Use of Social Media in Wedding Planning

Wedding planning usually requires a lot of time and efforts. It is not easy to organize the party, the guests and all the other wedding “affairs”. That is why it is a good to get some help. No, we are not talking about expensive wedding agents or planners. We will suggest a free solution that will help you organize and arrange almost everything connected to your wedding. We have found
the answer to your prayers and its name is… social media!


Social media is widely used by companies for marketing and advertising. But how can it help you and your wedding? Have you even thought of your Big Day as a publicity campaign? It very much resembles one: you want more people to know about the event, you want to stay in touch with your guests and inform them, you want to connect with vendors and to look for advices… So what is the best way to promote a publicity campaign? Social media, of course! Here are some areas in which social websites can enhance your wedding planning activities and experience:

Inform Your Guests

When you start organizing your Big Day you will see that your schedule and plans will constantly change. You may have to move the date or your wedding location, for example. If that happens you must quickly inform your family and friends. However, letters and phone calls will take you a lot of time and they will cost you a lot of money. That is why it is better to use some of the advantages of social websites.

Create a profile or a page on some social network. Then connect with all your guests and start posting info and updates about the upcoming event. Another thing you can do is develop a website or a blog dedicated to your wedding. In that way you will reach even those of your guest who are not fond of social networks. You can also upload your registry in your site/blog so that guests can easily access it and browse it.Look for Ideas and Inspiration

Look for Ideas and Inspiration

Social websites are the prefect source for ideas and inspiration. There you can take a look at the social pages of different wedding planners. Many of them regularly update their profiles with thematic photo albums. Moreover, some of them even post wedding tips and advices. Through social media you can use the experience of wedding experts for free. Also, you can connect with other wedding enthusiasts and exchange knowledge with them.

Find, Research

For your wedding you will need to find bridal shops, caterers, photographers and etc. You can do that in three ways: go out and do the impossible to search the whole town, leave it to someone else or use social websites. We recommend you take the last option. In that way you will feel in control of the situation and you will also spend less money and time. Use the search functions of social platforms to find the best stores and professionals in your area. Then research them by looking at
their page. Also, make sure you read some comments and reviews made by people who have used their services. After you make your choice, contact them and arrange a meeting.

Share Your Best Moments

Take the social websites to share pictures and videos from your wedding. You can also publish snaps of your wedding planning activities like choosing your cake, dress fittings or invitations signing. Most social websites support media sharing so you won’t have a problem with that. In addition, there are special social platforms developed only for media sharing and storing. Some of them even offer editing tools with which you can fix some more inappropriate photos or create a slide show for your family and friends.


If you use social media and all these ideas, you will certainly organize your Big Day faster, cheaper and easier.

Top 10 Search Terms In The UAE in 2012

With the year drawing to a close, Google has once again released its annual zeitgeist report, highlighting the most searched terms around the world in 2012.

Globally, US singer Whitney Houston who tragically died in February 2012, was the top ‘trending’ search of the year. Korean rap singer Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’ music video, which is close to reaching one billion hits this year on YouTube, came second on the list. It was followed by Hurricane Sandy, the superstorm that hit the US and Carribean coast earlier this year.
The top ‘trending searches’ were the terms that saw the highest amount of traffic over a sustained period in 2012, said Google.
Psy’s Gangnam Style, which now holds the record for the most watched and most ‘liked” video on YouTube, was the most searched term in the UAE, followed by Apple’s iPad 3.

The UAE’s top trending search terms in 2012

1. Gangnam Style
2. iPad 3
3. Olympics 2012
4. Samsung Galaxy S3
5. The Avengers
6. Skyfall
7. Hurricane Sandy
8. مسلسلات رمضان ٢٠١٢ (Ramadan Series 2012)
9. KONY 2012
10. الثورة السورية (Syrian Revolution)

The UAE’s top trending people in 2012

1. Whitney Houston
2. شما حمدان (Shamma Hamdan- the first Emirati woman to reach the finals of Arabs Got Talent)
3. Kate Middelton
4. يوسف القرضاوي (Al Qaradawi- Islamic scholar)
5. فيليكس بومجارتنر (Felix Baumgartner)
6. Usain Bolt
7. Karina Kapoor
8. محمد مرسي (Mohammed Mursi)
9. Adele
10. إبراهيم الفقي (‎Ibrahim al-Fiqi)

Renault launches its first brand campaign for GCC region

'Milestones' is the first Renault Brand campaign in the GCC, highlighting its four pillar models: Renault Duster, Renault Safrane, Renault Fluence and Renault Megane Hatch. Since 2009, Renault sales in the region have shown a fantastic growth momentum of 323% to date.

The new fully localised campaign represents a new step in Brand development and reflects Renault's long term commitment towards consumers in the GCC.

'Milestones' is a 360 degree communication campaign promoted through TV, print and digital media across the GCC. The TV commercial is directed by an Emirati film director. In this film, Renault clearly articulates its people-centric values through highlighting key milestones in people's life such as marriage, graduation, work promotion or having a baby - events that Renault is always part of.

Renault's 'Milestones' campaign will run until 20 December 2012, offering retail customers a free-of-charge service package for two years or 40,000 kilometres (whichever comes first, in line with Renault's service maintenance book). The offer is available on the purchase of any of the car models featured in the promotion.

Renault GCC has created a digital platform on www.renault-milestones.com to provide information on all the cars and allow potential buyers to register for test drives. The entire campaign is also supported through social media activity on the Renault GCC Facebook page, Renault GCC YouTube channel and Renault GCC Twitter.

Mustansir Lakdawala, Managing Director of Renault GCC, said, "We have registered strong sales momentum since 2009. This year marks record sales for Renault since its establishment in the GCC. At the end of October 2012, Renault GGC has sold more units than we did during the 12-months of 2011. We are confident that 'Milestones' will further drive this momentum and firmly boost our Brand awareness."

Benoit Turibe, Marketing Director of Renault GCC, said, "Renault is a 'people centric' Brand. The 'Milestones' TV commercial delivers with emotion and simplicity our Brand's philosophy. Renault offers excellent quality / price ratio with models that suit the needs of the cosmopolitan population living in the region and this is why there's a Renault for every 'Milestones' in life. In this direction, it was obvious and necessary for us to localize this campaign at all levels; from the selection of a local director to the local casts and to the shooting of the film in the region. This campaign is also a 'Milestone' for us in our Brand development strategy for the GCC. The Renault Brand potential is massive and we are here to stay."

Kuwait To Regulate Social Media

The country is planning to pass laws this year to control the use of social networking sites.

Kuwait plans to pass laws this year to regulate the use of social networking sites such as Twitter, the information minister said on Tuesday, in the wake of cases of alleged blasphemy and sectarianism that have prompted protests.

Twitter is extremely popular in Kuwait and many public figures use the messaging site to debate politics, share gossip and advertise events. Unlike print media, television and books, the state does not have the ability to censor electronic media and lacks specific laws for prosecution.

“The government is now in the process of establishing laws that will allow government entities to regulate the use of the different new media outlets such as Twitter in order to safeguard the cohesiveness of the population and society,” Information Minister Sheikh Mohammad al-Mubarak Al-Sabah said.

While the Kuwaiti press enjoys greater freedom than media outlets in some other Gulf states, it is under government surveillance and there are certain “red lines” local journalists know they must not cross.

The government also clamps down on comments deemed to incite sectarian tension.

Kuwait has so far used its criminal code to bring charges against individuals for slander or libel.
A court sentenced a Kuwaiti writer to seven years in jail earlier this month and ordered that he pay nearly $18,000 in compensation after ruling that his comments on Twitter had caused sectarian divisions.

Police arrested another man last month, charging him of blasphemy on Twitter. He denied this, saying his account had been hacked, according to his lawyer.

Both cases triggered small street protests.

Kuwaiti MPs from across the political spectrum have voiced concern about sectarian tensions.

Sheikh Mohammad said laws regulating social media needed to be passed as soon as possible.

“I have been asking the parliamentarians to give this priority,” he said on the sidelines of a parliament session, adding he hoped the measures would be implemented this year.

Islamist Member of Parliament Mohammad al-Dallal, who specialises in legal matters related to the media, said he thought the legislation could be passed as early as June given strong support among fellow deputies.

“Twitter is an open area … everyone can speak. But it is not always being used as social media in Kuwait – not about friendship or personal matters but it is being used politically, to attack. This is a bad thing,” he said.

Source - Reuters

What is the trick to handle the most loyal consumer?

Loyalty towards a brand is all what marketers demand from the new age consumers. With them getting spoiled for choices every day, dreadfully less are the chances of mastering the way to make that happen. But consumers of MENA region think and act differently from the rest of the world they have shown extreme devotion towards a brand making them the most trusty brand shoppers.

According to Ernst & Young's 2012 MENA Customer Barometer, MENA consumers are among the most brand loyal consumers in the world. 25% of respondents in the UK and the US stated that brand influences their purchasing decision compared to 29% in Saudi Arabia, 31% in the UAE, 33% in Bahrain, 34% in Jordan and 35% in Oman.

The report also reveals that consumers are now harder to define, understand, and please than ever before and that MENA brands are facing challenges to adapt to 'Chameleon Consumers'.

Five broad trends emerged from the survey, covering ten different products and services:

1. Traditional market segmentation no longer holds true. The 'chameleon' consumer has conflicting preferences and facets, which need to be accommodated.

2. Brands are increasingly likely to influence purchasing decisions within emerging markets, unlike the mature markets where lower loyalty is challenging companies.

3. Personalized communication and service is a priority. There are huge opportunities for organizations that can harness digital consumers through closer 'community' vehicles, such as social media and other digital channels.

4. Consumers are now equipped with all possible product, price and stock information and can simply bypass retailers that don't engage consumers with relevant information and a compelling purchase pitch.

5. These new empowered customers want a greater say in how they experience service and to be active 'co-creators', not passive consumers.

Defying categorization: the chameleon consumer

Ross Maclean, Customer Advisory Leader, Ernst & Young MENA, says: "The survey finds that in recent years, customer behavior has changed beyond recognition. In becoming a 'chameleon', the consumer has undergone a radical 'metamorphosis' and this change has significant consequences for all customer-centric organizations."

The challenge of categorizing consumers is demonstrated by differences in consumer behaviour between regions. The survey reveals, for example in Jordan, 74% of consumers want to pay by cash, while in the UAE the figure is just 39%. In Bahrain, 21% prefer to shop online, while in Lebanon and Jordan the figure is half that, at 10%, and in Kuwait it is 12%. Adding to the complexity is the very large number of transient expat workers in MENA countries, all with different habits and preferences.

Brand loyalty - products commanding greater affinity compared to services

Despite MENA's high numbers, the survey uncovers a regional split in brand loyalty. In MENA and other emerging markets, brands are increasingly likely to influence purchasing decisions, while brand loyalty is on the wane in the West.

Within MENA, the areas where brand affinity is highest are the more "product-driven" environments (food, clothing). Within the typically more "service-driven" environments (banking and insurance), emotional connection with brands is lagging. Consumers demonstrate an average of just 54% loyalty level to these service-driven sectors, compared with 66% to industries where the focus is more product-led.

"While brand loyalty in MENA is much stronger than in other global geographies, there is still an anomaly between loyalty to products and loyalty to services. This highlights the need for organizations to recognize the importance of customer experience in driving customer acquisition, growth and retention. Customer experience is the new brand." says Ross.

Consumer communication gets personal

Customers have turned their backs on established media channels and are electing their own spokespeople. The survey identifies a divide between mature and less mature markets' perceptions of the value of social media. When asked to rate the medium's worth as an objective tool for finding and validating information, globally, consumers gave it an unexceptional 5.4 out of 10; however, the more positive consumers of the MENA region responded with 6.3, as did China.

Ross adds: "MENA consumers have a new voice, they are amongst the most digitally engaged on the planet and their expectations are higher than they have ever been. Through social media, blogs, brand communities and other online forums, consumers are sharing their views, preferences, likes and dislikes with anyone who cares to listen."

Knowing it all, having it all

The report reveals that the web has inverted the global power relationship. It has given consumers the means to have it all their own way. In the MENA region, 65% go online at least once during the shopping process — above the global average of 62%, and above India (64%), though slightly behind China (68%). Within the MENA region however, there are some interesting country variations in willingness to shop online: in Jordan, 43% buy predominantly in-store, while just 10% shop mainly online. However, in the UAE, 38% say they shop mainly in-store and 21% online.

From consumer to co-creator

Consumers now want bespoke attention whenever they deal with a product or service provider, all the way through the shopping experience — from innovations they help shape, to immediate rewards for loyalty. Payment is one area where consumers want it their way. According to the survey, 39% of consumers globally prefer to pay by cash, whereas in MENA, 60% opt for cash, much higher than the global average of 39%.

"The trends identified in our survey have urgent implications for businesses in MENA. An understanding of these implications, supported by the solid principles of effective marketing, will help organizations navigate the new consumer environment. Engaging in dialogue with consumers, making service personal and providing an end-to-end brand experience are essential for the success of any business," concludes Ross.