to communicate inArabic, we’re
growing accustomed to consuming information that’s
dominated by our words, coming to favor‘‘Arabic
colloquial’’over the ‘‘traditional,’’ and increasingly, we’re
thinking visually; searching for authentic denotations that
articulate our emotions by calling upon cultural or
nostalgic icons and animations.
LLLG
“THIS EXPLOSION OF COMPELLING ARABIC CONTENT GGGLLLGLGGGLLLLGLLL
GROWING OUT OF THE REGION IS A DIRECT RESUlT OF
ACCESSIBILITY—WE NOW KNOW MORE,WE’VE
DEVELOPED OUR ARTISTIC TASTE ANDWE KNOW
HOW TO GET IT DONE. PEOPLE IN THE REGION ARE
BECOMING OPEN TO NEW AND ORIGINAL IDEAS THAT
PROBABLYWOUlD HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN DISMISSED
ORWRITTEN OFF AS NOT BEING CULTURALLY GLG
CONFORMING.”
—YASMINE HAMDAN, LEBANESE SONGWRITER AND ACADEMY AWARD GLLLLL
NOMINEE FOR THE SONG ‘‘HAL,’’ WRITTEN FOR THE SOUNDTRACK
OF JIM JARMUSCH’S MOVIE ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE
“
BRAND INTELLIGENCE MEA

11.
1 1
07
J W T MEAinteience
Ever more aware of toxic lifestyles, the “worried well” are
turning to natural alternatives as they attempt to preserve
(or restore) their health, wellness and balance. As
consumers look to Mother Nature for ingredients,
remedies and superfoods, brands and retailers must
rethink their position and ingredient funnels in the new
natural marketplace.
WHERE WE ARE
J
Where It’s Headed
While we’re not quite ready to go pure paleo, one
fact remains: people are shifting their priorities and
demanding natural products, with consumers
becoming increasingly sophisticated in their
expectations. Not only do they want less of the ‘‘bad’’
stuff (and this now includes gluten, lactose, etc.), they
also want more of the good.
“THERE IS A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY FOR FOOD LLLGLGG
MANUFACTURERS AND RETAILERS TO LEAD A HEALTHY
MOVEMENT BY PROVIDING THE PRODUCTS AND
SERVICES THAT CONSUMERS WANT AND NEED. WHILE
DIET FADS COME AND GO OVER TIME, INNOVATIVE,
BACK-TO-BASICS FOODS THAT TASTE GOOD, ARE EASY LL
LLGGL
HAVE STAYING POWER. THE FIRST STEP IS KNOWING
WHERE TO PUT YOUR PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT GLLL
EFFORTS.”
—SUSAN DUNN, PRESIDENT, CONSUMER PRODUCTS, NIELSEN L
“
BRAND INTELLIGENCE MEA

12.
1 2
Where It’s Headed
Human life is not a database of information, nor is
privacy merely an act of keeping information about
ourselves concealed from others. Humans have a need
to share and be social, yet they also need space to just
be. The fact of it is, privacy is similar to a seductive game
of ‘‘reveal and conceal’’—if and when people choose to
reveal it. Real privacy is about autonomy and exclusivity.
Forget FOMO! If there’s anything our increasingly
connected world has taught us, it’s that there is an
unlimited amount of cool or meaningful things we are
not doing. And with this realization—that it’s not really
that cool if everyone else is already doing it—a growing
segment of people are reclaiming their privacy and
shrouding themselves in anonymity, reveling in the
curiosity they’re evoking by evading the masses.
WHERE WE ARE
rise of the incognito08
J W T MEAL
“WHEN PEOPLE WANT PRIVACY THERE’S OFTEN THIS GGLLGLLLLGLLLLLGG
IDEA THAT, ‘OH, THEY ARE HIDING SOMETHING DIRTY,’
BUT THEY ARE REALLY JUST TRYING TO HOLD ONTO
THEMSELVES. JUST LIKE THAT 65-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO
IN HIS YOUTH HARBORED THE FANTASY OF BEING
A ROCK STAR AND STILL SPENDS HOURS BLISSFULLY
PRACTICING HIS GUITAR IN HIS BASEMENT. HE DOESN’T
WANT ANYONE TO KNOW, BECAUSE HE DOESN’T WANT GLG
ANYONE TO WRECK IT FOR HIM.”
—CHRISTENA NIPPERT-ENG, PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY AT THE LLLGGL
ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY IN CHICAGO AND
AUTHOR OF ISLANDS OF PRIVACY
“
inteience BRAND INTELLIGENCE MEA

13.
1 3
J Bogged down by mediocrity in a world where
everything feels so déjà vu, people are
increasingly walking on the wild side to jolt the
momentum of life. “Risky business” is taking
on a positive meaning, as the extreme version
of anything is now widely assumed to be an
improvement on the original, motivating more
young Arabs to take on experiences of
unconventional, daring and even unknown
outcomes to put a kick back into everyday life.
Where It’s Headed
As experientialism hits the mainstream, consumers
are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Experience
is now a given in stores and hospitality spaces, and
brands are having to work harder than ever to wow
customers, wrapping in the multi-sensorial, theatrics,
and even avant-garde art. Not only do consumers
want an experience that’s immersive and inspiring,
they’re increasingly open to being tested and taken
out of their comfort zone, for added bragging rights.
The next wave?A growing desire and appreciation for
either end of the extreme—dark, minimalistic and
even unknown experiences.
Where We ARE
everyday extreme09
J W T MEAGL
“GREATNESS NEVER COMES FROM PEOPlLE WHO GLLGLLLL
EAGERLY JUMP INTO BOXES ...IT ALWAYS COMES
FROM THOSE WHOSE IDENTITIES ARE CONFUSING,
AMBIGUOUS, IN-BETWEEN, A LITTLE SCANDALOUS,
UNASHAMEDLY DEVIANT, TANTALIZINGLY ELUSIVE.
PEOPLE WHO ARE LESS LIKE POLICEMEN OF THE SELF,
AND A LITTLE MORE LIKE ITS OUTLAWS.”
—"HOW TO ESCAPE THE AGE OF MEDIOCRITY," UMAIR HAQUELGLLLLLLLLLLL
“inteience BRAND INTELLIGENCE MEA

14.
1 4
JG Plagued by a constant battle between their
consumerist impulses and moral intents, Arabs are
trading in mindless indulgences for a more considered
approach to living. Gravitating toward choices that
draw on what’s better for them as opposed to what’s
gratifying, and seeking out purchases with less
negative impact or with a more sustainable effect on
both themselves and their societies.
Where It’s HeadedL
Long gone are the days of heedless living. Arabs are on
a quest for ‘‘betterment’’ through a more conscious and
considered approach to living. It’s not that they are
focused on living a life without consuming but that they
want to keep shopping for things that will make their
lives truly better. These consumers will be inclined to
apply more meaning to their purchases, to scrutinize
labels and quality more carefully and to tune out
marketing messages, as they take the time to reassess
what is truly betterfor them, thinking harder about the
value they’re getting for their money.
Where We ARE
buying betterment10
J W T MEAinteience BRAND INTELLIGENCE MEA

15.
About J. Walter Thompson
J.Walter Thompson, the world’s best-known
marketing communications brand, has been
inventing pioneering ideas for the past 150
years. Headquartered in NewYork, J. Walter
Thompson is a true global network with more
than 200 offices in over 90 countries, employing
nearly 10,000 marketing professionals. J. Walter
Thompson 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 hiring the industry’s
first female copywriter to developing award-
winning branded content today. For more
information, please visit www. jwt.com and
follow us @JWT_Worldwide.
About Brand Intelligence MEA
Brand Intelligence MEA is a center for
provocative thinking that focuses on identifying
shifts in the global zeitgeist. Its aim is to bring
the outside in—to help inspire ideas beyond
brand, category and consumer conventions—
and to identify emerging opportunities so
they can be leveraged for business gain. As a
part of JWT, the world’s best-known marketing
communications brand, Brand Intelligence MEA
has conducted trends research and analysis
across categories and geographies for half a
decade. For more information, please visit www.
jwt.com/mea and follow us @JWTMEA.
credits/
contact
J W T
LLG
B R A N D I N T E L L I G E N C E M E A
Brand Intelligence MEA
Mennah Ibrahim, Head of Brand Intelligence MENA
mennah.ibrahim@jwt.com
Dana El Hassan, Trends StrategistL
JWT SONAR™
Brittany Lewis
Contributors
Tarek Haddad and Rita Haddad
Art Direction & Design
Firas Safa and Roger Der Boghossian
For more details about this report, please contact:
Mennah Ibrahim, Head of Brand Intelligence MEA
mennah.ibrahim@jwt.com
Philippa Clayre, Head of Corporate Communication
philippa.clayre@jwt.com