This article is sponsored by the marcusevans Middle East Social Media Marketing conference that will take place on the 29th & 30th of May in Dubai. We will be writing more articles in this format leading up to the conference where we will ask the expert speakers of the conference different questions related to social media and in the MENA region. Our second expert is Arto Joensuu.
Arto Joensuu is the Head of Digital Marketing, Middle East and Africa at Nokia with extensive experience in online, social media under his belt. His work has been rewarded with several industry awards and for the last years.
I think his Linkedin profile sums up his interests very nicely:
“I’m completely and utterly in love with digital; its complexity, simplicity, measurability, creativity, scalability, conversational nature and above all-> interactive energy.
I’ve “been there and done that” but above all, i’ve had the priviledge of sharing numerous victories with the most amazing and talented people in the industry. Many people label themselves as digital gurus, I would like to call myself a digital change agent. Change is constant, life is a journey and digital is the way.” – Arto Joensuu
Q1) How do you view social media in the MENA Region?
Social media is an ever growing phenomena that outlines the fundamental paradigm shifts that are occurring within the industry. People are connecting with other people and brands to exchange ideas, find information and share experiences.
Q2) Nokia has been a leader in mobile for years, but competition now is increasing so how does social media fit in your marketing mix?
Nokia is about connecting people. This connecting people ethos is what we stride to live to and social media plays a crucial role in bringing this to life. Conversations are the new conversion and these conversations are cultivated through continuous customer engagement in social channels (in addition to the overall brand experience a consumer has when using our products & services)
Q3) Obviously Nokia is a worldwide brand, is the social strategy universal across all locations? Or is it dependent of location?
We have certain “global truths” that we go by, but we also leave flexibility for our markets to bring the connecting people message into the relevant culture and context. A good example of this is for example www.facebook.com/nokia and www.facebook.com/nokiaegypt Both follow the same principles, but while one is a global presence, the later is very much tailored for our specific market needs in Egypt.
Q4) What are the key elements to consider when diving into the social media world?
Human beings have 2 ears and one mouth. After decades of one way broadcast media, brands need to start using their ears more before going out and shouting their brand messages. Social media monitoring, listening and customer focus are the key considerations we take into account before diving into social media. Social media is not a campaign, it’s a commitment.
A big thank you to Arto for sharing his views as well marcusevans for helping out. If you’d like to see Arto at The Middle East Social Media Marketing Conference you can get in touch with the organizers and request more information here.