How Much Are You Worth In Clicks?
The rise of social media is giving companies a new way of engaging and interacting with customers. With online marketing gaining traction over traditional marketing, there are few businesses that dare to be left behind. So how are companies in the GCC stacking up against each other in this arena? Gulf Business takes a look. research provided by grafdom
48 / SEPTEMBER 2012
TOP 50 social media brands
F
rom the time we wake up to the time we go to bed, we are inundated with brands. Whether it’s the ubiquitous McDonald’s sign we pass on our drive to work, or the call we take on our BlackBerry, to the Emirates ad we see on our Sony TV, and the Mashreq bank ATM we stop at before heading out for dinner with friends. In the digital world these brands also follow us, albeit in a different form. A retweet may attract our attention to a car sale at Toyota, a Facebook like could list a charitable initiative of the Qatar Foundation, and a YouTube video would educate us about the latest features of a new Nokia smartphone. The entry of brands into the social media space has redefined the way we live, eat and think. In view of this
tectonic shift Gulf Business joined hands with digital media powerhouse Grafdom to enlist the 50 most influential and recognisable brands in the GCC. The data acqusition sources included socialwatchlist.com and socialbakers.com. The methodology employed in
“Gulf brand followers and mentions on social media have increased substantially this year as more companies engage in posts, comments and tweets. We’ll continue seeing a greater shift to newer and specialised platforms to fulfill specific needs.”
- Farid Gasim, Director of operations, Grafdom
compiling the Top 50 Social Media Brands involved listing Gulf brands that are most active on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. This generated 1,398 brands, which were short-listed to the top 100 to qualify for the next stage. Values were rechecked to ensure fairness in terms of comparison, and the final top 50 brands were then extrapolated for the final list. The results were in line with expectations in many ways; underscoring the powerful reach of the media sector, while also showing how imperative telecom and retail are is in this region. There were many surprise entrants too, such as traditional brand underdogs like education and the arts. See page 60 for the tabular results and read on to find out the most popular brands in the GCC.
Criteria Brand must be present on at least two social networks.
Sectors
infographics: TARAK PAREKH
Media, F&B, technology, entertainment, education, retail, FMCG, airlines, government, auto, property, finance and telecom.
PLATFORMS
Methodology
The choice was between Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
COUNTRY indicators Number of likes; number of followers; number of views.
GCC – Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.
gulfbusiness.com / 49
TOP 50 social media brands
#1 Al Arabiya
D
espite an affinity for headlines like “Torn by Porn” and “Syria Leaks” this news channel has an impressive online and social media presence. Headon-head with international stalwarts like BBC and Fox News, Al Arabiya.net is the most visited Arab website. After launching Al Arabiya TV in 2003 and an Arabic-language online portal AlArabiya.net, the company initiated English, Farsi and Urdu news websites. It then entered the multimedia platform with web TV and slideshows, set up a financial news site, which has one of the largest share of ads among Arab websites, and introduced a programme that broadcast
videos sent in by viewers, the first such programme in the Arab world. Although Al Arabiya’s website has a captive audience in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, almost 20 per cent of its visitors are from the US, Canada, UK and France. The channel uses a crossover-marketing model synergising between television and online advertising. But success comes with its caveats. The Al Arabiya website is vulnerable to attacks as demonstrated by a hacking of its Facebook account in April, where allegedly the Syrian Electronic Army posted false news on its page and also declared that the channel worked “day and night to broadcast venomous,
Brotherhood, Zionist thoughts, in Egypt and the Arab World.” Subsequently in August their website was also blocked, allegedly by a Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) attack. Moves like this, contrary to their intention, only serve to underscore how powerful Al Arabiya is and the sentiment it evokes as the leading news channel in the Arab world. With Arab users of social networking sites surging to a record 43 million on Facebook and 1.3 million on Twitter in 2012, the Arab language will gain significance in the online world, and platforms with an established presence – like Al Arabiya – will only stand to gain from this popularity.
#2 Al Jazeera English
I
f there’s one media outfit deeply entrenched in showcasing the Arab world to the West, it is global network Al Jazeera. Airing from New York to Jakarta, Qatar-based Al Jazeera is widely recognised as the Arab mouthpiece. The power of social media in news – that has recently covered everything from the Egyptian turmoil to the Syrian uprising – cannot be underestimated. In fact so much of the Middle East revolution was internet-fuelled that Al Jazeera flagged off the trend by launching a Sharek (meaning “share”) platform called The Stream, which is even said to be forging the future of social TV. Abetted by real-time blogs, podcasts,
live streaming, RSS feeds and mobile TV, it’s no surprise that this channel has an unfathomable 387 million views on YouTube. Al Jazeera also launched a multilingual educational campaign about social media, with YouTube videos explaining how to use Twitter, Facebook and other online platforms. By making people more media-savvy, Al Jazeera hopes to raise a generation of citizen journalists in a low-cost way, which will also, cleverly enough, allow coverage from places that they cannot normally access. Launching innovative campaigns like “Demand Al Jazeera in the USA” Al Jazeera definitely knows what it wants
and – in true journalism spirit – is not afraid to ask for it. Although established six years ago, as compared to CNN that’s been around for thirty plus years, the channel already has 60 bureaus that reach 250 million households across 130 countries. The Al Jazeera network itself has over 20 channels covering everything from sports to business to documentaries. In wake of the Arab Spring, an earthquake in Iran, and Qatar being declared the world’s richest country, the role that Al Arabiya plays in providing real-time information about Arab countries to the world is expected to widen, and the power this brand draws will likely continue its reign. gulfbusiness.com / 51
#o3
Pepsi Arabia
Rivalling leading news networks in the social media space is a tough task, unless you distinguish yourself with a “secret ingredient”, which in Pepsi’s case seems to be the Pepsi Arabia TV portal. Users post their Arabic-language videos on the website, including trending topics, and Pepsi Arabia thus effectively engages users to associate the brand with light, fun moments which they can share with loved ones.
#o6
National Geographic Abu dhabi
Taking photos of the stunning Sheikh Zayed Mosque and covering a Camel Beauty Pageant may just be the best way to become popular in the GCC. In just three years of launching National Geographic Channel – the first international factual entertainment channel in the Arabic language – in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Media Company, this brand has become one of the most renowned in the region. 52 / SEPTEMBER 2012
#o4
KFC Arabia
As if being the largest chicken restaurant brand wasn’t enough, KFC Arabia is the Middle East’s most recognisable fastfood chain. It may place second after McDonald’s around the world, but it’s clear that in this region Colonel Sanders is king.
#o7
Qatar 2022
When one of the world’s richest country decides to host one of the world’s richest football associations, it makes headlines. As the first Arab country to present the FIFA World Cup, Qatar is pulling out all stops. Spending approximately $36 billion to build a metro system, $4 billion for stadiums and $100 billion more on infrastructure like airport, hotels, housing, ports, roads and bridges, this may be the costliest brand on our list.
#o5
STC
Taking a break from news and food, telecom giant Saudi Telecom (STC) is a welcome addition to the Top 50 Social Media Brands. Nudging out other regional bulwarks like Etihad Etisalat and Zain Saudi is no mean feat, but being the largest telecom company by market capitalisation in the region does have its benefits.
#o8
Emirates
There is rarely a ranking list in this region that does not carry the name of this revered airline. In its quest to be the world’s largest airline by 2017, Emirates launched a stellar marketing campaign to overhaul its brand proposition from a service to a lifestyle provider. No wonder this airline is synonymous with creating new benchmarks for quality, safety and delivery.
TOP 50 social media brands
#o9
mobily
Just a couple of notches below Saudi Telecom, the Etihad-Etisalat consortium’s Mobily managed to break this incumbent’s monopoly in Saudi Arabia. Pegged as the fastest growing mobile operator in the MENA region, Mobily plans to expand its brand strategy in line with global trends in mobile telecommunications and broadband services.
#12
Sony middle east
As the highest ranked tech company on our list, Japanese electronics firm Sony has tapped into the region’s taste for gadgets – running hot previews, tips and competitions on social media, including ‘Ramadan Surprises’ and ‘The DJ Challenge’. With intense competition in the TV, laptop and gaming market from Apple, Lenovo and Samsung, Sony is successfully utilising online media to grapple for a share of the region’s wallets.
#10
Pizza hut middle east
With three food joints in the top ten brands, it’s obvious that the way to the Middle East’s heart is through the stomach. Adding more than 800 fans daily on its Facebook page, this global brand is aggressive in marketing new promotions – from Crown Crust Carnival to Cheesy Bites Remix. Yum! Brands, that owns both KFC and Pizza Hut, sure makes for a strong case in branding.
#13
Ana zahra
Anazahra.com reaches out to modern Arab women with fashion tips, celebrity news and a sense of interactive community. Launched in 2012, the portal features popular editors, contributors, bloggers and some of the most influential personalities from the Arab world. The site attracts an average of 622,000 unique visitors and seven million page views daily.
#11
Eye of riyadh
This city news and marketing portal cleverly hooks its local community with useful content – from jobs and events to news and government announcements. It sure helps to be in Riyadh, which – with a population of over five million – is the largest city in Saudi Arabia. For local info, Eye Of Riyadh is one of the first ports of call, hence the site’s impressive social media engagement and content sharing figures.
#14
just falafel
This fast-growing UAE falafel chain owes much of its success to social media. Recently, Just Falafel’s ‘Help Us Help You’ campaign was launched in January 2012, tying together social media, creative arts and academic support through an innovative initiative via its Facebook page. The firm’s social media channels have seen hundreds of thousands of fans view the brand’s personal and humorous online videos and corporate clips. gulfbusiness.com / 53
#15
Fatafeat
Based in Dubai and broadcast to 21 countries, Fatafeat is the first 24-hour free-to-air cuisine television channel. Fatafeat’s programming features foodie menus and celebrity cooks, while the channel’s Facebook page allows readers to share recipe tips and watch the chefs in action on YouTube.
#18
Saudi Tourism
With a population of over 27 million, Saudi Arabians love to travel domestically. The homebodies spent over $22.5 billion travelling their turf last year, visiting cultural hotspots such as Mecca and Medina. The Saudi Tourism information portal taps into this local market, as well as the Kingdom’s growing international visitor profile with pictorial teasers and lively debates on Facebook and YouTube. 54 / SEPTEMBER 2012
#16
Zain
Kuwait’s largest telco is a pioneer in social media. The firm even celebrated International Social Media Day in June this year by gathering social media enthusiasts and entrepreneurs for faceto-face interaction and engagement with the Zain brand. Currently the brand is running the ‘Instagram Daily Challenge’ where readers are encouraged to upload their social media photos each day to a new theme.
#19
Carnegie Mellon University
The prestigious US-founded Carnegie Mellon University opened its Qatar campus in 2008. The university has the advantage of leveraging its international campus base of more than 10,000 students, 70,000 alumni and 4,000 staff to boost its social media community. The school’s regular educational YouTube videos have proved to be a global hit.
#17
Blackberry Middle East
It’s been a bumpy time for Canadian smartphone maker, RIM. In the last full financial year, the firm made a net profit of $1.2 billion, markedly down from $3.4 billion in the previous year. BlackBerry lost significant share to other smartphones in 2011, which means the company has re-energised its focus on multi-million dollar marketing campaigns, competitions and online communities.
#20
OSN
As one of the largest pay TV networks in the MENA region, OSN uses its large subscriber base to tap into Western, Arabic and Filipino communities with regular entertainment listings updates and previews. OSN’s Facebook page gives users the chance to share their views on the latest ‘Suits’ series or box office films.
TOP 50 social media brands
#21
Toyota Saudi Arabia
Abdul Latif Jameel (ALJ) group, the exclusive distributor of Toyota in the Kingdom, is focusing heavily on social media to market the Japanese car brand. For instance, Toyota offers a free iPhone and iPad application that allows users to book vehicle service appointments, calculate installments and receive promotions. ALJ recently won a 2012 Facebook Application Award for its ‘Me and My Toyota’ online campaign.
#24
The First Group
The Dubai-based luxury property developer operates residential and commercial projects in the UAE and Africa. The company has tie-ups with famous sports personalities, such as Michael Owen, Nwankwo Kanu and Svetlana Kuznetsóva, and promotes itself on social media by offering merchandise signed by these stars to competition winners.
#22
NasAir
Launched in 2007, the Saudi Arabian carrier already has a young fleet of 16 aircrafts and covers 24 international destinations. Currently in a strong social media drive, NasAir is competing with five global airlines in the ‘Best Use of Social Media to Drive Revenue’ category at the annual SimpliFlying Awards For Excellence, to be held in October.
#25
The Dubai Mall
Spread across 12 million square feet (and growing), The Dubai Mall has over 1,200 stores and 160 F&B outlets. The enormous shopping destination welcomed more than 54 million visitors in 2011 to become the world’s mostvisited shopping and leisure destination, according to Emaar Properties, the mall’s developer.
#23
Qatar Airways
One of the fastest growing airlines in the world, Qatar Airways flies to over 100 destinations worldwide, and is looking to widen its market through social media. Last month, the carrier conducted a competition on Twitter called ‘Tweeta-Meet’ where the first three winning teams with the highest number of tweets won a pair of business class tickets to their chosen destination.
#26
Qatar National Bank
The largest bank in the GCC (by assets), Qatar National Bank was established in 1964 as the country’s first Qatariowned commercial bank. Despite being a relatively older company in the region, the lender has been quick to adapt to social media, and keenly interacts with its audience through competitions and offers on Facebook.
gulfbusiness.com / 55
#27
Carrefour Saudi Arabia
Synonymous with retail supermarkets across the world, the French brand Carrefour entered Saudi Arabia in 2004, and has seen a rapid expansion in the Kingdom. In a bid to cater to its local consumers, Carrefour SA recently released a mobile app that allows users to download chosen Surahs from the Holy Quran.
#30
Deira City Centre
Following closely behind Mirdif City Centre is another mall developed by MAF, Deira City Centre (DCC). Launched in 1995, DCC has over 370 stores and attracts over 20 million visitors a year. The mall closely interacts with its Facebook fans through regular competitions and promotional offers and even had an interesting ‘fun facts’ section this Ramadan.
56 / SEPTEMBER 2012
#28
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi already has the best branding any theme park could wish for. The world’s first Ferrari themed park, its enclosed indoor area is large enough to fit seven football fields. The park, which offers over 20 thrilling rides, is understandably popular on Facebook, adding over 8,400 ‘likes’ in the month of July alone.
#31
Namshi
Namshi is fast becoming the UAE’s leading local online shopping hub for the latest fashion brands, items and must-haves. The online fashion outlet recently began shipping to wider parts of the Middle East and North Africa. It also launched an Arabic language interface as part of a wider outreach.
#29
Mirdif City Centre
Given that multi-themed (and air conditioned) malls offer the main source of entertainment in the region, it’s not surprising that Dubai’s Mirdif City Centre (MCC) is the second mall on the list. Developed by Majid Al Futtaim Properties (MAF), MCC has over 430 stores, leisure and entertainment attractions.
#32
Samsung Mobile Arabia
One of the world’s most famous brands, Samsung is as widely recognised in the Gulf as it is globally. While Apple and its iPhone products are becoming stronger in the region, Blackberry is still universally popular. Samsung comes in third but, particularly in the GCC, it faces a tough battle to usurp its rivals.
TOP 50 social media brands
#33
Doha Film Institute
Interest in Qatar for all things movierelated has exploded in recent years, with much of it focussed on the Doha Film Institute and its now regular event, Doha Tribeca Film Festival. Still a fledgling newcomer to the worldwide film-making scene, DFI is already beginning to attract interest from the world’s biggest superstars, like rapper Kanye West, who recently filmed a video in Doha with the help of DFI.
#36
Jamaluk
Jamaluk is a beauty and lifestyle website based in Saudi Arabia, covering health and fitness, beauty secrets, make-up and fashion. With plans to reach the wider GCC region, Jamaluk hosts a family and community discussion section, while also posting a new ‘prayer day’ story every day of Ramadan.
#34
Etisalat
As the largest network provider in the UAE, Etisalat has a region-wide presence. Etisalat is aggressive with communication, offering updates, offers and news streams on social media platforms. Notwithstanding a decline in revenue, Etisalat is one of the most recognisable brands in the Middle East, and still stronger than its arch-rival Du, at least on this list.
#37
KIA Motors UAE
The UAE is a difficult market for this international auto brand. Not because the market is flooded with rivals, but more because the high purchasing power in the UAE allows many residents to splurge on high-end wheels. Though KIA faces competition from elite brands, such as Ferrari, Bentley and Mercedes, it continues undeterred, recently even announcing the launch of its revamped Cerato model.
#35
Tang Arabia
A fruit drinks company that has more colour in one of its adverts than your average rainbow, Tang recently launched an inspired campaign using children as superheroes. The Krafts Foods-owned company encouraged children across the Gulf to do more to help the less fortunate in the charity-giving month of Ramadan.
#38
Qtel
Qatar’s biggest network provider, Qtel, is as recognised a brand as they come in the Gulf. Taking on a new approach to brand management, this telecom company set up a reward system for Qatari medal winners at the London Olympics, in celebration of their achievement.
gulfbusiness.com / 57
#39
Etihad Airways
Abu Dhabi’s flagship carrier has been on a mission to snap up minority shares in other airlines, creating new partnerships with Virgin Australia and Aer Lingus. The brand has also used extensive sponsorship to promote its name across the world, including sponsoring England’s top professional football and rugby teams last season.
#42
Mall of the Emirates
This Dubai Mall deserves the Gold Award for Best Digital Marketing Campaign that it received in 2011. The mall has engaged customers, especially on Facebook, using fashion campaigns for women like Style Moments or the virtual looks application that alone won it 30,000 new fans.
58 / SEPTEMBER 2012
#40
Souq KSA
The original souq.com launched its Saudi Arabian version five years ago and hasn’t looked back since. The e-commerce site, with its all-Arabic interface, is the online one-stop-shop for thousands of buyers and sellers across the region. Options range from phones to computers, health and beauty products to cars.
#43
Du
Not only does this UAE-based telecom provider offer social media packages to customers, but it also engages them with some highly innovative online campaigns. During Ramadan, for instance, Du initiated social media initiatives with a Holy Quran recitation competition and ‘Ask the Sheikh’ that garnered it huge popularity.
#41
Nokia Saudi Arabia
Fending off severe competition from RIM and Apple, Nokia is bent on making mobile devices a lifestyle experience. In September, Nokia’s technology will be incorporated throughout the Social Media Week in Jeddah, connecting attendees through real-time conversation, a location check-in experience and sharing of mobile devices.
#44
Museum of Islamic Art
As a centre for presenting arts of the Islamic world, the museum engages global audiences and serves as a platform for dialogue and cultural exchange. Showcasing a multi-million dollar collection and Qatar as a cultural destination, has propelled the popularity of this Doha-based museum.
TOP 50 social media brands
#45
Al Rajhi Bank
Being one of the largest Islamic banks in the world ensures that you still get close to 10,000 followers, despite not tweeting a lot. With the largest customer base in the Kingdom and 8,400 employees, this Saudi-based bank has clocked in a lot of well-wishers on the social media space.
#48
Vodafone Qatar
Vodafone Qatar is the first and only telecom operator in the Middle East to open its doors to customers exclusively via an online store. This teamed with its trail-blazing online brand engagement programme – an e-commerce website with offerings like number reservations, creative campaigns via Ramadan-Kareem. net, and even a new website for buying and selling SouqIt.com, helps make it one of Qatar’s most popular brands.
#46
Wataniya
Being a customer-driven company has led to Wataniya clinching 80 per cent of the mobile market penetration in Kuwait. The telecom’s Facebook and Twitter accounts are constant with activity from cool contests and exclusive promotions to answering queries by customers on products and services.
#49
Qatar Foundation
Qatar Foundation’s social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube is rare in that it contains information in both Arabic and English. Engaging people using useful information about CSR initiatives, recruitment drives, cultural opinions and economic news, the foundation has launched new social media channels focussed on its partnership with FC Barcelona.
#47
MOJEH Magazine
The fifth fashion-related entry on this list tells us how much importance is given to looking good in the Middle East. Using key placements in premier locations throughout the world, this Dubai-based bi-monthly high fashion and lifestyle magazine sure knows how to keep readers engaged.
#50
Bahrain City Centre
The mall was awarded ‘Best Facebook Page’ on several key merits including unique content, fan interaction and fan engagement including updates and response times. Considering that it’s Bahrain only entry and therefore the country’s most recognisable brand, establishes its position as a leader in the way shopping malls interact and engage with their customers in an effective and informative way. gulfbusiness.com / 59
TOP 50 Social media Brands
TOP 50 SOCIAL MEDIA BRANDS IN GCC BRANDS COUNTRY CATEGORY
FACEBOOK Likes Talking
Al Arabiya KSA Media 2,060,333 Al Jazeera English Qatar Media 1,115,470 Pepsi Arabia F&B 1,306,248 KFC Arabia F&B 1,091,264 STC KSA Telecom 642,948 Nat Geo Abu Dhabi UAE Media 733,568 Qatar 2022 Qatar Event 663,918 Emirates UAE Airline 624,776 Mobily KSA Telecom 440,125 Pizza Hut Middle East F&B 614,701 Eye of Riyadh KSA Media 586,405 Sony Middle East Technology 588,472 Ana Zahra UAE Media 478,176 Just Falafel UAE F&B 486,911 Fatafeat UAE Media 428,362 Zain Kuwait Telecom 365,321 Blackberry Middle East Technology 424,000 Saudi Tourism KSA Gov 382,921 Carnegie Mellon University Qatar Education 361,054 OSN UAE Media 348,214 Toyota Saudi Arabia KSA Auto 340,626 NasAir KSA Airline 306,306 Qatar Airways Qatar Airline 300,874 The First Group UAE Property 306,673 The Dubai Mall UAE Retail 286,150 Qatar National Bank Qatar Finance 281,919 Carrefour Saudi Arabia KSA Retail 262,509 Ferrari World Abu Dhabi UAE Entertainment 251,139 Mirdif City Centre UAE Retail 246,804 Deira City Centre UAE Retail 234,836 Namshi UAE Retail 230,071 Samsung Mobile Arabia Technology 210,031 Doha Film Institute Qatar Entertainment 198,739 Etisalat UAE Telecom 131,070 Tang Arabia FMCG 202,524 Jamaluk KSA Media 169,944 KIA Motors UAE UAE Auto 193,727 Qtel Qatar Telecom 169,278 Etihad Airways UAE Airline 178,365 Souq KSA KSA Online 175,327 Nokia Saudi Arabia KSA Technology 153,115 Mall of the Emirates UAE Retail 164,763 du UAE Telecom 144,367 Museum of Islamic Art Qatar Entertainment 151,342 Al Rajhi Bank KSA Finance 135,238 Wataniya Kuwait Telecom 92,527 Mojeh Magazine UAE Media 126,542 Vodafone Qatar Qatar Telecom 121,349 Qatar Foundation Qatar Gov 92,002 Bahrain City Centre Bahrain Retail 123,336
127,544 19,746 116,239 10,046 11,136 24,986 2,133 50,143 6,274 8,990 13,383 19,837 9,511 5,441 11,612 5,259 5,804 10,052 987 27,623 8,967 30,902 4,486 7,763 3,492 23,901 9,682 2,878 12,177 6,739 17,083 7,784 753 1,880 21,802 13,413 1,101 1,398 20,606 9,849 6,757 3,275 1,698 4,146 878 5,818 1,812 1,365 1,882 1,316
TWITTER Followers Tweets* 1,204,204 20,342 648 495 307,329 12,047 7,621 28,246 184,126 – 5,601 1,091 13,368 1,376 47,274 103,992 4,123 – 1,286 6,419 12,565 34,901 35,455 3,862 39,107 7,427 30 6,100 2,677 1,992 1,711 10,498 17,642 85,338 1,026 26,602 1,449 18,088 7,198 5,450 18,067 3,589 20,571 1,147 9,439 50,034 16,114 10,176 31,843 3,270
84 7 7 3 6 5 3 3 3 – 4 5 17 6 14 15 9 – 3 7 17 2 6 3 13 16 3 1 5 2 2 7 10 13 2 7 1 14 9 1 3 11 16 5 5 69 5 12 4 4
YOUTUBE Subscribers Views 86,786 82,940,220 261,442 387,581,639 86 243,709 109 15162 9664 5,858,758 87 576 1,341 3,135,978 1,456 4,198,687 4620 2,403,630 418 1,203,448 20 5,599 337 245,738 4,270 9,248,411 75 25,452 1596 1,126,088 1,121 1,266,542 735 230,208 169 67,896 351 50,362 1078 141,942 277 152,635 147 12,389 1,010 133,422 5 732 566 385,901 114 109,916 35 12,839 680 714,149 18 23,640 3 2,443 2 1,800 4,008 741,553 245 67,168 118 23,383 20 91,050 1067 2,950,904 4 343 161 61,246 1,698 5,770,159 6 766 1059 282,061 5 3,345 309 188,669 – – 111 4,238 821 1,490,579 0 46 130 64,151 57 14,678 – –
Total
3,351,323 1,397,254 1,306,982 1,091,868 959,941 745,702 672,880 654,478 628,871 615,119 592,026 589,900 495,814 488,362 477,232 470,434 428,858 383,090 362,691 355,711 353,468 341,354 337,339 310,540 295,732 289,460 262,574 257,919 249,499 236,831 231,784 224,537 216,626 216,526 203,570 197,613 195,180 187,527 187,261 180,783 172,241 168,357 165,247 152,489 144,788 143,382 142,656 131,655 123,902 123,336 * PER DAY
60 / SEPTEMBER 2012
TOP 50 Social media Brands
TOP 50 SOCIAL MEDIA BRANDS (Country-wise) BRANDS CATEGORY
FACEBOOK Likes Talking
TWITTER Followers Tweets*
YOUTUBE Subscribers Views
Total
SAUDI ARABIA Al Arabiya Media 2,060,333 STC Telecom 642,948 Mobily Telecom 440,125 Eye of Riyadh Online 586,405 Saudi Tourism Gov 382,921 Toyota Saudi Arabia Auto 340,626 NasAir Airline 306,306 Carrefour Saudi Arabia Retail 262,509 Jamaluk Media 169,944 Souq KSA Online 175,327 Nokia Saudi Arabia Technology 153,115 Al Rajhi Bank Finance 135,238
127,544 11,136 6,274 13,383 10,052 8,967 30,902 9,682 13,413 9,849 6,757 878
1,204,204 307,329 184,126 5,601 – 12,565 34,901 30 26,602 5,450 18,067 9,439
84 6 3 4 – 17 2 3 7 1 3 5
86,786 9664 4620 20 169 277 147 35 1067 6 1059 111
82,940,220 5,858,758 2,403,630 5,599 67,896 152,635 12,389 12,839 2,950,904 766 282,061 4,238
3,351,323 959,941 628,871 592,026 383,090 353,468 341,354 262,574 197,613 180,783 172,241 144,788
QATAR Al Jazeera English Media 1,115,470 Qatar 2022 Event 663,918 Carnegie Mellon University Education 361,054 Qatar Airways Airline 300,874 Qatar National Bank Finance 281,919 Doha Film Institute Entertainment 198,739 Qtel Telecom 169,278 Museum of Islamic Art Entertainment 151,342 Vodafone Qatar Telecom 121,349 Qatar Foundation Gov 92,002
19,746 2,133 987 4,486 23,901 753 1,398 4,146 1,365 1,882
20,342 7,621 1,286 35,455 7,427 17,642 18,088 1,147 10,176 31,843
7 3 3 6 16 10 14 5 12 4
261,442 1,341 351 1,010 114 245 161 – 130 57
387,581,639 3,135,978 50,362 133,422 109,916 67,168 61,246 – 64,151 14,678
1,397,254 672,880 362,691 337,339 289,460 216,626 187,527 152,489 131,655 123,902
UAE National Geographic Abu Dhabi Media 733,568 Emirates Airline 624,776 Ana Zahra Media 478,176 Just Falafel F&B 486,911 Fatafeat Media 428,362 OSN Media 348,214 The First Group Property 306,673 The Dubai Mall Retail 286,150 Ferrari World Abu Dhabi Entertainment 251,139 Mirdif City Centre Retail 246,804 Deira City Centre Retail 234,836 Namshi Retail 230,071 Etisalat Telecom 131,070 KIA Motors UAE Auto 193,727 Etihad Airways Airline 178,365 Mall of the Emirates Retail 164,763 du Telecom 144,367 Mojeh Magazine Media 126,542
24,986 50,143 9,511 5,441 11,612 27,623 7,763 3,492 2,878 12,177 6,739 17,083 1,880 1,101 20,606 3,275 1,698 1,812
12,047 28,246 13,368 1,376 47,274 6,419 3,862 39,107 6,100 2,677 1,992 1,711 85,338 1,449 7,198 3,589 20,571 16,114
5 3 17 6 14 7 3 13 1 5 2 2 13 1 9 11 16 5
87 1,456 4,270 75 1596 1078 5 566 680 18 3 2 118 4 1,698 5 309 0
576 4,198,687 9,248,411 25,452 1,126,088 141,942 732 385,901 714,149 23,640 2,443 1,800 23,383 343 5,770,159 3,345 188,669 46
745,702 654,478 495,814 488,362 477,232 355,711 310,540 295,732 257,919 249,499 236,831 231,784 216,526 195,180 187,261 168,357 165,247 142,656
KUWAIT Zain Telecom 365,321 5,259 103,992 15 1,121 1,266,542 Wataniya Telecom 92,527 5,818 50,034 69 821 1,490,579
470,434 143,382
BAHRAIN Bahrain City Centre Retail 123,336 1,316 3,270 4 – –
123,336 * PER DAY
62 / SEPTEMBER 2012