Marketers' secret weapon to engage customers: the smartphone in their pockets

Global report from Aimia highlights golden moment for brands to engage with their customers  

Dubai UAE, November 17, 2015:   Consumers in the UAE are choosing to engage with companies in a number of new ways.  Brands that truly understand them – harnessing the power of the smartphone in their pockets and the data that they are willing to share – will secure the loyalty of these customers for the long term, says the Aimia Loyalty Lens report released today in the UAE.    

The 2015 Aimia Loyalty Lens surveyed more than 20,000 consumers in 11 markets, including the UAE.  The research confirms the connected savviness of consumers within the region, along with a willingness to share information with brands in return for more personalised offers and services. 

Sixty-five percent of consumers in the UAE said that they will share personal information to receive better offers and services.  This is second only to India (73%).  However only 10% of consumers in the UAE said they had actually received better services and benefits from companies as a result of sharing personal details.  

“This is a golden moment for companies to build meaningful relationships with their customers, but this opportunity will quickly disappear if companies fail to respond appropriately,” said Paul Lacey, Managing Director, Middle East, Aimia.  “Our research shows that consumers in the UAE are willing to share their information with brands.  Successful companies will seize this moment and think about what they can do for the customer, not to the customer, with each personalised communication, experience, and offer.” 

Tell us your number

The Aimia Loyalty Lens found that at 71%, UAE consumers are more willing to share their mobile numbers with companies than any other market. In comparison, only 23% of German consumers are willing to provide this detail, and 38% of UK consumers. 

Have you got a coupon for that?

The smartphone is also central to the increase in coupon usage within the UAE.  There has been a substantial increase in the number of coupons downloaded since last year.  In 2014, 27% of the population had downloaded a coupon.  This has jumped by 15 percentage points in 2015 to 42%.  
There has also been a change in where people download coupons. Although the majority continue to download a coupon at home, 14% now download coupons in the store (a four percentage point increase since 2014) reflecting the growing importance of smartphones in the physical retail environment. 

How do you want to pay?

As UAE consumers become increasingly dependent on their mobile devices, their appetite to make shopping more convenient has also increased substantially. In 2014, 57% of Aimia Loyalty Lens respondents in the UAE said they were likely to use a mobile wallet, and that figure has climbed to 62% in 2015.

“Our region is fast becoming a hotbed for tech-savvy, digitally led marketing campaigns.  The success of a brand, and indeed a loyalty programme's success, hinges on the ability to reach consumers through their mobile devices – whether it’s downloading a coupon, using a digital wallet or receiving a relevant offer.  Because consumers here are so willing to connect with brands on their mobiles, loyalty uptake continues to rise even as it plateaus in other countries,” said Lacey. 

Other key findings from the Aimia Loyalty Lens report include: 

• Loyalty programme membership in the UAE has increased from 79% in 2014 to 84% in 2015. This is in line with the global average of 85%.
• The most popular loyalty programmes are: Supermarkets (43%), Airlines (35%) and Department Stores (30%)
• The top three personal pieces of information customers are most willing to share are: Name (88%), Email Address (87%) and Nationality (84%)