Latest news with #SixthFactor
Khaleej Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
AI branding revolution: Harnessing technology for dynamic storytelling
Not too long ago, the content game was all about SEO, click rates, and publishing calendars. But today's landscape demands more — real-time creativity, dynamic storytelling, and AI that understands your audience on a deeply personal level. With tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini revolutionising how we create, communicate, and connect, the marketing playbook is being radically rewritten. What was once a linear, time-consuming production cycle has evolved into an agile, AI-driven engine, one that delivers hyper-personalised experiences at scale and in real time. A New Era of Storytelling 'Large language models (LLMs) are accelerating the way brands think about storytelling. That's a fact,' says Himanshu Vashishtha, CEO of SixthFactor Consultancy. 'This is in terms of speed, as well as how personalised and context-aware content can become. What used to take days now takes minutes.' From real-time multilingual content to high-quality AI-generated video, tools that once felt futuristic are already being tested in live marketing workflows. Especially in the GCC, sectors like retail and telecom are jumping on the LLM train, using it to tailor campaigns dynamically based on user behaviour and localised data. 'We're in a very fluid phase. Capabilities that seemed out of reach even three months ago are now possible. The watchout here is in how we harness these tools in an environment that is evolving almost weekly. For brands, it's less about locking in a single approach and more about staying adaptive,' according to Vashishtha. Indeed, the numbers back up this urgency. The LLM market in the MEA region is forecast to grow from $528.1 million in 2024 to $2.64 billion by 2030. LLMs have dramatically transformed the way brands conceive and deliver digital content. Where content production used to be a slow, step-by-step process — brief, draft, review, revise — AI now accelerates the entire journey. Vsevolod Samsonov, Chief Marketing Officer of Global Markets at Flowwow, points to a recent Salesforce survey that reveals 76% of marketers are already using generative AI for basic content creation, while 71% use it for creative inspiration. 'This signals a major shift,' he explains. 'Ideas are now created, tested, and tailored in real time with help from AI. And it all comes with personalisation.' This is where LLMs shine. By processing massive volumes of unstructured data — think social media chatter, product reviews, and customer interactions, LLMs help marketers build content that hits the right note, every time. According to HubSpot, 72% of marketers now use AI for personalisation, boosting engagement and retention rates across platforms. The UAE-based Yanzo, a text-based super app that operates through WhatsApp, has successfully integrated ChatGPT into its customer service operations. By training the AI on 33,000 real customer interactions, Yanzo has managed to automate responses while maintaining its unique and recognisable tone of voice. Visual content is also getting a glow-up. A University of Oxford study recently found that AI-generated food images are often perceived as more appetising than real ones. It's no surprise that restaurants using tools like Midjourney to create photorealistic menu visuals are seeing sales boosts of up to 30%, thanks to enhanced appeal and better customer experience. LLMs amplify human creativity, enabling teams to scale their vision, refine messaging, and deliver personalised experiences at unprecedented speed. As Samsonov puts it, 'LLMs are ushering in a new era of content strategy, where human creativity is enhanced, storytelling becomes dynamic and data-driven, and adaptable brands stand out and stay memorable.' Beyond Buzzwords According to Vashishtha, AI-native content is built with both the end-user and the machine in mind. 'Traditional content is often optimised for human readability and emotion,' he explains. 'AI-native content adds a layer of structure and adaptability so that LLMs can parse, personalise, and present it in multiple formats. It's the difference between writing a blog post and designing an API-ready answer.' This dual focus becomes even more critical in multilingual regions like the UAE, where content must seamlessly transition across voice, text, and chat interfaces. 'Here, flexibility is not optional, it's essential,' he adds. For Samsonov, AI-native content is far more than just letting ChatGPT or MidJourney create assets. 'AI-native systems embed reliable AI capabilities across every stage — design, launch, operation, and maintenance,' he says, citing insights from Ericsson. 'In marketing, this means AI is not an afterthought or a one-time tool. It becomes the foundation of the content engine itself.' The distinction lies in the level of integration. AI-generated content refers to digital outputs from tools like GPT — a helpful starting point. AI-native content, however, is the product of a living, breathing system. One where AI is deeply embedded in the company's workflows, continuously learning from internal data and real-time feedback to deliver content that evolves dynamically. Flowwow offers a compelling case study. The brand's designers trained AI using thousands of MidJourney prompts to create a consistent visual library aligned with its identity. 'This AI-human collaboration accelerated ideation by 20%,' Samsonov notes, proving that creativity doesn't get lost — it gets supercharged. Global giants are also embracing the shift. Coca-Cola, for instance, has built an AI-powered platform that analyses consumer behaviour to create highly personalised, cross-channel campaigns, improving engagement while slashing marketing costs. From Keywords to Conversations As AI reshapes how users search, discover, and interact with information, the role of traditional SEO is being challenged like never before. With an increasing number of online journeys ending without a single click, marketers are being pushed to adapt their strategies to stay relevant in a world driven by AI-powered assistants, voice search, and zero-click experiences. 'We're in the midst of a transition,' says Vashishtha.'Traditional SEO still matters, but it's no longer the only game in town.' Nearly 60% of Google searches in 2024 ended without a click, signalling a fundamental shift in user behavior. Instead of navigating through multiple websites, users are increasingly relying on snippets, AI-generated responses, and voice assistants to get instant answers — all without leaving the search results page. 'In mobile-first markets like the UAE and Saudi Arabia, people are turning to chatbots and AI tools to answer everyday queries,' Vashishtha adds. 'That's pushing brands to rethink content — not just to be searchable, but servable by AI. We're not fully there yet, but the direction is clear.' Despite these emerging trends, traditional SEO is far from obsolete. Samsonov highlights that SEO still holds a central position in digital marketing strategies. 'SEO remains one of the top priorities for CMOs in 2025,' he says. 'About 91% of marketing leaders still consider it crucial for driving website performance and achieving business goals.' Samsonov points to several foundational SEO elements that remain essential: funnel-focused content, technical optimisation, rich media, schema markup, and backlinks. These practices continue to influence organic visibility — especially as Google's algorithm evolves to reward user-focused, high-quality experiences. However, he acknowledges the shift. 'Around 55–65% of Google searches globally and more than 75% on mobile — now end without a click. This is where content tailored for featured snippets, FAQs, and conversational formats becomes critical.' The emergence of AI-powered search engines like Perplexity and SearchGPT has added yet another layer to the search landscape. While their reach is still dwarfed by Google's 4.9 billion users, they reflect a growing trend toward conversational, natural language interfaces. Samsonov urges brands to future-proof their strategies by balancing SEO fundamentals with innovation. 'Marketers must now consider how content performs not just on traditional SERPs, but also in voice searches, AI summaries, and zero-click results,' he says. 'This includes embracing multimodal formats, strengthening social SEO, and prioritising brand trust and authority.' Future-Proofing Content in the Age of AI As LLMs redefine how content is created, discovered, and consumed, brands face a pressing question: how do you build a strategy that stays relevant in a future evolving at breakneck speed? 'In a space evolving as quickly as generative AI, the idea of 'future-proofing' needs to be approached with a healthy dose of humility,' says Vashishtha. 'What's relevant today might need rethinking in six months.' For Vashishtha, the path forward is rooted in agility. Rather than rigid strategies, he encourages brands to build modular content frameworks enriched with structured metadata and flexible formats. This allows content to seamlessly adapt across different channels — from voice assistants and chatbots to video platforms and AR environments. He also underscores the growing importance of upskilling. As prompting becomes a core competency in modern marketing, companies across the region are ramping up investments in AI literacy. 'The most future-ready brands may not be the ones predicting the future,' he says. 'They'll be the ones learning fast enough to meet it.' Samsonov points to the explosive growth of the region's generative AI market. With a projected CAGR of 35.4% from 2025 to 2030, and LLM-related revenues expected to skyrocket from $29.25 million in 2023 to over $5.3 billion by the end of the decade, the pressure to evolve is mounting. This momentum is driving a new kind of content strategy — one that's as emotionally resonant as it is technically sophisticated. Samsonov emphasises the need to lead with human stories. 'In a world where LLMs can mimic tone, human emotion remains irreplaceable,' he says. At Flowwow, the brand's own content puts real people — from employees to customers — at the centre of its storytelling. It's a strategy echoed by global brands like Nike, which have successfully combined AI-powered targeting with authentic user stories to drive up conversion rates. As search engines increasingly become answer engines, Samsonov highlights the importance of designing content that delivers instant value. With 65% of Google searches ending without a click, success lies in creating content that answers questions upfront — clearly, concisely, and confidently. Brands that embrace this zero-click reality are seeing measurable gains. Samsonov cites examples like local businesses boosting engagement through optimised listings and direct information delivery, rather than relying solely on traditional web traffic. The goal is no longer just to attract clicks, but to be the trusted answer that appears when it matters most. While traditional search engines prioritised keywords, LLMs prioritise meaning. This shift demands a new approach to content design — one that considers not just what is said, but how it is structured, sourced, and contextualised. Samsonov advises brands to think like a language model. Structured data, semantic clarity, and credible citations are now crucial for content to be surfaced and cited by AI tools. Companies that focus on this dual purpose — being useful to both humans and machines are already seeing stronger performance.
Campaign ME
07-05-2025
- Business
- Campaign ME
How are US tariffs and the global trade war affecting Emirati consumers?
Emirati consumers have opened up about the perceived impact of recent global trade tariff shifts, particularly US tariffs on Chinese goods, as well as how it affects their expectations around the prices of goods, product variety, and overall market and consumer sentiment. In a recent SixthFactor survey, 100 UAE nationals who were part of a proprietary panel of UAE-based respondents provided a unique view into the local citizen mindset, particularly in a region where national sentiment often reflects broader socio-economic priorities. When asked about the methodology of the survey, SixthFactor revealed to Campaign Middle East that it used a structured online survey approach, combining quantitative metrics with attitudinal questions to uncover patterns in sentiment, awareness, and expectations. The study was fielded in April 2025 and captured real-time responses to ongoing global developments in trade. Key Emirati consumer sentiment findings on the fallout of US tariffs More than three out of every four Emirati respondents (77 per cent) indicated strong confidence in the UAE's ability to benefit from current global trade disruptions. The survey results also reflect strategic consumer awareness and a mixture of optimism with realism, with consumers waiting patiently for signals from government authorities and retail marketers before changing their purchase patterns. 'While expectations are positive, the market is waiting for signals – especially from local authorities or large retailers before making big buying or investment decisions. That highlights the opportunity for businesses and policymakers to step in with clarity and guidance, and help translate macro shifts into local confidence,' said Himanshu Vashishtha, CEO, SixthFactor Consulting. Of the UAE nationals surveyed, 42 per cent of consumers shared that they expect prices to decrease due to increased supply. Additionally, 33 per cent of the Emiratis surveyed anticipate greater product variety, while 17 per cent are concerned some products might become harder to find. 'That's a strong vote for anticipated consumer value. There's also realism – 17 per cent foresee potential shortages, and a smaller group (8%) don't expect to be affected at all. In essence, consumers are hopeful about lower prices, but are watching closely to see if that promise materialises,' Vashishtha added. UAE sectors expected to benefit most from increased trade activity following the US tariffs and the ensuing global trade war include online shopping, retail and and malls, manufacturing, warehousing, and shipping and logistics.
