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March 28, 2021
Year founded: 2005 (acquired by Google in 2006) Parent company: Google Global HQ: San Bruno, California Number of users worldwide: Over 2 billion monthly logged-in users globally Number of users regionally: In August of last year, YouTube reached over 7 million individuals in the UAE and around 20 million in Saudi Arabia (ages 18+) with an average watch time of 70 minutes per day in the UAE and 55 minutes in the kingdom. DESCRIPTION Our mission is to give everyone a voice and show them the world. We believe that everyone
VIEWPOINT TAREK AMIN, YOUTUBE DIRECTOR FOR THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
deserves to have a voice, and that the world is a better place when we listen, share and build community through our stories. BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT THE PLATFORM? Misconception: Businesses can produce one TVC/video ad to place on YouTube and be able to reach different audiences and markets. Fact: Brands need to start applying personalisation in their communication as the audiences of today expect messages relevant to their passions or, even better, to their tension points. They expect brands to be relevant to them and take into account their needs. WHAT CAN YOU DO BEST FOR BRANDS? With YouTube, businesses and advertisers can understand the interests of their audiences in order to deliver engaging ads in the right
format, and at the right time. WHAT ARE THE KPIS BRANDS LOOK FOR ON YOUR PLATFORM? There are many KPIs depending on each brand’s objective, including watch time, engagement, total impressions, conversions, etc. WHAT NEW FEATURES HAVE YOU LAUNCHED IN THE LAST YEAR? Last year, we launched audio ads on YouTube to help brands expand their reach and grow awareness on the platform. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING SPECIAL PLANNED FOR RAMADAN? We recently published a series of Ramadan exclusive insights on Think with Google, where we share major shifts in consumer behaviour during the Holy Month and what they mean for marketers.
IF YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO GET SOMEONE INSPIRED BY YOUR PLATFORM, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THEM TO LOOK AT?
One of the most inspiring aspects about YouTube is the creative ingenuity of its creators’ community. From making the biggest candy floss in the world, to raising money through a livestream for refugees, or telling the stories of total strangers, there’s a creative spark that drives such relatable content. This makes YouTube the place where people can help make a difference, engage or learn.
WHAT DO YOU SEE TOO OFTEN? WHAT HAVE BECOME THE CAMPAIGN CLICHÉS ON YOUR PLATFORM?
We are still seeing many traditional TVCs, adopting the linear storytelling format instead of digital-first assets.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE BRANDS DOING MORE OF ON YOUR PLATFORM? Developing user-first, digital-first and non-linear storytelling ads that follow our best practices, given that the impact on the ROI would be much higher. It would be great to see brands creating more assets with custom creativity to benefit from the full-funnel suite of products and the targeting options we have.
WHAT LESSONS DID YOU LEARN FROM COVID?
The pandemic has accelerated the shift to digital adoption, and many changes have emerged last year and are likely to stay with us for the years ahead. As an example, I expect to see more popular events transition towards the online space (think livestreams). Additionally, we saw that people were extremely resilient throughout this period and were able to use online tools to foster a sense of community in an impactful manner.