Why Expo 2020 Is a Prime Business Opportunity for UAE Influencers
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Why Expo 2020 Is a Prime Business Opportunity for UAE Influencers
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By Syeda Saniya Fatima, Analyst, Botho Emerging Markets Group
August 31, 2021
Expo 2020’s theme “Connecting Minds and Creating the Future” encapsulates the promising future of Dubai’s content creator industry. Touted as the “influencer capital of the world” by The Guardian, the UAE has developed influencer-friendly policies and tapped content creators to raise awareness of government initiatives and accelerate social and economic change. As Dubai hosts Expo 2020, the country’s influencers will find a lucrative opportunity to optimize the national priorities as the UAE's digital diplomats by partnering with the Expo participants
Expo 2020 will serve as the opportunity for influencers to partner with the UAE government. Previously, the UAE government has led the way in recognizing the scope of digital influencers by introducing policies to regularize the role of influencers in the UAE’s economy. In 2018, the UAE mandated that influencers obtain a National Media Council license to engage in commercial activity. While the regulation aimed to plug grey areas such as transparency regarding paid promotions and content ownership, it received mixed feedback for mounting additional costs for influencers. However, the government has balanced dismay towards these regulations by introducing forward-thinking initiatives, such as a media-focused free zone for influencers that hosts high-profile media organizations and fosters the creative ecosystem in the region. The authorities also introduced academic diplomas for social media influencers from the Muhammad Bin Rashid School of Communication and Dubai Press Club to support the growth of influencers and promote their inclusion into the UAE’s knowledge economy. The diploma’s objectives — ethical training and false news detection — highlight the government’s commitment to reduce misinformation and promote truth-in-advertising while instilling consumer and corporate confidence in the industry.
In addition to the regularization of the influencer environment and proactively implementing influencer-friendly policies, the government has also engaged influencers to advance awareness of public welfare initiatives. One such initiative is the 10 Million Meal Campaign, a charity campaign led by the UAE government to feed the needy during Ramadan. Popular influencers, such as Taim Al Falasi, encouraged their followers to donate to the public-private charity. Beyond local personalities, the UAE’s Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing has tapped international influencers and travel agencies in Dubai for its “Live Your Story” initiative to promote its pandemic-safe tourism initiatives. These collaborations have not only expanded the market for government-influenced partnerships, but they have also helped the government’s communications strategy by raising awareness of positive initiatives and shaping the country’s image abroad.
The UAE government’s commitment to promoting the engagement of influencers and the larger creative industry is rooted in identifying the rise of social media in the region, particularly during the pandemic. As the pandemic continues to loom across different parts of the world, influencers will play a critical role in taking Expo 2020 to social media users across the globe. By promoting the cosmopolitan UAE, influencers can take the UAE’s cultural brand far and wide by collaborating with the visiting participants and the hosting authorities.
Influencers Can Maximize The Impact Of Expo Initiatives
The UAE government’s investment in partnerships with the influencer industry promotes influencer engagement optimization to promote Expo 2020 initiatives. A recent survey by BPG Group reveals that the region's top influencer categories are entertainment, food, travel, tech, and arts and culture. These categories align with Expo 2020’s designated themes of innovation and tech, entertainment, arts and culture, and food. For example, Expo 2020 looks to promote sustainability through gastro-initiatives promoting planetary diet amongst consumers. Considering 73% of consumers in the region have said that social media influencers have influenced their purchasing habits, the industry provides a massive opportunity for Expo 2020 to maximize the impact of its initiatives on consumers.
Visiting Countries Bring Opportunities For Collaboration
Beyond the UAE-led Expo initiatives, the event’s 180+ participating countries are a considerable growth opportunity for cultural influencers. They can look to expand beyond their local markets while also helping the organizers extend their outreach. Germany's culture lab, for example, is hosting a Robo Beethoven, a musical by robots, that will be a futuristic, tech-enabled performance. Meanwhile, Bahrain’s key Expo 2020 initiatives include promoting Bahraini cuisine and its traditional weaving industry. These initiatives are one of the many examples from the Expo 2020, where visiting countries are showcasing their culture to draw in audiences and build cultural capital. The influencers can play a crucial role in extending the impact of these initiatives by creating custom content, reaching new audiences, and familiarising their followers with different cultures. Moreover, as many of these initiatives are innovation-driven and often tech-enabled like Germany’s Robo Beethoven, partnering with the right influencer in the UAE can boost the creative industry of these countries while also fostering collaboration across industries like technology and the creative sector.
Influencing Their Way Into Digital Diplomacy
Diplomacy is no longer solely the territory of ambassadors. Influencers are increasingly playing the role of digital diplomats. Popular figures like the UAE’s Khaled Al Ameri have attracted a global audience, even networking with the national figureheads of countries they have visited (in his case, the president of Pakistan). These local influencers can help deepen the cultural ties between the UAE and other countries as they often engage with diverse populations as part of their social media content, showcasing lesser-known cultures and traditions to their followers while also inadvertently promoting tourism for the country. Social media influencers like Pakistan’s Irfan Junejo have also established reputation and relations across Pakistan’s border, helping in smoothening ties with the country’s strained neighbors, India, indicating the potential of digital diplomacy. Closer home in the UAE, a drama approved by Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR), the PR wing of the Pakistani Armed forces, engaged with an Indian influencer in the UAE to promote the show and encourage harmony between India and Pakistan, indicating the diplomatic opportunity for diaspora influencers. The participating governments from these emerging markets can also collaborate with such influencers to bridge ties between the UAE and their respective countries and widen their local productions’ reach.
The role of influencers in the UAE and during Expo 2020 extends beyond digital marketing. For the influencers, Expo 2020 is an opportunity to pivot from promoting commercial products to advancing public policy and strengthening cultural ties while the participating countries can look to tap into the influencer reach to maximize their impact and exposure beyond the pavilion visitors.
Syeda Saniya Fatima is an Analyst at Botho Emerging Markets Group
For more information, contact Saniya here.