Nahj Ep#6: Majed AlMohammad On What Builds a Brand, Influencers or Story?

In this episode of  Nahj (نَهْج), Ameer Albahouth sits down with Majed AlMohammad, CEO of Don Marketing, to unpack a question every brand owner eventually faces:

Should you start with influencers? Or should you build the story first?

Majed doesn’t treat influencer marketing as a shortcut. He treats it as a system. A system that only works when the brand has direction, content, and a clear understanding of who it is trying to reach. From building Don Marketing through a focused network of X (Twitter) creators, to managing campaigns with hundreds of influencers, this episode breaks down what actually drives results and what usually wastes budgets.

6 Key Takeaways from Majed AlMohammad’s Perspective

1) Don’t work with influencers unless you truly need them

Influencers aren’t a “starter pack” for new brands. If you jump in too early, you risk paying big fees before you even know what your brand stands for, what content works, or what your audience responds to. Influencers should amplify a plan, not replace it.

2) People don’t buy the product. They buy the world behind it

Majed’s idea is simple: customers aren’t just buying an abaya or a hoodie. They are buying the identity, the feeling, and the story the brand represents. When the brand story is strong, marketing becomes easier across every channel.

3) Influencer campaigns are not “hard” or “easy.” They are organized

The challenge is never the influencer alone. It is the process: writing the brief, aligning content, controlling timelines, and coordinating deliverables. The bigger the campaign, the more structure you need. Managing 20 creators is one game. Managing 300 is another.

4) Backup influencers can save your entire launch

If your campaign is tied to a launch date or a fixed calendar moment, you need a safety net. Majed recommends having 7-8 backup influencers ready, so the campaign doesn’t collapse if someone cancels last minute. Brands don’t need perfection. They need continuity.

5) Don’t chase every trend. Make trends serve your brand

Trend-hopping is not strategy. The real skill is taking a trend and reshaping it into something that fits your brand’s voice and audience. Sometimes one small change (a word, a hook, a framing) turns generic trend content into something that actually sells.

6) Strategy changes based on brand stage

Majed frames influencer marketing differently depending on where the brand is:

• New brand: research deeply, build strong content, test what works before spending big.
• Growing brand: improve digital presence, run monthly influencer plans, and support everything with paid marketing.
• Big brand with a new product: launch with a powerful creative idea, push hard from day one, use influencers across tiers, and follow with reminder campaigns to keep momentum alive.

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