Communicate | June 2011 by MediaquestCorp.

The marketing and advertising resource • June 2011 • Issue N° 78 • www.communicate.ae Hacked off: Survey finds what journalists really think about the PR industry today Page 6

New window: Yahoo expands, shuffles its team and changes its PR agency Page 10

Taking off: JC Decaux’s CEO on making the most of the Saudi airport contract Page 42

OPINION Required reading In this month’s Communiquestion we ask the industry: What film/ book do you think the industry should watch/read? Mel Gibson, Sun Tzu and David Ogilvy all (Page 16) make an appearance.

ADVERTISING Cannes we win? We f i n d o u t w h a t t h e r e g i o n ’s agencies are sending to the world’s biggest advertising festival. What work are they most confident in, and which other campaigns do they expect to do well? Find out in our (Page 36) Cannes preview.

PUBLIC RELATIONS Can you hear me? In partnership with research company Fisheye Analytics, we see which of the region’s press releases have reached the most people. Who has lifted them verbatim, who has followed their news leads, and who’s been Tweeting them? (Page 45)

CAMPAIGN Knit picking

THE FULL PICTURE What the ups and downs of the year so far mean for the advertising industry

(Page 48) Registered in Dubai Media City

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Syria................... S£ 100 Tunisia................. TD 2.5 U.A.E....................DH 15

Letter from the editor | JUNE 2011

Interesting times R ecently I’ve heard much mention of that Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.” The world today is certainly interesting, and nowhere more so than here in the Middle East. There’s been something in the air this Arab Spring, and the whole MENA region has been revolting, changing and rising up. Everyone is affected, and our cover story this month, on page 22, examines what effect the regional revolutions have had on the advertising industry. As protesters were first massing at Tahrir Square, one Dubai blogger wrote about “when Egypt stopped laughing.” Events in Cairo have affected the industry more than uprisings elsewhere. This is primarily because of the size of the Egyptian advertising market, but it is appropriate too that the country with the loudest voice is most heard. Egypt has long been known for its humor and ability to laugh at itself, and at the corruption endemic to every aspect of the country’s infrastructure. Its advertising reflects this irreverence. But

now the nation has kicked back at corruption, at the government, at all that was seen as rotten. Sceptics say nothing will change, but there is at least a feeling of hope and optimism. And the cheeriness is still there. Egypt may have momentarily stopped laughing, but the day after Mubarak resigned people were back at Tahrir Square to clean it up (sponsored, in part, by Henkel, via TBWA/Egypt). It’s a serious matter, but Egypt is still smiling. Some agencies will suffer in Egypt because they were close to the government. This was an advantage; it afforded those agencies the best contracts. Now it is a disadvantage to have been in bed with the old regime. But, all over the region, optimists are looking for opportunities to expand. Markets such as Syria, Libya and Yemen may well be more open and easier to do business in once the dust settles. “The only certainty is uncertainty” is a familiar – and rather cliched – mantra when talking about the region today, and many people are learning

a lot of lessons as they adapt to the changes. If people can find a voice across the region, perhaps advertising can too; it can become bolder, and more certain about its identity and the identity of the people it speaks to. The new advertising is as much about listening as it is about telling, and the autocratic regimes that are under fire could do well to heed that message too. Of course, one of the other gripes of agencies over the past couple of years is that they need to educate their clients on new communication tools such as Facebook and Twitter. After watching the digitally driven revolutions unfold, there can only be a few people today who don’t know what a Tweet is, and how social networks can bring people together and bring about change. And that’s interesting.

Austyn Allison, managing editor editor@communicate.vg

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Contents | June 2011

Contents

COVER: After the Arab Spring 22 30 34

FEATURES

What next? We ask experts what lies ahead for the industry Media moves: We see how media channels have been affected by the uprisings Working away: How is talent moving around the region?

DEPARTMENTS 42

SHORTS 8

NEWS 10 12 14

Advertising. Lion tamers: What the region is sending to Cannes, and what it hopes to bring back

Hacked off: A new survey sees what upsets journalists about the region’s PR industry

Digital. Yahoo Middle East gets a new office, a new PR company, and a new marketing manager Radio. Arabian Radio Network launches Internet channel Media. Traditional channels trump new media as source of Bin Laden news

49 50

Q&A. Arrivals board: JC Decaux CEO Jean-Charles Decaux on how his company is faring in Saudi Arabia’s airports Following the News. Fisheye Analytics tracks regional releases to see who’s pushing their PR properly Work. Selections from the regional and international creative scenes Communicruitment. Turn to our jobs section to see who’s hiring The Dish. A leopard, a liar, and a ludicrous job application

THE COMMUNIQUESTION 16

We ask the industry: What film/book do you think the industry should watch/read?

June 2011 Published by: Medialeader FZ/MediaquestCorp Medialeader, P O Box 72184, Dubai Media City, Al Thuraya Tower 2, Office 2402, Dubai, Tel: (971) 4 391 0760

CO-CEO Alexandre Hawari CO-CEO Julien Hawari Managing Director Ayman Haydar CFO Abdul Rahman Siddiqui creative DIRECTOR Aziz Kamel Head of circulation Haries Raghavan, h.raghavan@mediaquestcorp.com Marketing Manager Maya Kerbage, m.kerbage@mediaquestcorp.com KSA GM Walid Ramadan, walid@ mediaquestcorp.com, Tel: +966 1 4194061 Lebanon GM Nathalie Bontems, nathalie@ mediaquestcorp.com, Tel: +961 1 492801 North Africa GM Adil Abdel Wahab, adel@medialeader.biz, Tel: +213 661 562 660 France Sales Director Manuel Dias,

dias@arabies.com, Tel: +33 1 4766 46 00

Founder Yasser Hawari Managing Director Julien Hawari Group managing editor Siobhan Adams Managing editor Austyn Allison journalist Sidra Tariq senior sub editor Elizabeth McGlynn ART DIRECTOR Sheela Jeevan Cover Illustration: Jean-Christophe Nys ART CONTRIBUTORS Alvin Cha, Aya Farhat External Affairs Manuel Dias, Maguy Panagga, Catherine Dobarro, Randa Khoury, Lila Schoepf, Laurent Bernard PRINTERS Raidy Printing Group ADVERTISING The Gulf MEDIALEADER, PO Box 72184,

Dubai Media City, Al Thuraya Tower 2, Office 2402, Dubai, Tel: (971) 4 391 0760, Fax: (971) 4 390 8737, sales@mediaquestcorp.com Lebanon Peggy El-Zyr peggy@mediaquestcorp.com, Tel: (961) 149 2801 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Walid Ramadan, walid@mediaquestcorp.com, Tel: (966) 1 419 40 61, Ghassan A. Rbeiz, ghassan@mediaquestcorp.com, Fax: (966) 1 419 41 32, P.O.Box: 14303, Riyadh 11424, Europe S.C.C Arabies, 18, rue de Varize, 75016 Paris, France, Tel: (33) 01 47 664600, Fax: (33) 01 43 807362, Lebanon MEDIALEADER Beirut, Lebanon, Tel: (961) 1 202 369, Fax: (961) 1 202 369 WEBSITE www.communicate.ae

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JUNE 2011 | shorts

What journalists want A new survey finds that there are a lot of things we hacks don’t like about PR people. What we do like, though, is complaining by Austyn Allison between news of Standard Chartered’s second-quarter investment outlook and an invite to a “first-of-its-kind initiative in Fujairah and the UAE that will augment the Federal Government’s efforts in promoting employment of young nationals”). Smalley phones Communicate to see whether we are interested in seeing the report. We are. He sends it within the hour. It contains a wealth of quotes that seem to have been ripped from this magazine’s subconscious. On the major weaknesses of press releases “They have no relevance whatsoever to the subject matter covered by the magazine.” On why we delete e-mails from PR agencies “Because it is obvious from their subject line that they have no relevance to our publication.” “One learns to realize which PR ‘agencies’ [sic quotes] scatter their releases across all media. Carpet-bombing press releases never works.” On subject knowledge “Blasting out poorly written and researched PR to everyone on their database is simply unprofessional, irritating, and devalues the credibility of their client. I sincerely believe many PR agencies in the region do more harm than good for their clients.”

On the role of PR “I have yet to meet a PR who acts as anything but a hurdle between the reporter and the subject. … The press release is a starting point; nothing more.”

PR industry by letting them know what pleases and what annoys journalists with the way they receive information from agencies and in-house corporate communications teams.” The release leads with the news that social media is used by nearly all Middle East journalists, but only 60 percent use it for work. However, it also notes that “irrelevant” and “badly targeted” releases still clog up journalists’ inboxes in the region. This is still the most irritating practice from the point of view of both Arabic and English-language journalists, says Ben Smalley, managing director of MediaSource. “The PR industry really needs to take this seriously, as journalists are fed up having to trawl through material that is of absolutely no relevance to their publication or outlet,” says Smalley (in a release that arrives in Communicate’s inbox sandwiched

On literacy “Poor spelling and grammar, which I have to spend time correcting if I decide to publish their press release – often I decide it is not worth my effort.” Hang on; let’s just do a double take on those last two comments. One says a press release is an idea for a story (35 percent of Arabic-language hacks agree in the survey, as do 50 percent of the English-language press). The second complains about having to tidy a press release as though it were a story in itself (which a good one is, according to 34 percent of the Arabic press, and 24 percent of the English-language press.) So perhaps one take-away from the survey is that in the PR industry you just can’t win. Even with the high caliber of journalists in the region. Fifty two percent of the Arabic press rate the quality of journalism in the region as either very good or good, as does 30 percent of the English-language press. So while we hacks call PR flacks uneducated and indiscriminate, there are obviously no grounds for the reply that journalists are arrogant and lazy. Nope, none at all. [Note to subs: This copy is perfect. Just cut it to size and slap a headline on it, would you. Ed]

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shorts | JUNE 2011

Whose side are you on? Alhurra insists it’s not a US propaganda tool. But can the channel’s flagship Al Youm persuade viewers? Communicate speaks to the program’s producer, Fran Mires, to find out by Austyn Allison ew news is news in the Middle East at the moment. Arabic-language stations are set to open (see “News just in,” page 40, Communicate, May 2011), but there is one news channel we hear little about: Alhurra. Alhurra is operated by The Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc., a non-profit organization funded by the United States government. Its financing is overseen by the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), a federal agency that Alhurra says “serves as oversight and as a firewall to protect the professional independence and integrity of the broadcasters.” That’s not prevented many from labeling Alhurra as a crude US propaganda tool. Alhurra began broadcasting in 2004. Two years ago it launched its flagship prime-time program, Al Youm. The show’s executive producer, Fran Mires, was in town recently to celebrate that milestone, and Communicate caught up with her. “It is a three-hour show that is 30 to 40 percent hard news, and the rest is information and entertainment,” says Mires. Al Youm is modeled on US morning shows, although it is shown in the evening in the Middle East, she adds. “Once you get past the news, we turn to a myriad of health and social media and parenting and women’s issues and entertainment.” She is going after family viewers. This is in contrast to the station’s usual programing. “Alhurra is very much news bulletin, very straightforward,” says Mires. “They wanted something sparkly, yet content-ridden.” Mires’ remit was to attract new viewers. Since Al Youm launched in 2009, Alhurra’s viewership has crept up by approximately one million viewers – from 26 million in the region to 27 million, according to Nielsen figures, says Mires. “But that doesn’t mean it’s Al Youm,” she adds. There’s no breakdown by shows. “What the network knows about the success of the show is from e-mails, Facebook, and a tremendous amount of media that’s been done on the show from day one.” Mires insists the station has no bias “We were created to have independent, objective journalism,” she says. “We don’t even have advertising; it’s not allowed.” The reason? “To keep us pure.” Mires admits the pressure of generating ad revenue could affect her coverage. She doesn’t think government funding will do the same, thanks to that BBG firewall. Few believe her and the rest of Alhurra’s management, though, and that is one of the things Al Youm is out to fix. “How do you explain that to the people at large when you are a brand new entity and you are a foreign entity?” she asks. By putting on a new sort of show, perhaps. “The Middle East media is kind of formal in its approach,” she says. “Ours is much friendlier because it’s the concept of the show.” Besides, plenty of other Arabic stations are government-funded. “They are, in many cases, the

mouthpiece of the government,” she says. She wants to be seen as something else. The region is ripe for that attitude switch. The Middle East has long been used to television news presented in a partisan way, but revolutions and uprisings from Egypt to Syria have changed attitudes, especially among the young. “I think our time has come – those of us who are doing real, impartial news,” says Mires. “The young are bright, talented and educated. … It’s time. These young people are not stupid; they want what lots of people want, and – look what’s going on – they are willing to die for it. That’s how much they want it. “The time is now. Partisan stuff is going to decay. It’s not dead yet, but it’s going to decay.” Time will tell whether Alhurra and Mires’ Al Youm can prove their purity amid that decay.

Fran Mires. Al Youm’s executive producer

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What journalists want A new survey finds that there are a lot of things we hacks don’t like about PR people. What we do like, though, is complaining by Austyn Allison

s journalists, one of our favorite pastimes is ranting about the quality of PR in the region. (We’re pretty sure PR execs like to rant about journalists, but that’s never justified – see below.) And it’s nice to see that our indignation is shared by other hacks working in print, television, online or for newswires. That’s what we’ve learned from our sneak preview at the Middle East Journalist Survey, produced as a partnership between Insight training consultancy and MediaSource, the publisher of the MENA Media Guide and Mediadisk, a database of journalists for the PR industry. In a press release (it came to us on time, to the right e-mail address, and was relevant – something doesn’t seem right here) about the survey, we learn information we can actually use in a story: “Conducted every two years, the survey is designed to assist the PR industry by letting them know what pleases and what annoys journalists with the way they receive information from agencies and in-house corporate communications teams.” The release leads with the news that social media is used by nearly all Middle East journalists, but only 60 percent use it for work. However, it also notes that “irrelevant” and “badly targeted” releases still clog up journalists’ inboxes in the region. This is still the most irritating practice from the point of view of both Arabic and English-language journalists, says Ben Smalley, managing director of MediaSource. “The PR industry really needs to take this seriously, as journalists are fed up having to trawl through

material that is of absolutely no relevance to their publication or outlet,” says Smalley (in a release that arrives in Communicate’s inbox sandwiched between news of Standard Chartered’s second-quarter investment outlook and an invite to a “first-of-itskind initiative in Fujairah and the UAE that will augment the Federal Government’s efforts in promoting employment of young nationals”). Smalley phones Communicate to see whether we are interested in seeing the report. We are. He sends it within the hour. It contains a wealth of quotes that seem to have been ripped from this magazine’s subconscious. On the major weaknesses of press releases “They have no relevance whatsoever to the subject matter covered by the magazine.” On why we delete e-mails from PR agencies “Because it is obvious from their subject line that they have no relevance to our publication.” “One learns to realize which PR ‘agencies’ [sic quotes] scatter their releases across all media. Carpet-bombing press releases never works.” On subject knowledge “Blasting out poorly written and researched PR to everyone on their database is simply unprofessional, irritating, and devalues the credibility of their client. I sincerely believe many PR agencies in the region do more harm than good for their clients.”

On the role of PR “I have yet to meet a PR who acts as anything but a hurdle between the reporter and the subject. … The press release is a starting point; nothing more.” On literacy “Poor spelling and grammar, which I have to spend time correcting if I decide to publish their press release – often I decide it is not worth my effort.” Hang on; let’s just do a double take on those last two comments. One says a press release is an idea for a story (35 percent of Arabic-language hacks agree in the survey, as do 50 percent of the Englishlanguage press). The second complains about having to tidy a press release as though it were a story in itself (which a good one is, according to 34 percent of the Arabic press, and 24 percent of the Englishlanguage press.) So perhaps one take-away from the survey is that in the PR industry you just can’t win. Even with the high caliber of journalists in the region. Fifty two percent of the Arabic press rate the quality of journalism in the region as either very good or good, as does 30 percent of the English-language press. So while we hacks call PR flacks uneducated and indiscriminate, there are obviously no grounds for the reply that journalists are arrogant and lazy. Nope, none at all. [Note to subs: This copy is perfect. Just cut it to size and slap a headline on it, would you. Ed]

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Changes at Yahoo

Portal has a new PR agency, marketing manager and office

Dubai. Search giant Yahoo has awarded its regional PR account to Hill & Knowlton, Tala Toukan, PR and communications manager of Yahoo Middle East, confirms. The account was previously handled by Memac Ogilvy PR. Meanwhile, Yahoo Maktoob has extended its sales support operations to Morocco as it grows its offices across the MENA region. The new operations in Casablanca are set to service the advertising industry in the North Africa region and provide on-ground support to clients as they increasingly turn to online advertising. Ahmed Nassef, vice-president and managing director of Yahoo Middle East (pictured, above), says, “Today, we have expanded our regional footprint with offices in Dubai, Amman, Cairo, and while we continue to grow, it is important that we extend our  I AGENCIES Memac Ogilvy holds D&AD training days Dubai. Regional agency network Memac Ogilvy last month flew more than 80 of its creative staff from around the region to Dubai for a three-day training session with instructors from D&AD in London. Alexandra Taylor, a former creative director from Saatchi & Saatchi, and Jon Sayers, the founder of Boom, gave courses in art direction and copywriting. “By exposing our people to the latest trends in creative thinking and craft, from D&AD, the most admired and respected body, the objective is to raise the standard of creative excellence at Memac Ogilvy,” says the company in a statement.

presence to the Maghreb. The Moroccan market is very strategic for us, and we see traffic coming from there with users looking for content that is relevant to them.” “The advertising industry in Morocco is also looking at digital, and…we want to be able to provide brands here with the ability to connect with consumers through more relevant, measurable and personal online engagement,” he adds. “Today’s advertisers have budgets that are under much closer scrutiny; they need to ensure their campaigns are hitting exactly the right audiences every time, especially as online consumers are ever-more discerning about the relevance of the advertising content presented to them,” says Nassef. Yahoo’s regional office has also appointed Imad Sarrouf as its B2B marketing manager.

 I aGENCIES JCDecaux appoints two managing directors

Jeddah/Dubai. Philippe Infante, based in Jeddah, has been appointed managing director for JC Decaux Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Yoann El Jaouhari (pictured, above), based in Dubai, has been appointed managing director for JC Decaux Dubai and Northern Emirates. Both report to David Bourg, managing director for JC Decaux Middle East. Infante joined JC Decaux in Marseille as a sales representative in 2003 before being appointed account manager in JC Decaux’s corporate sales & development department in Paris in December 2005. In 2007 Infante became managing director of Q Media Decaux in Qatar, before being appointed deputy managing director of JC Decaux ATA (a joint venture between JC Decaux and Saudi partner ATA) in December 2010. El Jaouhari, meanwhile, joined JC Decaux in 2005 as an operational marketing manager and was appointed deputy operational marketing director in 2007. In 2009 he was made marketing director, responsible for the Gulf States. In addition to his responsibilities in marketing, he became sales director for Dubai and Sharjah in October 2009. New travel resource to take off with Omnicom Group agencies Dubai. A new travel resource for the region, Joob.com, currently in its beta version, has appointed a consortium of Omnicom Group agencies to handle its brand communications requirements. In addition to the digital team at Omnicom Media Group (OMG), who will lead the account and manage digital and social media, as well as search marketing, PHD and DDB will be handling traditional media and creative strategy and deployment respectively. OMG will also provide research and analytics services. The decision of awarding the account to the Omnicom agencies was made following a two-way pitch with another holding company.

“As a start-up, it is critical we get it right from the beginning,” says Mazen Abou Hatab, head of marketing at Joob.com. “We were not only looking for specialists who can support us individually, but also people who can work together as a group to ensure the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Reda Raad made COO of TBWA\Raad Dubai. TBWA\ Raad appointed Reda Raad to its newly created position of chief operating officer. In this role Raad, with the assistance of the regional management group, aims at pushing conventional boundaries, defining new growth strategies, and nurturing a creative environment unique to each of the 14 network agencies. Before this promotion, Raad was group managing director at TBWA\ Raad, overseeing day-to-day operations of the agency’s UAE hub. “Our culture is based on disruption; this creative culture that surrounds us is what brings the best out of us,” says Raad. “My ambition is to continue spreading disruption and media arts tools that encourage creativity across the region so we can always unlock untapped potential.” Raad was one of the original eight founding members of TBWA\Raad back in 2000. In 2003, he established TBWA\Raad\Saudi Arabia. He then returned to Dubai in 2005 and was entrusted with the management of the hub agency operation.  I DIGITAL Ricky Ghai appointed as CEO of Eros Digital Abu Dhabi. Eros International plc, an integrated Indian film studio, has announced the appointment of Ricky Ghai as chief executive officer of its digital and new media arm, Eros Digital, with effect from July 2011. Ghai, 50, will be based in Eros’ operating offices primarily in India, as well as the UAE, UK and US. Ghai joins Eros from Abu Dhabi Media (ADM), where he had led the digital group since its inception in 2007. He had initiated a wave of strategic international investments Continued on page 12

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ARN to launch an internet radio channel

Continued from page 10 at ADM, establishing independent, vertical subsidiaries in gaming and digital marketing. In partnership with Sony and Universal Music Group, Ghai also oversaw ADM’s founding stake in online music video portal Vevo, where he was also a board member. He also helmed the launch of a live online English Premier League subscription service across the MENA region for ADM last year.

Very Briefs Dubai. The Arabian Radio Network (ARN), which is owned by Dubai’s Arab Media Group, will be launching an Internet radio channel before Ramadan this year. The network currently owns seven radio stations including Virgin Radio (104.4), Dubai Eye (103.8), Al Arabiya (99) and City 101.6. The new channel, which will be called “The Deep,” will be

 I ADVERTISING Clients not always to blame for limiting creative ideas, says GM’s Ghosn Dubai. “A good idea will always find its way to become a great idea” and clients cannot always be blamed for standing as a barrier against good creative ideas, says Fadi Ghosn, chief marketing officer for General Motors (GM) Middle East. Ghosn (pictured, above) was speaking to Communicate after a “Superheroes Summit” held by media agency Starcom MediaVest Group, where City of Life director Ali Mostafa had said that some very creative ideas don’t see the light of day because clients in the region are hesitant. Ghosn had a different opinion and said not

targeted toward people aged 35 years and above. ARN is keen to develop “enhanced and engaging new streaming players for [its] FM stations as well as launch new Internet-radio only channels that cater to an audience presently being underserved in this market,” a press statement reads. The new channel will play a mix of hit songs from the 80s, 90s and

2000s, the statement adds. It will feature a mix of up-beat pop and rock music from artists such as Duran Duran, INXS, UB40, The Rolling Stones, Bryan Adams, and so on. According to the statement, “rather than being artist-specific [the channel] will follow the more traditional radio station music format.” Following a “less is more” approach, it will run without a DJ.

all clients are the same. “[It] could be in some cases that the client is definitely not accepting these ideas. But you cannot generalize that in all cases no creative ideas will come or will appeal because of the client,” he tells Communicate. Ghosn says he can’t speak for other companies, but says GM tries to embrace new ideas. “We were the first to look at first-time opportunities with Ali [Mostafa] on his first movie. And we work on getting into new ideas ahead of time – sometimes even without getting all the details and full proof about ROIs. There is always a risk. As long as the risk is calculated for us, we will be the first to jump.” He says that out-of-the-box ideas can be accepted by clients as long as

they are realistic. “If the idea is good and it’s not a crazy idea, I think we need to look at it and make a decision. If the creative presents an idea and you know there is no way it will fly, or if it has nothing to do with the brief, it’s definitely a ‘No.’ So when you talk about creative idea, it has to be on the brief.” GM has taken risks and given way to fresh ideas, he adds. “Once, [we were approached] with an idea about two Japanese guys, Hiroshi and Osamu, working for a Japanese company coming to the Middle East to spy on why Chevrolet is doing so well,” he says. “If you look at it from a manufacturer angle, how do you accept such a thing? But the idea was different, unique, and it was well-executed, and it worked very well.” “The issue is that the two characters became much more important than the product itself. So that is a balance. But if we [hadn’t done] that, we’d have not been able to learn how to go to the market with new and fresh ideas.” However, he says that in the end the campaign did well for the brand, and “in terms of learning how a campaign can work, it was great because we went to new and unknown territory.”

Grow appoints Shane Davies as design director Rufus Leonard Middle East appoints Liza Medd as regional managing director Fine Tissues unveils new look and brand promise Siegel+Gale hires Matthew Laubscher as regional creative director Alef International acquires GBC’s media business McCollins Media wins Al Sayegh Group PR account Boomtown Productions launches digital arm admcsport.com gets over 18 million page views in April Jim Donaldson now Weber Shandwick’s EVP of corporate communications, EMEA WPP, nPario form partnership Creative Concepts re-brands website as part of expansion plans Go to our Web site for the full stories: www.communicate.ae

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Traditional media outshines social over Bin Laden’s death Just before one of the biggest news stories in almost 10 years broke – the death of Osama bin Laden – signs of the news started emerging on Twitter. The platform went on to handle the most frantic activity of its five years in operation. But this was no media revolution. In fact, as the week went on, the news of bin Laden’s demise actually put old-school news operators at the forefront, far more than you might have expected after hearing so much about social media’s role in recent news events. Twitter averaged 3,000 posts per second during peak activity late Sunday, May 1 and into Monday, May 2, its highest sustained rate of Tweets ever. But TV won on the night  I digital

US agencies get 28 percent of revenue from digital Digital services accounted for an estimated $8.5 billion (28 percent) of the $30.4 billion in 2010 US revenue generated by the 900-plus advertising and marketing-services agencies that Ad Age analyzed for its Agency Report 2011. Digital's share of agency revenue rose from 25.8 percent in 2009. In dollar terms, agencies' digital revenue jumped 16.9 percent in 2010. One point is clear: Digital has become a standard tool across every agency discipline. To be sure, six in 10 digital dollars – or $5.1 billion – last year went to digital-specialty agencies such as Publicis Groupe’s Digitas and Sapient Corp.’s SapientNitro. The second biggest portion – $2 billion – went to agencies whose core business is direct marketing or customer relationship management. Ad Age estimates direct-marketing/ CRM agencies generated 42 percent of US revenue from digital services in 2010.

JUNE 2011 | International news

The remaining portion of revenue – roughly $1.4 billion – was spread across agencies focused on disciplines including advertising, promotion, health care and public relations. Facebook’s PR blunder opens trust gap Facebook joined the ranks of the Burson-Marsteller crisis club elite – a group that includes firms such as FoxConn, Blackwater, and AIG – when it hired the PR firm to generate press alleging privacy breaches in Google's Social Circle tool. And even though Facebook parted ways with Burson in the wake of the botched PR campaign, the implications of its relationship with this PR shop in particular are symbolic of the social network outgrowing its startup roots and, ironically, exhibiting increasingly buttoned-up, corporate behavior. Josh Bernoff, senior vice-president of idea development at Forrester Research, says working with a firm such as Burson is one way that “real companies that are not startups compete in a real world,”adding, “but secretly trying to get stories placed about competitors doesn't play well in Silicon Valley.” In the first week of May, USA Today published the pitch that recent Burson appointee Jim Goldman sent to privacy advocate and blogger Christopher Seghoian. A day later, the Daily Beast reported that the undisclosed client behind the campaign was in fact Facebook,

which has since parted ways with the firm. The agency responded by confirming the assignment and client: "The client requested that its name be withheld on the grounds that it was merely asking to bring publicly available information to light and such information could then be independently and easily replicated by any media."

Facebook's response: “No ‘smear’ campaign was authorized or intended. “Instead, we wanted third parties to verify that people did not approve of the collection and use of information from their accounts on Facebook and other services for inclusion in Google Social Circles – just as Facebook did not approve of use or collection for this purpose.” The initial lack of disclosure also marks an ironic moment for the more than 500 million-strong social network, whose CEO Mark Zuckerberg once said, “The age of privacy is over.” The brouhaha comes as Facebook is preparing for an IPO and slated $4.05 billion in ad revenue, up from $1.86 billion last year, according to eMarketer. For Burson’s part, PR professionals say that the firm will move

of May 1, as US President Barack Obama's speech averaged 56.5 million viewers over about nine minutes, Nielsen says. In TV, broadcast was the victor over cable news. Despite cable news channels’ seemingly perfect fit for the moment, more than 70 percent of the audience watched on broadcast channels, according to a TVB analysis of Nielsen data. The USA Today published 200,000 extra copies on May 2 and 100,000 extra on May 3. From May 2 to 4, its website experienced a 25 percent surge in page views and a 5 percent increase in unique visitors. Other newspapers had a similar experience. on relatively unscathed. Rosanna Fiske, CEO of the Public Relations Society of America, tells Advertising Age, “[Facebook will] recover even though this whole PR story probably brought to light more of a regulation issue related to regulatory agencies, privacy, and data scraping.” As a result of unethical behavior and potentially tighter regulation, Bernoff says, “Facebook is going to have a difficult time trying to convince Congress they can be trusted with consumer data.” BETC Euro RSCG launches own network Havas is trying to parlay the creative reputation of its French flagship agency BETC Euro RSCG Paris on an international scale by backing a new BETC-branded micronetwork of five agencies, led by BETC founders Remi Babinet and Mercedes Erra. The breakaway micronetwork’s first shop outside of Paris opened in London last month. Other agencies are planned for Brazil, the US and Asia. David Jones, CEO of Havas Group, says, “With BETC we are looking at an amazing creative pedigree. We want to be able to do what they have done in Paris in four of five other cities around the world. “There is terrific talent in the industry – people who want to do entrepreneurial things – and this is a good opportunity for us to bring some of those people into the group. It will be a growth engine for Euro RSCG and for Havas overall.”

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JUNE 2011 | OPINION

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We ask the industry: What film/book do you think the industry should watch/read? HUBERT BOULOS Head of strategic planning, JWT I would recommend the industry read: Truth Lies and Advertising: The Art of Account Planning by Jon Steel. Why? So everybody understands what strategic planners should be doing. It is mandatory reading for planners at JWT Dubai. ZOYA SAKR Editor-in-chief, anaZahra.com Socialnomics. A very interesting book on how social media transforms the way we live and do business. FADI CHAMAT General manager, PHD Abu Dhabi An interesting book I’ve read that I would definitely recommend to the industry is called Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson. The book is about a guy who falls off the Himalayas while climbing, only to be rescued by villagers in the remote mountains of Pakistan who nurse him to safety. After living with them for weeks and seeing how underprivileged they are, he decides to go back to America and save enough money to build them a school. The guy ends up sleeping in his car for months to save on rent, food, entertainment, etcetera – all for the sake of these villagers. He goes back and builds them a school against all odds (details in the story) and ends up eventually opening an NGO that builds dozens of similar development projects all around the Third World.

The reason I like this book is because it shows the triumph of the human spirit and is an indication that the best rewards aren’t always materialistic. YOUSEF TUQAN TUQAN CEO, Flip Media Any book that will remind everyone that there are people in the world who need help, and when we’re doing ads for nappies and toothpastes, we’re not actually making the world a better place. There’s a lot we can do with our talent to help the world. Pick a cause, and learn about it. TONY ORSTEN CEO, twofour54 Sidney Lumet’s 1976 blockbuster, Network, with Faye Dunaway, William Holden and Peter Finch. Now that’s the way to run a TV station. YVETTE MADI Exchange manager – digital, Mindshare UAE I have read many marketing books. One I see as inspiring is Brand Failures by Matt Haig. I’m sure many have read it already. I have read it five times and still enjoy reading it. The fact is, we learn more from failures than we can from success. The book talks about faults that brands/products have committed. It’s good to learn what not to do nowadays, as the margin of error keeps minimizing with time, and we are not perfect.

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JUNE 2011 | OPINION

LIANNE RIVETT Senior designer, Rufus Leonard Middle East If you have 20 minutes to spare (perhaps while you munch your lunch at your desk) go to TED.com and be inspired. It’s hard to pick out just one video, but my current favorite is French street artist JR’s talk on how he has used art to turn the world inside out. LIZA MEDD Regional Manager, Rufus Leonard Middle East Future Files: The Five Trends That Will Shape the Next 50 Years by Richard Watson. Incredibly fascinating and inspirational predictions of how five key trends will shape and change our future. A must read. CHOUCRALLAH ABOU SAMRA Managing director, OMG KSA I recommend reading The Art of War by Sun Tzu. This book is as relevant today as it was when it was written around 500 BC. Although it was written for warfare, it actually fits our industry more than warfare, especially in this day and age. (Note: it is not worth watching movies with the same title.) SUNIL JOHN CEO, Asda’a Burson-Marsteller The King’s Speech is a textbook example of how to build a relationship with a powerful person. Before he can get the desired results, the speech therapist, brilliantly played by Geoffrey Rush, must establish ground rules that create the conditions for mutual respect and trust. No easy task, but the stubborn king (played by Colin Firth) comes around and the high-stakes speech is delivered flawlessly. In the same way, an agency that can tactfully assert itself as the expert in its field from the start will enjoy a better relationship, and provide better value, to the client.

MICHEL BORT Client relationship director, Kassab Media How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. This book shows why listening to other people is more important than talking about yourself, how positive reinforcement is the best way to motivate others, and what few techniques you can use to make other people believe what you are telling them. Dale Carnegie spells out his plan for getting what you want from other people by changing the way you behave. IMAD ABI RIZK Senior exchange executive, Mindshare UAE A must-see movie in the media field ought to be Wag the Dog (1997). This movie shows the power of mass media and the influence it may have on one of the largest nations: the United States. The plot is about the president of the US who was caught in a scandal two weeks away from re-election. The president then contacts a Hollywood producer to create a fake war on Albania using mass media, where he can be the hero and end it. ROY BARGHOUT Senior manager – exchange, Mindshare UAE E by Matt Beaumont. Perfect representation of characters in the industry. HOMAM ABUSHABAN Senior exchange executive – digital, Mindshare UAE Between Politics & Culture by Arabic writer Abdul Rahman Munif. It shows clearly the essence of the GCC soul and to what extent this region went because of the oil revolution. Also, it explains the effect of oil on other countries in the Levant and North Africa. The importance of it comes from understanding the audience of the region which is (from my perspective) the most vital element of good advertising.

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YVES-MICHEL GABAY General manager, MEC MENA As usual, I have multiple answers: Books: Confessions of an Advertising Man (David Ogilvy). Because it’s the start of everything in this industry. Publicitor (Bernard Brochand). Because it’s really the sum of what you need to know in the modern time of advertising. Le Grand Bluff (Pierre Pean). Another French book, all about the backstage stories in advertising – true everywhere. Films: 1984, [directed by] Michael Radford (from Orwell’s novel). Because of the power of the interactive screen; people can watch, but can be watched too. The recent and very good Social Network. Just to show to the local marketers that we are already in the digital era and social media is very important (the modern WoM), but it’s also a business and not a nice and rosy world. Mad Men (the TV series). Here, again, a lot of lessons about the advertising world and modern marketing. And also What Women Want (with Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt). Because it really explains (in a funny way) that we need to understand the consumers. DAVID PORTER Media director, Unilever MENA Film: The Social Network, in order to appreciate the speed with which consumers move in the digital space, and that we must redouble our efforts to keep up. Book: Anything written for five-year-olds, because we are all born with inherent creativity until we allow the world to beat it out of us. HERMANN BEHRENS CEO, The Brand Union Middle East Robin Sharma’s, Leadership Wisdom from the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: The Eight Rituals of the Best Leaders. Leaders need lots of wisdom today.

MOUNIR HARFOUCHE CEO, Lowe MENA Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech. For me it is the greatest example of what a populist idea is. It all started with one thought; a big idea that is from the people to the people. It inspired generations, transformed behaviors, changed rules and marked history. Martin Luther King became an iconic brand, a symbol of freedom, a reference to bravery, an example of dignity and he connected with people. The “I” became “We.” He had followers, not like those on Twitter; he had friends, not like those on Facebook, but more determined ones who embraced his cause, their cause. Martin Luther King managed to steer cultural and social perception away from the heavily anchored segregation, simply because he had a winning idea. MOUNA AJAM Regional PR Manager, Mindshare MENA The movie What Women Want. It really shows you (especially industry outsiders) how much time and effort is required to come up with successful marketing ideas and how competitive this business is – especially the scene when Mel Gibson was trying to think (and dress) as a woman to better understand feminine products. MARWAN QUTUB CEO and co-founder, 3Points Advertising The book I highly recommend to anyone in the industry is Purple Cow by Seth Godin. It puts the reader in the mindset of transforming his brand to being remarkable. It’s a short book, yet very inspiring and eye-opening. And the film is The Usual Suspects. It shows how the right answer can be just in front of you, if you pay attention to the details.

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Signs of change In the aftermath of the Arab Spring, we see if anyone can predict what comes next for the industry by Sidra Tariq

he year 2011 has been a rollercoaster ride for the Middle East. The speed at which things have changed in the past few months and the ups and downs in the markets have shaken the region. The political uprisings in countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Bahrain, Yemen and Libya, plus the domino effect of toppling governments since December 2010, have not only had an impact on the regional advertising industry, but also the global ad scene. According to an Ad Age report, Publicis Groupe’s media agency ZenithOptimedia forecast a $2.4 billion loss in global ad expenditures this year due to the political turmoil in Egypt and the earthquake in Japan. In December 2010 the agency predicted the growth in global ad spend to be 4.6 percent in 2011. The worldwide ripple effect brought the expected growth down to 4.2 percent in its forecast this year. The aftermath of the Japan earthquake, which mainly had an effect on the automotive industry and consumer electronics items, was just a blip on the radar compared to what the regional uprisings did to the Middle East ad market. Communicate speaks to the regional advertising industry to evaluate the five-month roller coaster ride and the nausea that has remained since. The analysis of the experts Communicate talked to differ to a certain degree. While some say that only markets with political turbulence suffered during

the revolutions, others say that the whole region was affected. There was a disparity in the predicted advertising spend and growth as well. The only thing they all agreed on was the uncertainty that looms over the region. According to a Pan Arab Research Center (PARC) report, measured advertising spend in the region declined by 1 percent during the first quarter of 2011, compared to Q1, 2010. While in countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, measured spending accelerated by 11 percent and 7 percent respectively, it slowed down in markets such as Egypt (down 51 percent), Bahrain (down 21 percent) and Jordan (down 21 percent) during the quarter. However, the research only accounts for spending on TV, newspapers, magazines, radio, outdoor and cinema. “We need to divide the market in to two: markets where there are troubles – mainly Tunisia, Egypt and Bahrain – and the rest of the market,” says Samir Ayoub, CEO of media agency Mindshare MENA. “In [those three] markets, the situation for Mindshare is as bad as for everybody else in the market. The first four months’ results were very bad (of course I’m talking about minus figures here)… There is no sign of improvement yet, even in Tunisia, where the revolution started much earlier than in Egypt. There are no signs of recovery yet. “We do expect that the situation will be bad, at least in the coming four to five months, i.e. until the beginning of Ramadan,” he says. “This is the

result of at least an 80 percent drop in whatever was initially budgeted for 2011 in these markets. So we expect the markets overall to [drop] by at least 50 percent versus 2010.” Reda Raad, chief operating officer of ad network TBWA\Raad, expects the region overall to fare well: “Saudi Arabia is doing very well. Qatar is doing very well. Abu Dhabi is doing very well. Dubai is picking up. So overall the region looks promising. The big impact of that is what is happening in Egypt.” Raad says that he expects a 5 to 10 percent drop in advertising spend in the region when compared to 2010, primarily because of the effect on Egypt. “Egypt is one of the largest markets for our industry, especially in terms of the advertising spend.” According to media company GroupM’s forecasts, Egypt’s ad market was worth nearly $1 billion a year and media spending had seen a 17 percent growth in 2010, according to an Ad Age report. “The recent political situation in Egypt really brought the advertising sector and advertising spend in the first quarter to almost a standstill,” says Raad. “Bahrain, again, is not such a big market; not as big as Egypt. So I don’t think the effect of the Bahrain situation is as traumatic or as impactful as what Egypt has done to the rest of the region,” he adds. Elie Khouri, CEO of media network Omnicom Media Group (OMG) MENA, says that according to

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Dani richa. President, Impact BBDO MENA

Elie Khouri. CEO, Omnicom Media Group

OMG’s October forecasts, the region was expected to have double-digit growth this year (around 15 percent), but now only 5 percent growth is expected. Alex Saber, chairman of communications group Vivaki, also puts the figure at 5 percent, with earlier predictions being 15 to 20 percent. On the other hand, Dani Richa, president of creative network Impact BBDO MENA, predicts a negative growth of 5 to 10 percent for the region when compared to 2010. Elie Aoun, CEO of research agency Ipsos, says, “Last year, the growth in advertising spend in the region was more than 25 percent. Now I don’t see the growth at more than 5 percent (judging from rate card figures).” However, he adds that the rate card figures this year do not show a big drop in advertising spend. “It differs from one market to another, but we are talking a number that is 10 percent [down] maximum.”

On the other hand, Mobily increased its budget for this year, he adds. “The banking sector is still the same,” he notes. “There is a drop in the real estate sector and also in [the automotive sector].” FMCGs, he says, are still spending: “For example, categories like shampoo is constant, chocolate is the same, and soft drinks is the same.” Meanwhile, Mindshare’s Ayoub says that during the unrest, while there are some sectors that were extremely affected and had pulled the plug on advertising, industry players such as telcos and FMCGs proceeded with “shy advertising.” Even then the advertising was very tactical – more towards promotions than branding or awareness, he says. Aside from that, it was mostly non-FMCG sectors that were badly affected by the revolution – the automotive industry, clothes and luxury items, services such as banking, and so on – he adds.

Sectors. Aoun adds that decrease in ad spend was mainly by the telecommunications sector. It saw a “surprisingly” large drop in the first quarter of 2011 compared to 2010. Saudi Telecom Company (STC) had a more than 25 percent reduction in advertising spend, he says: “It used to be $48 million; it is now $33 million [in terms of rate card figures].” “Etisalat, for example, had more than a 50 percent drop. They spent in 2010 double what they are spending in 2011,” he adds. Aoun is not sure whether this is because of the unrest in the region or because it is a strategy the telcos are adopting. “Last year the region saw a 27 percent growth in ad spend and the telecommunications sector was leading it," says Aoun. “Maybe [this year] it is a strategy for [the telcos] to spend more later on.”

Egypt. Predictably, Egypt is one of the hardest hit markets in the region as a result of the revolution. The tourism sector in particular has suffered the hardest blow. But there are other sectors that have been affected too. Raad says that the public sector is one of them, and so is banking. Medhat Amin, managing director of Mindshare Egypt, says, “We handle HSBC here [Egypt]… Unfortunately due to the entire hit on the economy, because of the revolution and the amount of losses the economy has [had] and also the stock exchange, they have been directly [affected]. Hence, they put everything on hold a little bit and we’re still testing the waters.” He says the bank is looking more into digital now. “We also have a car manufacturer, which is Kia Motors, who have been quite badly hit because now

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people look at certain products as secondary or even tertiary. People who wanted to change their cars are not changing [them], people who were thinking about buying a new car aren’t buying one, and so on and so forth,” he adds. He says that many of the telecom companies in Egypt were completely stagnant during the past few months, but a lot of them are coming back with regular advertising now. It’s mainly local brands that are expected to struggle this year. “What we are seeing is multinational brands seem to have assumed a quicker business-as-usual scenario,” says Raad. “The Henkels of this world, the Mars of this world, and Visa, have all picked up and now business is continuing.” One of the reasons is that the infrastructure of local brands had been hit, he adds. “For example, we had a supermarket brand… that was really hit. They couldn’t just pick up and start advertising. They had to fix their shop, make sure it is working before they advertise for it. So it is different for different clients.” Moreover, “multinational brands don’t have an overwhelming dependency on the one market,” he says. If one market gets hit, the others may compensate. “Whereas if you are a local Egyptian brand and your business is hit, then your business stops until you fix it,” Raad adds. Richa from Impact BBDO says, “The business community was very closely associated with [former president Hosni] Mubarak, and a lot of the business leaders are now either under house arrest or in jail or out of the country. The ones that are not closely associated are afraid of being active and doing things now because they would rather be under the radar. So anybody who is anybody is not doing anything,” says Richa. “Tarek Nour [president and CEO of Tarek Nour Communications] said it in a funny way: He said anybody with a big, black car is in trouble.” “Luckily for [BBDO], we have a lot of multinational businesses and less government business, so we haven’t suffered as much, but the industry as a whole has suffered,” he says. Mindshare’s Amin says that the agency’s Egypt office had a rough time during the revolution. “We suffered tremendously from campaigns being cancelled, from budgets being cut, from budgets being postponed to God knows when. We suffered like any other agency in the country, from clients being very skeptical about advertising. Today, at Mindshare, things are starting to look a little bit better because [clients] are starting to realize and we have been pushing a lot of our clients to advertise... We’ve convinced a few clients that this is the right time to advertise.” One trend that can be seen in the Egyptian market is patriotic communications – where brands are using patriotic messages in their campaigns. A restaurant, for instance, used messaging such as “Long live Egypt. Buy pizza,” says Amin. “It is as funny as that. But some campaigns have actually been more decent.” “One of my clients, Jotun Paints, had a campaign about painting the streets the new color of freedom,” he adds.

TBWA\Raad did a CSR campaign in Egypt for homecare brand Henkel called “El Balad Baladna” (This place is our country, pictured, above), where volunteers would get together to clean the streets of Cairo, adds Raad. Bahrain. Another market that has been affected is Bahrain. Apart from the impact that the unrest had on regular business, the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix, scheduled for March 2011, and the International Advertising Association (IAA) World Congress, set for Spring 2012, have been affected. However, Johnny Khazzoum, managing director of Mindshare Bahrain, says there are talks between the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the Formula One Management, CEO Bernie Ecclestone and the Bahrain government, about scheduling the cancelled race later in the year, around November. The final decision will be taken in June, he says. “For a period of time, clients [in Bahrain] had stopped advertising,” says Khazzoum. “However if you look at the past one month…we can see that the trend is moving up. Clients are advertising again, but not to the same level.” Nevertheless, he says that the tourism and entertainment sectors are still in bad shape. “There is no support because you cannot promote anything related to entertainment or concerts or any of that where you will be able to attract tourists.” Retail businesses are postponing campaigns, he says, and so are hotels and airlines. Telcos and FMCGs had stopped advertising for a while, but are getting back on track now, he adds. All in all, some recovery in Bahrain can be seen, says Khazzoum. “We expect that the full recovery will take a period of two more months.

raja trad. CEO of Leo Burnett

alex saber. Chairman of Vivaki

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This is on the basis that things are going OK in the market. But you cannot predict what will happen in the future or the next day. Assessing [the current situation], there is confidence back in the clients and the people in Bahrain.” “It will all get resolved the minute the decision is taken on the F1 race for this season,” says Khazzoum. “Since [the race] was cancelled because of the situation, the minute it goes back on the calendar, it is proof that Bahrain is back to where it was before. This will further give boost and confidence to the rest of the clients and business in general.”

PHILLIP JABBOUR. CEO of SMG MENA

Foggy future. In the first few months of this year, the Middle East has seen almost everything. While some campaigns have been cancelled or postponed, others are running as they normally do. “In Egypt, we are seeing a revision of budgets, because of the first quarter being so badly [affected]. But in terms of the rest of the pan-Arab budgets, we don’t see any major changes,” says Raad. And while some clients are cutting down on budgets, others are retaining their 2010 levels and a few are even increasing them. This makes the rest of 2011 rather unpredictable. And experts say the same. As the market slowly moves toward recovery, there are some factors that can give us clues about the future. Mindshare’s Ayoub says that the market situation and consumer behavior will determine clients’ next moves. “The clients are waiting,” he says. “They’re scared of starting the investment again. They are waiting for what’s going to happen in the market in terms of the political situation. And since the consumer effect was bad on their bottom line, they are now somewhere between the effect of the consumer and their future worry of restarting their investment on launching a new product or service. They need stability and peace of mind. If anybody is thinking about investment or spending they need [the assurance] that this

will have a return on investment.” Vivaki’s Saber agrees that the rest of the year depends on what the political situation will turn out to be. “Uncertainty is the big statement, really,” he says. When Communicate spoke to him he said May would be a very important month, “because whatever happens in May will indicate what is going to happen in June, and so far the May figures do not look very positive.” He adds that Ramadan and the last quarter (when plans are made for next year) will “make or break” the year. BBDO’s Richa also expects this year’s Ramadan to be the “acid test.” “The problem with Ramadan is you need programming. It represents about 50 percent of the total spend, and all the guys who develop and do the contents and events haven’t done it this year. So there aren’t enough programs to sponsor, to put ads in,” he says. Much of the region's Ramadan programming is produced in Egypt, and was set back by the uprising. Amin expects Ramadan to be completely different this year in Egypt. “I foresee that there is going to be very minimal advertising. There is going to be very minimal content on TV or anywhere else. And people are going to start waiting, because right after Ramadan there are going to be the parliament elections, and then right after that there are going to be the presidential elections. So a lot of people are going to wait and see what’s going to happen. That’s why many clients – FMCGs in particular – have moved some of their budgets to below-the-line and on-the-ground activities.” While many expect 2011 to be a flat year, there may be chances of growth. Philip Jabbour, CEO of media agency SMG MENA, says, “If there’s growth, there [will be] slight growth, and that will be driven by non-traditional elements, because a lot of the organic growth is stagnant.” While these predictions and expectations give us a slight idea, the general consensus is that nobody can predict what the rest of 2011 has in store. The mantra seems to be: wait and see.

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MENA, says that 2011 looks challenging for the Middle East. He says that there is uncertainty surrounding the region as to what turn events will take. For example, the unrest in Syria will not only have an impact on the country, but also on Lebanon and Jordan, he says. Some of the questions that arise are “What is next?” and “How are things going to settle?” This uncertainty is making clients “nervous,” says Trad. “Not all the decisions taken today are based on concrete basis. They are based on some psychological fears.” Changes have to be analyzed on a marketto-market basis. “We did not feel change in Saudi Arabia. We do not have change here [UAE]. [In Egypt]… we are less affected. We are lucky that 90 percent of what we handle in Egypt is basically fast consumer products and telecom. Levant is, until further notice, doing extremely well.”

Agency outlook TBWA\Raad Reda Raad says that the first three months of 2011 have been challenging for TBWA\Raad. “Right now the indication from the team in Egypt is that things are picking up. It is not business as usual. Everybody is cautious. Everybody is saying that the long-term orientation is very positive. However, if you are looking at this as short-term, it’s [more] like ‘We’ll wait and see.’ Nobody is coming right out and saying we are going to be cancelling any budgets, but nobody is saying we are going to [make] massive investments. So short-term is caution, and long-term is optimism.” OMG Elie Khouri says that 2011 is a great year for OMG. After the revolution, Yemen, Libya and Syria have become an interesting market for the agency, he says. “I’m not able to predict the future, but from my own little modest assumptions, these are all massive markets that were not part of the MENA mix. So I see those as becoming big opportunities for us to really double the volume of what we do in the coming four years.” The markets have potential because of population as well. Syria boasts a population of around 22 million, Libya around 6 million, and Yemen around 24 million. “They will become real economies where you can go and conduct business, where you can have a dis-

tribution network, where you can have proper communication on media outlets that are not autocratic,” says Khouri. In October last year, OMG had forecast a double-digit growth for the agency in 2011, says Khouri. While he is not allowed to give exact figures, he says that around 15 percent was expected. “On a short-term basis, naturally we [had] hiccups in Cairo in the first quarter, but we’re catching up. In the Gulf, we had [a] blip in Bahrain, but on a general level the Gulf is going to be maintained this year versus last year. We’re optimistically looking at a 3 to 5 percent [growth] in the Gulf versus last year. So it’s really not bad,” he says. Khouri adds that prior to the revolution, the growth in Egypt was the highest – more than Saudi Arabia and the UAE. “Egypt is a very important market. [It] is the second most important market in this part of the world after Saudi Arabia, and before UAE. This is a reality today. For us it represents about 12 percent of our volumes in MENA. But it is the highest growing market and most promising market.” He expects Egypt to continue being a promising market, “because today I think we are seeing that there is a normalization of investment by clients. Clients are back. We have to catch up on the lost quarter, but I think the prospects are better than before.” Leo Burnett Raja Trad, CEO of creative agency Leo Burnett

Vivaki Saber says 2010 was one of the best years for Vivaki (which includes Starcom MediaVest Group [SMG] and Zenith Optimedia). “We enjoyed significant growth across the board, because we are an agency that [has] a long roster of multinational clients,” and 2010 was a good year for multinationals, he adds. “We enjoyed significant growth [in 2010], unlike other agencies. 2010 was a record year.” The group grew by around 25 percent in 2010, he says, but 2011 is a tricky year because of the political instability in the region. Instead of the 15 to 20 percent growth forecast at the beginning of the year, the group now predicts and hopes for a 10 percent growth, he says. Philip Jabbour, CEO of SMG MENA, says, “I think we’ve gotten to a base that is almost hard to maintain double digits. But we’re not far away from it. It really depends on a number of factors. A few wins here and there, a few things…” Meanwhile, Saber says, “In January, we were very optimistic about 2011, but then the Egyptian issue came, and Egypt is a big market. So things went into a standstill from Jan 25 [beginning of the Egypt uprising] to the end of March. Things are slightly better in Egypt, but not too rosy because there is no clear direction of what’s happening. There [are] lots of gray areas.” He says that not more than 20 percent of Vivaki’s business is in Egypt. Vivaki’s situation in the country is not that bad because they mostly have multinational clients there too, and multinationals are doing well in comparison to local businesses, he adds. “It’s a different challenge, but an interesting challenge because unless the political regimes and external forces actually subdue, it’s actually the wish of the people that is happening, and our business is all about understanding those insights. So the more that this is allowed, I think the more we can play with it,” says Jabbour. – Additional reporting by Austyn Allison.

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JUNE 2011 | Cover Story

Media movements What have the region’s uprisings meant to media channels?

Elie Aoun. Managing director of Ipsos

Samir Ayoub. CEO of Mindshare MENA

by Sidra Tariq

edia was a great catalyst in driving the revolutions in the region. Two channels in particular shot up in use in the Middle East this year: TV and digital. TV played its role through news channels that provided live coverage and analysis of the events unfolding in the countries. Digital played its part by not only spreading the news, but also facilitating communication between those that drove the change. Protesters posted on Facebook and Twitter and used other forms of social media to share details with other protesters. And when the Internet was shut down in Egypt, Google launched a speak-to-Tweet platform, whereby people could send Twitter messages by leaving a voicemail on a specific number which would then get translated into a Tweet. Television numbers during the revolutions, particularly on news channels, had grown tremendously during the protests in the region. According to Elie Aoun, managing director of research company Ipsos, news channels Al Arabiya and Al Jazeera doubled their ratings during the revolution. Samir Ayoub, CEO of media agency Mindshare MENA, says, “Take Saudi Arabia as an example. [The viewership of] Al Arabiya and Al Jazeera increased between 40 percent and 50 percent at the expense of the other channels, i.e. entertainment and general interest.”

But while the viewership on TV might have been lucrative, marketers surprisingly did not pounce on the opportunity to advertise to the large segment. This is in part due to the nature of the content on the news channels. “Clients probably wouldn’t like to associate their brands with sad stories and pictures that are shown, or the environment that is there on the news channels,” says Ayoub. Nevertheless, TV did not suffer much during the unrest, says Ipsos’s Aoun. “I am talking about the big TV stations, maybe because people watch more TV in such times; there is a little shift to the news stations. But we didn’t see any drop in our monitoring when it comes to TV and spend on TV.” According to Aoun, in 2010, TV accounted for 65 percent of the advertising pie, while newspapers accounted for 23 percent, outdoor 5 percent, magazines 5 percent, radio 2 percent and cinema less than 1 percent. “This is not including online. But, in my opinion, if we add online it would not be more than 2 percent of the total in the region. So even if it is doubled, it will be 4 percent,” he says. Aoun expects the proportion across media vehicles to remain the same (with TV retaining the largest share). “TV will be at around 60 percent, newspaper at 20 percent, and you have outdoor also, and radio

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Cover Story | JUNE 2011

Digital. Digital clearly had a good quarter in terms of usage due to the revolution, with social media acting as the primary magnet. Regional agency network TBWA\Raad did research on online usage around the revolution. “What was discovered is that there was a huge surge during the revolution,” says Reda Raad, chief operating officer of TBWA\Raad. “We saw a really strong peak. And then it tapered off, and the people who were using it pre-revolution have continued to use it post-revolution.” “Internet presence in Egypt alone grew by 40 percent [during the period],” says Ali Ali, co-founder and creative director of independent shop Elephant Cairo. “Before the revolution, we had 18 million people online, and now we have 26 million people online. That is incredible.” “[In Egypt] people are just watching news channels and they are watching talk shows. So it’s really hard to get people on TV right now, or to get their attention even if they are on TV, as they are not looking for ads,” he says. “I think that will put a lot of weight on viral and digital advertising. The revolution is going to give birth to digital advertising in the region, whether we like it or not. It’s like the inevitable outcome of the revolution.“ “Digital has become a champion here in Egypt overnight,” agrees Medhat Amin, managing director of Mindshare Egypt. “Obviously in the world it is called the digital revolution. We have mastered communicating to one another over digital as a population. So clients that we have been begging to advertise on this spot for years have now all of a sudden woken up and opened their eyes completely to digital. They want to advertise on digital more than anything else, and there are a lot of clients that have moved a lot of budgets towards digital.” Newspapers. According to Aoun, newspapers were the most affected among the media channels this year. “We are looking at a 10 percent [drop in ad spend] when it comes to monitoring figures, and it may be more as there might be a lot of free campaigns that we don’t know about,” he says. This could be a result of the revolution, but is part of a natural movement too. “People seem to not only be shifting from newspapers to other media, but it also seems that whenever they have any cut on their expenses they are stopping [advertising in] newspapers,” says Aoun. “Newspaper always used to be the second media, and is still the second, but it is losing a lot of its share. In 2009, the shaliare of newspapers was 29 percent, then in 2010 it dropped to 23 percent – so it lost 6 percent. If [marketers] follow the same trend I think it will be losing three to four points this year,” adds Aoun. Raad says that the Bahrain protests had taken a toll on newspapers in the county. “The local newspapers were empty for a period of two or

will get one more percentage I am sure.” In the long run (a maximum of two years), the maximum he expects online to reach is 5 to 7 percent.

rolling news. Television viewers in Egypt are shifting away from drama and movies, focusing instead on news and talk shows three weeks. There was no advertising in them.” However, the situation in print seems to be picking up in Bahrain now, he adds. According to Johnny Khazzoum, managing director of Mindshare Bahrain, data by Ipsos says that print advertising expenditure in Bahrain increased by around 19 percent from March to April 2011. Expenditure on dailies had dropped from more than $10 million in January and February to around $7 million in March, but increased in April to around $8.8 million, the data reveals. Outdoor. Meanwhile, Mindshare’s Amin says that after a dormant period of three to four months, outdoor has started to see regular activity in the Egyptian market. This is because outdoor has always been a prominent medium in Egypt, and because money collection is easier compared to other media channels, he adds. “Outdoor is a lot more lenient when it comes to transferring money to them. You can always buy a little more time and say, ‘Just put the sign on and then I’ll wire the money in three to four days.’ Besides, right after January 25 (the beginning of the Egypt uprising), there are certain new payment rules and trends that popped up out of nowhere and a lot of the media vehicles are actually demanding the payment either upfront or within 30 days. This is a lot sooner than they are used to, which took people off a little bit.” “Another reason is you get the most bang for your buck out of outdoor here,” he says. “You can buy something as cheap as, let’s say, $10,000 or $20,000 dollars [on outdoor] and that lasts you for a whole month, while $10,000 or $20,000 can

Ali Ali.Co-founder and creative director of Elephant Cairo

Reda Raad. Chief operating officer, TBWA\Raad

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only buy you about four or five spots on one of the talk shows today.” He says that the opportunity cost between media has now become a very important debate among advertisers, because they are trying to get the most out of their investment.

Medhat Amin. Managing director of Mindshare Egypt

Johnny Khazzoum. Managing director of Mindshare Bahrain

The Egypt factor. The revolution has tremendously changed the media scene in Egypt, says Amin. “We’ve seen media channels die completely. And we’ve seen media channels suffer tremendously because they used to be the voice of the old government, and obviously after that they are frowned upon. They are trying very hard to revive these channels/publications. However, what used to be the opposition media, has taken over and have now almost taken number one spot across the board.” Government-supported newspapers, such as Al Ahram – which according to Amin used to be the number one newspaper in Egypt in terms of circulation – have seen a large drop in advertising. “Today you open Al Ahram newspaper, which used to be about 65 pages, and see it is 20-something pages and there are about four ads versus 20-something ads back in the day.” Opposition media papers, such as Al-Masry Al-Youm and Al-Shorouk, have climbed up the charts with these two securing the top two positions now, he says. The revolution has given a rise to political, cultural and economic talk shows, he adds. “Some of the talk shows that we have today have always been among the Top 10 programs to be watched in TV in Egypt. However, today if you look at the top five, they are all talk shows. People are actually not watching as much drama series or movies as they used to. They are focusing on the news and on talk shows because [they discuss the new political scene].” Amin says that this is a catalyst in driving marketers to advertise on news channels and around talk shows. There is a lot of clutter on certain segments of

the day, he says. “There are two hours of the day that are the late primetime – from 10 o’clock onwards. These are usually cluttered by clients because they all want to invest in these talk shows given the fact that they are the most viewed.” Advertising on radio is very low in Egypt too, Amin adds. “We have spent about two months without hearing a single ad on the radio. But it is starting to come back again now. Slowly but surely.” Meanwhile, Ipsos’ Aoun says that radio in the region is expected to grow. “There is a lot of importance given to radio in our region. In Saudi Arabia, for example, they started from two radio stations and now they have seven radio stations. So surely there will be an increase in the ad spend,” he says. Looking ahead. Post-revolution, clients are moving towards more tactical and below-the- line methods. Many clients in Egypt – particularly FMCGs – have moved some of their budgets to below- the-line and on-the-ground activities, says Amin. Overall, Aoun expects 2011 to be a flat year, with TV still witnessing some growth as it is the dominant media in the region, newspapers struggling with a decrease, radio potentially doing well, outdoor seeming hopeful and digital growing. But, as expected, digital will grow at a fast pace (perhaps faster than TV) but won’t outgrow traditional media in the region any time soon. As far as social media is concerned, marketers are more willing now to explore the platform, but as before it will remain only a part of the overall mix. “Social media is not relevant for everything,” says Mindshare’s Ayoub. “You have to be very careful, and very selective how you use social media.” In the end, we can only expect clients to watch their steps carefully. They will keep an eye on what turn events in the region take, and as in any scenario, go where the consumers are: whether TV, digital or on the ground.

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JUNE 2011 | Cover Story

Shift of talent

We see who’s moving staff around the region, and why

uring any crisis, budgets and campaigns are affected, and agencies find a way to work around them. But the challenge gets trickier when the crisis takes a toll on human resources. When the crisis in the Middle East struck, a number of agencies had to shuffle human resources to manage operations during a difficult time. While not much was heard about lay-offs, there was a shift of talent around regional offices. Reda Raad, chief operating officer of TBWA\ Raad, says that the network’s Egypt office had to move some staff to other countries because of the impact the unrest had on operations. “We moved people to Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Lebanon. We’ve had to do that to avoid more severe measures,” he says. “The other thing we did was we channeled some work to Egypt,” he adds. “So if you had a campaign in Qatar and in Dubai and [the two offices] were at full capacity, then we would channel work to Egypt to make sure people in Egypt

by Sidra Tariq

weren’t sitting there idle, and were helping out the network. We actually won several new business projects through that approach.” Medhat Amin, managing director of Mindshare Egypt, says that Mindshare did not lay off any staff, but sent some employees to Dubai and other offices for training sessions. “It is the time for digital and I know that our digital team in Dubai is top notch, so we have sent our digital team there. They have been there for the past month [or two] to properly get trained so that when they come here we are at the top of the game.” The agency’s Bahrain office did not shift staff to other countries, says Mindshare Bahrain’s managing director Johnny Khazzoum. “We did not do that because we don’t look at short term,” he says. “We always look at things in long term, because we believe the situation in Bahrain is not something that will stay for a long [time]. The way we see it, the Bahrain market is

recovering, so you won’t take any action by firing people just because the advertising business slowed down for one or two months – especially when you are talking about talent that we have invested a lot in growing.” However, he says that recruitment plans at the Bahrain office have been postponed. “We would need to wait for an additional three months to assess the situation. This is because recruiting more people is linked to our clients’ requirements. If some of our clients’ business has now slowed down or is less demanding, there is no need to recruit new people.” Dani Richa, president of Impact BBDO MENA, recently met with four CEOs from Omnicom Group agencies. “Part of that meeting discussed: Do we take action collectively, cut salaries? We decided not to do things collectively. People are free to do what they want. So far we’re trying to stick by the people. They went through a rough time.”

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JUNE 2011 | ADVERTISING

Cannes you dig it?

We see who’s sending work to France, and what they hope to bring back by Sidra Tariq

Bechara Mouzannar Chief creative officer, Leo Burnett MENA

Shehzad Younus Group creative director, DDB Dubai

nly a few months after The Dubai International Advertising Festival and Dubai Lynx Awards, agencies in the region have to prove their mettle again. And this time, on a larger scale. The annual Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival will take place between June 19 and 25, putting the world’s creative work under the microscope. Last year, the UAE and Egypt were the two countries from the region that scooped awards at Cannes. Agencies that took home Lions (Bronze and Silver) include Impact BBDO Dubai, Elephant Cairo/Advantage Marketing and Advertising, Leo Burnett Cairo, Y&R Dubai, TBWA\RAAD Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and Memac Ogilvy Dubai. No regional agency won Gold. This year looks more promising for the region, as more innovative campaigns surface. “This region is going to dominate Cannes [this year],” Prasoon Joshi, executive chairman of APAC McCann Ericksonn India, said during the Dubai Lynx awards ceremony. A lot of good work has been done this year, and agency folks are hopeful that their work will be noticed. Many have used Dubai Lynx and MENA Cristals as a litmus test of their work, and tried-andtested (on the awards scale, of course) campaigns have been entered into Cannes. Others (FP7 for

one) were still finalizing their entries when we spoke to them, and were unable to give us a definitive list of what they were entering. Communicate talks to creative and media agencies about their entries and what work – their own, regional, and international – they expect to do well at the awards. Bechara Mouzannar Chief creative officer, Leo Burnett MENA How many entries does Leo Burnett MENA have in this year’s Cannes awards, and in what categories? According to Mouzannar, four Leo Burnett regional offices are participating in this year’s Cannes awards: Beirut, Cairo, Dubai and Riyadh. He says that the network entered ads that had won awards in the MENA Cristals and Dubai Lynx earlier this year. Leo Burnett MENA has 97 entries in this year’s Cannes: LB Beirut: 45 entries LB Cairo: 27 entries LB Dubai; 19 entries LB Riyadh: 6 entries These are spread across almost all categories: film, film craft, press, outdoor, direct, cyber, media, promo & activation, radio, design, integrated, PR, etc.

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Which of your network’s campaigns do you think has the best chance of winning? Mouzannar doesn’t like making predictions, but he says Leo Burnett MENA has “a few campaigns that might capture attention because they are innovative, not only for the region, but they might be looked at as being innovative for the industry in general.” He expects “Roses from the Sky” for the Lebanese Army to be recognized at Cannes, by either being shortlisted or by winning, and expects the Brand Protection Group’s (BPG) anti-counterfeit campaign to do well. “We also have from Beirut the ‘Keep Walking Lebanon’ Johnnie Walker [campaign] that won two Grands Prix at the Lynx. So we have high hopes that it is noticed in Cannes,” he says. He thinks the Melody Entertainment TVCs will do well “if [the jury] understands the humor and the whole story behind it. You have to understand the culture and why this was done because it…is kind of a wrap up of all the ads that have been done for Melody for the past three or four years.” From Dubai, he expects the National Geographic campaign, the General Motors (GM) print ad, and “Donation Box” for Dubai Cares in ambient to be noticed. What work by other agencies in the region do you expect to do well? “I’m sure that Harvey Nichols will be recognized in a way [for the “Accessories Required” print ads] because it is a very good campaign from the agency Y&R. It was well done and very well crafted. They definitely deserve to be noticed in Cannes,” says Mouzannar. Other campaigns: The Accidental Test Drive by Memac Ogilvy and FP7’s Batelco integrated campaign.

Which of your network’s campaigns do you think has the best chance of winning? “We are very confident about certain entries,” says Younus. “The print work for Clorox and Vernel’s ‘Folded People’ are, in my opinion, as good as the best in the world. Then there’s the corporate identity for the Committee of Organ Donation in Lebanon, which is very simple and stunning. The Philips Avent direct mailers and radio campaign is very insightful and has touched the hearts of mothers. I hope it touches the hearts of the jury too.”

What international campaigns do you expect to do well? Mouzannar was a member of the jury at the New York Festivals’ International Advertising Awards. After having a reviewed several ads, he says the Nike “Write the Future” campaign for the World Cup is his favorite, and he expects it to perform very well at Cannes Lions. “Not only will it potentially [win] the Grand Prix in film, but it can also win Gold in integrated and in Cyber,” he says. “I also think that the WWF Earth Hour ‘[Space] Monkey’ will do well in Film and that WWF’s ‘Save as WWF, Save a Tree’ download from Germany will shine in Cyber,” he adds.

What work by other agencies in the region do you expect to do well? “Advertising in the region is getting better every year. Last year we did well at Cannes and this year it will be even better. There are a lot of great campaigns being entered this year. The Harvey Nichols print work [Y&R], Land Rover print work [Y&R], the quirky and funny Melody TVCs [Leo Burnett] from Egypt, Bawadi’s daring TVCs [Elephant Cairo], ‘Keep Walking Lebanon’ [Leo Burnett]...there are quite a few probables that are worthy of picking up metal,” he says.

Shehzad Younus Group creative director, DDB Dubai How many entries does DDB MENA have in this year’s Cannes awards, and in what categories? This year, DDB’s Dubai office is the only one submitting entries to Cannes, says Younus. “DDB Dubai has entered 36 pieces in print, outdoor, direct, radio, promo and activation, and design.”

What international campaigns do you expect to do well? “It just gets tougher every year,” says Younus. “There are so many incredible ideas that saw the light of day in 2011 and it’s hard to pick.” However, he says there are some that are most likely to shine this year: Online: The Wilderness Downtown – Google Amnesty International – Tyranny Book Skittles Touch – Cat (BBDO Toronto)

Ali Ali Creative director, Elephant Cairo

Ryan Reed Executive creative director, Y&R Dubai

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Outdoor: Tropicana: Energie Naturelle Billboard – DDB Paris Burma – Human Rights Watch (JWT New York) Lynx Excite [Angel] Ambush – Augmented reality (BBH London) Film: Volkswagen – The Force The Silent National Anthem – Mudra Mumbai Chrome Speed Tests – BBH New York Intel – The Chase Born of Fire – Chrysler Print: It Works – Fingerprint Security Systems from SpicyH, Bangkok Breast Awareness Campaign – DDB Singapore

Nicolas Geahchan Executive creative director, JWT Lebanon

Zubair S. Siddiqui Managing director, UM Dubai

Ali Ali Creative director, Elephant Cairo How many entries does Elephant Cairo have in this year’s Cannes awards, and in what categories? Elephant Cairo has six entries in Cannes this year: two film, one Internet film, one design, one print and one outdoor, says Ali Ali. And these are from four campaigns: Bawadi Halva Spread (prisoners’ campaign), Mobinil Telecom, Google Chrome Browser, and Amuse Socks print ad (for both outdoor and print). Which of your agency’s campaigns do you think has the best chance of winning? “We are hoping Bawadi might do something if the [jury] understands the cultural insight,” says Ali. “Because we personally have never seen prisoners used as a testimonial before or for a brand, so we are hoping it might be fresh

enough to make the jury laugh. And I think they look very strange for the category: a confectionery or a food brand; it is very unusual to have prisoners or pixilated faces and bad lighting. I think [that is] pretty much the reason we won the Grand Prix at the Lynx. We are hoping the same reasons might make it get a silver or bronze at Cannes.” What work by other agencies in the region do you expect to do well? “I’m expecting the Y&R print campaign for Harvey Nichols [“Accessories Required”] to do well. And I’m expecting the same agency to win for their Land Rover [campaign]. I know it didn’t win anything at the Lynx, but I still think it is pretty good stuff. I think they are just originally brilliant. The idea is very solid; execution is great,” he says. “We haven’t seen any strong TVCs coming out of the region this year. But I’m thinking Leo Burnett Beirut’s ‘Keep Walking Lebanon’ for Johnnie Walker may do well in Cannes, maybe within the media line or Internet film.” What international campaigns do you expect to do well? “Definitely Volkswagen’s ‘The Force,’” says Ali. “[It] is hilarious. I think it speaks to people in the industry and those outside. I’ve had people forward it to me that are in the banking field, and I’ve had someone’s mother forward it to me. Everyone seems to love it. That one has to win by popular demand.” He expects Y&R New York’s “Anti-Rockstar” campaign for VH1 and TBWA’s Skittles campaign to do well. “[The Skittles campaign] is really fresh; pretty much the first viral ad

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that is interactive where you have to put your finger on the screen. I think that is definitely a Gold winner.” The Logitech Revue Google TV commercial is another one he says is very good. “Kevin Bacon is brilliantly shot. It is very well acted,” he adds. The Lego print ads, “Imagination allowed,” are also a “great piece of print,” he says. Ryan Reed Executive creative director, Y&R Dubai How many entries does Y&R MENA have in this year’s Cannes awards, and in what categories? Y&R’s Dubai office will also be the only one in the MENA network to participate in this year’s Cannes. “Y&R Dubai is entering 81 pieces across film, radio, outdoor, direct, media, cyber, design, promo & activation, and craft,” says Reed. Which of your network’s campaigns do you think has the best chance of winning? “Based on its performance so far, we are holding thumbs for ‘Accessories Required’ for Harvey Nichols and maybe, just maybe a little something for ‘Splitting Headache’ for Paras Pharma,” says Reed. What work by other agencies in the region do you expect to do well? “The region has produced some awesome work this year and I won’t be surprised if Elephant Cairo picks up some metal for Bawadi Halva Spread in television, Memac Ogilvy Label Tunisia for ‘June 16th 2014,’ and I am quietly rooting for DDB Dubai for their simple yet superb design piece for Organ Donation Lebanon,” he says. What international campaigns do you expect to do well? “Y&R is looking strong with Chicago delivering a haunting film ‘It Rarely Stops’ for The National Domestic Abuse Hotline, and Singapore [will] hopefully [strike] gold with the beautifully crafted Mint Toy Museum ads,” says Reed. “Decode Jay-Z should deliver for Droga5 and the usual suspects are up there again: Weiden + Kennedy for the ‘Old Spice Response’ campaign and Del Campo Nazca/Saatchi & Saatchi with ‘Andes Friends Recovery.’ For pure simple genius, I hope Drill Inc. Tokyo picks up for DoCoMo’s Touch Wood handset.” Nicolas Geahchan Executive creative director, JWT Lebanon How many entries does JWT MENA have in this year’s Cannes awards, and in what categories? “The number of entries per se is confusing as some bodies of work will be entered in a number of categories – suffice to say we are pleased with the quality of the work we are presenting and its local relevancy,” says Geahchan. Which of your network’s campaigns do you think has the best chance of winning? “‘The Power of Everyone’ by JWT Cairo for Vodafone.”

What work by other agencies in the region do you expect to do well? “Well, Y&R won Network of the Year at the Dubai Lynx, so one would expect their work to do well at Cannes,” says Geahchan. “In addition, I’d expect some TV commercials from Egypt to be contenders.” What international campaigns do you expect to do well? “I would expect Volkswagen Passat’s ‘The Force’ TV commercial by Deutsche Inc. to do well. By JWT New York, the Macy’s Christmas Special for 2009 ‘Yes, Virginia’ deserves to be recognized, in my view.” Steve Hough Executive creative director, Memac Ogilvy Dubai How many entries does Memac Ogilvy have in this year’s Cannes awards, and in what categories? Memac Ogilvy Dubai has 32 entries in Cannes, including in cyber, ambient, outdoor and direct categories. The network has entries across categories.

Steve Hough. Executive creative director, Memac Ogilvy Dubai

Which of your network’s campaigns do you think has the best chance of winning? “Both Tunisia’s post-revolution campaign, ‘16th June 2014,’ by Memac Ogilvy Label in Tunisia, and the ‘OSN wedding invite’ from Memac Ogilvy Dubai are looking strong.” What work by other agencies in the region do you expect to do well? “I expect Y&R’s Land Rover campaign to do well.”

Nick Tapley. Director, Fuse & Ignition, OMD

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JUNE 2011 | ADVERTISING

What international campaigns do you expect to do well? “I was particularly impressed by ‘Konzerthaus Dortmund: The Konzertmilch case’ by Jung Von Matt.” Reda Raad Chief Operating Officer, TBWA\Raad How many entries does TBWA\Raad have in this year’s Cannes awards, and in what categories? “TBWA\ Raad has 37 entries in this year’s Cannes awards. There are 12 entries in the print category, 11 in outdoor, two in direct, six in cyber/online, four in media, and two in promo and activation,” says Raad. Which of your network’s campaigns do you think has the best chance of winning? “[Nissan] Patrol’s Accidental Test Drive has a good chance of winning; it is innovative, something that is daring [and] hasn’t been done before. We blocked people’s cars with Nissan Patrol cars and left a note saying keys are inside, inviting people to go inside and move the car. When they take a seat in the Nissan Patrol, they hear a CD playing that apologizes for false pretenses and highlights the features of the smooth car. It was very cheeky,” says Raad. “Another one that came in big were the doormats for the Pedigree adoption drive ads,” he adds. “Plastic 3D print cutouts of curled puppies were left on people’s doormats; when kids open the door and see it, they get emotional. It really works; we have had a tremendous response from people here who want a dog or pet and it doesn’t take much to nudge to the tipping point to act upon it.”

What work by other agencies in the region do you expect to do well? “Y&R will do well,” says Raad. “Their work with fashion store Harvey Nichols is usually good and has won awards in the past. This year’s campaign is different [from] last year’s, but as usual they have great print ads that are very sassy and appeal to the right target audience.” What international campaigns do you expect to do well? “The Old Spice campaign is a strong contender.” Zubair S. Siddiqui Managing director of UM Dubai How many entries does UM MENA have in this year’s Cannes awards, and in what categories? “We have one entry for the Media Lions in the Best Use of Integrated Media,” says Siddiqui. Which of your campaigns do you think has the best chance of winning? “The Coca-Cola World Cup activation campaign,” he says. “This was a holistic campaign including multi-contact opportunities: TV, event, social media, promotion et al. The unique part being how it was amplified using viral and other digital means. It’s not only creative but also hugely effective in terms of ROI. The campaign has been winning in our regional awards here in MENA and is a great entry from the region.” What work by other agencies in the region do you expect to do well? “I am not sure exactly what other agencies have

entered, but the one I know about is the Infinity campaign done by FP7 Bahrain, which is arguably one of the best that I have seen in our region so far.” Nick Tapley Director, Fuse & Ignition, OMD How many entries does OMD MENA have in this year’s Cannes awards, and in what categories? “We have around the same number of entries as last year, which is 10,” says Tapley. “These are across TV/broadcast, digital, local campaigns and the consumer categories.” Which of your campaigns do you think has the best chance of winning? “All our entries are based on the success of campaigns in regional competitions so we selected the four biggest winners from the last year – HP, Nivea Angelstar, Doritos and Quaker Oats.” What work by other agencies in the region do you expect to do well? “After answering the same question last year and none of the campaigns I predicted even receiving a short-list, I’ll decline giving any forecasts this year.” What international campaigns do you expect to do well? “There are two (really rather small) campaigns that I adore. One is for Kaizers Orchestra in Norway called ‘Hjerteknuser’ and the other is by Whiskas in Australia called ‘Whiskas Pledge.’ Truly fresh and creative work that’s different.”

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DEPARTMENTS | JUNE 2011

Is there anybody out there?

We team up with Fisheye Analytics to measure PR reach. Who’s been reading your releases?

ne of the common comments we hear about public relations in the region is that “PR” tends to stand for “press release.” So since Communicate’s parent company, Mediaquest, has recently forged a partnership with Fisheye Analytics, a measurement company based between France and Singapore, we decided to enlist Fisheye’s help to see how effective press releases are. We sent Fisheye a fairly representative selection of press releases our titles (including Communicate, Gulf Marketing Review, TRENDS, Autocar Middle East, F1 Racing Middle East and KippReport.com) received over three days at the start of March (we sent around 50). Fisheye then tracked those releases as they appeared in the press and on social media. They listed the top 10. “Dealing with ambiguity is one of the biggest issues in PR measurement,” says Fisheye’s explanatory note accompanying the results. “Which coverage is the result of your PR efforts, and which is just a knock-on effect stemming from general awareness of a product or brand?” To disambiguate, Fisheye combines a textbased search with a multi-layered analytical approach to categorize news and blog articles according to their relation to a given press release. They do this to answer certain questions:

How successful were my PR efforts? This is measured by the number of articles directly based on the actual content of a press release. What was the general impact of my communications? Measured by the number of articles that mention the main topic of the release, but in a different context. How effective was my press release? Number of articles that clearly lifted from a release, and show its “digital fingerprint.” How much interest did my release generate online? Take the articles directly based on the content of the release, and measure the number of times

they were clicked on, commented on, liked and shared in social networking channels. Fisheye’s CEO, Lutz Finger, is quick to point out that only the people behind a release can really tell whether it did well, though. “At the end, only the brand owner or PR agency can really sift out what is attributable to their work and what is not,” he says. “Fisheye Analytics’ tools can facilitate, save time, and bring statistical objectivity to the process, but we cannot replace real PR expertise, only complement it.” The top release on our list was about Team Lotus Enterprise’s recent acquisition of Caterham cars, issued by Performance PR. This release generated at least 88 news articles and 52 blogs worldwide (146 articles in total) in the 10 days since its publication. A further 56 articles mentioned the topic, but in contexts beyond the main intent of the press release (for example, in commentaries on the motor racing scene, says Fisheye). Eightyone articles lifted directly from the release. Based on the readership of publications and blogs that covered the news, it could have reached 3.6 million people. Certainly, 4,816 found it interesting enough to comment on or share. So how did your release do? If you’re not on the list, or want to know more, visit FisheyeAnalytics.com or e-mail our colleague Sara on s.naja@ mediaquestcorp.com.

# to Art pr icle es s s re re le le va as n e t # to Art pi icl c, es bu r t n ele ot va to nt # th to e th fro Art re e m icle le m as ai th s e wh e n pr ic es h s lif re te To le d im tal as c e on pa so te ct cia nt (s l m ha e re di s, a et To c. re tal ) ad es er tim sh a ip te d

SELECTION OF TOP GCC PRESS RELEASES – ENGLISH LANGUAGE RESULTS ONLY

Press release title

Agency/owner

Team Lotus Enterprise announces new ownership of Caterham Cars

Team Lotus/Caterham Cars/Performance PR

140

4816

3,659,797

Starwood Hotels and Resorts debuts The Four Points by Sheraton brand in Sharjah.

Asda’a Burson-Marsteller

1,052,387

Mohamed Alabbar signs agreement with Chinese major to build US$1.6 billion aluminium plant in Malaysia (Smelter Asia)

Asda’a Burson-Marsteller

197,097

Emirates A380 sets course For Rome

Emirates Corporate Communications

2,810

Hola! Meliá to open first Spanish hotel in Gulf

Shamal Marketing Communications

40,152

Standard Chartered Bank launches Regional Custody Services in the Middle East

Standard Chartered

187

Hawkamah starts a landmark initiative with the Real Estate Regulatory Agency and the Dubai Real Estate Institute

Hawkamah/DIFC

36,858

LIVE: Etisalat to broadcast The World Welterweight Championship Pacquiao vs Mosley

Etisalat

1,244

Rolls-Royce Phantom App now available on app store

BPG Public Relations/Rolls-Royce

107,353

New survey from Bayt.com and YouGov Siraj finds 66 percent of UAE employers have plans to hire in the next quarter

Manning Selvage & Lee Public Relations

105

2,431

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MAY 2011 | june

Q&A

Now hoarding

JC Decaux has been handling Saudi Arabia’s airports for six months. Co-CEO Jean-Charles Decaux tells us how his firm is doing in the kingdom and beyond by Austyn Allison

C Decaux has been busy in the Middle East. The outdoor supplier has been trialling a fleet of public bicycles in Doha; it has just opened an office in Abu Dhabi, to complement its Dubai operations; and then there’s the small matter of 26 airports in Saudi Arabia. When the group’s co-CEO Jean-Charles Decaux (the firm is named for his father, JeanClaude) stopped by Dubai recently, Communicate caught up with him to see how business was going. It was coming on for six months since Oct. 16, 2010, when JC Decaux began operating across all Saudi Arabia’s international and domestic airports – the first time out-of-home advertising has been networked in such a way in the kingdom.

Airports are what JC Decaux does well. It operates in more than 184 around the world, including the Dubai International Airport and the nascent Al Maktoum International Airport in Jebel Ali. Decaux says, “Outdoor media is the media for mobility.” “JC Decaux ATA [ATA is the firm’s partner in the kingdom] is responsible for preparing and commercializing all 26 airports,” says Decaux. “Indoor, outdoor, digital, traditional, and sponsorship,” says Decaux. For now, his company is concentrating on Saudi Arabia’s main airports: Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah. One category that is conspicuously absent in the conservative kingdom’s arrivals halls is alcohol. But Decaux says it makes up “not a

meaningful number” in terms of the amount of revenue it brings in worldwide. Wine and spirits generates 2.3 percent of JC Decaux’s revenue across all its platforms worldwide. Beer generates 1.8 percent. Innovation is more important than alcohol, though, says Decaux. Often that innovation comes from digital offerings, which Decaux admits are lacking here. The Middle East, he says, “is not at the same basic level as other parts of the world, especially Asia and the UK.” However, high-tech offerings are arriving. “In Dubai airport you have major digital screens and major digital corridors.” Sponsored Wi-Fi access is also proving popular. And JC Decaux’s offering stretches beyond billboards and bytes to, for example, bikes. It has just finished trialling a program where people can borrow from a fleet of 50 bicycles kept at sponsored stations in Doha. This has proved lucrative in almost 70 cities before. “We have been able to move 163 million people over the last three years,” says Decaux. “It shows that this product is able to meet people’s expectations in terms of moving differently on what we call ‘the last mile’ in the city.” Now the trial is over, JC Decaux will assess whether the bicycles were a success or whether the weather is just too hot. The results could dictate whether the program can be rolled out in other cities in the region. One of the cities the firm is likely to be looking at is Abu Dhabi. In March it opened an office in Twofour54, the emirate’s content-creation community. When Communicate suggests an outdoor provider might be out of place there, Decaux says, “This is not really known, but we already do a bit in terms of content for our clients on one side, for our street furniture on the other side, and also for the digital stuff that we are expanding in all our digital segments.” So having ascertained that JC Decaux fitted the content criteria for opening an office in the UAE’s capital, we asked the boss what he plans to do with it. What’s your plan in Abu Dhabi? I can’t really release the plan because it is going to take a bit of time to position ourselves in the market. We will have different tenders coming up in the next year or so; we want to grow. We opened in Dubai four years ago, then we opened in Qatar, then we opened in Saudi, and we want to really establish our brands in Abu Dhabi. As a pure play in the industry you can guess

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IN THE BAG. In October 2010, JC Decaux took the reins of advertising at 26 Saudi airports that we will be looking at the city beautification initiatives that the city of Abu Dhabi will implement. We will certainly also be looking at some new digital billboard initiatives that will be taking place at some point; the public transport system will certainly have some attraction in Abu Dhabi; you will get some discussion around the airport opportunities. So basically all segments in which JCDecaux is operating will be of interest to us. How many people will be in the office there? So far it is going to be a very small development team – five or six people. But in Saudi it was zero six months ago, and it is already 56 people. It will soon go up to 100. We have 157 people in the region, and in Dubai it is about 50 people. (Here you see the office, but you also have people on the ground cleaning, maintaining, repairing and posting.) We are an integrated company, so it’s not only the office building; it is also all the operations. That is quite unique in the industry: We bring to our clients the assurance of perfect execution. You won the contract for Saudi Arabia’s airports in October 2010. What new products are you putting into them? We have been able to put in some digital 103inch LCD screens. We will put them in Riyadh, we will put that in Jeddah and we will also put that in Dammam. We will install LEDs in

Jeddah, which will be the first LED screens with those characteristics to be installed in the airport environments. We will install the columns, totems, and mupis, and also newsstands for cars within the environment. We will install what we call wave banners. We will install WiFi hot spots. So we will have a lot of new products and services installed into the airports in Saudi. The idea is to change the products and the services within the environment, to clearly increase brand awareness for major advertisers. They should see airports as a major way to drive and show brand awareness and the tone of their communication policy. When will you expect your upgrade of Saudi airports will be complete? We think by the beginning of Q1 of 2012, depending on the approval of permits. We are operating in a very regulated environment, and any new locations must be submitted to, and approved by, the authorities. So sometimes we can move very fast and sometimes approval takes a bit of time. So we don’t want to rush. We just want to complete our transformation phase within the next 12 months because we have a lot of appetite from the advertisers from Saudi, and also from Dubai, who want to really use this new communication channel to tap into the top of the market in Saudi. … In Saudi we will grow gradually, as we have to build trust between the GACA [General Author-

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DEPARTMENTS | JUNE 2011

ity of Civil Aviation] authorities and JC Decaux ATA, to really show our capabilities to execute. That will be the major difference between the organizations that previously did the advertising and the JC Decaux ATA proposition. We will be able to execute and to also maintain our facilities at a top level. The regulator is very important in our industry, so we will be able to implement new digital devices as long as the regulator is prepared to let us do this. And that is going to be a very important driver for the growth of our business. In airports, growth will come from a complete new environment as a product perspective: more sponsored services such as WiFi, power poles (where you can charge batteries), and we have the jet bridges sponsorship, we have recreational areas for kids. So we have a lot of sponsored services. And we will have to develop a whole digital experience in those areas. JC Decaux, as a company, is very well placed to be able to do this job. That is our ambition and that is the reason why we have been selected to be the new operator in Saudi and the new operator in Dubai World Central and Maktoum Airport; that is why I think we are winning and gaining market share. It is because our media proposition is quite innovative and, at the same time, there is a reassurance that it will be executed and done properly throughout the duration of the contract. That’s very important for any public entity around the world, especially in this part of the world. How many staff do you have in Saudi? We now have 56 people working on our team. We have even been able to exceed the 10 percent minimum requirement for Saudi people employed in our teams; out of the 56 people, we have 11 people from Saudi, so it shows also our commitment to the country to really create jobs and develop our business there. We have been able to start operations very rapidly in Riyadh, where we are today upgrading the existing products. We are doing the same thing in Jeddah as well in Dammam, which are the key priorities for us really in this starting phase of the transformation of the media proposition within the airports. Do you have representatives based in the airports? That is the way we work. We recruit our team; most of them are in our team for sales. For marketing they work hand-in-hand with our office in Dubai. We have a lot of business coming in from Saudi and a lot of business coming out from Dubai. We will continue to have local people really close to both GACA on the regional level, and to the un-deciding market. Saudi is the biggest market in the region, and we have a lot of Saudi companies to approach, where we have to deal with them on a local basis or on a regional basis. But only if you are there and operating there can you reach those Saudi companies. The profile of clients in a city like Dammam would be differ-

Moving in. Twofour54 CEO Tony Orsten (left) welcomes Decaux in Abu Dhabi ent from the profile of the clients in Riyadh or Jeddah. So you have to really approach these clients on a very precise basis to be able to tailor-make your media proposition for them. What sort of advertisers are interested? I think finance in Saudi is a very dynamic environment. We have got SABB today, which is the local branch of HSBC in Saudi. We’ve also got a lot of telecom attraction; the car industry is very dynamic. Real estate is starting well. Business is picking up? Yes, but basically don’t forget that when you look at the airports in Saudi it’s a growing audience. It is 50 million people passing by the Saudi airports on a yearly basis. It’s a growing platform, and with the major refurbishment that Saudi airports are undergoing today, we think it will increase more rapidly in the future. We are in a dynamic environment, the audience is growing, and a lot of investment and a lot of public money are coming in to the environment to upgrade the facilities. That will create a lot of space and will create a lot of opportunities to basically have a much better quality of environment for our products. That is also the reason why digital will play an important role, because we will implement big LCD 103-inch screens in Riyadh and Jeddah. The name of the game for us is to attract new money into that quite unique environment within the Saudi market.

As you bike it. JC Decaux recently finished trialling a public bicycle scheme in Qatar’s capital Doha

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JUNE 2011 | DEPARTMENTS

Regional Work

a, ta

We deliver it how it is. Advertising agency: Shem’s Publicité, Casablanca, Morocco Creative Director: Jean-François Fournon Art Directors: Anastasia Garraza, Sergio Alonso Copywriters: Sergio Alonso, Anastasia Garraza Photographer: David Meignan

No press freedom. No democracy.

WPF 8.indd 1

No press freedom. No democracy.

Unstoppable color. Advertising Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, Dubai Executive Creative Director: Sion Scott-Wilson Copywriter: Bianca De Silva Account Supervisor: Heidi Afifi Art Director: Christopher Jones Photographer: Dave Kennedy These ads (and more) can be found at adsoftheworld.com

World press freedom day. Advertising Agency: Expression Director: Neil Williams Art Director: Amr Said Designer: Ramesh Vasudevan Account Handling: Scott Feasey 5/3/11 1:10 PM

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5/3/11 1:08 PM

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Looking for

Mr. Right?

Try some Communicruitment

and start putting together your companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dream team To advertise on these pages email grace@mediaquestcorp.com

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JUNE 2011 | DEPARTMENTS

Regional Work

Precision trimmer. Advertising Agency: Impact BBDO, Dubai Executive Creative Director: Fouad Abdel Malak Copywriter: Darren McCall Art Buyer: Mariam Moin Art Director: Mohamed Diaa, Mark Held, Andrej Arsenijevic Illustrator: Mladen Penev Photographer: Andreas Franke

All about the socks. Advertising Agency: Elephant Cairo, Egypt Creative Director/Copywriter: Ali Ali, Maged Nassar Art Director: Maged Nassar Typographer: Tariq Ali

Combat will send them to hell. Advertising Agency: TBWA/Raad, Dubai Creative Director: Malek Atassi Copywriter: Sandeep Fernandes Advertiserâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Supervisor: Amitabh Bose Account Manager: Amira Ibrahim Account Supervisor: Natalia Abboud Art Director: Daniel Djarmati Illustrator: Wesley Eggebrecht These ads (and more) can be found at adsoftheworld.com

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UAE

SAUDI ARABIA

OTHERS

ART DIRECTOR

JUNIOR DEVELOPER

WEB DESIGNER

Qualiﬁcation: Degree in Graphic Design / Advertising Experience: 3-5 years Experience Skills: Strong communication skills Strong presentation skills Strong graphic design skills

Qualiﬁcation: Degree in Computer Science Experience: 0+ years Experience Skills: Ability to function with multiple tasks Strong teamwork skills Ability to solve problems

Qualiﬁcation: Degree in relevant discipline Experience:2+ years Experience Skills: Strong communication skills Knowledge of Illustrator,photoshop,Flash High sense of creativity

Job Reference:JB972095

Job Reference:JB1661932

Job Reference:JB1664268

GIS DEVELOPER

INTERIOR DESIGNER

SR. GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Qualiﬁcation: Degree in a relevant discipline Experience: 2 + years Experience Skills: Excellent organizational skills Strong attention to details Strong teamwork skills

Qualiﬁcation: Degree in relevant discipline Experience: 2-3 year Experience Skills: Strong creative skills Strong communication skills Knowledge of Illustrator, photoshop,Auto CAD

Qualiﬁcation: Degree in Fine arts Experience: 5+ years Experience Skills: Strong teamwork skills Strong multitasking skills Experience working with 3D design

Job Reference:JB1662209

Job Reference:JB1663345

Job Reference:JB1658807

NEW MEDIA MANAGER

AUTOCAD OPERATOR

DRAFTSMAN

Qualiﬁcation: Degree in relevant discipline Experience: 4+ years Experience Skills: Strong team work skills Strong communication skills Understaning of social media

Qualiﬁcation: Degree in Architecture/Civil Engineering Experience: 3+ years Experience Skills: Strong command of Arabic & English Creative problem-solving skills Strong time management skills

Qualiﬁcation: Degree in Interior Designing, Architecture Experience: 1-3 year Experience Skills: Knowledge of structural construction documents Strong attention to details Proﬁcient at AutoCAD, 3D Max,Illustrator...

Job Reference:JB1662149

Job Reference:JB1661822

Job Reference:JB1661202

+GRAPHIC DESIGNER

INTERIOR DECOR DESIGNER

ENGLISH COPYWRITER

Qualiﬁcation: Degree in Graphic Design Experience: 2+years Experience Skills: Strong organizational skills Strong command of Arbic & English High sense of creativity

Qualiﬁcation: Degree in interior design, Architecture Experience: 2+ years Experience Skills: High sense of creativity Experience in Auto Cad, 3D Max Strong communication skills

Qualiﬁcation: Degree in Marketing, Advertising, BA Experience: 3+ years Experience Skills: Excellent writing talent and editing skills Strong command of Arabic & English Proﬁcient PC skills

Job Reference:JB1661988

Job Reference:JB1660862

Job Reference:JB1661194

DIGITAL COM EXECUTIVE

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

WEB DESIGNER

Qualiﬁcation: Degree in Advertising/ MKT/ BA Experience: 1-3 years Experience Skills: Understaning of social media Ability to work under pressure Excellent project execution skills

Qualiﬁcation: Degree in Graphic Designer Experience: 2+ years Experience Skills: Experience in an Ad /Media Agency Strong communifation in English Ability to work on MAC & PC

Qualiﬁcation: Degree in a relevant discipline Experience: 3+ years Experience Skills: Strong knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite Strong skills in HTML, CSS and JavaScript Experience in web design

Job Reference:JB599096

Job Reference:JB1362701s

Job Reference:JB1660618

Leo Burnett

Critigen

Al Futtaim Group

Dubai e-government

Leo Burnett

National Paper Company Ltd

Exxab (Jordan)

Bright Solutions Logistics

Raydan Factory for Perfabricated Houses

Tamasuk Int. (Oman)

AL ARGAN INTEL REAL ESTATE CO. (Kuwait)

Seedal

max mix media

FIDO (Lebanon)

Agile Notion Limited (Jordan)

How to apply to jobs on Bayt.com 1. 2. 3. 4.

Visit our website at www.bayt.com If you are a new visitor, click on ‘Post a CV’ to create your Bayt.com CV Enter the job reference in the Search box on the homepage. Example, enter JB123456 When you view the job posting, click on “Apply to this job” and attach your Bayt.com CV. Your CV will go directly to the employer and they will contact you if you ﬁt their job requirements

JUNE 2011 | Off the record

The Dish Just the job We find it hard to resist the following job application: “This mail (message communication) is self addressed for reasons .The message is intended to be actioned by the addressee in the CC space which has a valid explanation. Please Reply to the same at the earliest and any misunderstanding in the correspondence can be further clarified.” We were even more impressed that the e-mail appeared to be for a HR job, and carried the subject line, “Please refer the CV ( Updated) To HRD and Reply At the earliest on shore offshore recruitment ( Thought For The Month Profanity Should not be provoked).” But hey, we might just hire the guy. After all, he signed off with an advertising pitch: “Hey Hi There I’ve been using Google Mail and thought you might like to try it out. Here’s an invitation to create an account and get chatting up, buzzing or mailing me on line and trust me its makes life and getting connected so much easier. So sign up now stay in touch updated and keep smiling.” Practice what you preach “I see from my previous email that Clickback and our Agency Program piqued your curiosity. Why is that?” That was an e-mail we got last month. Our thoughts: A) Although he had e-mailed before, our curiosity was far from piqued. B) How can you tell from an e-mail you sent yourself that you have got someone interested? If people could do that, they wouldn’t need PR companies to do it for them. But at least this US-based email marketing company must be good at targeting. After all, who uses e-mail marketing more than, well, a journalist? In Dubai? “We take flat e-mail marketing and make it stand out in crowded inboxes!” Perhaps. But not for the right reasons. Can’t change its spots One of the things that rankles Communicate about the UAE’s press is how many stories are presented in an

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Poet’s corner

opinionated and sensationalist way when they don’t warrant it. We can think of at least one weekly paper that seems incapable of printing an issue without a “worrying trend” or “every parent’s worst nightmare” on its front cover. But there are times when a bit of a stance might come in handy. For example, what news outlet would pass up the opportunity to condemn the killing of a critically endangered leopard? A good journalist would at least have to mention that aspect of the story, right? Not so Emirates 24/7: A Saudi farmer who found one of his camels dead and half eaten decided to take revenge against the killer although he had not known its identity. The unnamed farmer could find no single clue as to who killed the camel, dragged its body out of the farm and devoured many parts of it. When he found the half eaten corpse of his female camel, he sat next to it and thought. A “brilliant” idea struck his head. “He left the remains of his camel where they are and rushed to his house,” Sabq Arabic language newspaper said in a report from the western town of Taif. “He came back with poison which he stuff into the camel’s body...he went back home and waited impatiently until the next day...when he returned to the site, there it was-an Arabian leopard was lying dead next to the camel....the farmer then knew the killer and realized he avenged his camel.” Not true “A Freudian slip?” asks our spotter of this headline in a recent issue

L’Eau de l’Artisan : So clear, so fresh and so long-lasting. The structure of a fragrance is often described as a pyramid. For l’Eau de l’Artisan, this pyramid could be made of glass. Its transparency would be obtained by successive sparkling and fresh notes without any “heavy” bottom notes. The odours are reminiscent of the sun-kissed countryside … A tonic blend thanks to the graceful, subtle succession of lemon, verbena, mint and basil. L’Eau de L’Artisan compliments both men and women on lovely sunny days. A fresh water that speaks of air… On the skin, l’Eau de l’Artisan evolves along the hours like the scents of countryside along a warm sunny summer day, from the fresh morning dew to the warm evening veil. This subtle fragrance creates a radiation around you, like the one that dresses you after a long summer walk: the reminiscence of air, leaves, grass and the sun on the skin. A press release for a perfume from L’Artisan.

of Khaleej Times. Or perhaps the paper just doesn’t think those Al Qaeda types can’t be trusted. As if.

Fire, fire You know when you park your car in the rougher part of town and a bunch of thuggish kids come up to you playing with boxes of matches and tell you you’ve got a nice car and it would be a shame if it caught fire? Then they suggest that if you pay them a fiver they’ll make sure it doesn’t? Communicate will admit that doesn’t tend to happen as much in this part of the world, but when it does, it happens on a grander scale.

Or that’s what the more cynical could take away from the invite we received to the Fire and Rescue Middle East 2011 exhibition. The release innocently points out: “A recent report by Deloitte Middle East titled GCC Powers of Construction 2010 states that the UAE has US$958 billion of total construction projects in the region, which is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.6 per cent between 2010 and 2014. In addition, Saudi Arabia has US$624 billion worth of projects planned.” Luckily, it doesn’t end with, “It would be a shame if something were to happen to all them pretty buildings.”

Communicate cannot guarantee the accuracy of the rumors, innuendo and idle gossip that appear on this page. Send your anonymous Dish tips to editor@communicate.vg

5/26/11 2:56 PM

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