Major firms yet to get it right on social media

Worse still, typos keep cropping up on poorly designed web pages, says Leidar findings

UAE business groups haven’t got the hang of communicating via social media. In fact, some among them still have a lot of catching up to do even on their basic web presence, according to findings by a Swiss-based branding and marketing consultancy.

“A large proportion of those analysed have a corporate identity that would benefit from a refreshed view,” the report by Leidar states. “Designs, typos, and broken links which are hard to ignore when first landing on their corporate websites.

“Information is often presented in a congested manner which makes it hard to read and grasp. Social media communication could also be improved in several ways, starting with regular activity, direct communication to followers, clear call-to-actions or purposive message.”

The findings are stark given the level of social and digital media usage that the UAE’s citizens engage in, seemingly every second of their waking hours. Even more so as the government is moving more of its service delivery and resident outreach through “smart” channels. For businesses not to play their part is thus a concern. The Leidar report is based on a comprehensive benchmarking study of the digital presence of the 21 top UAE Family Business conglomerates.

This is a gap UAE family businesses need addressing, because brand reputation is an asset that is inexorably linked to commercial success.” Rolf Olsen | CEO of Leidar

Local focus

“Dedicated UAE versions of e-commerce websites offering a range of products in user-friendly formats are key in the commercial strategies of most consumerfacing conglomerates,” said Rolf Olsen, CEO of Leidar. “However, when it comes to communicating their own corporate leadership in their own corporate online channels (website and social media), Dubai and Abu Dhabibased conglomerates seem to place less emphasis in the ways they position themselves in a regional and international context. “This is a gap UAE family businesses need addressing, because brand reputation is an asset that is inexorably linked to commercial success. The way it is portrayed and communicated both in offline and online media is of paramount importance in terms of how they are perceived by external stakeholders as well by their employees.”

The report also states that these business groups seem to have a sameness about them, especially to someone looking in from the outside. “Many look and feel the same, when in fact each and every company has its own corporate DNA,” the report adds.

Now, in a digital universe, sameness does not help in making their presence felt. “As the UAE is setting standards across many areas of economic activity — ranking high in global indices on innovation, sustainability, quality of life, etc, — the marketing communications sector also needs to lead by example,” said Olsen. “We believe that the region’s businesses can communicate their North Star much better and more effectively than they currently do.”