Entering a new market is hard, and the MENA region (the Middle East and North Africa) adds its own challenges: about 20 countries, several Arabic dialects, different platforms and different rules. A Middle East go-to-market strategy brings these together in one plan, so you can enter the MENA market with the right message, channels and partners from the start. Chinese companies can follow our Middle East market entry guide for Chinese companies.
What Is a Go-to-Market Strategy?
A go-to-market (GTM) strategy is a plan for how a business will launch a product, service or brand in a specific market. It combines market research, brand positioning, sales channels and marketing, so the launch reaches the right buyers and keeps growing after it. Our own name comes from this term, as we explain in where the name GOTOMENA comes from.
Why Entering the MENA Market Is Different
The MENA region has about 20 countries, each with its own culture, dialect, economy and buying habits. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, are very different markets from Egypt or Morocco in North Africa. Our list of MENA countries shows the full region by sub-region and language. Our guide to how digital marketing in the Middle East differs from other regions explains the main differences for marketers.
Your GTM plan for the region needs to account for:
- Local languages and dialects, including Arabic, French and English
- Cultural norms and buying habits
- Platform preferences, for example Snapchat in Saudi Arabia and Facebook in Egypt
- Regulation, including data privacy laws such as Saudi Arabia's PDPL
- Payment and logistics infrastructure
How to Enter the MENA Market in 6 Steps
- Market research. Study demand, trends, competitors and audience behavior in your target MENA countries. Our guide to market research with search data shows a fast way to start.
- Localization and messaging. Adapt your brand tone, visuals and messages to the local culture and language, which takes more than translation.
- Channel strategy. Choose the right platforms for awareness and for conversion in each market. For example, TikTok works well in the GCC, while YouTube is strong in North Africa.
- Content and campaigns. Build localized content and campaigns for each market, from Arabic SEO to Arabic social media marketing.
- Sales and partnerships. Build the right distribution network, retail partners or e-commerce presence for your product. Our guides to franchise marketing and finding distributors explain both routes.
- Measurement and optimization. Track results by country, change what does not work and scale what does. Our guide to the market entry marketing budget shows how to plan spend for the first year.
For a version focused on selling online, read our 6 steps to enter the Arab market online.
Why Work With a Native MENA Agency?
A native team knows the region's culture, dialects, platforms and buyers, so it can spot problems that a translated campaign would miss.
GOTOMENA helps global brands plan and run their entry into the Middle East and North Africa, from market research to campaigns. Our Arabic marketing consultation is the usual starting point for a MENA go-to-market plan.