As digital trends have become more prevalent in Middle East, the region’s increasing demand for digital marketing, branding, web development and technology services has driven growth among digital agencies looking to enter the market. But there’s more to successful expansion than just gaining new customers. It is important for agencies to know local market needs, business laws, cultural norms, collaborative opportunities, hiring needs and operational responsibilities. The UAE also affords a strategic base to reach clients throughout the area, and Sharjah Free Zone affords an alternative for the agencies that wish to setup a business in the emirate. As such, it is crucial to be well-versed in the licensing needs of the area, the expenses of running a business in the region, as well as the opportunities for doing business in the region prior to entering the marketSharjah Free zone
Start With a Clear Middle East Market Entry Plan
Describe the importance of market research in entering the market. Address the factors like target countries, customer needs, industry segments, competitors, pricing expectations, and cultural differences.
Share the notion that agencies could start working in one market instead of attempting to go head-to-head in the GCC as a whole. Describe the importance of planning to enter a market to minimise unnecessary costs and provide the agency with direction.
Choose the Right Base for Regional Operations
Explain how a proper business center can help in the operation of an agency in a region. Describe the factors agencies might take into account when deciding on a site for their business, including company setup requirements, business activities, licensing, access to clients, infrastructure and the ability to operate over borders.
Talk about setting up a business in UAE and company registration in UAE in a relaxed manner and not as a sales presentation.
Describe how the right setup should reflect agency’s long-term expansion plan and services.
Adapt Services to Local Market Needs
Discuss why the marketing mix is not suitable in all markets for digital agencies. Talk about the need to localise content, campaigns, branding, communication, language and service packages.
Provide real-world applications, like customizing social media marketing strategies by region or media content for various industries.
Highlight the importance of adapting to the local market to strengthen relationships with local clients.
Build Local Partnerships and Business Networks
Talk about how local partnerships can help agencies gain insight into the market and accessing potential customers. Talk about relationships with technology vendors, consultants, marketing, business organizations and more.
Discuss how the regional business networks can provide opportunities for referral, joint project, and knowledge sharing.
The writer should also elaborate that before joining a partnership, the agencies need to evaluate the potential partners according to their experience, reputation, market knowledge and business objectives.
Develop a Regional Talent and Operations Model
Discuss possible organizational strategies for agencies as they grow. Consider options like having core strategy or creative work done by the current team, but hiring local employees, freelancers, sales people or account managers.
Describe the value of regional talent sourcing for insights into customer behavior, communication and business practices.
Include the importance of having effective systems and processes for managing projects, communicating with clients, reporting and quality controling at various locations.
Use the UAE as a Launch Point for Wider GCC Growth
Describe how an agency can leverage the presence in UAE as a component of their regional expansion plan. Talk about how a UAE operation is established to support networking, client meetings, partnerships and exploring other GCC markets.
Do not assume that any one configuration will gain access to all markets in the Middle East. Rather, agencies should conduct pre-market research on the legal, commercial and cultural needs of the countries they wish to pursue.
Measure Expansion Before Scaling Further
Provide details of how one should monitor and determine if agencies’ expansion is successful before investing further resources. Qualified leads, client acquisition cost, revenue from regional clients, project profitability, partnership referrals and client retention are all recommended measures.
Explain that agencies can use these findings to determine where to allocate more resources, services, and to whom.
Conclusion
Summarize that simply “going into the new country” is not enough for a successful expansion into the Middle East. To be effective, agencies must have a sound market strategy, appropriate business organization, local understanding, relationships and tools to manage regional operations.
Finally, stress a staged approach to give agencies the chance to learn from their first market and make more informed decisions as they roll out to other markets.
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