COUNTRY ANALYSIS & MARKETING PLAN SAMSUNG TABLET - MARKET ENTRY INTO THE UAE

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FINAL EXAMINATION FOR MKTG6205 MARKETING IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY

SEMESTER 1 2012

COUNTRY ANALYSIS & MARKETING PLAN

SAMSUNG TABLET - MARKET ENTRY INTO THE UAE

Jessica Yang

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction..................................................................................................................4

CULTURAL ANALYSIS............................................................................................5 Federal Supreme Council ................................................................................................... 5 Federal National Council .................................................................................................... 5 Political Change and Unrest............................................................................................... 5 Population ............................................................................................................................ 6 Gender .................................................................................................................................. 6 Education ............................................................................................................................. 7 Employment ......................................................................................................................... 7 Language .............................................................................................................................. 7 Religion................................................................................................................................. 7 Family ................................................................................................................................... 8 Social Stratification ............................................................................................................. 8 Recreation ............................................................................................................................ 9 Economic Statistics and Descriptions .............................................................................. 10 GDP Growth ...................................................................................................................... 10 Inflation .............................................................................................................................. 10 Cost of Living..................................................................................................................... 11 Distribution of Wealth ...................................................................................................... 11 Trade................................................................................................................................... 11 Free Zones .......................................................................................................................... 12 Regional Agreements ........................................................................................................ 12 Industry and Diversification............................................................................................. 12 Direct Foreign Investment................................................................................................ 13 Taxation Regime................................................................................................................ 13 Legal Structure .................................................................................................................. 13 Availability and Impact of Media .................................................................................... 14 Print .................................................................................................................................... 14 Magazines........................................................................................................................... 14 Television............................................................................................................................ 14 Internet ............................................................................................................................... 15 Radio................................................................................................................................... 15 Out-of-Home ...................................................................................................................... 15 Availability of Channels of Distribution ......................................................................... 16

Competitor Landscape & Analysis...........................................................................16 Opportunities ..................................................................................................................... 17 Market Insights.................................................................................................................. 18 Estimate Annual Industry-Wide Sales//Volume (Category) ......................................... 21

MARKETING PLAN ................................................................................................22 Target Market.................................................................................................................... 22 The Product and Product Strategy.................................................................................. 23 Marketing Objectives........................................................................................................ 24 Promotion Strategy ........................................................................................................... 24 Distribution Strategy......................................................................................................... 25 Pricing Strategy ................................................................................................................. 26 Government Participation ................................................................................................ 27 Budgets and Profitability Analysis .................................................................................. 27

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INTRODUCTION

Samsung have requested a comprehensive report in considering launching the Galaxy

Tablet into the UAE and surrounding MEA region.

This report consists of three sections; the first looks at the UAE, and provides a

country overview, the second provides a detailed look into the Information

Communication Technology sector within the UAE and MEA surrounds, and the

third presents a strategic international market entry plan for the Samsung tablet into

the UAE, and MEA surrounds.

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CULTURAL ANALYSIS

Federal Supreme Council

The Federation of the United Arab Emirates was formed in 1971 post-independence

from Britain.

There are seven hereditary Sheiks that form the Federal Supreme Council. They

retain judicial and political power over their own sheikdoms: Abu Dhabi, Dubai,

Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah.

The constitution stipulates that the Federal Supreme Council formulates general

policies, legislation, ratification of treaties, and appoints the Supreme Court judges.

Straightforward issues require a majority vote to pass, however, slightly more delicate

matters require five or more of the seven members to pass.

Federal National Council

Formed in 1972, the Federal National Council advises the Cabinet, and Supreme

Council, but do not have the power to overrule them. The constitution stipulates that

the FNC consist of forty members, proportionally appointed by the ruler of each

Emirate (PKF 2009).

Political Change and Unrest

The Economist Intelligence Unit reported in 2011, that there has been political unrest

and instability is at high-risk level as Figure 1.01 illustrates. This has been a result of

the recent Arab Spring democratic movements. This is a concern for businesses

looking to operate within the region as political unrest could severely affect all

operations, not limited to demand, logistics, supply, and marketing communications.

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Population

The population of the UAE can only be currently estimated, as the federation’s last

census was 2005. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), this figure

has almost doubled. The full door-to-door census scheduled for Aril 2012 has been

cancelled due to “financial issues” (The National, 2012). The NBS has come up with

a methodology to forecast the 2010 population at 8.26 million residents. (I have

applied the growth rate of +3.282% [IndexMundi, 2012] to the 2010 NBS estimates,

for a 2011 set, and this can be viewed in Figure 1.01).

It is also worthy to note that the birth rate is +15.87 births per 1’000 population, and

net migration rate is at +19 migrants per 1’000 population, while the death rate is only

2.06 deaths per 1’000 population (IndexMundi, 2011).

Key out-takes include the most populous age group being the 15-44 year olds males,

which we can assume to be the expat community consisting of 50 percent South

Asians (Pakistani, and Indians), 23 percent Iranians, and 8 percent ‘Westerners’ (UAE

Ministry of Economy 2012).

Unfortunately the NBS has not published either expats by city, household income by

city, or the October 2011 Abu Dhabi census, which would have been extremely

useful. This shows that the country is still relatively risky for businesses in terms of

reliable statistical information, and trustworthy consumer insights based on the

transparency of government.

Gender

According to the NBS statistics, women account for less than 31 percent of the

population in the UAE. Emirati society is highly patriarchal with clear-cut gender

role differences (Hamdan 2011). Men are the dominant sex, and are expected to have

control of the home. Women are increasingly participating in business, medicine,

arts, politics, and education, but, with the exception of some high-profile elite Emirati

women, the overall influence by women in the UAE is quite limited (Kirdar 2010).

This raises the question of who controls the discretionary income within the

household.

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Education

The UAE Ministry of Economy boasted a 91 percent literacy level in 2005 (UAE

Ministry of Economy 2012), and the World Bank – World Development Indicator

states that the UAE has one of the lowest pupil-to-teacher rations in the world at 16.8

in 2010 (The World Bank 2012). “77 percent of women are university graduates, yet

only 15 percent participate in the workforce, often opting for a career in the public

sector, where women hold 50 percent of all government jobs” (Hamdan, 2011, p.1).

Employment

The unemployment rate is supposedly one of the lowest in the world at 3 percent in

mid-2010. However, a closer look reveals unemployment is much higher among the

UAE nationals at thirteen percent compared to expats at 2 percent. The reasoning

behind the high local unemployment rate being the influx of expats willing to bring

more skills to the table for less pay (ArabianBusiness, 2009). The types of roles

typical for different races include, “South Asians’ export labour for unskilled

construction jobs, Arabs occupying mid-level management roles in hospitality, and

Westerners usually occupying positions in education, media and executive positions

in construction and architectural design. Implications for a business to consider

include consumer segmentation, and pricing accordingly.

Language

Arabic is the official language of the UAE, although English is used commonly to

communicate in trade and commerce activities as well as Arabic. A result of the large

number of expats from South-East Asia, Africa, and several other regions – Bengali,

Malayam, Punjabi, and Tagalog are also common.

Religion

Islam is one of the most influential forces in the UAE alongside the monarchial

government. Businesses need to understand that it moulds and regulates society’s

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values and mores, and the ability to facilitate organizational change and development

(UAE National Media Council 2010).

Family

Family is a priority of national people of the UAE. The social structure is based on

both families and tribal connections, and the highly influential families and tribes

shape their values and behavior. The institutions of marriage and the family are

highly patriarchal (Hamdan 2011). The husband is culturally accepted as the ruler of

the family and is regarded as the formal authority to which the wife and children must

ultimately respond. The husband's role is authoritarian, and he assumes responsibility

for maintaining the family structure by whatever means he feels justified.

In short, the UAE's society still generally value patriarchy. Loyalty and honour within

family members are carried through into the business world, and most business

owners employ members of their family and tribe. The acknowledgement of social

status in the family and from the general public is very important.

Social Stratification

Emirati society is split into two categories: the nationals (Al-Muwateneen) and the

foreigners (Al-Wafedeen). There are roughly four main social classes:

1. Ruling sheikh families - hold the highest political positions, power, and have

immense wealth and prestige;

2. Merchant class (al-tujjar) traditionally pearling merchants, who now sell

international goods;

3. New middle class – the increasing numbers of professionals who have

benefitted from free state education;

4. Low-income groups, represented by newly settled Bedouin nomads, former

pearl divers and oasis farmers

There is a hierarchy among the immigrants; different groups receive different

economic and social rewards (EveryCulture, 2012).

1. Top professionals and technocrats with international contracts, who earn high

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salaries and other benefits

2. Middle-range professionals such as school teachers, skilled technicians, and

company salesmen

3. Low-paid semi-skilled and unskilled workers, primarily Asian.

In terms of the nationals, they are considered a privileged minority, and the state laws

and business regulations have been made in their favour (EveryCulture, 2012).

Recreation

There are a myriad of activities in the UAE as long as you are able to finance said

activities in this man-developed federation. Activities include Golf, Horseracing,

Tennis, Watersports, Camel Racing, Cricket, Motorsports, Zoos, Beach parks, Water

parks, domestic trips within the UAE, mosques, and then there are the much loved

shopping centres. So it seems that one cant really run out of recreational activities in

the UAE. There is no available standard market data for recreational expenses.

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Economic Statistics and Descriptions

Figure 1.02: Key economic indicators - Snapshot

Source: CIA World Factbook 2012

GDP Growth

The UAE economy was considerably affected by the GFC shrinking by 4% in 2009 as

illustrated in Figure 2 from the UAE Ministry of Economy (2011). In 2010, however,

it experienced growth of 1.4%, mainly attributed to the increase of the non-oil sectors.

2011 projected figures announced by Reuters (2012) have exceeded the IMF

predictions with expected growth of 4% showing great signs of recovery.

Inflation

Annual inflation has been projected at 2.4% for 2012 by the UAE Ministry of

Economy (2011) shows a slight increase from the estimated 1.6% in 2011.

The low inflation coupled with declining rents and a somewhat stronger US dollar

placed the UAE cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi amongst the cheapest large cities in

the world, ranking at 94 and 86 respectively out of the 140 metropolitan cities

assessed by The Economist (2012) Worldwide Cost of Living Survey.

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Cost of Living

A new survey by the UAE Ministry of Economy has reported that the average

monthly household income of residents is AED18’249. Immediately, 40 percent of

this is extracted for housing and utilities, and then another 14 percent is spent on food

and drink. (Arabian Business 2009) This leaves us with approximately AED8’400

discretionary income per month. The website ‘Doing Business’ in 2012 has recorded

that Gross National Income (GNI) per Capita stands at US$59’717, which compared

with the rest of the world is in the high income bracket. Having said that, many

regional governments are increasing their capital investment and increasing wages in

the hope that it will boost consumer spending in the region, especially on consumer

electronics (Business Monitor International 2012).

Distribution of Wealth

The CIA World Factbook reports in 2003 that 19 percent of UAE’s population is

living below the poverty line, and the shocking fact that less than 0.2 percent of the

population holds 90 percent of the population’s wealth. It has been reported that there

is major discrimination at play throughout the social hierarchy as well as a gender

bias. Also, most of the high-income earners and wealth is situated in the to main cities

Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which leaves the rest of the geographic areas within the UAE

with a massive drop in wealth (International Business Wikia 2012).

Trade

The UAE is among the top 30 trading nations in the world according to the World

Trade Organization (2011). As noted in figure 1, adapted from the CIA World Fact

Book (2012) India, China and USA are the leading source of imports, supplying

mostly machinery and transport equipment and manufactured goods. Meanwhile,

Japan, India and Iran comprised the top export destinations, trading mainly in the

sector of oil and gas and re-exports.

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Metal exports along with textile produce are expected to surpass the

hydrocarbon exports income within the next 40 to 60 years (See appendix 2 for a

complete trade profile).

Sanctions on Iran, one of the UAE’s major trading partners and a key source of

demand for Dubai’s properties, could further damage its recovery from the 2009 real

estate bust and inability to repay debt as recently published in The Gulf Times (2012).

Free Zones

The UAE Ministry of Economy (2011) lists more than 30 free zones around the

country’s main economic areas offering the following incentives:

• No corporate or personal taxes;

• Free repatriation of capital and profits;

• Low import duties excluding tobacco and spirits;

• No exchange restrictions;

• 100% foreign ownership of companies

Regional Agreements

UAE is a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC),

the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Great Arab Free Trade Agreement

(GAFTA). Entry into these regional agreements as well as various other bilateral

agreements such as Free Trade Agreements (FTA) and Double Taxation Agreement

(DTA) aims to increased its appeal to international investors according to UAE

Ministry of Economy (2011).

Industry and Diversification

As indicated in Figure 1.03 adapted from UAE Ministry of Economy (2011), the

reinvestment of oil and gas revenues resulted in an increasingly diversified economy

with a growing manufacturing capability, a giant construction boom, and a flourishing

services sector (Figure 1.04)

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Direct Foreign Investment

The level of FDI in UAE is estimated by the Ministry of Economy (2011) to have

totaled USD 18 billion in 2008, most of this originating from non-Arab nations and

business services; the top five countries - UK, Japan, India, the US and Iran - account

for 66% of the total FDI.

Restrictions to FDI are imposed in certain sectors like the hydrocarbon, electricity,

gas, and water utilities, mostly controlled by the State or reserved for UAE nationals,

as stated by UAE Ministry of Economy (2011).

Taxation Regime

Being a member at a number of double taxation treaties, UAE taxation regime

presents minimal personal and corporate taxes. Most of the UAE’s applied tariffs

(excluding alcohol and tobacco) are zero or 5% according to the UAE Ministry of

Economy (2011).

Legal Structure

Foreign equity in commercial companies is restricted to no more than 49%, except in

Free Trade Zones (FTZ) where 100% ownership is allowed according to the UAE

Yearbook (2010). A recent article in Khaleej Times Online (2012) confirmed The

Company Law is still under revision, which could result in further exceptions to this

rule.

The UAE Ministry of Economy (2011) makes reference to the DIFC-LCIA

Arbitration Centre based in Dubai to assists businesses worldwide in dispute

resolution. Decisions made in other treaty nations are recognized by the UAE as

indicated in the Gulf News article (2006) when it consented to the New York

Convention for the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards.

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Availability and Impact of Media

Due to the young demographic, and large percentage of culturally diverse ethnicities

of the migrants in the UAE, media consumption habits are extremely fragmented

(Figure 1.05) (Dubai Press Club 2010).

Print

The two leading newspapers include Al Khaleej, which is an Arabic newspaper, and

Gulf News, which is an English paper targeting non-Arab expats. Gulf News is also

frequently accessed online due to their audiovisual content offering (Figure 1.06)

(Dubai Press Club 2010).

Magazines

Leading magazine titles include Kull Al Usra, an Arabic lifestyle magazine, Zahrat Al

Khaleej, a weekly family lifestyle magazine, both targeted at Arabs, and Friday, an

English magazine for the foreign expats. Most of these top-selling magazines are

bought and read by women of the UAE (Dubai Press Club 2010).

Television

Top genres include news, which is driven by expat males; sports, popular among the

Emiratis; and entertainment, which is popular among women, in particular the female

Asian expats (Dubai Press Club 2010).

Top viewed programs include sports shows, Sada Al Malaeb, Al Ittijah Al Moakes,

and morning show, Sabah Al Khair Ya Arab. It is interesting to note that UAE

audiences prefer certain verticals, and not specific shows (Figure 1.07 and 1.08)


Figure 1.09 shows that 72 percent of respondents interviewed by the Nielsen

Company had noticed a product placement, and majority of those that noticed did not

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find it disturbing – which presents an opportunity to show the Samsung Tablet being

used on television for wide reach (Dubai Press Club 2010).

Internet

More than two hours (2.7hrs) a day is spent on the Internet by 35 percent of users in

the UAE, which is more than the time watching television (2hrs). Nearly half of the

respondents interviewed by the Nielsen Company preferred to browse the internet in

Arabic, an even greater proportion preferred to browse in English (by nationals, and

expats respectively). Those that prefer to browse in Arabic do not mind the content or

origin of the content (Dubai Press Club 2010).

The top websites accessed in the UAE include Facebook Arabic, Maktoob (regional

portal), and Youtube. Social networking is used by more than 70 percent of Internet

users in the UAE, but not frequently accessed during the week (Figure 1.10. 1.11,

1.12, and 1.13) (Dubai Press Club 2010).

Only 12 percent of total respondents interviewed by the Nielsen Company reported

that they regularly accessed the Internet via their mobiles due to the still improving

infrastructure and content available (very important factor for Samsung’s Tablet)


Radio

There are 24 radio stations across the federation, all are state-owned. Radio is

relatively popular, a result of people spending long periods of time in their cars.

Approximately half of the stations are in Arabic, the rest are in languages of the

expats (Dubai Press Club 2010).

Out-of-Home

Out-of-Home saw a sharp drop of advertisers and revenue in 2009 as most advertisers

were from the Real Estate sector, which was hit by the Global Financial Crisis. This

means there are competitive advertising rates in the market (Dubai Press Club 2010).

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It is also worthwhile to note that post Global Financial Crisis, advertising in the UAE

has seen a massive contraction due to the banking and real estate sectors pulling

budgets. The implication this has on advertisers the UAE include heavily discounted

advertising rates as media owners suffered from a loss of 35 percent advertising

revenue in 2009 (Dubai Press Club 2010).

Availability of Channels of Distribution

Major players in the UAE’s Personal Computer market include HP, Acer, and Dell –

the top five brands hold approximately half of the market.

The two main UAE consumer electronics outlets include Sharaf DG and Jacky’s.

There are several other retailer outlets in the market such as Switch, eMax, Plug-ins,

and Hypermarkets (k_ahad via Slideshare 2009)

“Stores such as Emax , Plug-ins and Sharaf Electronics have been among the

pioneers of the 'big box' retail trend in the UAE. Sharaf has opened a store with

100,000ft2 of space in Dubai's Times Square mall, which offers 25,000 electronics

products and 300 brands. The company plans to open more big box outlets around the

region. Emax has budgeted AED500’000 for stores across the GCC over the next two

years (BMI p24)”

COMPETITOR LANDSCAPE & ANALYSIS

Apple’s iPad is already the leader in the UAE; in 2011, Jacky’s electronics reported

that the iPad accounted for approximately 70 percent of it’s tablet sales, down from

85 percent in 2010, probably due to increased competition. Prices for the iPad are

more expensive in the UAE than in the US; the lowest price 16GB Wi-Fi model at

US$499 and 64GB model at US$699, and 3G models are priced at US$629 and

US$829 respectively. As with most other markets, Apple can do no wrong in the

UAE (BMI p25).

Motorola, Dell, and HCL have released mobile PCs (tablets) recently into the UAE

market, and we can assume that other consumer electronic brands are looking to do

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the same, i.e.: Asus, Acer, LG, Sony, HP, who all have a presence in the UAE,

although with other product lines (BMI p25).

HP is the market leader in both MEA consumer and business segments, reporting

growth of 37 percent in Q311. They have also implemented financial support for

medium and large HP retailers to increase sales force as well as salary subsidies for

support and training at HP sales academy (BMI p25).

HP have also partnered up with UAE mobile vendor du to offer its hardware bundled

with du’s 3G mobile services. Another partnership with MEA distributor Logicom

has injected substantial channel strength. HP's retail strategy is to open stores within

malls that offer the range of HP consumer products as well as what is billed as a more

personal shopping experience (BMI p25).

Netbooks and notebooks face competition from other form factors. In particular,

smartphones from Palm, RIM, Apple and others are being offered by vendors such as

Vodafone and O2 as alternative connectivity solutions and often include a Wi-Fi

option (BMI p 25).

Opportunities

“There will be further UAE market opportunities in sectors such as education,

healthcare, utilities, banking and telecoms. A pick-up in the number of tourists should

provide a boost to the carry trade, although there are concerns about the impact of

sanctions against Iran (BMI p26).

The Saudi government announced US$93bn in handouts, including wage increases.

This should benefit the entire MEA region, especially if this increases regional travel,

and consumer spending.

“Government initiatives will drive more use of computers in education. In the UAE,

the ministry of Education is leading an initiative to supply computers to state schools”

(BMI p26).

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Market Insights

Affordability, government initiatives, and the popularity of notebooks are key factors

driving hardware sales in the region (BMI p19).

New software and operating systems will also play a big part in driving hardware

upgrades. Notebook sales are growly at twice the rate of desktops, which is

understandable as we are seeing this movement with the rest of the world’s

technology consumption preferences as well (BMI p19).

“An evolving retail landscape will also help to stimulate sales, with the traditional

domination of smaller stores having been diluted by the appearance of multi-brand

electronics sections in hypermarkets and mono-brand stores in malls.” (BMI UAE

tech report)

“The growing popularity of tablets is expected to provide a growth area in 2011, after

the product category enjoyed a surge of popularity in 2010, fuelled by Apple’s iPad.

Around 190’000 tablets were reported sold in Saudi Arabia in 2010. With growing 3G

penetration in the region, telecoms operators will be an increasingly important

channel for portable connectivity devices such as tablets and netbooks... Many

businesses remain focused on costs, and software vendors will pitch efficiency gains

from virtualization, and cloud computing... Customer relationship management will

be a growth area” (BMI Tech report p.19)

“Government adoption will also be a key driver in many countries such as the UAE,

where cloud services are central to the Emirates government e-strategy for the next

three years” (BMI p.20)

“Vendors have reported an evolution in demand for services, with a shift away from

the dominance of product implementation and installation to greater interest in

managed services, value-added services, facilities management, hosting and business

continuity and disaster recovery” (BMI p20)

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“In the past, there was little production of hardware components in the UAE but this

is changing through government initiatives to cultivate local research and

development (R&D) and manufacturing, such as in Dubai Silicon Oasis. However, in

the short term, the UAE is a net importer of hardware technology (BMI p22)

“UAE computer hardware sales including PCs, notebooks and accessories are forecast

at US$2.0bn in 2012, with slower growth than in 2011. The segment is forecast to

grow at a CAGR of 7% between 2012 and 2016 in US dollar terms (BMI p23)

“In 2011, UAE electronics retailers reported a surge in demand for their products, in

many cases fuelled by price cuts. PC sales were stronger than previously expected,

although this growth was driven in part by promotional price-cutting. Consumers

remain cautious, meaning that aggressive price-cutting is expected to continue, but the

market received a boost from improved lending conditions. Conditions were generally

favorable for consumer electronics purchases in 2011, with leading retailer Jacky's

Electronics forecasting annualized growth of around 15%.(BMI p23).

In the wake of the Dubai financial crisis, access to credit remains a general constraint

on domestic consumer demand. However, banks have introduced some deferred

payment options at low interest rates, which has provided a boost to affordability.

Another leading consumer electronics retailer, Jumbo, reported 25% annualized

growth during the 2011 Dubai Shopping Fair peak season. This followed 20% year-

on-year (y-o-y) growth for the company in H210. (BMI p23).

There were concerns that international sanctions against Iran could have an impact on

the UAE's PC market in 2011. Re-exports account for about a third of the UAE's PC

sales, with Iran a major destination. If the UAE were to implement sanctions, then the

PC market could be expected to take a hit (BMI p23).

The notebook sector was the main factor driving retail segment growth in 2011 as

consumer sales felt the benefits of aggressive channel promotions. Notebooks are

expected to account for more than 60% of total sales over the forecast period. Sales of

notebooks are growing roughly twice as fast as desktops, while netbooks have been

one of the fastest growing PC market segments during the global economic downturn.

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In H110, overall shipments growth was around 10% but, as much of the growth was

fuelled by demand for lower priced notebooks and netbooks, which deflated average

prices, revenues growth lagged far behind. (BMI p23).

However, much of the growth of notebooks has been driven by price cuts. In 2011,

average notebook costs dropped by up to 25% for some models, according to Jacky's.

Many notebooks now retail in the price range US$544 to US$680, down from an

average price of around US$800 before the financial crisis. The launch of notebooks

based on the Android operating system has supported this trend, as

Android netbooks are often cheaper than Windows 7 ones. Notebooks are particularly

popular in the consumer segment, in which they account for at least 80% of sales,

particularly following the introduction of features such as wireless internet PC cards

and entertainment features such as HD DVD. In terms of consumer demand, there is a

strong preference for mobility and flexibility, with interest in features such as GPS,

WLAN and Bluetooth. The UAE has a significant pool of high-end design-conscious

buyers (BMI p24).

The price of non-branded laptops has continued to fall for several reasons. The trend

is partly due to the fact that most US laptop brands are made in China with parts

sourced in Taiwan and these same laptops can be sold for 20-25% cheaper without

branding. However, the continuing march of HP, Toshiba, Acer and other brand

retailers shows that many buyers still prefer the security and prestige of an

international brand. The UAE has its own large computer-manufacturing sector and

many computer traders in Dubai have started assembling their own PCs for

distribution in re-export markets. However, the international brands have strengthened

their position considerably on the local market at the expense of assemblers. Most of

the locally assembled PCs are intended for export, mainly to Iran, the CIS, Africa and

India. (BMI p24).

The UAE Ministry of Education has partnered up with Netgear again to supply

computers and Internet to state schools. Netgear has been a previous supplier in

setting up wireless networking in 350 schools. It would be interesting to see who

Netgear chooses to partner with in supplying the hardware to the government, as there

is an opportunity here to supply Samsung tablets to them. (BMI p24).

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Another B2G opportunity is the healthcare sector as the federal government has

planned a major hospital network, which will include a central patient database,

digital registration, and a full admin system inclusive of financial and supply chain

management. This provides Samsung with the opportunity to supply the mobile

hardware tablets. (BMI p24).

A further driver of the opportunities in the UAE; Dubai signed a memorandum of

understanding (MOU) to develop e-services for a paperless environment. (BMI p24).

A major concern is that Blackberry has been banned from the UAE; Apple has

developed a tight ecosystem with its products and services, which means that

Blackberry users who switch to iPhones will be heavily influenced by Apple branding

when it comes to their tablet purchase decision.

Estimate Annual Industry-Wide Sales//Volume (Category)

Business Monitor International predicts there to be single-digit growth forecast for the

IT sector in 2012. However, they warn that consumers and businesses will continue to

be wary due to the “property price slump, and financial upheavals”. BMI also notes

that price reductions seem to be a major driver as seen by retailers and vendors with a

series of promotions throughout the year. The other cities are said to have potential

growth although with small populations. A factor driving retail growth is the number

of tourists has picked up again. However, we are warned that if the UAE joins

sanctions against Iran, it could be a massive (one-third of the market) impact on PC

re-exports.

“Tablets have played an integral part of our growth over the last 12 months, and since

the time Apple iPad was launched, we've seen this category emerge overnight. Today,

it accounts for 10-14% of our total IT sales,” said Jacky’s COO Ashish Panjabi (BMI

p25).

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MARKETING PLAN

Target Market

Although there are three target segments for the Samsung tablet, this plan prominently

focuses on the tertiary consumer market as research shows that this will influence

uptake on a more social/personal level.

Primary target is Business-to-Government, specifically the UAE federal

government’s education and health initiatives. There will be a team specifically

tasked for this from senior management to utilize current and potential relationship

(‘wasta’).

Secondary target is Business-to-Business, specifically, organizations that are looking

for hardware mobility and practicality – professional service industries. There will be

a B2B sales/accounts team to look after this segment, again utilizing the concept of

‘wasta’ with senior management of the organizations to get these deals over the line.

Tertiary target is Business-to-Consumer, specifically, 18-45yo foreigners in the UAE

with an income over AED12’000 per month, who like their consumer electronics, and

like to keep up with technology.

Al-Mutawa (1996) and Panjabi (2011) have both noted that there are two obvious

segments in the UAE – the first having a high income, and able to buy products

whenever they want; and second, the value-segment who has a rather limited income,

who likes to take advantage of sales. The rationale here is to position Samsung

differently to Apple, so the recommendation is to actively target the ‘high-end value-

segmfr vent’; the consumers who are quite well off financially, but love a bargain.

Al-Mutawa’s study also finds that 52 percent of women left the decision to choose

and buy ‘durable goods’ (goods that provide luxury, comfort and relaxation for Gulf

families) up to men. So, the recommendation is to market towards males as there is a

more prominent population in the UAE, and they are seen to be the key decision

makers.

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Geographically, we will layer these demographics over major metro cities, not just in

the UAE, but also across the MEA region with re-exportation from the UAE hub in

mind.

The Product and Product Strategy

Samsung means “three stars” in both Korean and Chinese, and has the underlying

meaning of success.

Samsung’s logo design emphasizes flexibility and simplicity while conveying a

dynamic and innovative image through the ellipse, the symbol of the universe and the

world stage. The openings on both ends of the ellipse where the letters “S” and “G”

are located are intended to illustrate the company’s open-mindedness and the desire to

communicate with the world. The English rendering is a visual expression of its core

corporate vision, excellence in customer service through technology (Korea Daily

2006).

The basic color in the logo is blue, the color that Samsung has had used in its logos

for years. The blue color symbolizes stability and reliability, which are precisely what

the company wishes to accomplish with its customers. It also stands for social

responsibility as a corporate citizen, a company official explained (Korea Daily

2006).

The Samsung Tablet product is extremely similar to Apple’s iPad, with the only

major exceptions; its operating system being Android Honeycomb, and not iOS, and

some positive software news is that it supports Adobe Flash, and Windows Media

Player audio and visual files, while the iPad does not. Thus, it is advisable to pursue a

different positioning strategy.

24

Marketing Objectives

Primary target – to be top-of-mind when the government is looking for a reliable

hardware technology supplier. This will be measured by senior management, and

project management as we cant research intent with royal families.

Secondary target - to be top-of-mind when professional services businesses look for a

reliable hardware technology supplier. This will be measured by number of acquired

B2B accounts, retention rates, sales volume, and revenue as well as prompted and

unprompted recall.

Tertiary target – to be top-of mind when consumers are looking for a new mobile PC.

This will be measured by rate of customer acquisition, sales volume, revenue, share of

category, prompted recall, unprompted recall, and net advocacy.

Promotion Strategy

Samsung will officially launch at Gitex 2012; Gitex is the biggest annual ICT event in

the MEASA region.

The Samsung Public Relations team will be on hand to create a positive experience

for the technology writers and reviewers. It will be worthwhile to send the Samsung

tablet to the reviewers a week prior to launch at Gitex so that they feel special. This

includes any technology bloggers in social media, and depending on their reach and

influence however, it may be more cost-effective to invite them to Gitex as contra

VIPs to experience the new Samsung Tablet, instead of sending them the product.

These first couple of weeks will test the market; acquiring consumer, and reviewer

feedback, so that we can refine our strategy for the market as soon as possible.

Al-Mutawa (1996) highlights that mass communication plays a major role in the

dissemination of consumer culture. Identifying a product via print (newspapers and

magazines) was confirmed at 73 percent, while TV created an emotional impact on

25

viewers as they saw the product in real life situations, and could either aspire or

relate; 69 percent are somehow/sometimes influenced by TV advertisements.

Al-Mutawa also found that discount sales had a great impact on purchase decisions.

He also discovers that foreigners affect 63 percent of respondents as they are seen as

‘influencers’ and a source of information on what is available in the market, 72

percent are thus influenced by social contact. Samsung should look at foreigners

educating consumers inside the Samsung flagship stores.

Looking at the high level of social media usage in the region, it is highly

recommended to commence community engagement, and management online. It

would be cost-effective to target news and sports verticals with interactive online

advertising to tease consumers prior to product launch.

Samsung has historically also sponsored major sporting events, and to follow that

tradition, we would investigate partnerships or sponsorships with the Abu Dhabi

Grand Prix, Dubai Sevens, and a few major golf tournaments. This way we will also

be able to build rapport with our major retailers, political influencers, and build on our

‘wasta’ relationships. The opportunity is there to be further televised for massive

reach from international eyeballs (online and offline), and to leverage the PR, and

editorial write-ups (online and offline), as well as the social media commentary.

The main idea here is to ‘pull’ the foreign expats to buy the Samsung Tablet, and then

create a flow-on effect through to the nationals. However, Samsung will need a large

‘push’ initially to get Jacky’s and Sharaf DG onboard, and get the 3rd party retailers

selling under our guidance.

Distribution Strategy

We will set up flagship Samsung stores in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This is so that

we have complete control over our Sales Force, Customer Relationship Management,

Customer Service, and Visual Merchandising.

26

Another rationale behind this distribution strategy is Al-Mutawa (1996) found in his

study that 78 percent of respondents were influenced by the style of display, and

therefore stopped to look, and eventually bought the product. He also found that the

more times a consumer examined the product, the more they developed an emotional

connection with it.

It was also reported in a Synovate study that 69 percent of UAE people prefer to

gather information about brands at the retail front and shop windows (Zawya 2009)

The study also found that the larger the shop, the greater the chances of the

commodity being identified by the public, and purchased, which has influenced our

distribution strategy.

It is understood that we are a new player in the market and have no prior affiliation in

the region. Thus, the recommendation is to partner up with Etisalat, which is the

largest telecommunications provider in the UAE, as well as supplying to the two

biggest retailers Jacky’s and Sharaf DG for reach. Distribution effectiveness will be

monitored, and optimized accordingly.

In terms of supply, the recommendation is to initially test the market responsiveness

by importing products from Samsung’s headquarters in Seoul, Korea. If successful, it

would be advisable to set up manufacturing in the UAE.

Pricing Strategy

From all consumer and market insights available for the UAE in recent years, it is

recommended that Samsung enter with an initial price skimming strategy with a

limited edition ‘sapphire glass’ screen tablet pricing to attract interest from the press

and consumers. Once these have sold out, it is recommended to phase into high-low

pricing to attract and acquire early adopter consumers.

27

The idea is to achieve a price-quality effect, which is when consumers perceive that

higher price equates to higher quality (Nagle and Holden 2002).

Government Participation

Due to the structure and influence of the government, it is imperative to develop our

political network, and leverage this relationship prior to launch within the region. It

would be worthwhile to consider a Joint Venture with the royal families, or

government if at all possible.

Budgets and Profitability Analysis

Unable to specify, as I am unaware of the fees and rates in the UAE, and have no

access to market data reports.

However, I do expect this to be a successful launch, especially as I am 100%

confident in the product in comparison to competitor products on the market,

especially the Apple iPad, and the rest of the category.

Summary This comprehensive report has provided a country overview and cultural analysis of the United Arab Emirates, illustrated the current Information Communication Technology market landscape, focusing particularly on competitors and market opportunities, and provided an international draft market-entry marketing plan. The report articulates that Samsung’s tablet is definitely a viable business decision after examining cultural influences, and key market factors. If management chooses to proceed with market entry, further research and analysis will be required. Please email Jessica Yang – [email protected] with any questions or feedback.

28

29

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36

APPENDICES Figure 1.01 – 2011 demographic forecast breakdown based on UAE NBS actuals

37

0

100,000

200,000

300,000 Abu Dhabi

Dubai

Sharjah

Ras Al Khaimah Fujairah

Ajman

Umm Al-Quwain

Male

Female

0

5,000,000

10,000,000

Male Female

Non-National

National

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000 Male

Female

0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000

Abu

Dha

bi

Dub

ai

Shar

jah

Ras

Al

Kha

imah

Fuja

irah

Ajm

an

Um

m A

l-Q

uwai

n

Residents in Cities

Residents

38

Figure 1.03: Growth of GDP and growth of non-oil real GDP

Source: UAE Ministry of Economy (2011) Figure 1.04: Non-oil sector contribution to GDP

Source: UAE Ministry of Economy 2012

39

Figure 1.05: UAE Advertising Projections

Source: Dubai Press Club 2010 Figure 1.06: News Consumption in the UAE

Source: Dubai Press Club 2010

40

Figure 1.07: Television in UAE

Source: Dubai Press Club 2010 Figure 1.08: Top TV Channels by Ethnicity


41

Figure 1.09: Impact of Product Placement in TV Viewing Experience in region.

Source: Dubai Press Club 2010 Figure 1.10: Time Spent on the Internet per Day in the UAE


42

Figure 1.11: Internet Usage in the UAE

Source: Dubai Press Club 2010 Figure 1.12: Frequency of Visiting Social Networking Sites in the UAE

Source: Dubai Press Club 2010 Figure 1.13: Preference of Internet Content from Own Country in Arab Region

43

Source: Dubai Press Club 2010 Figure 1.14: UAE Business Environment Ratings

Source: BMI 2010

= END OF DOCUMENT =

44

COUNTRY ANALYSIS & MARKETING PLAN SAMSUNG TABLET - MARKET ENTRY INTO THE UAE

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