mr. mohamad shawash - understanding local cultures on social media

Understandinglocal cUltUreson social Media

My naMe isMohaMad shawash

i’MJordanian

sort of abatMan

i work as apUblic startegist

in the Morningand a

digital create directorat night

enoUgh aboUt Me... now back to the Main sUbJect!

Understandinglocal cUltUreson social Media

#fact:social Media is the new advertising(one way or another)

there are things that yoU MUst do and MUst not do in order to achieve sUccess.i’M here JUst to explain

5 iMportant factorsqUickly and give yoU few MinUtesfor soMe q&a, or JUst entertain yoU(one way or another)

nUMber 1: Understanding the cUltUre

this is the new haifa wehbe cd cover (released in kUwait with this exact artwork)

nowif this was Made for the levant

it is alrightin north africa, it is also fine (god knows what’s happening in egypt now)

bUt this is definitely

not for the gcc

this version is whatsUits this region sorry, i Made with verylow graphics.

it is not based on religion, bUt based on the cUltUre. kUwaiti or khaliJi cUltUre considered the original nUdity.

do cUstoMize yoUr graphics/artwork to fit in the local cUltUre.

another great exaMple (logo reMoved) is this sMartphone, called the galaxy note. coMpare the international & the gcc version to of the artwork.

nUMber 2:speak the langUage

it is Unprofessional to Use slang (عامية) and forMal coMMUnication (فصحى) at the saMe tiMe! yoU shoUld Unify yoUr tone.Using both at the saMe tiMe can be awkward and lead soMe Users to dislike yoUr page or Unfollow yoUr accoUnt, why? here’s an exaMple

for exaMple;writing in a kUwaitidialect Might be hardfor non-kUwaitis livingin kUwait to Understand.

شلونكم! أصدقائنا… قريبا رح ينزل الجهاز

باللون الشويتي

chweeti:dark blUe in kUwaiti dialect.

the probleM; is that even if yoU write soMe people Might coMe اللون األزرق الغامق

and say; ليش التفلسف، كتبو شويتينص فصحى ونص كويتي

so, cUt it short... and

do not Mix dialects, write for yoUr target.

nUMber 3:do it right

it Might be offensive to proMote new Meals, sandwiches or food in general in lUnch tiMedUring raMadan.we know yoU’re trying to Make aliving bUt a lot of people are hatingyoU for posting in the wrong tiMes.

post yoUr photos in the early Morningor after iftar, proMote yoUr offers forthe next day.

do pickthe right tiMe.

nUMber 4:hire a local, know the Market!

Many social Media agencies are tUrning froM local into regional; we have this trend in the levant now for exaMple.bUt Many don’t know that whatsoMetiMes work for lebanon, doesn’twork for Jordan or what works in syria doesn’t work anywhere else!

in lebanon; believe it or not, soMe alcoholic beverages proMote raMadan nights in tents! while in Jordan, it is extreMely offensive and alcohol shops are not allowed to sell alcohol and are forced to close in the holy Month.

do not think yoU know it better, know it first.

nUMber 5: reMeMber, we are still arab!

شنو إسم أّمك؟

never rUn a coMpetitionasking an arab to fill his Mother’s naMe...

never!it is a critical qUestion/point for Us arabs; with all this technology, this is still a line yoU don’t cross.

i reMeMber a client that asked people to fill in their naMes, Mother’s naMe and fill in their nUMbers to enter the draw to win a gift on Mother’s day to gift to yoUr Mother, wife or sister.

so the options here were to fill in either:

yoUr Mother’s naMeyoUr sister’s naMeyoUr wife’s wife

i can tell yoU that participates filled in all sort of cUrses or even filled in naMes sUch as;

UM ahMad,UM abdallah,UM yoUsef.

do not ask for Mother naMes

شكرًا لكم جميعًاthanks everyone

tweet Me! @moeysreach Me on

+965 6000 6395 (till satUrday)

+962 777 58 55 44 (after that)