News
How Rimmel London Leverages Influencer Marketing in MENA
The global beauty brand Rimmel London and the reigning supermodel and beauty icon Kate Moss have recently introduced a special-edition lipstick collection to the market. The collection is inspired by Kate’s favourite red and nude shades and was launched this summer in London.
Rimmel London Arabia launched a marketing campaign to promote this special Kate Moss collection in the GCC and the wider MENA. The marketing campaign was a unique one as it involved teaming up with 4 of the biggest beauty bloggers and fashionistas from the region. This collaboration reflects the ever increasing ‘power’ of social media influencers in MENA. Numerous brands across the region have worked with many of them in an attempt to leverage their power through communicating more effectively with their followers.
Screenshot from InstagramFor this campaign Rimmel London Arabia selected some of the biggest names in MENA’s beauty and fashion world who enjoy a massive following on social media, mainly on Instagram: Noha Style Icon, 3.7 million followers, Ascia, 1.9 million followers, Dalal AlDoub, 1.9 million followers, and Fatima Almomen, 888,000 followers.
The campaign’s main channel was Rimmel’s Instagram account. Each influencer produced a makeup tutorial rocking her favourite lipstick shade – Fatima looked fabulous in #117, my favourite! To increase engagement with the campaign Rimmel launched a competition where makeup lovers were asked to follow the brand’s account on Instagram and to tag their friends in the comments. 50 of those makeup fanatics were the lucky winners to receive a collection of Rimmel’s products, every girl’s dream!
Here are some of the key takeaways from this campaign:
Brand exposure
Rimmel ‘lipstick squad’ in MENA has a combined reach of 8.4 million on Instagram. By collaborating with these influencers, Rimmel succeeded in generating a high level of brand awareness amongst its target audience – something that’s extremely important in the competitive makeup market. Noha’s makeup tutorial has been viewed almost 200,000 times while Ascia’s received 43.2000 views. The below chart shows the sharp spike that influencer content has created compared to non-influencer posts.
Brand engagement
Beauty and makeup lovers in the region interacted with Rimmel’s campaign in high volumes. On average non- influencer posts on Rimmel’s Instagram account receive anything between 30-400 comments. Content pushed by Rimmel’s lipstick squad resonated highly with the audience. The competition that each of the influencers announced on their own Instagram account proved to be highly effective in driving engagement with the campaign.
The above chart shows the increased level of engagement with the influencer content. Noha’s makeup video generated a little under half a million comments (a whopping 462K comments, to be specific), making it the most engaged with post on Rimmel’s account for the region. Listen to my webinar for more tips and insights on how to master the art of influencer marketing.
Brand authenticity
Rimmel has made a smart choice by selecting these go-to influencers for makeup and beauty. They are young, beautiful, ambitious and inspirational. They are true makeup and beauty addicts and their accounts are filled with makeup tips, reviews and tutorials. These influencers review many makeup products across different brands and as a result, their involvement with Rimmel seems natural. This collaboration has helped build the brand authenticity needed when working with influencers.
Here are some observations re Rimmel London campaign:
The campaign was aimed at launching and promoting Rimmel’s special collection in the GCC and the wider Arab world. It was an interesting choice to team up with 4 influencers from the same country (Kuwait) for the same campaign. While these influencers enjoy a wide following across the GCC and MENA, a more diverse selection that reflects other countries and thus other tastes and styles would have been advisable.
screenshot from InstagramSurprisingly, competition winners were announced without the involvement of the influencers that invited them to participate in the competition in the first place. A long term approach and a bigger influencer involvement throughout the different campaign stages would be advisable to achieve a higher level of brand authenticity when working with influencers.
While Rimmel London Arabia runs a dedicated website targeting the region, influencer content produced for this particular campaign can only be found on Instagram.
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Lendo, a Saudi Arabia-based Shariah-compliant crowdlending marketplace, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today with J.P. Morgan to improve access to financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the country.
The MOU was signed during 24 Fintech, a premier fintech event that brings together industry leaders, innovators, and investors in Riyadh.
J.P. Morgan and Lendo are working together on potential opportunities to support the SME sector in Saudi Arabia in growing and sustaining the remarkable demand in this market.
“This strategic collaboration with J.P. Morgan, a pioneer in the financial industry, marks a significant milestone for Lendo,” said Osama Alraee, CEO and co-founder of Lendo. “By combining our strengths, we’ll deliver cutting-edge financial solutions to SMEs, supporting their growth and contributing directly to the realization of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.”
The SME financing landscape in MENA presents a substantial market opportunity as limited financial access continues to restrict the growth of the region’s businesses, with commercial banks hesitant to issue loans to SMEs at scale, resulting in a high percentage of declined financing requests annually.
The total SME financing gap in developing countries is estimated to be approximately $5.2 trillion, according to the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Lendo’s debt crowdfunding platform aims to bridge the financing gap for SMEs, aligning with Saudi Vision 2030’s goal to significantly expand SME lending from 4% in 2018 to 20% by 2030.
According to the latest available report from the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), the total value of debt crowdfunding in Saudi Arabia surged from SAR 1.4 million in 2019 to SAR 771 million in 2022, marking a remarkable growth.
Lendo raised SAR 132 million ($35.2 million) in total funding from leading investors, including the most recent Series B led by Sanabil Investments, a wholly-owned company by the Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Since its inception in December 2019, Saudi fintech Lendo has processed over 5,000 financing transactions on its platform, providing over SAR 2 billion ($600 million) in financing to SMEs and generating SAR 280 million ($74 million) in returns for investors.
TA Telecom, a prominent player in the Middle East’s tech sector, has unveiled AnteThink, an AI-driven tool designed to enhance decision-making processes for individuals and businesses alike.
With a history of influencing the tech landscape through various initiatives, including advanced mobile solutions, high-volume payment platforms, and ventures in e-commerce, fintech, and analytics, TA Telecom has carved a niche for itself. Serving a vast user base of 40 million and processing an impressive 15 billion transactions across its platforms, TA Telecom has cemented its position as a tech industry leader, with some of its ventures achieving the status of Y Combinator companies.
Established in 2000, TA Telecom has emerged as a prominent player in the technology sector. With over 40 million users and processing 15 billion transactions annually, TA Telecom has made a notable impact. Recognized for its contributions by the Financial Times and featured on Deloitte’s list of fastest-growing tech companies in EMEA, TA Telecom is known for its adaptability and forward-thinking approach in the ever-evolving global tech landscape.
Sameh Ibrahim, CEO of TA Telecom, highlights the potential of AnteThink: “AnteThink reflects our commitment to leverage technology for practical impact. It aims to provide clarity and confidence in decision-making, whether in the professional or personal sphere. AnteThink is a tool that can empower startup founders, executives, and individuals to make more informed choices, alleviating the stress and uncertainty often associated with critical decision-making.”
Mostafa Ashour, CEO of Y Combinator-backed startup NowPay, shared his perspective on AnteThink: “AnteThink transformed our strategic planning, allowing us to explore various scenarios and prepare for different outcomes. It has strengthened our decision-making process, helping us navigate the complexities of the business landscape.”
AnteThink embodies TA Telecom’s commitment to innovation, focusing on supporting the startup ecosystem. The tool is tailored to help leaders and executives navigate the complexities of business management and strategic development by providing a clear picture of potential outcomes.
Key Features of AnteThink include:
1. Second Order Mode: Offering a comprehensive analysis of broader impacts, fostering a strategic mindset for long-term success.
2. Optionality Mode: Enabling detailed evaluation and comparison of different choices to ensure decisions align with strategic objectives and values.
3. Inversion Mode: Focusing on identifying and mitigating potential risks, thereby strengthening risk management strategies.
Credit: Antethink
AnteThink’s advanced AI technology aims to assist decision-makers with insightful analytics, offering guidance through the decision-making process.
Selina Bieber, the Senior Director of Global Markets at GoDaddy, has predicted a significant increase in Egypt’s e-commerce revenue. By 2028, it could reach $9.88 billion.
Godaddy is forming strategic partnerships and launching initiatives to help local entrepreneurs. These efforts align with Egypt’s digital transformation goals and its Vision 2030.
In an interview with the Arabic financial news “Amwal Al Ghad,” Bieber spoke about GoDaddy’s plans and how they match Egypt’s 2023 strategy. She highlighted the company’s aim to provide effective, easy-to-use digital tools and services. By 2024, GoDaddy wants to serve more customers in Egypt by making its digital tools more widespread.
The company is working closely with the Egyptian government, especially the Ministry of Planning. They are offering training programs to improve the digital skills of startups and existing businesses. GoDaddy’s services in Egypt include domain registration, web hosting, e-commerce solutions, and digital marketing tools.
Recent surveys support Bieber’s positive outlook for e-commerce in Egypt. They show a clear trend towards digital strategies among small businesses. Many are realizing the importance of having an online presence for their growth and success.
As GoDaddy continues its partnerships and supports government digital initiatives, its influence on Egypt’s digital landscape is growing. The company is committed to sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint. It aims not just for business growth but also to contribute to a sustainable and thriving digital economy in Egypt.
The 2028 projection indicates a vast potential for e-commerce, with GoDaddy playing a key role in this digital evolution.
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