How Much Are You Worth In Clicks?

RESEaRch PRovidEd By grafdom

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.

48 / SEPTEMBER 2012

TOP 50 sOcial media brands

rom the time we wake up to the time we go to bed, we are inundated with brands. Whether its the ubiquitous McDonalds 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. Well 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
Media, F&B, technology, entertainment, education, retail, FMcG, airlines, government, auto, property, finance and telecom.

PLatFOrMS
The choice was between Facebook, Twitter and youTube.

MetHodologY

iNFoGRaPhicS: TaRaK PaREKh

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
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 Arabiyas 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

f theres 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, its 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 thats 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 worlds 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

#o4

KFc ArAbiA

#o5

stc

Rivalling leading news networks in the social media space is a tough task, unless you distinguish yourself with a secret ingredient, which in Pepsis 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.

As if being the largest chicken restaurant brand wasnt enough, KFC Arabia is the Middle Easts most recognisable fastfood chain. It may place second after McDonalds around the world, but its clear that in this region Colonel Sanders is king.

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.

#o6

NAtioNAl GeoGrAPhic Abu dhAbi

#o7

QAtAr 2022

#o8

emirAtes

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

When one of the worlds richest country decides to host one of the worlds 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.

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 worlds 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

#10

PizzA hut middle eAst

#11

eye oF riyAdh

Just a couple of notches below Saudi Telecom, the Etihad-Etisalat consortiums Mobily managed to break this incumbents 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.

With three food joints in the top ten brands, its obvious that the way to the Middle Easts 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.

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 sites impressive social media engagement and content sharing figures.

#12

soNy middle eAst

#13

ANA zAhrA

#14

just FAlAFel

As the highest ranked tech company on our list, Japanese electronics firm Sony has tapped into the regions 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 regions wallets.

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.

This fast-growing UAE falafel chain owes much of its success to social media. Recently, Just Falafels 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 firms social media channels have seen hundreds of thousands of fans view the brands personal and humorous online videos and corporate clips.
gulfbusiness.com / 53

#15

FAtAFeAt

#16

zAiN

#17

blAcKberry middle eAst

Based in Dubai and broadcast to 21 countries, Fatafeat is the first 24-hour free-to-air cuisine television channel. Fatafeats programming features foodie menus and celebrity cooks, while the channels Facebook page allows readers to share recipe tips and watch the chefs in action on YouTube.

Kuwaits 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.

Its 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.

#18

sAudi tourism

#19

cArNeGie melloN uNiversity

#20

osN

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 Kingdoms growing international visitor profile with pictorial teasers and lively debates on Facebook and YouTube.
54 / SEPTEMBER 2012

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 schools regular educational YouTube videos have proved to be a global hit.

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. OSNs 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

#22

NAsAir

#23

QAtAr AirwAys

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.

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.

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.

#24

the First GrouP

#25

the dubAi mAll

#26

QAtAr NAtioNAl bANK

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 Kuznetsva, and promotes itself on social media by offering merchandise signed by these stars to competition winners.

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 worlds mostvisited shopping and leisure destination, according to Emaar Properties, the malls developer.

The largest bank in the GCC (by assets), Qatar National Bank was established in 1964 as the countrys 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

#28

FerrAri world Abu dhAbi

#29

mirdiF city ceNtre

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.

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi already has the best branding any theme park could wish for. The worlds 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.

Given that multi-themed (and air conditioned) malls offer the main source of entertainment in the region, its not surprising that Dubais 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.

#30

deirA city ceNtre

#31

NAmshi

#32

sAmsuNG mobile ArAbiA

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.

Namshi is fast becoming the UAEs 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.

One of the worlds 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.

56 / SEPTEMBER 2012

TOP 50 sOcial media brands

#33

dohA Film iNstitute

#34

etisAlAt

#35

tANG ArAbiA

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 worlds biggest superstars, like rapper Kanye West, who recently filmed a video in Doha with the help of DFI.

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.

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.

#36

jAmAluK

#37

KiA motors uAe

#38

Qtel

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.

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.

Qatars 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

#40

souQ KsA

#41

NoKiA sAudi ArAbiA

Abu Dhabis 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 Englands top professional football and rugby teams last season.

The original souq.com launched its Saudi Arabian version five years ago and hasnt 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.

Fending off severe competition from RIM and Apple, Nokia is bent on making mobile devices a lifestyle experience. In September, Nokias 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.

#42

mAll oF the emirAtes

#43

du

#44

museum oF islAmic Art

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.

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.

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.

58 / SEPTEMBER 2012

TOP 50 sOcial media brands

#45

Al rAjhi bANK

#46

wAtANiyA

#47

mojeh mAGAziNe

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.

Being a customer-driven company has led to Wataniya clinching 80 per cent of the mobile market penetration in Kuwait. The telecoms Facebook and Twitter accounts are constant with activity from cool contests and exclusive promotions to answering queries by customers on products and services.

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.

#48

vodAFoNe QAtAr

#49

QAtAr FouNdAtioN

#50

bAhrAiN city ceNtre

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 Qatars most popular brands.

Qatar Foundations 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.

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 its Bahrain only entry and therefore the countrys 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.
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TOP 50 SOcial media BrandS

tOP 50 SOCiaL Media BraNdS iN GCC

BraNdS CoUNTrY CaTEgorY faCEBooK Likes Talking 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 86,786 261,442 86 109 9664 87 1,341 1,456 4620 418 20 337 4,270 75 1596 1,121 735 169 351 1078 277 147 1,010 5 566 114 35 680 18 3 2 4,008 245 118 20 1067 4 161 1,698 6 1059 5 309 111 821 0 130 57 82,940,220 387,581,639 243,709 15162 5,858,758 576 3,135,978 4,198,687 2,403,630 1,203,448 5,599 245,738 9,248,411 25,452 1,126,088 1,266,542 230,208 67,896 50,362 141,942 152,635 12,389 133,422 732 385,901 109,916 12,839 714,149 23,640 2,443 1,800 741,553 67,168 23,383 91,050 2,950,904 343 61,246 5,770,159 766 282,061 3,345 188,669 4,238 1,490,579 46 64,151 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

al arabiya al Jazeera English Pepsi arabia KFc arabia STc Nat Geo abu dhabi Qatar 2022 Emirates Mobily Pizza hut Middle East Eye of Riyadh Sony Middle East ana Zahra Just Falafel Fatafeat Zain Blackberry Middle East Saudi Tourism carnegie Mellon University oSN Toyota Saudi arabia Nasair Qatar airways The First Group The dubai Mall Qatar National Bank carrefour Saudi arabia Ferrari World abu dhabi Mirdif city centre deira city centre Namshi Samsung Mobile arabia doha Film institute Etisalat Tang arabia Jamaluk Kia Motors UaE Qtel Etihad airways Souq KSa Nokia Saudi arabia Mall of the Emirates du Museum of islamic art al Rajhi Bank Wataniya Mojeh Magazine vodafone Qatar Qatar Foundation Bahrain city centre

KSa Qatar

KSa UaE Qatar UaE KSa KSa UaE UaE UaE Kuwait KSa Qatar UaE KSa KSa Qatar UaE UaE Qatar KSa UaE UaE UaE UaE Qatar UaE KSa UaE Qatar UaE KSa KSa UaE UaE Qatar KSa Kuwait UaE Qatar Qatar Bahrain

Media 2,060,333 Media 1,115,470 F&B 1,306,248 F&B 1,091,264 Telecom 642,948 Media 733,568 Event 663,918 airline 624,776 Telecom 440,125 F&B 614,701 Media 586,405 Technology 588,472 Media 478,176 F&B 486,911 Media 428,362 Telecom 365,321 Technology 424,000 Gov 382,921 Education 361,054 Media 348,214 auto 340,626 airline 306,306 airline 300,874 Property 306,673 Retail 286,150 Finance 281,919 Retail 262,509 Entertainment 251,139 Retail 246,804 Retail 234,836 Retail 230,071 Technology 210,031 Entertainment 198,739 Telecom 131,070 FMcG 202,524 Media 169,944 auto 193,727 Telecom 169,278 airline 178,365 online 175,327 Technology 153,115 Retail 164,763 Telecom 144,367 Entertainment 151,342 Finance 135,238 Telecom 92,527 Media 126,542 Telecom 121,349 Gov 92,002 Retail 123,336

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 STc Mobily Eye of Riyadh Saudi Tourism Toyota Saudi arabia Nasair carrefour Saudi arabia Jamaluk Souq KSa Nokia Saudi arabia al Rajhi Bank Qatar al Jazeera English Qatar 2022 carnegie Mellon University Qatar airways Qatar National Bank doha Film institute Qtel Museum of islamic art vodafone Qatar Qatar Foundation Uae National Geographic abu dhabi Emirates ana Zahra Just Falafel Fatafeat oSN The First Group The dubai Mall Ferrari World abu dhabi Mirdif city centre deira city centre Namshi Etisalat Kia Motors UaE Etihad airways Mall of the Emirates du Mojeh Magazine KUwait Zain Wataniya BaHraiN Bahrain city centre

Media 2,060,333 Telecom 642,948 Telecom 440,125 online 586,405 Gov 382,921 auto 340,626 airline 306,306 Retail 262,509 Media 169,944 online 175,327 Technology 153,115 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

Media Event Education airline Finance Entertainment Telecom Entertainment Telecom Gov

1,115,470 663,918 361,054 300,874 281,919 198,739 169,278 151,342 121,349 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

Media 733,568 airline 624,776 Media 478,176 F&B 486,911 Media 428,362 Media 348,214 Property 306,673 Retail 286,150 Entertainment 251,139 Retail 246,804 Retail 234,836 Retail 230,071 Telecom 131,070 auto 193,727 airline 178,365 Retail 164,763 Telecom 144,367 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

Telecom Telecom

365,321 92,527

5,259 5,818

103,992 50,034

15 69

1,121 821

1,266,542 1,490,579

470,434 143,382

Retail

123,336

1,316

3,270

123,336
* PER day

62 / SEPTEMBER 2012