Dubai: Kantar, the world's leading marketing insights and analytics company, today reveals Amazon has once again taken the title of consumers’ most preferred ad platform. According to Kantar Media Reactions 2023, most consumers consider ads on Amazon to be relevant and useful, with few negative qualities. Despite not being one of the top five favourite platforms for marketers globally, Amazon is building trust among this group – with a 10% year-on-year rise in trust scores. The e-commerce giant also tops the charts in Brazil, Germany and Mexico, three of the 23 markets included in the study.Kantar Media Reactions 2023 report uncovers the attitudes of consumers and marketers to ad platforms and channels. The annual study, now in its fourth year, is based on interviews with around 16,000 consumers in 23 markets and 900 senior marketers globally.Among marketers, YouTube has leapfrogged to the top of the charts, improving trust by 6% compared with last year. The rise of YouTube demonstrates marketers’ preference for established, brands, even if it does not register in consumers’ top five platforms.The study shows there’s significant contrast between marketers’ and consumers’ most preferred channels, with marketers inclined towards newer channels while consumers prefer channels that cause the least interruption to their lives.TV or not TV?Notably, TV, the traditional lynchpin of ad campaigns, is absent from the ranking of marketers’ preferred ad channels this year. While TV has never been rated highly among consumers, it has historically performed strongly among marketers. However, it has fallen from 3rd place in marketers’ preferred channels last year to 12th place in 2023, and TV sponsorship has fallen from 12th place to 20th. Just 6% of marketers say they will increase TV spend in 2024. “While TV as a preferred channel is losing steam amongst global marketers, it remains a key channel in the Middle East and the lynchpin of ad campaigns for marketers in the region. So while online gains traction, traditional channels are here to stay. Marketers also need to understand that the Middle East is not an homogenous region - one size does not fit all, and different media mixes are needed to cater to a wider melting pot of people in the UAE and KSA,” comments Sagar Dhal, Media Lead, Middle East, Kantar.The marketers’ mindsetThe Kantar Media Reactions 2023 survey of around 900 marketers around the world also quantifies how trends and changes in the media landscape shape their attitudes. Key highlights include:The Metaverse continues to be an unfulfilled promise – In 2022, a net 61% of marketers claimed they would increase spend in the metaverse, but only a net of 12% actually did. In the 2023 study, only one in five (22%) state they will raise their budget for Metaverse advertising next year.Twitter, the end of an era – X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has suffered reputational damage among marketers, the research shows. X, the latest incarnation of the platform, does not feature in the list on marketers’ top 5 preferred ad platforms. A decline in perceptions of innovation (now 16%, down from 28% in 2021) and trustworthiness (now 7%, down from 11% in 2021), is accompanied by a net 14% of marketers saying they will reduce their ad investment on the platform in 2024.The race for attention – Marketers continue to invest in channels that consumers don’t think are attention-grabbing. For marketers, influencer content is king in terms of delivering attention, but it doesn’t make the top 5 for consumers. Furthermore, a staggering 50% of marketers do not see attention as important as brand or sales outcomes, despite the evidence that it helps build brands and drives sales. According to the study, cinema ads, sponsored events and digital out-of-home are among the few channels that both consumers and marketers believe are attention-grabbing. Both groups are in agreement that TikTok is the most attention-grabbing media brand.Gonca Bubani, Global Thought Leadership Director - Media, Kantar, concludes “Successful advertising today seamlessly integrates into consumers’ lives: in their scrolling, viewing or simply while they go about their days. This year, consumers have spoken up and said they strongly prefer advertising that they see out-of-home, like at sponsored events or the cinema. So why is there such a huge mismatch between the advertising consumers enjoy and what marketers are spending their precious budgets on? We know advertising campaigns are seven times as impactful among receptive audiences, so for marketers, it’s crucial to understand the strengths and weaknesses of different ad platforms and invest their money where it will make an impact.”Download a copy of the Media Reactions 2023 study and register to watch the webinar “Kantar Media Reactions 2023: Braving the battleground” on demand at www.kantar.com.

Dubai: Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, one of the three chambers operating under Dubai Chambers, has successfully concluded a roadshow to Hong Kong, the Philippines, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Japan to scout for startups to participate in the Expand North Star event in Dubai.During the roadshow, the Chamber introduced 481 startups to doing business in Dubai and highlighted the role it plays in providing support to businesses within the ecosystem. In addition, the Chamber hosted a pitch competition designed to drive participation in Expand North Star. The winner will receive a fully sponsored visit and participation in the upcoming event.As part of the Asian tour, Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy also held a total of 17 private meetings with MNCs, unicorns, and incubators to explore potential collaborations within each market.Expand North Star is the largest start-up event in the world, uniting more than 1,400 exhibitors and 1,000 investors at Dubai Harbour from 15 – 18 October 2023. The event aims to ramp up the start-up entrepreneurship momentum, transcending geographic industries and intellectual boundaries as it connects government partners, investors, and corporate accelerators with innovators and tech stars from every continent.Dubai is embracing Web3 and the metaverse as part of efforts to drive the UAE’s digital economy forward, as well as fully integrating blockchain and AI technology across the public sector and investing in fintech and digital assets. Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy is working to accelerate the growth of Dubai’s digital economy and attract promising digital businesses to the emirate.Expand North Star will bring together startups from across the globe to connect with industry leaders, government officials, venture capitalists, and other potential investors. The event also supports the tech community by hosting forums and initiatives that bring together international and local tech companies, entrepreneurs, investors, and other key stakeholders.Expand North Star plays a critical role in attracting and connecting the global tech community to Dubai by providing a supportive platform for innovation and collaboration. The event will feature a series of summits, innovation challenges, conferences, and exhibitions showcasing the latest technological advances. The initiative provides opportunities for networking and collaboration while further cementing Dubai’s position as a leading hub for innovation and technology, as well as driving economic growth and development both in the emirate and globally.

Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, one of the three chambers operating under Dubai Chambers, has brought together top executives, business leaders, and entrepreneurs in the metaverse and crypto industry for a new edition of the chamber's digital industry workshop series.The workshop was attended by H.E. Ahmad Bin Byat, Vice Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy and board members of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, Hind Seddiqi, Fadi Ghandour and Dany Farha. The workshop discussed ideation, opportunities, and challenges as well as ways to drive progress in the metaverse and crypto fields. H.E. Ahmad Bin Byat, Vice Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, said: "Dubai has a healthy and vibrant digital ecosystem welcoming digital companies across various economic sectors and the adoption of the metaverse is rapidly growing.""The workshop on the metaverse and crypto industry is part of a series of digital industry workshops we continue to host. It is a great platform to connect like-minded leaders in the field to discover the latest developments and provide a space for meaningful discussions. The workshop reflects our commitment to positioning Dubai as a world's leading hub for Web3 and the metaverse industries, underlining our vision of creating a more connected and collaborative environment for digital businesses," he added.Dubai launched the Dubai Metaverse Strategy with the ambition of Dubai becoming one of the top 10 metaverse economies and hubs in the world. The strategy aims to attract more than 1,000 blockchain and metaverse companies to Dubai to develop Web3 technology and its applications for Dubai.Dubai has introduced its own virtual asset regime and established Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA) to provide a secure and progressive operating framework for the virtual asset sector. Recently, VARA announced its entry into the metaverse with the establishment of its metaverse HQ in the virtual world of 'The Sandbox', thus becoming the world's first regulator to make its debut in the metaverse.Major global crypto players such as Binance, Crypto.com and Bybit have all already moved their leadership to Dubai, favoring the emirate's ‘light touch’ approach to regulation.Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy is committed to involving all relevant parties in building a clear roadmap for innovating Dubai's digital industries.