Under collaboration between the Faculty of Administrative and Financial Sciences in Arab American University and the Consumer Protection Association, AAUP organized an online Seminar through Zoom, entitled “The e-marketing reality during COVID-19 pandemic”.
Part of the online Seminar via Zoom
Dr. Abdulbaset Rabaaya- the Dean of the Faculty of Administrative and Financial Sciences opened the Seminar and praised the rapid development that the e-marketing is witnessing. He presented some statistics of the marketing budgets of USA and UK and said that 65% of internet users in Palestine use smart devices.
Dr. Mahmoud Yasin, a professor in AAUP talked about the importance of social media in the e-marketing business, and said that nowadays most companies use the social media to market their products online.
On his turn, Dr. Rani Shahwan- from An-Najah National University asserted that the e-marketing that started in 1995 used to cover limited markets only, but now the marketing business became individual and companies arrange special campaigns for each customer. Dr. Shawan clarified that the digital advertising budget size reached to be 333 billion $, and this forms 50% of the global marketing and this rate does not mean that the traditional marketing is over.
He added that in 2020, the e-marketing has became a huge part of the social media like Instagram, Tiktok and Facebook, and that the videos started to control customers’ tastes as 70% of customers would share the video and 50 % trusted the product even more.
Eng. Ja’afar Hjair- the E-marketing Manager in Lady Company in Nablus talked about how their company started using the e-learning fearing competition, especially that the lockdown that the Palestinian community has faced during COVID-19 pandemic caused an increase in using the e-marketing process despite all the obstacles.
Dr. Sami Fuqaha- a Lecturer in the Marketing Department in An-Najah National University clarified that the e-learning focuses on combining the traditional marketing and the technological development, as the e-marketing is part of the e-commerce. Moreover, the e-marketing requires some strategies for the companies to reach out customers easily. Dr. Fuqaha also said that there are some obstacles facing the local e-marketing such as the small-size market and the simplicity in the local market products, in addition to the logistic problems and that there are no legal system to control the process. He also asserted on the importance of the e-marketing in developing the individual entrepreneur projects in Palestine.
Eng. Adel Alsharafa- the Executive Manager of Technivision Company in Sweden said that the e-marketing in Sweden is ready, from the logistic support to the financial system. And so, during the pandemic, Sweden did not face any problems in this issue, on the contrary, the logistic support increased after COVID-19. He also concentrated on the importance of raising the awareness about customers’ rights especially in students during the early stages of high school not only in universities.
From Germany, Eng. Fayez Hassouneh talked about the importance of creating a culture that is keeping pace with the technology development, and that the 4th industrial revolution requires the 5G of communication that will solve many problems.
The Head of the Consumer Protection Association in Jenin, Mr. Ali Fahmi Abu Baker in his turn thanked all the participants for their great performance and asserted on the Association’s role in organizing online Seminars through Zoom to address issues that face consumers in the current time. He talked about the importance of providing technological programs in the Palestinian universities, and that the Palestinian youth are creative despite all the circumstances and obstacles, such as the raw material high prices to the labor costs and the logistic problems when exporting.
At the end of the Seminar, the participants asserted on the importance to have legal and financial systems and logistic support for the e-marketing to ensure its success and continuity in Palestine. A recommendation from this Seminar is to start a series of Seminars in this field and prepare for a Digital and E-marketing conference in Palestine with the participant of academics from inside and outside Palestine. The conference needs to focus on some aspects like: highlighting all the challenges facing e-marketing and digital transformation of companies.
Dr. Mohammad Abu Sharbeh- a Professor in AAUP moderated the meeting and summarized the most important parts of the participants' interventions in the Seminar. He also clarified the importance of building and developing strategies that is good for the e-marketing, especially because of its benefits in reducing the operating costs of companies and increasing its profits.