Despite the emergence of AI in creating content — including text, music and visual materials — storytelling remains at the heart of effective marketing. Upholding ethics and transparency builds trustful relationships with consumers; and technology, at its core, must be used to bring out the best version of marketers and their campaigns.
These insights were given emphasis by the speakers and experts at the Marketer of the Future Middle East 2025 summit, organised by Advertising Business Group (ABG) in Dubai on Thursday.
The event gathered some of the region’s top brands, agencies, media and tech players. Discussions focused on how technology is transforming the marketing industry in the region and globally. Experts also talked about boosting creativity and how geopolitics is shaping marketing narratives.
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Setting the tone was Nehal Badri, secretary general at Dubai Media Council, who welcomed the attendees and told them the importance of the gathering in exchanging insights and ideas. She said the world is evolving in ways that feel unpredictable — brought about by a disruptive technology.
“But here in the UAE, we see something different,” noted Badri, underscoring: “We see an age of opportunity, an era where technology is reshaping society and how we communicate and remain connected.”
“This is deeply aligned with the UAE’s mission and commitment to innovation, creativity, and knowledge-driven growth,” she added.
Badri also cited her own experience working at the Dubai Media Council and said: “When I reflect on my journey, working in media in Dubai, I am reminded that the city branding is not simply marketing, but storytelling at its core.”
She added: “Dubai’s narrative is told with creativity and spirit that is uniquely its own. And of course, no story of Dubai’s brand can be told without mentioning Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who was already telling Dubai’s story — with his ambitious plans and unwavering belief in people’s potential — even before we called it marketing.”
She reiterated today’s marketer must combine technology with compelling authenticity. “Marketing has the power to build trust, inspire progress, and shape how the world sees our region; but it’s true power remains in storytelling,” she underlined.
Reinventing and bringing the best version
Meanwhile, speaking at a fireside chat titled ‘What will separate survivors from leaders’, Khaleej Times CEO Charles Yardley took note how successful legacy media have survived for decades.
“The reason why they’ve been going for over 100 years is because they continue to reinvent themselves all the time,” Yardley said in a conversation with Wolfgang Ulaga, co-director of Abu Dhabi-based INSEAD.
“And that’s what we have with AI — we have to reinvent ourselves using AI,” added added Yardley, underscoring: Businesses that use AI will continue to be successful — they won’t go away. The aim of technology is not only to reinvent companies and individuals but also to bring out the best version in them.”
Yardley also shared how Khaleej Times is adapting to technology and the changing times but remains true to the narrative of compelling storytelling and being transparent to who is talking — whether they are staffers, journalists, contributors or the brands that are given a platform in Khaleej Times to distribute their content “in a way that has never been done before in this part of the world”.
Maintaining ethics and transparency
Stephan Loerke, CEO of World Federation of Advertisers, for his part focused on how marketers should put premium on ethics and transparency, particularly in using technology when building a trust relationship with consumers.
He said: “That trust relationship is going to be impacted by the shifts we’re seeing in technology. We need to be extremely clear in terms of what needs to be done to make sure that the consumers are aware when they need to be aware of when we use AI in our marketing publications.
“That is absolutely indispensable,” he underscored, recommending that brands should put in place the right processes to make sure that AI is being dealt in a manner that minimises the risk of biases.
He noted there is a huge risk of scaling and amplifying stereotypes and biases when using LLMs (large language models). He also advised humans to remain in control, underscoring that effective and sustainable marketing is anchored building a long-term relationship based on trust.
Angel Tesorero
Angel Tesorero is Assistant Editor and designated funny guy in the newsroom, but dead serious about writing on transport, labour migration, and environmental issues. He is a food lover too.
