Maktoob.com, the Arab world’s leading Internet portal, announced today the launch of Maktoob Research, a dedicated commercial research unit that will combine the region’s largest online consumer database with the latest in international online research standards, to provide marketing professionals with better insights on consumers needs and expectations, which will enable them to understand their target audience more thoroughly and reliably.
“The region’s marketers and advertisers are demanding fast and accurate answers about their target consumer segments in order to make informed decisions,” said Ahmed Nassef, General Manager of Maktoob.com and Vice-President of Maktoob Group. “Using Maktoob.com’s unmatched database of consumers from every corner of the Arab world, marketers can reach the right target audience quickly and more economically while maintaining the highest standards in research.”
Maktoob Research’s active database of over 600,000 Arab consumers between the age of 20-45 allows market researchers to contact research respondents who were previously reachable only through expensive and time-consuming face-to-face and phone interviews. Whether marketers are looking to get the opinions of thirty-something Saudi women, Emirati business professionals, or young North African trend-setters, Maktoob Research’s extensive demographic profiling capabilities will ensure that the right questions will be asked to the right people.
Although globally online research has become an integral part of the marketing research mix - representing up to 50% of the research conducted in some parts of Europe - most Middle East research agencies are still opting for traditional research methods, despite the exponential growth in Internet usage in the region.
“As the leading online media publisher in the region, Maktoob.com is determined to continue introducing innovative services that bring the Arab region up to the global standards – something that our user community and business partners deserve,” added Nassef. “Online research is a trusted and integral part of the market research industry worldwide, and we are excited to finally bring this key tool to the Arab world.”
Maktoob.com’s highly established network in over 30 countries will enable Maktoob Research to execute projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, as well as in markets that are more difficult to reach with the traditional research methods, such as Sudan, Algeria, and Iraq.
The audience can be targeted not only by demographics, but also by key behavioural patterns.
“We can identify the right target audience and deliver high quality online research solutions with a full range of marketing research services from design to analysis including action-focused recommendations,” said Research Director Tamara Deprez, who comes to Maktoob.com with over 6 years of quantitative and qualitative research experience in both Europe and the Middle East and will be heading the new initiative.
“Maktoob Research aims to deliver online market research at much lower costs and with a faster turnaround time than traditional research,” added Deprez. “We are confident that this form of research will pick up pace very fast and are proud to pioneer this in the region.”
For more information regarding the products and services of Maktoob Research, please contact Tamara Deprez (tel: +971 4 3913640 or [email protected]), or visit the website www.maktoob-research.com.
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About Maktoob.com:
Maktoob.com was founded in the year 2000 as the world’s first Arabic/English email service. In a few years, Maktoob has grown to become the region’s leading full-service web portal and online community, offering world-class communications and information tools that empower the Arab Internet user. Maktoob.com now offers everything from chat to blogs, from e-cards to mobile downloads, from news to the latest jokes and everything in between.
Maktoob's main mission is to maintain and grow its position as the world’s leading Arab Internet portal by constantly offering its users a unique experience and by providing them with new services and products that encourage open communications and community building.
For more information about Maktoob, please visit http://www.maktoobgroup.com/maktoob_en.html
About Maktoob Group:
Maktoob Group comprises a network of leading online media companies and websites. In addition to the Arab world’s leading portal, Maktoob.com, the Maktoob Group network includes, cashU (www.cashu.com) the electronic payment solution, Souq.com (www.souq.com) auctions and marketplace, Bentelhalal (www.bentelhalal.com) the largest Arabic matrimonial site, Maktoob Business (www.maktoob-business.com) the Arab world’s leading business information source, ArabSport (www.arabsport.com) a leading Arab online sports community, Sport4ever (www.sport4ever.com) a popular Arabic sports site and AdabWaFan (www.adabwafan.com) the online store for Arabic Books and Music and Araby.com (www.araby.com) the first Arabic search engine. In 2005, Abraaj Capital, a leading regional private equity firm, acquired a stake in Maktoob, giving the Maktoob Group the resources to enhance its market share and accelerate its growth plans.
For more information about the Group, please visit www.maktoobgroup.com
