GMR | November 2011

18 NOVEMBER 2011 - NO 202

SECTOR ANALYSIS AFTER A FALTERING TWO YEARS THE AUTO SECTOR IS GATHERING SPEED A MediaquestCorp Publication

ARAB SPRING

Brands: Empathy vs. Exploitation

Registered in Dubai Media City

Bahrain 2.00 dinars | Egypt 18.00 pounds | Jordan 3.500 dinars | Kuwait 1.800 dinars Oman 2.00 riyals | Qatar 20.00 riyals | Saudi Arabia 20.00 riyals | UAE 20.00 dirhams

Open the door to luxury.

The new Audi A8 L 3.0 TFSI, starting from US$ 83,850.

The luxury continues throughout the new Audi A8 L range, including W12, 4.2 FSI and 3.0 TFSI. With a host of interior features all aimed at enhancing your levels of comfort, supported by technology and innovation at your fingertips, whether you are driving or being driven.

MMI touch with hand-writing recognition | satellite navigation | 5 different massage functions | Audi music interface Ambient lighting | optional Bang & Olufsen advanced sound system For more information visit www.audi-me.com/A8 or your local dealer.

Open the door to luxury.

The new Audi A8 L 3.0 TFSI, starting from US$ 83,850.

The luxury continues throughout the new Audi A8 L range, including W12, 4.2 FSI and 3.0 TFSI. With a host of interior features all aimed at enhancing your levels of comfort, supported by technology and innovation at your fingertips, whether you are driving or being driven.

MMI touch with hand-writing recognition | satellite navigation | 5 different massage functions | Audi music interface Ambient lighting | optional Bang & Olufsen advanced sound system For more information visit www.audi-me.com/A8 or your local dealer.

profile

Why Al Rajhi’s Yusuf Jenhangir is banking on Saudi’s women. www.GMR-Online.com

52

November 2011 – Issue No. 202

NEWS

10

26

World News

34

10

Management changes at Grey and MediaCom sees Philippe Skaff out and Eric Hanna back in; Nick Barron takes over at MediaCom. ZenithMedia keeps its share of Bel Groupe.

Ex-BBDO chief pledges to shake up Saudi’s marketing sector. Adalid PR picks up RIM for KSA and adds to PR prize haul. Al Rabie goes back to school with ‘life lessons’ programme. Mumzworld prepares for Arabic launch. Emirates reveals biggest sponsorship since Arsenal.

Gulf Air is first aircraft with global live TV. Audio-enhanced smartphones takes HTC in to deeper segmentation. Nivea creates new line specifically for Saudi women.

Nayomi signs Yara as new ambassador. New look Goody unveiled.

Rotana appoints KTA PR for UK market. IKEA Smaland Kid’s Club opens in Kuwait. Omi joins Qatar’s grow.

26

Downward revision for Twitter global ad revenues. Millward Brown debuts Cebra in China. Nielsen discovers some wastage with web.

Sky UK tweets to digital billboards.

Discovery finds more platforms on DStv. US mobile ad spend to hit $1 billion for first time. Dungeons & Dragons make friends with Facebook. Greater demand for male jewellery boosts US sector sales.

Double win for MEC in Australia and

India. Rob Nielsen joins DraftFCB for Beiersdorf.

Cover Story

34

Society is changing and consumers are changing so what should brand be doing to make sure they are still relevant in a Post Spring Arab world?

We talk to the agencies that have begun to negotiate path between empathy and exploitation as they explore the new world order. When it comes to Libya, however, there’s a long, long way to go.

Marketing

58

As the global economy embarks on the road to recovery, GCC banks appear to be heading off course.

Sector Analysis

62

Unexpected bonus for GCC sector following public sector government windfalls. We report back from Frankfurt on the most dazzling concept cars and assess those most likely to star in MENA showrooms in the coming years. We also count the actual cost of going green and discover why electric cars have so far failed to ignite consumer desire. We also track the topline trends across the region and take a closer look at the luxury sector while reviewing the highs and lows of 2011. Plus latest PARC ad stats and analysis, as well as top brands and issues on online search and sentiment analysis from Sekari.

4 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202-Contents.indd 4

10/27/11 5:58 PM

62 Sector analysis: Automotive MediaquestCorp.

Dubai Media City Zee Tower Building, 2nd floor, 206 United Arab Emirates Tel: +(971) 4 391 0760 Fax: +(971) 4 390 8737 www.mediaquestcorp.com

AUDITED BY

Reproduction in whole or part of any matter appearing in GMR is prohibited by law without the prior written approval of the publishers.

Opinions expressed in GMR do not necessarily represent the views of the publishers and editorial staff of the magazine. The publishers do not hold out any guarantee as to its accuracy, neither do they indemnify any loss arising through use of the information.

All dollar prices ($) are US dollars, unless otherwise specified. All marketing data is subject to confirmation.

Printed by: Rashid Printers, Ajman

GROUP MANAGING EDITOR Siobhรกn Adams siobhan@mediaquestcorp.com SENIOR SUB EDITOR Elizabeth McGlynn e.mcglynn@mediaquestcorp.com ART DIRECTORS Sheela Jeevan, Aya Farhat CONTRIBUTORS Alex Malouf ADVERTISING: MEDIALEADER United Arab Emirates sales@mediaquestcorp.com Tel: +(971) 4 391 0760 Saudi Arabia: Ghassan A. Rbeiz ghassan@mediaquestcorp.com Europe: S.C.C Arabies 18 rue de Varize 75016 Paris, France Tel: +(33) 01 47 66 46 00 Fax: +(33) 01 43 80 73 62

Lebanon: Beirut, Lebanon Tel: +(961) 1 202 369 Fax: +(961) 1 202 369

PUBLISHED BY: Medialeader FZ/MediaquestCorp FZ Europe: S.C.C Arabies, 18 rue de Varize 75016 Paris, France Tel: +(33) 01 47 66 46 00 Fax: +(33) 01 43 80 73 62 CO-CEO Alexandre Hawari CO-CEO Julien Hawari CFO Abdul Rahman Siddiqui Managing Director Ayman Haydar Regional Director for business development Bassel Komaty Creative Director Aziz Kamel

Assistant Head of Editorial Nathalie Bontems Head of Circulation Haries Raghavan h.raghavan@mediaquestcorp.com Marketing Manager Maya Kerbage m.kerbage@mediaquestcorp.com Tel: +971 4 3757527 KSA GM Walid Ramadan walid@mediaquestcorp.com Tel: +966 1 4194061 North Africa GM Adil Hamed-Abdelouahab adel@medialeader.biz Tel: +213 661 562 660 France Sales Director Manuel Dias dias@arabies.com Tel: +33 1 4766 46 00

6 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202-Contents.indd 6

10/27/11 5:58 PM

News

Ex BBDO chief to ‘shake up’ Saudi’s marketing sector PR and advertising have dehumanised brands, says “true marketer” Khalil Minawi Saudi Arabia Riyadh-based consultancy M&M has pledged to shake up Saudi Arabia’s marketing sector.

Founded and headed by the former MD of Impact BBDO Riyadh, M&M is aiming to develop a new kind of marketing in the kingdom and beyond.

“Marketing is all about brand acceptance. PR and advertising have dehumanised the brand,” Khalil Minawi told GMR. “Customers are eager to see the change in how brands interact and we want to be a catalyst for that. M&M is a content company. We are a consultancy, and we commit to sales and figures.

“We behave like true marketers, rather than advertising people.”

M&M, which stands for ‘modes and moods’, offers a range of services, including marketing consultancy, con

À la Mode: Brands must interact with consumers says M&M’S Minawi

tent development, applications development for mobiles and tablets, augmented reality and digital content services.

The agency, which was founded 12 months ago, is positioning itself as a leader in the digital marketing and social media space.

“Social media is changing the marketing game. I can interact directly with the brand on Facebook and on any other site and I should receive feedback,” adds Minawi.

“Marketing globally is chang-

ing. There are new media channels today such as social media which has changed our industry completely. Consumers are changing and we have to adapt with them.

“Brands, if they are to remain relevant, need to have a meaningful conversation with their consumers. Shouting at consumers through traditional advertising will get you nowhere. Today, in the world of interactive content, brands have to have a conversation and interact.”

The firm already has 21 employees on the books and is looking to add more staff to its roster.

Clients include Bank Al Bilad, MG Cars, Smilee Juice, Farfasha Chips, India Gate Rice and the Saudi national football team.

Minawi is eager to point to a number of high-profile boycott campaigns which have targeted regional brands through social media channels as examples where marketing needs to adapt to today’s consumer.

“The market is changing faster than the industry can take. You need a human face to talk to, you need to be accountable. Companies and their brands need to become more social. They need to understand their brand essence, basically what they are all about, so that they know where they stand and where they want to go.”

Al Rabie goes back to school with life lessons project Saudi Arabia Al Rabie Saudi Foods Company has started the academic year by launching a series of social awareness campaigns to help students become more active.

The company is inviting students to its premises to teach them about dairy products, juices and the food industry in the kingdom.

“Al Rabie receives students at the company HQ and factories in order to help them

Break time: Al Rabie’s school project

develop their personality and skills, and also help

them better understand themselves and the real world

around them, so they can overcome life’s challenges,” says Abdul Mohsen Abu Harba, director of the Communications, PR and Social Activities.

“We have also visited a number of schools to introduce Al Rabie’s healthy juices and the nutritional value of the company’s products.”

Last semester the company welcomed more than 2,300 students.

10 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 201 News 1-3.indd 10

10/27/11 6:00 PM

Elegance is an attitude “It’s time to give a little bit of your time to others.”

Andre Agassi

Visit the Longines Boutiques at: Dubai Mall 04 339 8528 • Mirdif City Centre 04 284 3604 Abu Dhabi Mall 02 6504250 Also available at Rivoli stores throughout the UAE. Call toll free 800-RIVOLI or visit www.rivoligroup.com

The Longines Master Collection

www.longines.com

Longines supports the Andre Agassi Foundation

News

Adalid PR wins BlackBerry KSA PR and gold SABRE Companies try to use PR as cheap marketing or advertising tool, Hamidaddin says Saudi Arabia Building on its earlier success at the European Holmes Report awards, Jeddah-based Adalid PR has won a golden SABRE for its breast cancer awareness campaign: A Woman’s Stand.

The global award for the best publicity stunt of 2011 follows platinum and gold European SABRE awards for the same campaign earlier in the year.

The campaign also made the shortlist for the Holmes Report best global PR campaign of 2011. Adalid, working in partnership with Dubai-based First&42nd, has also scooped the PR account for RIM, the makers of BlackBerry.

The reta i ner foc uses on m e d i a r e l a t i on s, b u t also includes scope for promoting the brand through socia l media, a long w it h traditional media.

Saudi special

Major changes: Yahya Hamidaddin

Winner: A Woman’s Stand campaign, which took place in Jeddah

“BlackBerry has enjoyed a market leadership share in the smartphone category for some time,” says Suhaib Alwazir, managing partner, Adalid.

“We are planning to focus on social media and on trying to enhance BlackBerry’s image with local developers to ensure more local application developments.”

Since founding the agency back in 2009, Adalid’s two managing partners have attempted to push PR to the

forefront of the marketing communications agenda.

Co-founder Yahya Hamidaddin admits the global economic crisis has affected how companies look at PR in Saudi Arabia.

“PR is still a continuous challenge in Saudi. While most companies have started to realise the need to develop their credibility and image, the global financial crunch has forced firms to reduce their marketing budgets. We’ve

noticed that corporations have tried to use PR as a cheap marketing or advertising tool.

“There have been major changes in how PR is practised, particularly with the advent of social media where companies talk with, rather than to their target audience. There’s more awareness of what PR can do in Saudi Arabia, but we still have to keep educating the market as to why they should and need to invest in public relations,” he says.

Beiersdorf Middle East has launched a musk-based body lotion specifically for the Saudi female market, as GMR exclusively revealed in its September issue.

Nivea Sensual Musk is part of the regional celebrations to mark Nivea Crème’s centenary. The new line will eventually roll out region-wide. Marketing plans and budgets have not been disclosed, but the campaign will be Arabic only. The product was unveiled during a series of centenary events for distributors, media and VIPs in the kingdom where the brand claimed 28 per cent growth during the past year. Nivea first entered the Middle East in the 1950s in Jordan, Syria and Bahrain.

12 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 201 News 1-3.indd 12

10/27/11 6:00 PM

News

Emirates’ biggest sponsorship since Arsenal

Mumzworld opens in Arabic language

$55m deal includes the renaming of two London tube stations

GCC Mumzworld, the e-commerce mother and baby site, is unveiling its Arabiclanguage version this month.

The portal debuted in October and stocks 24,000 SKUs from 250 brands; 3,000 new products are added every day, the company says.

Brands include Lamaze, OshKosh B’Gosh, Phillips

Dubai/London Emirates Airline will sponsor a new cable car system which will span the River Thames in what it says is its biggest sponsorship deal since Arsenal FC. The $55m agreement was signed between Emirates’ president, Tim Clark, and the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. The cable car system, running between Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Victoria Docks, will be known as the Emirates Air Line.

The two stations will be pre-fixed with Emirates and carry a specially designed roundel – the familiar symbol of the London Underground.

Both branded stations will be seen on the British capital’s underground map.

Due for completion in summer 2012, the cable cars will

Baby talk: Mona Ataya

Avent, Disney and Lego, as well as some not available in the region’s shops, such as Kaiya Eve Pettiskirts and Lemon Loves Lime.

Since its launch Mumzworld has also tied up with everythingbutheprincess. com to supply international brands for young girls.

At the time of writing, CEO Mona Ataya reported [there had been] more than 4,200 visitors and 50,000 pages views in the region.

“Our social media communities are buzzing with talk of Mumzworld with more than 170 followers and 420 likes on Twitter and Facebook respectively,” she says. “Our Facebook community has been especially active, with more than 45,000 post views.”

Air Line: Tim Clark, president, Emirates Airline (left) and Boris Johnson, London mayor

offer users aerial views of the city as they travel between the recently named stations, Emirates Greenwich Peninsula and Emirates Royal Docks.

“As one of the world’s most innovative airlines, the link with this new form of air travel in London is a perfect fit for us,” said Clark.

“The Emirates Air Line will take off as an iconic landmark

for London,” he added.

This is the most significant UK sponsorship for Emirates since its $154m shirt and stadium naming deal with Arsenal, in 2004 – at the time the biggest sponsorship in English football history.

Emirates operates 15 daily flights to the UK, eight of which go into London, including two on the A380.

Gulf Air is first fleet with global live TV Bahrain Gulf Air has taken delivery of its first A330-200 aircraft retrofitted with Panasonic Avionics Corporation’s (Panasonic) Global Communications Suite.

Called ‘Sky Hub,’ it offers onboard full broadband connectivity to access internet, mobile phone services and, for the first time in the world, a global, live television service.

The system is being installed across Gulf Air’s entire fleet of aircraft and offers two-way broadband connectivity at speeds of up to 50mbps.

Fully onboard: Inflight viewing

Travellers will be able to watch football on IMG Media’s Barclays Premier League channel, as well as BBC World News, BBC Arabic

and Euronews. Passengers can also browse the web at broadband speeds and access social media, such as Facebook and Twitter.

Business travellers can access their VPN and connect to the in-flight Wi-Fi via Deutsche Telekom, the onboard internet provider.

Panasonic’s mobile voice and data service enables passengers to use their mobile, smartphone or BlackBerry throughout the flight.

They will also be able to use GSM-enabled tablets and laptops to go online.

16 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 201 News 1-3.indd 16

10/27/11 6:03 PM

News

UAE app users prefer English UAE Smartphones account for 43.7 per cent of total handsets in the UAE, 54.6 per cent in Saudi Arabia and 41.6 per cent in Jordan.

These are among the key findings from the latest research from Arab Advisors Group.

Looking at the UAE specifically, the survey revealed

App’ier in English: new study

that Blackberry leads with 51 per cent share of smartphone operating systems (calculated based on handsets’ brands). iOS (iPhone) ranked second, while Symbian came in third.

Some 60 per cent and 50 per cent of iPhone and Blackberry users, respectively, use apps through their smartphones, compared to only 37 per cent of Symbian users. Ninety per cent of app users prefer them in English compared to 8.2 per cent in Arabic, says Faten Bader, Arab Advisors’ senior research analyst.

“The survey said that in households that have tablets, Apple’s iPad leads by a wide margin,” Bader adds.

Hanna returns to Grey; Skaff exits Barro Nick Barron, MediaCom’s former CEO, Russia, succeeds Hanna MENA Philippe Skaff, formerly CEO Grey Group MENA, has left the agency.

He is succeeded by Eric Hanna, former CEO of MediaCom MENA and Grey veteran.

Skaff launched the regional network of Grey in the late 1980s. He is also founder of Lebanon’s Green Party.

At time of writing his future plans were unknown to GMR. Hanna served as MediaCom MENA CEO for two years.

His new role, which he takes up this month, sees him return to Grey which he originally joined in 1999 as managing director of its Dubai office.

In 2002 he became regional director and set up the G2, Grey activation unit, consolidated Mediacom Dubai as the regional hub and doubled Grey›s billings says a company release. He was promoted to COO, in 2005.

Prior to Grey Hanna began his career at Saatchi & Saatchi

In from the cold: Nick Barron

Back to Grey: Eric Hanna

Dubai. A native of Senegal , he holds a BA in economics from AUB. Nick Barron, former CEO of MediaCom Russia, Ukraine and CIS, succeeds Hanna.

Based in Dubai he will lead the agency’s operations in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Morocco.

He reports to Nick Lawson, chief executive of MediaCom EMEA, Roy Haddad, chairman of MediaCom MENA and the MENA Board of which he will also be a member.

His brief is to expand the network across the region, initially in Qatar and Egypt.

A media veteran of 27 years he has worked at JWT, OMD and as a consultant dealing with sports rights, interactive TV and mobile.

As head of MediaCom’s Russian operation he doubled the size of the business in three years and moved MediaCom from 12th in the agency rankings to fourth.

Commenting on his appointment, Barron said, “We plan to expand our footprint and be at the vanguard of the rapidly developing digital and mobile markets.”

Grey and MediaCom are part of WPP.

Plan.Net ME names Puzhe as new CD UAE Plan.Net Middle East (PNME) strengthened its digital capabilities with the appointment of Sebastian Puhze as CD. Puhze will be responsible for driving innovation for clients such as BMW, MINI, Rolls Royce, Continental Tires, Takaful Emarat, KFC, and Kärcher.

German born Puhze has

New plan: Sebastian Puzhe

studied communications design at the University of

Applied Sciences, Darmstadt and started his career at Digital Form in New York City.

Later, Puhze he moved to help build up China’s interactive agency, EmporioAsia LeoBurnett.

Situated in Dubai, PNME is the hub for the Mena region and services 18 markets including the GCC, Levant, Iran, Pakistan and North Africa.

18 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 News 4-7.indd 18

10/26/11 3:57 PM

www.ferragamo.com Alessandro Gassman AttimoPH_215x280_GMR.indd 1

19-09-2011 9:32:09

News

‘More inclusive’ buying site opens UAE A new, English-language group-buying site designed to appeal specifically to nationals launched in the UAE in October.

Called eDeals4u, an Arabic version debuts this month with a Farsi site slated for January.

“Currently group-buying websites are mostly targeted at expatriates, but we intend

Inclusivity: Mohammed Ayub

to be more inclusive and target eDeals4u specifically to appeal to UAE nationals,” said managing director, Mohammed Ayub.

“In due course of time we also plan to launch special deals for specific groups like women, kids, the business and holiday sector.”

The sites source discounted daily deals from local businesses.

Ayub added that an advertising campaign produced in-house, will raise awareness.

Media includes lifestyle print media, Google adwords and social media.

The site is designed with a facebook theme users can easily navigate to complete their buying process, he says, adding that roll-out beyond the UAE will eventually follow.

Goody revamps for expansion strategy Saudi food co rebrands for the first time since the early 1990s Saudi Arabia Saudi packaged food and beverages company Goody has overhauled its visual ID following negative feedback from Saudi female consumers.

Research showed they thought the overall look was too basic, did not communicate quality nor convey culinary freshness.

CB’a Memac, which created the new ID, says it modernised the range, aligned it more closely to the Goody ethos of innovation and helped it compete more effectively against international brands.

Goody’s current five-year plan is to cover all Mena markets. If the targets are achieved it will then roll out beyond

Before

After

New look: Goody modernises

the region, says the company.

Given the diversification plan, the agency needed to give the brand proprietary codes and clear rules for navigation across all ranges and prepare the brand for the launch of future innovations, read a CB’a statement.

Some seven agencies from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Europe pitched for the project.

Roger Hawa, CEO of CB’a Memac, said: “Goody has a long-standing reputation in the ME region as a provider of quality products that keep pace with the evolution of tastes and the latest technology in food industry. CB’a Memac has ensured the Goody logo and packaging of their products are congruent with this reputation.”

This is only the third time in the brand’s 43-year history that it has modernised, the last time was in the early 1990s, marketing director, Waqas Moosa, told GMR.

HTC hits high note with Sensation XL GCC HTC Mena has activated a regionalised 360˚ campaign to support its latest ranges, the enhanced audio, Sensation XL and Sensation XE smartphones.

Marketing spend was undisclosed, but cinema is on the plan for the first time along with an extensive, region-wide instore and mall activation to demonstrate the audio capabilities. In a global first, both handsets feature the Beats Audio by Dr Dre experience and signal HTC’s deeper dive into segmentation, which began with the recent launch of Cha Cha targeting youth and women. The link with Beats to provide enhanced audio capabilities takes HTC into

Get with the Beat: HTC’s Sensation XL

the music-orientated consumer set.

When used with the exclusive Beats by Dr. Dre in-ear headphones, the handset automatically switches to the bespoke Beats by Dr. Dre sound profile, delivering audio tracks tuned specifically for the headphones. Both phones have

storage capabilities for thousands of songs, while the exclusive Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, a complimentary accessory included with both smartphones, feature a remote control allowing users to play, pause or skip through tracks, as well as answering calls while the smartphone remains in your pocket.

HTC launched as a consumer brand in 2007. This year it broke into Interbrand’s Top 100 Best Global Brands, the first Taiwanese brand on the list. Ranked at 98 it was valued at $3.605bn, with a growth rate of 163 per cent.

According to Gartner, 50 per cent of all mobiles sold in 2015 will be smartphones.

20 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 News 4-7.indd 20

10/26/11 3:57 PM

GMR London 280x215mm-E.indd 1

9/25/11 5:56 PM

News

Dimachkie and Traboulsi promoted at LB

Rotana hires KTA PR to raise its UK profile UAE/UK Abu Dhabi-based Rotana hotels has appointed London-based, travel specialist PR firm KTA to help raise its profile in the UK. C om m e n t i n g on t he appointment, Amal Harb, Rot a na’s cor porate V Pmarketi n g, sa id t he hosp i t a l i t y cha i n wa nt s to attract more business and leisure travellers to its properties throughout the Mena region.

The company expects to have 70 properties by 2012 having started with two in 1993.

In related news, Rotana is launching a GCC-wide road show as part of its annual sales drive.

The GCC accounts for 34 per cent of Rotana’s room revenue.

Starting in Kuwait and concluding in Qatar, the sales team will promote and sell new and existing products including properties in, Syria, Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada, Lebanon, Sudan and Erbil. “ T he G C C c om m a n d s the largest outbound and inbound travel market in the region, both in terms of volume and value, and we want to increase our market share, ” says Andy Nightingale, director of international sales.

C e n t r o , t h e g r o u p ’s budget brand, has recently become the official hotel for AUH Motorsport’s Radical Cup.

Management changes at UAE HQ sees wider role for Dimachkie UAE Changes at Leo Burnett see Kamal Dimachkie promoted to executive regiona l m a n a g i n g d i r e c t o r, i n c h a r g e o f t h e UA E , Kuwa it, Qat a r a nd t he Lower Gulf region with immediate effect.

Jean Traboulsi becomes managing director, UAE, promoted from deputy managing director.

Dimachkie has been managing director of the Dubai office since 2001, while Traboulsi has been with the group for 22 years in various roles, including running operations in Cairo and leading new business development in the UAE.

On the up: Kamal Dimachkie (left) and Jean Traboulsi

“Leo Burnett is now firmly established in the UAE, giving us the ability to demonstrate that the communications game can be played at a whole new level,” he says.

“I will be focusing my

Omi grows into new CD role

Pixel perfect: David Omi

Qatar Doha-based branding agency grow has appointed David Omi as creative director. Omi previously worked in Europe and the US for agencies including Saatchi

& Saatchi, Wieden Kennedy, and WPP’s Grey, Landor, and The Brand Union.

Omi is also a non-executive director for West Coast digital agency, Perfect Pixels and lectures on Omi on branding and sustainability.

A graduate of De Monfort University in the UK, he is currently lecturing at Columbia Business School in NYC, on ‘The Secret Life of Brands’.

With local clients such as Ramada Plaza, Museum of Islamic Art and First Finance, grow plans to expand out of Doha into Saudi Arabia, London, Los Angeles and New York. It currently has an office in Khartoum.

attentions on the specific areas in which we can bring even greater value to our clients, creating regional opportunities for not only Leo Burnett, but our clients and their brands to grow as well.”

Capital investment

To celebrate the opening of her new store in Abu Dhabi Carolina Herrera has created her Shopping Bag, Abu Dhabi Limited Edition. The name of the city is printed in silver leaf on golden tattoo leather.

The finishing touches include a palm tree in leather and Swarovski crystals, a luxury charm evoking the warm welcome received by visitors to the capital, she says.

22 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 News 4-7.indd 22

10/27/11 6:06 PM

News

Zenithmedia keeps Mena share of Bel

AmEx ME and Oman Air deal takes off

OMD takes rest-of-world but MENA businss stays with Zenith

Oman American Express Middle East and Oman Air have clubbed together to allow cardholders to redeem their points for Oman Air Sindbad Miles. The carrier becomes AmEx ME’s 10th redemption partner and cements Membership Rewards as the region’s leading loyalty programme says a joint press statement.

Membership Rewards is a global rewards programme from American Express, where one point is earned for virtually every dollar or equivalent spent.

MENA Zenithmedia MENA has held onto the Bel Groupe following a global review which saw most of Europe and North America go to OMD, and which left Carat off the roster.

The global media account, said to be worth $200m, had previously been shared among the three agencies.

Gross billings of Bel Group in the Mena totalled $56,143k.

Carat MENA, OMD Middle East and Mindshare MENA pitched for the regional business.

Benoit Dadolle, marketing director, Groupe Bel Middle East, said: “We have enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Zenithmedia which goes back to 2004 and we look forward to continuing our partnership in the future” Firas El Zein, CEO of Zenithmedia Mena, said: “This

DHL soars with new fountain campaign UAE DHL has unveiled the regional adaptation of what it describes as its most ambitious global campaign ever.

The local version premiered at the Dubai Fountain, which had been choreographed to a specially reworked version of the Motown classic, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, the ad soundtrack.

In addition to the Fountain display, the campaign will run across the UAE and wider region on TV, radio and print until mid-December.

The initiative is part of DHL’s campaign across 42 key markets and was created by 180 Amsterdam. Media is through Vizeum. It has been translated into 25 languages, will be screened on more than 280 TV stations and printed in 360 magazines and newspapers, with 1,140 insertions .

With extra cheese: Firas El Zein, CEO

Spreading the cost: Benoit Dadolle

Zenithmedia MENA

GroupeBel Middle East

win reinforces our strong position in the marketplace. It reaffirms our commitment and solid partnership we have with our clients and is a testament to the Zenithmedia team and operations in the region.

Other recent wins at Zenithmedia include Red Bull and Jazeera Children’s Channel.

OMD retained UK, US and

Canada, and won the European segment from Carat.

OMD’s Paris office will be coordinating the Bel account globally for the agency, reads press reports. Bel reported revenues of $3.2bn in 2010, up nearly nine per cent.

Brands include Mini Babybel, Leerdammer, Boursin and the famed La Vache Qui Rit.

IKEA Kuwait launches IKEA Smaland Kuwait IKEA has launched its Smaland Kids Club in Kuwait.

The club is an area dedicated for children aged four to nine years who can join for $3.60.

This is a key plank in the store’s communication strategy for young customers along with scheduled special offers for members from the IKEA children range, reads a company release.

Children who enroll can benefit from birthday wishes, as well as surprise gifts. Their families will recieve details

Welcome to Småland: everything about it is just for kids!

Leaving home doesn’t have to feel like you’re really leaving home. The IKEA Småland Club is your home away from home. Once you join, you’ll get your very own Småland Passport (which means adults can’t join)! Your Småland Passport gives you tons of great benefits available only to kids, like:

IKEA KIDS CLUB

• 20% off on children’s meals at the IKEA restaurant • Great discounts on the Little IKEA range • Gifts and free meals on your birthday • Points for bringing in newspapers and magazines for us to recycle, and then you

can redeem those points later for some amazing toys and gifts • Join in our fun learning activities including face painting, balloon twisting and games That's not all...

Once you’re a Småland member, we’ll give you access to the Småland website; it’s full of fun activities and games made just for kids!

It’s a whole different world at Småland, and it’s all just for you! Next time your parents come to IKEA, make sure they drop by Småland to check it out and find out more about it!

Play time: Smaland Kids Club

on special events and forthcoming promotions. Once

registered, children who visit the most receive a gift.

24 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 News 4-7.indd 24

10/26/11 3:57 PM

Sky tweets messages to rail commuters

Atari’s D&D makes new friends with FB

Train passengers are heavy users of smartphones, research says

USA Games creator and publisher Atari is placing its role playing product Dungeons & Dragons on Facebook.

The company has released Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of Neverwinter into its “open beta,” bringing what it says is the ultimate role-playing game brand to the ultimate social platform.

UK Sky TV is tweeting personalised messages to digital billboards at the UK’s major railway stations.

Commuters planning their evening’s Sky viewing can have personalised recommendations tweeted live to Transvision digital billboards. The campaign allows the public to engage directly with Sky using a #whatsonsky hashtag, booked with JC Decaux Digital by IPM and MediaCom and social media company, Jam. The digital screens invite people to tweet Sky with programme-related questions: “Tweet #whatsonskynow now and we’ll Tweet you back with something great to watch tonight or record on Sky+”.

The tweets are answered

Epic: ‘Deepest RPG yet’

“Heroes of Neverwinter delivers a high level of depth, polish and authenticity that will fundamentally change the way players think of RPG gaming on social platforms,” said Jim Wilson, president and CEO of Atari, Inc. “Existing fans of the D&D franchise will find the translation compelling in all areas of the gameplay experience, while more casual gamers will find the adaptation accessible and intuitive.”

He added that initiative will provide the deepest RPG experience ever to reach the Facebook platform.

In separate news, Facebook has confirmed that is has 800 million active users, of which 50 per cent log on every day. The average user has 130 friends, it says.

Passenger information: Sky tweets at UK railway terminals

with programme recommendations appearing on the billboards.

Everyone tweeting is entered into a prize draw for the chance to win a one-year subscription to Sky. “By combining Twitter and DOOH, Sky has created a highly personalised, timesensitive campaign that

reaches commuters in the right mindset to interact,” said Spencer Berwin, managing director – sales at JC Decaux UK. “We know from research that commuters are massive users of social media via their smartphones, welcoming entertainment and information during their journey.”

Discovery finds new outlets on SA’s DStv South Africa Discovery Networks CEEMEA has launched two new channels on the South African Pay TV platform, DStv. Discovery ID – Investigation Discovery – and femalefocused TLC will be available to DStv Premium and DStv Compact subscribers in Africa, and will carry commercials from early 2012.

The channels join Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery World and Discovery HD Showcase.

According to newsite BizCommunity, crime documentary focused ID is allegedly

Inroads: Discovery will carry commercials on DStv from 2012

the fastest-growing cable channel in the USA. TLC features lifestyle, reality and factual entertainment from around the world.

Phillip Luff, the country manager, emerging business

for Discovery Networks CEEMEA, says: “The programmes have been successful in markets all over the world, and their addition forms part of our continued investment in Africa.”

26 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 world News 1-3.indd 26

10/26/11 3:53 PM

W O R L D N ews

Web delivers millions of impressions to ‘wrong people’ Wastage with all web campaigns, but still they deliver “more effectively than TV” Global New research suggests that while some individual websites reach an ad campaign’s target audience, nearly all campaigns are delivered to disinterested consumers.

In a recent study, Nielsen measured a six-week, campaign for a beauty women aged 18 to 34 years.

The brand ran 213 million impressions across 14 websites and ad networks for six weeks.

Analysis showed 33 per cent of impressions reached the target audience, while 40 per cent went to men.

The 213 million impressions tracked seem to be at

a level that could generate significant reach. In reality, however, the campaign reached about 40 million across all demographics – a 13.6 per cent reach.

Ultimately the campaign reached only 10.5 million of target women.

The researcher examined many other campaigns spanning hundreds of websites and the results were similar.

The web consistently delivers millions of impressions – if not tens of millions – to the wrong people, although it does deliver audiences more effectively than some popular TV progammes, says Nielsen.

Big impression counts don’t mean high reach

10.5 m 40 m

213 m

213 million impressions / 40 million total reached / 10.5 million target reached Despite these numbers, Nielsen research shows that the web does in fact deliver audiences more efficiently than some popular TV programs with very broad audiences.

Broad audience (adults 18-54) Narrow audience (women 18-34)

RT: Revenue could hit $400m in 2013

Twitter advertising – in some cases better than those on Facebook – despite Twitter’s relatively smaller audience.”

American Idol 55% 11%

Source: Nielsen. *Online results exclude Facebook campaigns

Twitter 2011 adverts to grow by $140m Global Twitter’s global ad revenue for 2011 is forecast to reach $139.5m up from 45 million in 2010, according to eMarketer.

The estimate represents a growth rate of 210 per cent from $45m, but is slightly below eMarketer’s January forecast of $150m.

Revenue could reach $260m in the next year and $400m by 2013, says the digital intelligence company.

“Since their debut in April 2010, Twitter’s promoted products have proven successful in the US,” says eMarketer principal analyst Debra Aho Williamson.

“Marketers have seen solid engagement rates with

Online* 72% 35%

Earlier this year, Twitter reported that 80 per cent of advertisers return to use the products again, while the average engagement rate for Promoted Tweets is between three per cent and five per cent.

Advertisers only pay when user action is taken – retweets, replies, clicks on links, and tweets being marked as “favourites” – for that particular product.

The split between ad revenues from the US and international markets was 98 per cent and two per cent, respectively in 2010.

The gap is projected to narrow by 2013, with the US taking 88 per cent.

US mobile ad to hit $1bn for first time USA Ad spend on mobiles will top $1bn in the US for the first time this year.

Spend for 2010 was $743m.

By 2015 it could reach $4.4bn says eMarketer. Growth is fuelled by rising smartphone and mobile internet usage.

Spend covers display ads (such as banners, rich media and video), search and messagingbased ads, and covers ads on mobile phones and tablets. eMarketer previously forecast spend would hit $2.5bn in 2014.

By the end 2011, 38 per cent of US mobile users will have a smartphone, and 41 per cent will use the mobile internet at least once each month.

November 2011 Gulf Marketing Review 27

00-GMR 202 world News 1-3.indd 27

10/26/11 3:53 PM

W O R L D N ews

China’s stars line up for brand matches China Millward Brown (MB) has created a China version of Cebra, celebrity and brand match) making it China’s largest celebrity market influence and personality database.

The study will collect 15,000 samples nationwide each month, survey more than 200,000 consumers by the end of 2012 and cover more than 400 cities. Chinese celebrities in all fields will be included.

By tracking the dynamics of celebrity influence indicators and combining this with brand equity data held by WPP, brands will be provided with strategies for celebrity endorsements, says MB.

Fortune cookies: Jet Li tops Cebra

Cebra measurements include familiarity, affinity, buzz, role model and personality, to give a 360-degree view of a celebrity’s potential commercial value to a brand.

Adidas brand ambassador Jet Li has been named the most powerful Chinese celebrity. Followed by Ge You; Jacky Cheung;Jackie Chan and Andy Lau. In comparison with Cebra studies in the UK, US and Australia, Chinese consumers show higher scores on familiarity and affinity.

Colour cosmetics altering perception Makeup impacts judgments of attractiveness, study says USA A new study from P&G confirms that using colour cosmetics significantly alters how women are perceived by others.

Researchers conducted two studies in which 100 photos of 25 women’s faces were judged without makeup and with three different applied “looks” – “natural,” “professional” and “glamorous.”

When viewed for 250 milliseconds, all three makeup looks increased ratings of attractiveness, competence, likability and trust, versus ratings without makeup.

Participants in the second study who had unlimited time to view the faces gave both the natural and professional makeup looks increased ratings of attractiveness, competence, likability and trust.

The glamorous look was judged to be equally likeable, less trustworthy and significantly more attractive

bright spot

Eyeing potential: Cosmetics study

and competent than the faces without makeup.

“In today’s world of selfportraits appearing on networking and dating websites, ballots, resumes and applications, the results of the study have broad implications,” said Nancy Etcoff, PhD. Sarah Vickery, principal scientist at the company’s R&D, believes implications also suggest makeup allows women to determine which

The study featured 100 high-resolution colour images of 25 women, ages 20 to 50, who self-identified as Hispanic, Caucasian or African American. The first study included 61 men, 88 women of different ages and ethnicities who were shown the faces for 250 milliseconds.

The second included 30 males and 89 females who had unlimited time to inspect each face. All participants saw the faces in random.

Estée Lauder and Philips have launched a global partnership as part of skincare company’s Breast Cancer Awareness (BCA) Campaign to highlight the benefits of early detection. Some 200 prominent landmarks around the world have been lit up by Philips’ LED technology.

The 2011 Initiative marks 12 years of highlighting a disease that, if localized and detected early, is 90 per cent curable. In October 2010 The BCA Campaign set the Guinness World Record for “Most Landmarks Illuminated for a Cause in 24 Hours”.

28 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 world News 1-3.indd 28

10/26/11 3:53 PM

Shave your style.

“Circle, Spiral, Line – Spin the world!”

Ronnie Abaldonado, 27, B-Boy

Find out how to shave, style and trim your statement of style with cruZer Face, Beard & Head and Precision on braun.com

22627 GulfMR 280x215.indd 2

cruZer

cruZer

cruZer

cruZer cruZer

8/22/11 4:11 PM

W O R L D N e ws

Rejuvenation for P&G’s oldest range USA P&G’s oldest brand, 132-yearold Ivory Soap, has been rejuvenated with new packaging. A nationwide ad campaign supports the redesign.

Targeting the modern mother who is complex yet driven by simplicity, the new campaign highlights the value and simplicity of Ivory, says a P&G press release.

Tell it like it is: Honest Truths campaign

The online, print and TV campaign was developed by Portland-based Wieden+Kennedy.

Based on “Ivoryisms,” a series of straightforward messages or “Honest Truths,” that emphasise Ivory’s promise to keep things clean and simple.

The campaign includes five TVCs, including one 30-second and four 15-second spots, including “Soap Dish,” which highlights a variety of soap sculptures in a bathroom and asks, “At What Point Does Soap Stop Being Soap?”

Print and online continue the theme, with messages such as “Just Add Water.”

Print ads will run in national women’s and lifestyle publications, and select online sites. OOH in select cities and social media will also be used.

Glowing performance from UK skincare Sales forecast to exceed $2bn by 2016, says new Mintel study UK Sales of women’s facial skincare products look set to reach $1,500m this year, up four per cent from 2010, says Mintel.

Since 2006 sales have grown by 26 per cent – up from $1bn in 2006 to $1.4bn in 2010.

Sales grew by six per cent in 2009 and 2010. The market is set to grow by 31 per cent to $2bn by 2016.

Moisturisers ($868m) account for 59 per cent of all sales. Anti-ageing variants are the most popular, accounting for $3 out of every $7.8 spent on moisturisers.

Cleansers ($485m) follow with wipes – the UK’s most popular cleansing format – generating 18 per cent of sales.

Mass products account for 61 per cent at $923m in 2011.

Most growth is seen in the prestige sector at $600m.

Sales have increased by 21 per cent, (2009 to 2011).

Skin deep: Moisturisers account for 60 per cent of sales

Some 61 per cent, aged more than 65 years, use products to look better for their age.

Those aged between 55 and 64 years (57 per cent) are most likely to use antiwrinkle ranges, followed by 55 per cent of women aged 65 years.

While older women are more likely to use skincare to deal with wrinkles, six per

cent of forward-thinking women, aged 16 to 24, and 31 per cent, aged 25 to 34, use products with wrinkles in mind.

Not all, however, are persuaded, and nearly 60 per cent believe anti-wrinkle creams are over-hyped, and 17 per cent say skincare products are a waste of money and that looks depend on genes and lifestyle.

Male bling hauls US jewellery out of slump US In 2010 the US jewellery market emerged from the recession, posting a 7.5 per cent increase in consumer spend (2009 to 2010), after two successive years of negative growth.

Rising demand for men’s jewellery accounted for much of the growth, according to research from Unity Marketing.

“Since 2006 Unity Marketing has tracked dramatic changes in the jeweller mar-

Diamond geezer: Male jewellery boost

ket related to consumers’ product and shopping preferences,” says Unity’s president, Pam Danziger.

“Among the most profound shifts is the growing demand for men’s jewellery.

“While the rising cost of materials accounts for some of the growth, increased demand for men’s jewellery also contributed to the rise from 2008 to 2010.”

“The men’s jewellery market, pre-recession, was so small it was difficult to make definitive assessments about men’s preferences,” Danziger adds.

30 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 world News 4-5.indd 30

10/26/11 3:51 PM

W O R L D N e ws

Milking it for new fashions Germany A young fashion designer from Germany has developed a fabric made from high concentrations of the milk protein, casein.

Called QMilch, it was created by Anke Domaske, 28, and is the first man-made fibre produced entirely without chemicals.

“It feels like silk and it doesn’t smell. You can wash it just like anything else,” Domaske told Reuters.

Made from all-natural materials, the QMilch fabric is

Material girl: Anke Domaske

ecological, but also has many health benefits, said Domaske.

Amino acids in the protein are antibacterial, anti-aging and can help regulate blood circulation and body temperature, she added.

Domaske’s fashion label, Mademoiselle Chi, has now started weaving the milk fibre into its collection.

Milk fabric has been around since the 1930s, but was always produced in unecological ways.

It would take about six litres of milk to make a dress, which would cost approximately $200. Due to its anti-bacterial qualities, milk fibre can be used in medicine and makeup.

Danes introduce world’s first ‘fat tax’ Extra $3 per kilo above 2.3 per cent content inflates prices Denmark Denmark has imposed the world’s first ‘fat tax’ to help curb the intake of fatty foods among its 5.5 million population (CIA Factfile: July, 2011).

Foods are now subject to charges of $3 per kilo if containing more than 2.3 per cent saturated fats.

The move pushes the price of a 250g packet of butter up by 0.40 cents to $3.3, prompting last-minute hoarding and stockpiling among consumers, reports Danish media.

A government spokesperson confirmed that the cost will be borne by consumers.

“We have had to stock up with tonnes of butter and margarine in order to be able to supply outlets,” Soeren Joergensen of Arla Distribution told reporters.

Good times

Packing it in: Consumers in Denmark stockpile to avoid price hikes from ‘fat tax’

According to the Danish government website, 10 per cent of Danes are either overweight or obese, with four per cent of annual deaths attributed to unhealthy eating.

Critics, however, believe the levy is misplaced and should instead target foods with high salt and sugar content. Others says it will

make little difference.

“If people want to buy a cake, they will buy it. But right now they’re saving money,” said one retailer.

The move could also prove counter strategic to a country whose economy is so reliant on the dairy sector, as imported goods will now be cheaper.

Omega has opened its new-look boutique GUM at Pashkov House, Moscow. The brand’s longestserving ambassador, Cindy Crawford, was guest of honour, joined by Omega president, Stephen Urquhart. On display was a selection of Omega’s Constellation line, which was flown from Switzerland for the event.

The boutique, which opened in 2006, is characterised by the brand’s global design concept of cohesive, harmonious space featuring motifs that represent air, water, earth, the sun and time. GUM, which faces Red Square, was completed in 1893 and is the centre for luxury brand shopping in Moscow.

32 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 world News 4-5.indd 32

10/26/11 3:51 PM

Š Photolibrary

COVER STORY

34 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 Cover story.indd 34

10/26/11 3:48 PM

spring time

© Photolibrary

How should brands behave in the post-Spring new world order?

Siobhan Adams finds out.

Qtel is not Egyptian. Almarai is not Tunisian. But this summer, both were temporarily deposed during brief consumer coups in their native Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Disgruntled over service levels from the teleco and price hikes from the dairy giant, consumers mobilised social media urging brand boycotts.

Following what became the Qtelfails campaign, the provider met with the ‘protesters’, noted their feelings and pledged to improve its services.

Almarai, stung by slogans such as “Let their milk rot,” reverted to its old pricing. And this despite having to absorb the rising costs of raw materials which, it said, had forced the increase in the first place. Intervention by the Ministry of Commerce, however, seemed to clinch it for ‘demonstrators’.

In a region beset by profound social turmoil, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, along with the rest of the GCC bar Bahrain, stand strong as beacons of stability. (Shoredup, no doubt, by a timely slew of public sector benefits.)

But that notwithstanding, has an Arab zeitgeist of empowerment contagion spread beyond the symbolic confines of Tahrir Square and Tunis? Qatari journalist Abdullah al-Athbah, thinks it might.

Speaking in July to London’s Financial Times (FT) about his participation in Qtelfails, he said: “Qataris have a reputation for being complacent.

“With everything going around us in the region, people feel they can be part of a change in the attitude of service providers, customers’ rights, a strong regulator and a quality service for the price they pay.”

Fellow Qatari and one of the most active Qtelfails campaigners, 32-year-old Raed al-Emadi said in the same article: “The company cannot stop us from demanding a better service because it bears Qatar’s name.”

He added:”We wanted to change the mindset of these companies. They are not used to criticism.”

Al Rajhi Bank’s head of marketing, Confidence

Acceleration: Al Rajhi Bank’s Yusuf Jehangir

New dawn: Leo Burnett’s Kamal Dimachkie

Yusuf Jehangir, believes self belief and confidence among youth is especially evident in countries whose financial muscle is being flexed worldwide, particularly, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

In fairness, however, competitor activity can never be completely ruled out when ‘boycotts’ occur.

And, when GMR contacted Al Emadi his tone had become decidedly less fervent than that conveyed in the FT. Asked if it was reasonable to infer that actions such as his had been influenced by events further north, he told GMR, “You would have to ask a researcher in that. I am just a mere consumer who isn’t happy with the level of service and does not believe he is getting value for money spent.”

And, as the ferocity of the Danish cartoon backlash proved, Arab consumers have never been passive bystanders, dormant and voiceless until the Jasmine Revolution.

“The change has been building for some time, but was accelerated by the Arab Spring,” says Yusuf Jehangir, head of marketing at Saudi’s Al Rajhi Bank.

“I think, in time, we will all look back at 2011 as the year when the people of the Arab world crossed over into a new phase in their lives,” says Kamal Dimachkie,

November 2011 Gulf Marketing Review 35

00-GMR 202 Cover story.indd 35

10/26/11 3:48 PM

© Grapheast/AFP

COVER STORY

National identitiy: Obedience and attention to the powers-that-be have turned into wanting to be heard and expecting to change, says Paul Cardwell

In times of war we define ourselves by nations, tribes, beliefs. regional managing director, Leo Burnett UAE, Kuwait and Lower Gulf.

“There is a wonderful new dawn upon this region and it may bring even more sunshine, as people’s minds at large have been unshackled; this is an age when the default setting of existence has been altered and previously unthinkable thoughts, accompanied by their resulting actions, have naturally followed.”

For The Brand Union’s creative director, Paul Cardwell, the mindset has chnaged, but it is too early to detect patterns.

“The chnage is too profound,” he says.

Mohit Lodha, human experience director, SMG Dubai, senses a new-found boldness and resilience among consumers, saying: “It’s not just youth we are talking about.

This mindset cuts through age groups and genders.”

Hubert Boulos, strategic planning director, JWT Dubai, agrees.

“People seem more likely to express their opinions since the Arab Spring. You can clearly see that on Facebook statuses, for example. They are now more daring than

ever with people voicing their opinions in a very direct way.”

Looking to Saudi Arabia specifically, he cites the recent spate of online webisodes of satire and social criticism towards brands, society or institutions at large.

“The Arab Spring is the biggest change in this region since the discovery of oil (the two are not unconnected). It is a revolution. People are desperate to be heard and are willing to die in the attempt,” Cardwell says.

To ascribe a wholesale change in attitude and aspiration to millions of consumers as Speaking out

Boldness: SMG Dubai’s Change: Brand Union’s Paul Cardwell Mohit Lodha

though they comprised one, homogenous, cohesive unit would, however, be a gross oversimplification.

Everyone is affected differently according to their circumstances: student, parent, unemployed, rural, urban…the list is long.

It would be easy to say the Arab Spring has had a knock-on effect across numerous aspects of life, as any significant occurrence often does – and not always in the most obvious of places, says Dimachkie “What I believe we are seeing is a new release of thinking that comes from recognising the power of the people’s combined voice; it seems to have developed a life of its own as it has now taken off and is increasingly touching areas which, in hindsight, can benefit from and be improved by the effects of the Spring.”

Cardwell further cautions that marketing operates within an exaggerated lexicon, until that is, it is taken off guard by something as colossal as the Spring.

“In the business of communications we live in a world of conscious exaggeration and habitual over-statement.”

Apple, he points out, trumpeted its new phone with ‘This Changes Everything’ which, he says, it didn’t.

“This is not to criticise Apple. They just did an impeccable job of making some-

36 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 Cover story.indd 36

10/26/11 3:49 PM

C OCVOEVRE SR TSOTROYR Y

Opening happiness: Coca-Cola empathises with post-Spring optimism

Treading the fine line between empathy and exploitation is the first, and pretty huge, brand challenge. thing unimportant seem unmissable. And we’ve all had that brief.

“But when something happens that really does change everything, we don’t know what to say. We run out of words.”

While consumers are grappling with profound change, veering between postrevolution optimism and deep insecurity about their future, what can a brand ‘say’ now that is genuinely meaningful and relevant?

Should brands hang onto the old promise or offer fresh propositions instead?

Treading the fine line between empathy and exploitation is the first, and pretty huge, brand challenge.

Speaking from the Tahrir front line, Tarek Lasheen, PR director, Memac Ogilvy & Mather, Cairo, has a sharp perspective.

“Some of the consumer-based companies are exploiting the Arab Spring. Some prefer calling it “tapping the zeitgeist” or riding the wave,” he tells GMR.

He reports a spate of humourous ads and guerilla campaigns combining what he describes as “elements from recent political issues integrated sometimes in a funny, perverted sense of humour.”

Gemas effie 2010 winner, Birell nonalcoholic beer, for example, adapted its long-standing – pre-revolution campaign – Be a Man, Drink Birell. Its latest campaign – on YouTube – urges guys to hold back their tears, be men and drink the beer.

The timely launch of potato chip debutant True Chips, coinciding with the testimony Friend or foe?

Joke on Facebook: Soliman eats True Chips then testifies against Mubarak. When the judge asks if he has anything to say about Soliman’s testimony, Mubarak says ‘no comment’ so the judge asks, ‘not even a like’?

of Omar Soliman – chief of Egypt’s Intelligences Services – at Hosni Mubarak’s trial, is another case.

“There was this joke which also came out of nowhere on Facebook that Soliman will eat True Chips then testify against Mubarak,” recalls Lasheen.

“Later, when asked by the judge if he had anything to say about Soliman’s testimony, Mubarak says ‘no comment’. The judge then asks, ‘not even a like’? referring to the like button on Facebook.”

But humour will only take a brand so far – although admittedly probably further in Egypt than other places.

Tentative articulations of optimism underpinned some early campaigns, even though eventual outcomes are uncertain.

“Most of the small to medium size brands have either decided to hold their marketing activities for the year or have tried to ride the revolution wave by using ‘rise-up’ messages and mostly failed too,” according to Medhat Amin, managing director, Mindshare Egypt.

Tag Brand’s Joe Moufarrej says it’s a similar scenario for some international brands which suddenly changed its message to claim their brand promise was ‘for a new Egypt’.

38 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 Cover story.indd 38

10/26/11 3:49 PM

www.setasia.tv

THE MOST WATCHED ASIAN GENERAL ENTERTAINMENT CHANNEL, EVERY NIGHT AT PRIME TIME.

GRPs

India’s No.1 Channel - Sony 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0

SET Colors Star Plus ZEE TV

Wk 34 Wk 35 Wk 36 Wk 37 Wk 38 Wk 39 Wk 40 Wk 41

Source: TAM Media XPress | TG+ CS 4+; Markets = HSM | Prime Time (2000 hr to 2400 hr)

• Sony Entertainment Television is the clear leader in Prime Time • ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ (Who Wants to be a Millionaire) is the highest rated reality show across all Asian General Entertainment Channels • Viewers spend the highest time on both All Day & Prime Time.

The only channel successfully running two localized shows, ‘Weekend Out’ & ‘Highlife Dubai’.

All in all, Sony Entertainment Television is the cat’s whiskers in entertainment. Are your brands on it?

For advertising opportunities contact: Integrated Advertising Services. Tel: +971-4-447-5760. Fax: +971-4-447-5761.

E-mail: prasad@iasmedia.com / sunder@iasmedia.com / anita@iasmedia.com www.iasmedia.com

Available on

and E-Vision

COVER STORY

Rebirth: JWT’s Tunisiana campaign focused on life after Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali

...the Arab Spring has liberated the judgmental side of people...

“Most of the international brands changed their communication strategy after the revolution, but on a very superficial level because they still don’t know where the country is heading.”

Those which are so far getting it right, according to many pundits, include US titans Pepsi and Coca-Cola.

The latter’s OOH campaign strapline ‘Make tomorrow better’ complemented an aspiration-themed TVC, ‘Sky’.

The campaign, says Cardwell, highlights the fact there is no alternative but for brands to work towards integrating awareness and consider their accountability for the social impact of campaign messages and ensure the brand is perceived to be authentic.

His advice? “Don’t try to ride the wave, be in the wave.”

JWT’s Boulos cites his client Tunisiana as another brand that calculated the empathy-exploitation ratio with grace and charm.

Taking hope and optimism at its core, the campaign culminates in a TVC about

the birth of a Tunisian child on January 14, 2011. (The day president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali resigned after 23 years in power.)

“It is taking a positive outlook without jumping on the bandwagon of the “Arab Spring” and without being patronising.”

Cardwell also commends Memac Ogilvy Label Tunisia multimedia, future-looking Tunisia June 16, 2014, campaign.

It not only engaged the entire country, but was a catalyst for positive change, he says. “A brilliant example solidifying the power of media and the willingness of the people.”

FRONTLINE

True: Memac Ogilvy’s Tarek Lasheen

Rise up: Mindshare Egypt’s Medhat Amin

The judges at this year’s Lions clearly agreed, presenting the agency (supported

by Mindshare) with a media Gold Lion – a first for a Tunisian agency. But what sometimes chimes with the national mood as authentic empathy can also, albeit inadvertently, jar as insincere platitudes.

Despite launching two epic-scale CSR projects in the early aftermath of Egypt’s revolution – a campaign to eradicate illiteracy in the country within five years, and one year to install one million free lines to Egyptian farmers – Vodafone (another JWT client) crashed into a barrage of criticism for its ‘Shokran’ Ramadan campaign.

Users were still smarting from its shutdown in the early days of the unrest.

Similarly Mobinil’s airport campaign, featuring supportive quotations about the revolution from famous people, drew criticism for allegedly misquoting Barack Obama and including the highly controversial Silvio Berlusconi.

Its reversal of fortunes continued when, in August, 300,000 users reportedly deserted following a comment by co-owner Orascom’s CEO, Naguib Sawiris, which was perceived as insulting Islam. (Echoes of the Danish cartoon, perhaps?)

“If anything, the Arab Spring has liberated the judgmental side of people,” Dimachkie

40 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 Cover story.indd 40

10/26/11 3:49 PM

COVER STORY

Mixed messages: Mobinil’s airport campaign in Cairo attracted some criticism

Consumers are taking control of the marketing conversation and becoming increasingly active and participative points out. It will be interesting to see if Mobinil’s new project to create 100,000 new jobs will help it redeem itself. CSR now seems to be a temporary default tactic as brands scramble to align themselves with the reconstruction effort.

Don’t shoot the messenger Media, too, is in the consumer firing line.

The impact of social media has been well-documented and largely emerged the hero. But what of traditional media, particularly the bastions of state-owned institutions so closely associated with the old regimes?

Asked if lurking mistrust persists, Mindshare’s Amin is unequivocal.

“I’m not sure about other revolution countries, however in Egypt, definitely.

Egyptian TV especially has been the biggest loser in this media frenzy post-revolution.

“Egyptians still consider Egyptian TV as pro old regime, and things will never change. The proof was Ramadan where Egyptian TV practically had absolutely no advertisers during the entire month.”

Many consumers, it seems, perceive state-owned media as pro-army and government.

“Some government newspapers are trying to stir themselves away from all this, but they are having such a hard time doing so, as they still get directives from the army of what to and what not to say, which is not sitting well with the Egyptian population.”

Miriam Amir, senior brand manager, Novartis Consumer Health Egypt, agrees.“I believe consumers think of state-owned organisations as lacking credibility and integrity, even during the transitional phase.”

RETHINK

Tactics: Tag Brand’s Joe Moufarrej

Preparation: JWT’s Hubert Boulos

Leo Burnett’s Dimachkie is equally forthright, saying established media has lost its status as the be-all and end-all avenue for information and entertainment.

“Today, it occupies a marginal role in people’s lives – and rightly so, I might add,” he says.

Half-year figures from PARC show that Egypt, Mena’s top-spending market in 2010, has slipped to fourth place.

The upshot, says Amin, is the bigger brands have taken a more cautious and studied approach relying more on ... yep, you guessed it, CSR. “Many of the major advertisers have taken a more social responsibility route.”

What next?

By now, of course, the shock has worn off and brands – like everything and everyone else – are tiptoeing through the transition phase.

Says Cardwell: “In times of war we define ourselves by nations, tribes, beliefs. In more tranquil times we have the luxury of using brands to tell the world who we are. That is the phase we are moving into now.”

Relatively conservative advertising that reflected the status quo will gradually surrender to young consumers who are a lot more demanding than they have previously been given credit for, he says.

“And, if they are not satisfied they will

42 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 Cover story.indd 42

10/26/11 3:49 PM

COVER STORY

Spreading the word: Vodafone’s ambitious literacy campaign

Real influencers are ordinary people who now have the platform to be heard. ensure they spread the message.”

The time for brands to tread with caution is ending. Consumers expect more affirmative action.

Brands, says Dimachkie: “Quite simply need to: reinvent themselves; rethink the role they play in people’s lives and how relevant and useful they are to them.

“Utility is one area, but so is transparency and owning up to their actions. Just as individuals are judged by the consistency between word and deed, and more so deed than word, so are brands and media being increasingly viewed and judged.”

Al Rahji’s Jehangir advises re-alignment of communications strategies to embrace more digital.

“Brands, he says, “will have to explore unchartered territory to gain a competitive advantage.

Marketing needs to become more meaningful and real, warns SMG Dubai’s Mohit Lodha.

“Consumers are taking control of the marketing conversation and becoming increasingly active and participative.

Marketers need to acknowledge this and embrace co-creation.”

He cites Al Jazeera’s Stream as a great example of co-creation, but the need of the hour, as it puts it, is to be more meaningful and real and appeal to consumer’s deep-rooted needs.

Consumers, reminds Jehangir, want to be heard and be part of the communication.

“Real influencers are ordinary people who now have the platform to be heard.”

The stark reality, however, is that people in Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain, Syria, Libya and Yemen are preoccupied with more pressing issues. Safety, security, rising unemployment and prices are top of their minds.

“People are still consuming the same brands, with a careful eye on expenses, and are more focused and concerned with the overall general politics,” says Amin.

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, many consumers will trade down and the gap between rich and poor, connected and unconnected, will widen, leaving room for the middle classes to expand.

“Companies will increasingly be competing in the middle ground, where the price/quality equation will grow in importance,” says its editorial director, Philip McCrum.

Tectonic shifts in geo-political relations are, in reality, unlikely to deeply impact brand association to any great extent.

“Egyptians or Saudis or Yemenis may well be wary of the US, for example, but they are savvy enough to differentiate between political and cultural trends.

“Powerful brands, such as Coca-Cola and Marlboro, will remain aspirational.

However, those brands which are seen to stray too closely to the political sphere, may face a consumer backlash,” he adds.

Boulos agrees, saying the main priority is improving society.

“The Arab Spring is much bigger than brands; people have died over it,” he adds.

He goes on to say how Arab consumers are far more advanced than we like to think, “and the Arab Spring just proved it from a political and societal perspective.

“Brands are not necessarily in the front line right now as there are more pressing issues, but they will be and they’d better n be prepared.”

44 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 Cover story.indd 44

10/26/11 3:49 PM

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Etisalat wanted to engage with business professionals always on the move.

Yahoo! Maktoob enabled them to specifically target interested and relevant customers using advanced Behavioral Targeting technology which delivered a click through rate (CTR)* 15x greater than industry standards.

That’s the power of Yahoo! Maktoob.

See what Yahoo! Maktoob can do for your brand at advertising.maktoob.com or email us at: advertise.me@yahoo-inc.com *CTRs of this magnitude are generally reserved for bold rich media campaigns, home page takeovers or overlay ads.

SCIENCE + ART + SCALE

TM

© Reuters

COVER STORY

Get ready

There’s a lot left to do before Libya is ready for business.

As the Arab region moves through challenging times, it is inevitable that countries such as Libya will be open for business fairly soon.

Freedom was the trigger for the Arab Spring and it is that same freedom that will open a fresh stream of investments.

For the first time, people of nations such as Libya have freedom of choice – something they were deprived of in the past.

Libya opens up to the region and the west, it seems the NTC has frozen company licensing laws applied under Gaddafi’s regime.

Clearance is being granted to service companies in the meantime on a case-by-case basis. Further reform is needed before new laws are in place.

With this, we expect investors to be storming the country in search of virgin markets. It must be borne in mind that this market is much more complex given that it is a tribal society and, in some parts, very conservative.

The market there is still so raw there is no demographic or psychographic evaluation, leaving any potential investor with the burden of studying the socio-economics of this new prospect.

Companies looking to invest in Libya have to familiarise themselves with the local culture and learn to speak their language as most of the people do not speak foreign languages.

Unlike Libyans, Tunisians and Egyptians were much more exposed to different brands and global investment and are now the main routes into the country.

Businessmen and entrepreneurs in Egypt and Tunisia continue to capitalise on their close proximity and access to optimise their business opportunities in Libya where there is a major lack of local production.

As far as brands are concerned, like Iran and other high-sanction countries, Libya has its fair share of modified brands such as Morada, instead of Mirinda, however the days of consumerism are just around

the corner for this fertile market where Mango is considered a high-end clothing brand and malls are a fraction of their GCC counterparts. Tripoli remains one of the most modern cities in Libya where women are more liberal than in other parts. In spite of Libya being one of the wealthiest oil-rich countries in the world, our sources in Libya tell us that during the Gaddafi regime, simple things were banned, such as T-shirts with any foreign letters and wording on them. soon they will be welcoming a variety of international brands, let alone T-shirts.

What is called for now is all of us in the Arab world to generate positive growth for this nation and its people who, unlike any other in the Arab world, have been totally deprived of everything, including basic interaction and trade with the outside world.

Our experience in Libya proved to be much more effective when involving Libyans; this is one country where respect for

46 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 Cover story.indd 46

10/26/11 3:49 PM

© Corbis

COVER STORY

Staking a claim: Socially responsible companies should give Libya special consideration

…this is one country where respect for society and local talent goes a very long way… society and local talent goes a very long way, and so employing Libyans, especially youth, has been an integral tool for our success in that region. As one would expect, they welcome the opportunity to generate income and they have an innate business sense.

With numerous investors and entrepreneurs looking to seize every opportunity they can find to make a quick buck out of the current situation, we have not yet seen any long-term plans to empower the people. One can only hope that time will make way for socially responsible corporations and entrepreneurs who will allocate special attention towards nurturing and developing the people, as well as their investments.

There is major room for growth in every single sector imaginable however; this has to be implemented in hand with education, health, infrastructure, airports, construction even media – a sector heavily controlled in the past. Even though this will take a

bit longer to develop, the hospitality and tourism sector will probably be the most lucrative of all with tremendous room for growth, especially for a country with great weather and some of the most beautiful beaches on the continent across the waters from Italy, France and Spain.

All of these components are pivotal to upgrading Libyan consumers and empowering them to become more knowledgeable and capable of leading their country into the next phase.

When looking at the region prospects for growth are much more promising in Libya than in other parts, thanks to its natural wealth of resources. Syria and Yemen can also benefit from Arab investments once they stabilise however; these are regions that will require much longer to develop given their complex political status.

Amid the Arab Spring, the people whose voices have been empowered ought to be aware that in the absence of vision and unification, these voices can halt the

economy of their countries. Look at Egypt, for example, where doctors and teachers went on strike leaving the burden to others.

The Spring should fuel an avalanche of positive change and progress to create better circumstances. The euphoria stemming from collapsing regimes should motivate people to start rebuilding from the destruction wrought of the failing regimes that dominated their worlds and infested their nations with corruption.

Even though all parties in Libya agreed on the NTC leadership, there is still opposition, which could be channelled towards infrastructure improvements as long as the objective remains to develop the country.

It will all boil down to effective leadership.

At this stage any investment in Libya will have a positive impact on its people who, almost overnight, broke free from chains that controlled every aspect of their lives including what they wore, ate and drank.

Having worked with Libyans first hand, it has been overwhelming to watch as they took in freedom, and it is obvious they are now intent and ready on exploring every opportunity with which they are presented. My hope is that sound judgment is at the forefront – more so on the investor’s side – than the Libyans.

With such a blank page there is plenty of room for a renewed Arab spirit intent on enhancing opportunities for all and contributing positively to our entire region, one citizen at a time.

Overall, our entire region is affected and Arab consumer dynamics are changing dramatically. Ultimately, this region needs more stability but, in the meantime, we can all contribute towards laying the right foundation for growth.

If profit is the main goal, it is pleasing to know that a more empowered and educated consumer is a more capable consumer – a definite win-win situation for all. n

Nisreen Sadek, news projects manager, Al Aan TV

48 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 Cover story.indd 48

10/26/11 3:49 PM

27960adv GMR280x215 10/10/2011 10:17 Page 1

.

Profile

52 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 Yusuf Profile.indd 52

10/26/11 3:44 PM

The GMR Interview

Putting marketing at the centre of Al Rahji’s business is paying dividends for the Saudi bank, says head of marketing Yusuf Jehangir.

Alex Malouf reports from Riyadh.

Time has flown for Yusuf Jehangir, Al Rajhi Bank’s head of marketing and corporate communications. The man who heads up marketing for the largest shari’a-compliant bank in Saudi Arabia, and possibly the Gulf, has spent four years in Riyadh.

He admits that he loves the opportunities and challenges of being at the helm of a Saudi institution.

“Marketing can often be perceived here as a bolt-on, an afterthought. The product guys develop the product, do the pricing and then finally come to the marketing people to develop a campaign. The real opportunity we have as marketers in the region is to take more of a customer centric end-to-end ownership strategy. For example, when developing campaigns, starting with customer insight and analytics as the foundation for developing a concept, testing the concept, and then ensuring the ROI mindset is in place to track and monitor campaign success” explains Jehangir.

With mor than 3.5 million customers in Saudi Arabia and operations in Malaysia, Kuwait and Jordan, Al Rajhi Bank is one

of the world’s best known Islamic banking brands. The focus is still very much on the Saudi consumer, however.

“The international operations started in Malaysia several years back. We now have 23 branches in Malaysia. Over the past fantasy cv Born 1967 London, the UK Marital status Married to Beata with 3 girls: Mariam, Zahra and Hana Higher education Bsc, Msc, MBA First job Brand manager, Unilever Career high Coming to Riyadh as it’s a chance to make a difference with the biggest bank in Saudi Arabia.

Career low Coming to Riyadh. Because it is a real challenge. We don’t get everything in life, there’s always a trade-off, so for me I’ve had to trade off this great professional opportunity which I am so grateful against what it means for everyday life. It’s a real high and low.

Fantasy job Doing what I do on an even larger scale.

12 months we have opened a branch in Kuwait; in Jordan we currently have two branches in Amman. In terms of significance, Saudi is well over the 80/20 rule. Al Rajhi is still predominately a Saudi brand.”

One of Jehangir’s long-term goals is to shift the traditional perception or marketing from business support to business driver (revenue generating). While he has a sizable marketing budget of $10m to $15m, his concern is to demonstrate to executives how marketing can deliver additional business.

“There is a challenge in terms of shifting this idea that marketing is a cost. While this is not a simple exercise, developing a single view of the customer and showing through a “show-and-tell” mindset can definitely help put marketing in the driver’s seat when it comes to business strategy. Over the past couple of years we have introduced analytics into the business, in simple terms, developing a long term view of your customer’s profitability and ensuring all different aspects of customer VOC are captured in a single view.

November 2011 Gulf Marketing Review 53

00-GMR 202 Yusuf Profile.indd 53

10/26/11 3:44 PM

Profile

Winning streak: Saudi’s Al Rajhi Bank was named the most outstanding Islamic Bank at the Kuala Lumpur Islamic Finance Forum 2010

List of marketing support agencies Advertising (Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia) WOM Communications Media MediaCom PR Asda’a and TRACCS Digital Ethos Company creds Founded in 1957, Al Rajhi Bank is one of the largest Islamic banks in the world with total assets of SAR184bn ($49bn), a paid-up capital of $4bn and more than 7,500 employees.

With more than 50 years’ experience in banking and trading activities, the various individual establishments under the Al Rajhi name were merged into the umbrella ‘Al Rajhi Trading and Exchange Corporation’ in 1978; and in 1988 the bank was established as a Saudi share holding company. Deeply rooted in Islamic banking principles, the shari’acompliant banking group is instrumental in bridging the gap between modern financial demands and intrinsic values, while spearheading numerous industry standards and development. With an established base in Riyadh, Al Rajhi Bank has a network of more than 466 branches; 100 dedicated ladies’ branches; 2,750 ATMs, 21,000 POS terminals installed with merchants, and the largest customer base of any bank in the kingdom, in addition to 130 remittance centers across Saudi Arabia. Al Rajhi Bank is also present in Malaysia, Kuwait and Jordan.

“The approach doesn’t have to be complicated: start by mining your database, looking for customers with similar demographic and behavioural tendancies and developed targeted campaigns which can be tracked, monitored and learnings fed back to enhance the customer model.

“By using channels such as SMS, email and outbound calls, we have been able to demonstrate that we can get a much better return in terms of the bank’s campaigns.

We have been able to show that we can bring incremental revenue at very low costs. I think that has started to shift the mindset of what marketing is as well.

These challenges are there every minute of every day. And that is what makes the job interesting here.”

The second frontier that all marketers face is online. The brave new online world requires a strong risk appetite, since testing and learning is an important ingredient to online growth says Jehangir.

“In the past year alone we have successfully launched several online initiatives including: ladies painting, tell us your financing needs, and e-greeting cards.

All of which have been a great learning ground, but have ultimately enabled the brand to shift from one-way communication to taking on the role of a facilitator and catalyst for customers to engage.”

Jehangir, who describes himself as results-oriented admits he can be a tough boss. However, he’s also not afraid to get his hands dirty.

“I am demanding, but I am fair. I don’t ask anyone to do anything that I would not do myself, but I don’t want people to mess around. I’m not in Riyadh to see the sights, so work is my priority. I’m demanding but fair.”

Taking up the position of marketing head at Al Rajhi marked a dramatic shift for Jehangir, whose previous roles included marketing director at General Electric, international marketing and product development director at American Express, and brand manager at Unilever.

The process of offering Jehangir the job in Riyadh was completed in three weeks.

54 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 Yusuf Profile.indd 54

10/26/11 3:44 PM

Profile

Drawing in the crowds: Al Rajhi Bank’s ladies painting competition is in its second year

Marketing can often be perceived here as a bolt-on, an afterthought.

“I had only just been in my role at GE for two years, having returned to London from New York, and I got a call from this headhunter who said there’s an amazing opportunity to head up one of the largest banks in Saudi Arabia. I thought it was a crank call. I met with the consultant, we went for lunch and I agreed with the family that the time was right to move, especially since I have family in the region. I saw it as a great chance to head up marketing in a bank and I have always believed that opportunities exist when you go against the herd.”

The move has been a win-win for both Jehangir and Al Rajhi Bank, which has won a glut of marketing awards since his arrival. The bank has benefited from his results-oriented approach and determination to put marketing at the heart of the bank’s product offerings.

There’s still more that he would like to focus on, however, including building the analytics function and online engagement

which will help penetrate youth and female segments, both critical for the future of the kingdom.

“We’re always looking to improve our retail services. One example is issuing a loan in 30 minutes. Al Rajhi is the first bank in Saudi to be able to issue an instant debit card. This is no small feat for a bank anywhere in the world, let alone Saudi Arabia.

“There are lots of products and enhancements taking place, but we are trying to keep an eye on the future, on Saudi society, on youth and females. Over the past year we have looked to up our engagement with Saudi women. We have started the ladies painting competition which is now in its second year. We now have a quarterly bilingual newsletter. I was recently looking at some of the results from our quarterly brand index. Over the past two years when we asked ‘how likely are you to recommend Al Rajhi to friends and family’ the biggest improvement is in

the female sector. I am not making a 100 per cent direct correlation between what we have done and these results, but it is the first time that we have gone out there and engaged with female sector and the business metrics are improving,” he says.

“All of us in marketing and branding have to look forward and ask what our market will look like in the next five, 10 years? No one has a crystal ball, but it’s a fairly good bet that the female segment will play an increasingly important role, along with the changing psyche of the Saudi consumer.”

This, he says, relates to the fact that consumers are trusting traditional advertising less and relying more heavily on peer group endorsement.

This is even significant in Saudi Arabia due to the social constraints and a high penetration of mobile and online devices ,he adds.

“Ultimately there is little differentiation when it comes to financial services products, and the perception of the brand becomes paramount in ensuring the bank is number one in terms of top-of-mind n awareness and consideration set.”

56 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 Yusuf Profile.indd 56

10/26/11 3:44 PM

20 11

gemas

mena

Celebrating the most effective marketing communication campaigns of the year, the GEMAS Effie Mena Awards is a must-attend event for those in the business.

The GEMAS Effie MEnA Awards Gala Dinner 2011 will take place on Thursday, november 24, to the Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai.

BE pArT of ThE CElEBrATion. Book your SEAT ToDAy EMAil: GEMASEffiE@MEDiAquESTCorp.CoM / wEBSiTE: www.GEMASEffiE.CoM Sponsors Main

Strategic

Category

A Mediaquest Corp. Event EffiE® and “E Logo” arE rEgistErEd tradEmarks of EffiE WorLdWidE, inc. and arE usEd undEr LicEnsE by mEdiaquEst corp. aLL rights rEsErvEd.

© Photolibrary

MArketing

Red alert

As the global economy gradually recovers from the credit crunch, are GCC banks heading straight into another crisis?

To say that public confidence in the banking industry is at a low point would be one of the great understatements of the year. Whether fuelled by political anger or personal economic suffering, many people have felt badly let down by the financial world. In fact, the image of the banking community has suffered hugely since the collapse of Lehman Brothers back in 2008.

As the economy now slowly recovers from the economic downturn, GCC customers are expecting to receive a better service from their banks straight away. If disappointed, they will change banks without hesitation. Confidence and loyalty, already weakened by the effects of the recession and credit crisis, will be abandoned in pursuit of immediate benefits. Any customer analysing their account, and spotting better terms with a different bank, credit card company

or financial service provider, will almost certainly move at once.

And, as the economy recovers, an already-crowded market will see new entrants arrive in the financial services arena, offering attractive introductory deals to entice customers away from established providers.

A study this year by Ernst & Young – Retail Banking in the GCC: Competing for Customers – contains the frightening statistic that 25 per cent of GCC retail banking customers plan to switch banks by the end of 2011.

A new form of banking crisis is on the horizon.

Banks need to now act fast to engage with their customers or risk losing them for a very long time, if not forever. Winning back lost customers takes an awful lot of time – and money. Handled intelligently, retaining customers can be far

less demanding. (The scope for long-term loyalty, incidentally, is one reason why Middle East banks should be thinking hard about services aimed at children, which is an area frequently overlooked in the region.)

Banks must seek to provide targeted, consistent benefits and rewards to their customers in many areas of their lives, not just financial services. A long-term, profitable relationship will then follow, through which the bank gains both customer loyalty and incremental revenues.

New customers might also follow. The Ernst & Young study quotes Salmaan Jaffery, the company’s MENA financial services retail banking sector leader, saying: “Banks have an opportunity to take advantage of GCC customer propensity to recommend their bank, especially when satisfied. Banks should view advocates as a source of highly-profitable revenue.”

58 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 Marketing Howell.indd 58

10/26/11 3:42 PM

MArketing

Coming together: Online shopping and rewards programmes can join online merchants globally

Unless banks move quickly to improve their engagement with customers, they will leave for short-term gain In the past, traditional reward programmes have often been expensive to set up and run, so banks and credit card companies are looking for new, innovative options. Capitalising on the proven and growing popularity of online shopping is a particularly strong route to customer retention.

(Surveys by MasterCard recorded a rise in the number of people shopping online in the UAE from 29 per cent of respondents in 2009 to 42 per cent in 2010.)

An online shopping and rewards programme, for example, can bring together thousands of diverse online merchants globally, so that each time a customer makes a purchase through the portal on the bank’s website – buying anything he or she wants from one of the third-party retailers – that customer earns cashback into their bank account.

Alternatively, a programme used by many banks to generate revenue and reduce churn is the added-value account (AVA), such as Barclays Premier in the

UK, where customers are offered packages of benefits for an additional monthly or annual fee.

These benefits include everything from home and mobile insurance to improved interest rates, personal finance managers and identity theft protection. The combination of benefits is offered at a price cheaper than that directly available to customers were they to purchase these benefits themselves separately.

Another good example of inventive banking here in the Middle East, is the Riyad Bank Hassad credit card reward programme in Saudi Arabia. Perhaps the most impressive innovation within this programme is the fact the customer reward voucher is delivered quickly and efficiently through an ATM. The ATM prints the voucher, which is then available for immediate use and accepted by merchants as payment.

The Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank’s TouchPoints programme is also another great example. Customers are rewarded

for every touchpoint of their relationship with the bank, from retail purchases on cards to investment products and loans.

The programme, therefore, recognises every type of relationship the customer holds with the bank, ensuring consistent customer engagement, which is so vital in securing long-term loyalty.

Sustainable solutions are the key to sustainable revenues. Short, one-off campaigns tend to involve costly marketing activities and produce short, one-off results. Rewardsbased programmes and subscription-based membership programmes, however, can build long-term relationships and be seamlessly integrated into a financial service provider’s existing website.

Unless banks move quickly to improve their engagement with customers, they will leave for short-term gain – and never come back. The horrors of the recession are still fresh in people’s memories and yet many banks are on the verge of plunging into another crisis. Have they even spotted the danger ahead? n

George Wilson-Howell Head of planning & business development, Collison Latitude, Dubai

60 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 Marketing Howell.indd 60

10/26/11 3:42 PM

get your country’s latest sports news anywhere, anytime

only on eurosport.anayou.com

Visit the site and select your country to get direct access to the top stories making national news back home.

Be it in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco or Tunisia, anayou Eurosport brings you the best of national and international sports.

With live coverage in Arabic and French, anayou Eurosport is the premium online and mobile sports destination across the Middle East and North Africa.

To advertise and reach 25-45 year old males with available income, contact us at +971 4 390 1161 or email sales@mediaquestcorp.com

S E C T O R A N A LY S I S

w

AUTOMOTIVE The region’s automotive industry seems to be in the driving seat when it comes to business, hoping to gain ground in 2012.

Frankfurt roundup 62 Bonus bounty 70 UAE overview 72 Luxury autos 74 Consumer trends 76 Green on amber 78 Sekari top search brands 86 Arab Spring blocks ad spend 88 Parc ad spend stats 94

NEXT MONTH DOMESTIC APPLIANCES

WILL THE RUBBER MEET THE ROAD?

Gautam Sharma toured the Frankfurt Motor Show to pick the concept cars most likely to make it into Mena showrooms.

Opel RAK e Just as Audi saw fit to roll out a puny electric micro-commuter via the Urban concept, so, too, did Opel, and its take on the theme was no less wacky. The insect-like two-seater RAK e weighs just 380kg and offers a range of 100km, top speed of 120km/h and sub-13sec 0-100km/split, but the icing on the cake is a claimed cost of just 1 euro for covering 100km. The tiny Opel’s offbeat design elements include an ultranarrow rear axle mounted in unit with a motorcyle-inspired swing arm, while its glass canopy tilts up and forward to enable entry and egress to the tandem

seats. The core structure of the car is made from high-strength steel, but the slinky bodywork is fabricated from an assortment of composite materials to minimise weight while preserving strength and rigidity. Electric microcars are usually quite nerdy, but we actually like this one. Ultra-cool and well executed.

Production prospects: Believe it or not, Opel is actually evaluating the RAK e’s production prospects, and it may eventually be offered for sale in some markets for around $15k

62 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 SA Lead 1 Frankfurt.indd 62

10/26/11 3:38 PM

November 2011 Gulf Marketing Review 63

00-GMR 202 SA Lead 1 Frankfurt.indd 63

10/26/11 3:38 PM

S E C T O R A N A LY S I S

Audi Urban Concept Seemingly plucked straight off the set of a sci-fi flick, the Audi Urban Concept was undoubtedly THE ‘wow’ car at the four-ringed brand’s elaborate Frankfurt pavilion. Access to the miniscule Urban is gained by sliding open the roof canopy and stepping over the high sills – much like you’d clamber into your bathtub.

Racecar-inspired pushrod suspension connects the towering 21-inch wheels to the aluminium/carbonfibre passenger cell, with wireless-rechargeable twin electric motors sending a modest 20bhp

and 47Nm to the rear hoops. The Urban’s novelties include staggered seating for two, a rear pullout drawer that serves as the luggage bay and a “roadster on demand” feature that merely involves leaving the canopy open. A clever piece of design, and very neatly executed.

BMW i8

Bugatti Veyron L’Or Blanc

Volkswagen Buggy Up!

The Bavarian showstopper also appears flight-of-fancy stuff, but it’s destined to be a showroom reality from 2014. Its slinky carbonfibre body cloaks a lightweight aluminium chassis and hybrid powertrain comprising a 168bhp electric motor powering the front axle and a 220bhp three-cylinder combustion engine driving the rear for (presumably) some tail-wagging fun.

A claimed sub-five-second 0-100km/h split puts it on par with a current M3, so it’s proof that sustainability isn’t necessarily code for dull-as-dishwater.

Tech highlights include laser lighting that offers 1000 times the intensity of LEDs and turns from blue to white – mirroring the colours on BMW’s roundel logo.

Porcelain on a car? Really? The notion of lacing a car’s bodywork and interior with porcelain sounds ludicrous in the first place, but when that car is a Bugatti Vevron the lunacy escalates to a whole new level. Conceived as yet another special edition as the 16-cylinder rocketship nears the end of its lifespan, the Veyron L’Or Blanc was conjured up in partnership with royal porcelain manufacturer Königliche Porzellan-Manufatur Berlin (KPM). Look closely and you’ll find porcelain everywhere… in the cabin, the badges, the air intakes, and even the bodywork features the stuff in a lairy ripple effect.

Yes, the beach-buggy thing has been done before, and Veedub itself inadvertently pioneered the genre as the air-cooled Beetle provided the engine for a number of California-designed beach-friendly contraptions in the 1960s. That said, the Buggy Up! is a neat reinterpretation and its name alone earns it a place in this list. The open-topped concept uses reinforced steel underpinnings borrowed from the Up! but it sits 20mm lower than the donor hatchback. It’s also longer and wider, providing a more stable platform for bouncing across the dunes.

It’s waterproof and there are drain holes to enable water from sodden wetsuits to flow out. The targa-style concept makes do without doors, while the removable roof is a ‘sail’ of sorts. Cool and funky.

Could carve itself a nice niche if VW were to build it.

Production prospects: Get set to see it parked alongside BeeEm’s mainstream line-up in showrooms from 2014.

Production prospects: Should be flushed down the toilet, but this one-off Bug is a roadworthy reality.

Production prospects: Near-zero, but Audi says lessons learnt from producing the concept will be applied to future models.

Production prospects: The basic hardware is all there, so in theory it’s doable…

64 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 SA Lead 1 Frankfurt.indd 64

10/26/11 3:39 PM

Maserati Kubang

Mansory Siracusa

Eterniti Hemera

There wouldn’t be anything particularly alarming about this SUV if it weren’t for the fact it was wearing the Maserati trident on its snout and haunches. How it drives will only be known in time (for what it’s worth, the company says the Jeep Grand Cherokee-based vehicle will have performance and handling befitting the brand thanks to Maserati-specific brakes, suspension and drivetrains), but we have to admit it looks better in the metal than it does in the pics. Yes, the proportions are more than a little similar to the Infiniti FX, but there’s enough uniqueness there to distinguish it from the horde. Whether the US-built Kubang helps Maser to achieve its impossibly lofty target of increasing global annual sales from 5000 units to 50,000 is another matter.

Sacrilege or masterpiece? One could argue that tampering with Ferrari’s sublime 458 is a hanging offence, however it’s fair to say the Mansory Siracusa isn’t nearly as bad as some of the German firm’s other offerings.

With an Enzo-style beak that’s claimed to boost engine cooling and generate extra downforce, the Siracusa also gains unique side skirts, a bespoke rear diffuser and a fixed wing. There’s more carbonfibre in the front fender vents and in the blades that replace the rear window. All in all, it saves up to 60kg weight. Meanwhile, a sports exhaust and optimised engine management boosts outputs to 582bhp and 560Nm, serving up a 3.2sec 0-100km/h split. Lowered suspension and 10-spoke rims (20-inchers at the front, 21s at the rear) complete the makeover.

A niche British purveyor of super-exclusive cars? There already seems a surfeit of these, most of which are largely unheard of outside of the UK. However, start-up venture Eterniti is set to join the ranks, and its first offering will be a Porsche Cayenne-based ‘Super SUV’, revealed in concept form at Frankfurt. Layered in bespoke carbonfibre body panels and packing a worked-over powetrain with as-yet-undisclosed outputs, the Hemera is tipped to cost a whopping $229,729 in the UK, almost twice that for a standard Cayenne Turbo. Eterniti plans other products in the future, but the question must be is whether there is a future at all for the fledgling company as this genre has already been tapped by the likes of Gemballa and TECHART.

Production prospects: On sale in 2013, adding further variety to the already burgeoning luxo-SUV segment.

Production prospects: On sale now, provided you’re sitting on a wallet that can double as a stool.

Production prospects: Allegedly due on sale next year, via a newly established network of showrooms/ateliers.

November 2011 Gulf Marketing Review 65

00-GMR 202 SA Lead 1 Frankfurt.indd 65

10/26/11 3:39 PM

S E C T O R A N A LY S I S

Cadillac Ciel After turning out some real barkers in the 1980s and ’90s, the premium American brand is now rediscovering its styling mojo, and there’s no better proof of this than the gargantuan Ciel concept. Although inspired by the 1970s Eldorado, the pillarless, open-topped concept is said to be a new interpretation of Cadillac’s ‘Art and Science’ design

language, and if future production models look half as good as this, we reckon they’re steering on the right track. The Ciel’s propulsion comes from a hybrid powertrain – comprising a twin-turbo 3.6-litre V6 and electric motor – that could conceivably be slotted into a future flagship. Surprise-and-delight features include pull-out bankets for

the three passengers, aromatherapy controlled from the rear armrest and a drawer containing sun lotion, sun glasses and towels.

Production prospects: Nosiree Bob… but expect some of its design elements to filter through to future Caddys.

Citroen Tubik It has shades of 1960s/70s Kombi about it, but the bull-nosed Tubik was in fact inspired

by Citroen’s TUB (Traction Utilitaire du type B) and Type H light vans dating back to 1939. About a foot wider and taller than a Toyota Tarago, the Tubik is billed as an “executive shuttle” (read: hotel/airport pickup). Seems to us it can fulfill a lot of other roles, as the “lounge-style cocoon” features seats that can fold down as a bed or swing around for a meeting. There’s also a giant semi-circular TV screen and high-definition surround sound, while the the driver – who is identified by a fingerprint recognition system – sits in a so-called ‘cyclotron’ that groups the seat, pedal assembly, steering wheel and head-up display. It’d make a great A-Team van, should there be a sequel to the 1980s TV series.

Production prospects: Citroen says it’s purely a concept, but it could provide a few clues to the replacement for the C8 eight-seater van.

66 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 SA Lead 1 Frankfurt.indd 66

10/26/11 3:39 PM

Width 21.5cm - Height 28 cm

Zee Aflam brings the magic of the movies to Arabia, all the way from Bollywood.

‫ﻣﺘﻮﻓﺮة ﻣﺠﺎﻧ ًﺎ ﻋﻠﻰ‬ ‫ ﺗﺮدد‬.‫ﻗﻤﺮ ﻧﺎﻳﻞ ﺳﺎت‬

S E C T O R A N A LY S I S

Peugeot HX1

Ford Evos One would hardly have picked Ford to conjure up one of the standout cars of the show, but the Evos elicited as much rubbernecking as just about anything else in any of the 11 cavernous halls at Messe Frankfurt. The double-gullwingdoored concept is said to be a pointer to the Kinetic 2.0 design language that will be adorned by the blue oval’s

Tall, frumpy and about as stylish as a pair of overalls. That’s the typical people-mover, but Peugeot’s vision for a 2020 MPV is way more palatable, as evidenced by the number of gawkers milling around the HX1. Just under 5m long and 2m wide, the Pug concept is no minnow, but its bulk is disguised by the fact it sits 265mm lower than the current 5008 7-seater. Featuring a quartet of scissor modular 4+2 seating, the HX1 throws out the MPV rulebook.

Novelties include a mini-bar and coffee machine mounted in centre console between

the rear seats. The cabin also features lashings of oak, brushed metal and leather trim. Propulsion for the full-size people hauler comes from a Hybrid4 drivetrain with a 204bhp 2.2-litre HDi turbodiesel powering the front wheels and a 94bhp electric motor with plug-in capability (a Peugeot first) driving the rear axle.

next-gen ‘One Ford’ global range of cars. Whatever its significance, the slinky Aston/Fisker-esque four-door coupe looked pretty damn sexy, and if this is a sign of what’s to come from the company, its future appears rosy. Hexagonal grille and laser-cut LED headlights are an indication of the new “face of Ford”, while clean, muscular proportions are also a portent

of what’s in store. High-tech hybrid drivetrain featuring an Atkinson-cycle petrol engine and lithium-ion powered electric motor rounds off a compelling concept.

Production prospects: Primarily a shockand-awe design study that showcases the most sophisticated version of Peugeot’s Hybrid4 drivetrain.

Production prospects: Ford says the Evos is purely a concept, but the fanciful UK press would like to believe it will spawn a modern-day Capri.

68 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 SA Lead 1 Frankfurt.indd 68

10/26/11 3:39 PM

Land Rover DC100 Sport Concept

Mercedes-Benz F125

Fisker Surf

How do you replace a vehicle that dates back to 1948? With great difficulty, seems the obvious answer. Go too far and you destroy an enduring formula, do too little and the exercise becomes pointless. The DC100 represented a creditable toe-in-thewater crack at a modern-day Defender, but it was the chop-top Sport version that proved more eye-catching than the mainstream ‘tool’ concept. With a speedster-style cut-down windscreen and a twin-humped fastback tonneau, it’s not too hard to imagine the DC100 Sport finding a favour among style-seeking, outdoorsy types. The DC100 Sport is an indicator Land Rover is looking beyond the largely utilitarian consumers that kept the Defender alive for 62 years. Just as the Evoque seems set to broaden Range Rover’s reach, this could do the same for Landy.

Laboratories are normally inhabited by brainiacs in white coats, but the Merc F125 is lab different. It’s a mobile test bed for the type of cutting-edge hydrogen fuel-cell driveline that could be slotted into future iterations of the S-Class – the ones that will surface after 2025. The F125 was conceived to house a hydrogen powertrain – rather than being based on a modified conventional platform – and it’s theoretically capable of a 0-100km/h split of 4.9sec and top whack of 220km/h, but the real clincher is a claimed touring range of 1000km. As for the exterior, there are some cues that will be mirrored on the 2013 S-Class and CL successor known as the S-Class Coupe. Access to the futuristic cabin is via huge gullwing doors, yet there are elements of the car’s rounded organic styling that hint at Benzes of the 1950s.

Intriguing, if not particularly pretty.

With more than a hint of Ferrari FF in its styling, the low-slung Surf is about as sexy as any four-door wagon could hope to be. Derived from the existing hybridpowered Karma sedan, the newcomer is billed as a greenie-friendly proposition that offers flexible load-carrying capability and unique proportions. Presumably pitched at well-heeled surfie types with an enviro conscience, the Surf is Fisker’s vision of “a crossover between a sports car and a station wagon”, and we’ve got to admit it looks the goods – undoubtedly better than even the Ferrari it mimics.

Production prospects: It may not materialise in this form, but there will be a

Production prospects: No way, it’s purely

Production prospects: According to Fisker, the Surf will be offered in all its markets around the world for the 2013 model year.

This article was originally published in AutoCar Middle East, October 2011. n

November 2011 Gulf Marketing Review 69

00-GMR 202 SA Lead 1 Frankfurt.indd 69

10/26/11 3:39 PM

S E C T O R A N A LY S I S

added extras

Design and tech enhancements are top trends among Mena locals.

UAE Yahoo! Maktoob Research has produced a qualitative report based on five Yahoo!

Arabic forums, regional auto online forums and other public community websites to better understand this segment’s needs and evolving trends.

The most valued cars are: Kia, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Toyota, Lexus, Nissan, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

The biggest leap forward this year, however, is the high demand for vehicles that are enhanced with advanced designs and technologies.

The chief factors that aid Mena consumers in obtaining the driving experience they want are: Staying in touch Drivers are expecting and demanding to be in touch with the outside world while in their cars. Therefore, they seek vehicles that have systems that make communications easier. One example is voice-activated navigation systems that cover route directions. Another is Bluetooth

capabilities that allow conversations to be held via a microphone and speakers in the vehicle, with “hands-free” also growing in popularity.

Feeling safe Everybody seems to be searching for automobiles aiming (or claiming) to produce higher levels of car safety, comfort and vehicle security, embodied in the advanced steering systems, airbags and/ or the vehicle stability control system.

Helping the environment What is also apparent is the public awareness of the environmental issues represented in the interest in the development of hybrid cars that are partially electrically driven or use biofuels (E85) as their energy source.

Saving money Consumers are looking for economic cars, but without compromising quality.

What’s more, they are looking at hybrid cars, not only for their environmental

friendliness, but also their economy and value. Electric power within the vehicle means batteries are lasting longer and do not require such a long recharging period – in fact most of the recharging is now done by other functions of the car.

Speed Finally, the demand for higher speed vessels is increasing.

In this fast-moving world, it is hard to keep up with the changing consumer trends and needs. And, even if some companies are able to spot trends, the challenge is how to apply those trends in their product strategies, as only then will they be able to excel and outperform their rivals. n

Yasmina Amara Market research manager, Yahoo! Maktoob Research

70 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

70-71 GMR 202 SA yahoo.indd 70

10/26/11 3:33 PM

SE C TO R A N AL Y SIS

Dazzling performance

Region’s automotive industry notches up a gear as it eyes 2012.

With auto sales in the region gaining pace, The upcoming Dubai Motor Show (November 10 to 14, 2011) is certain to draw in the crowds.

Expected announcements at the show from Nissan, Audi, and Bentley are also helping to fuel the increasing optimisim regarding the future of the region’s auto industry.

Rolls-Royce has been besieged with customers recently. Last year it sold 2,711 cars globally, and this year it is looking at a 100 per cent year-on-year hike in sales.

Dr Joerg Breuer, managing director of BMW Group Middle East, says BMW is increasing sales. But, more importantly, it is selling all of its ‘good stuff’, such as its 7 series and other luxury offerings. This is great news for the company, because all of the profit is at the premium end of its market.

Porsche has also increased its sales; customer deliveries have risen by 37.5

per cent; its biggest-selling model being the Cayenne – a massive SUV. In fact, more than 50 per cent of Porsche sales are large SUVs, with another 25 per cent being the very expensive and profitable Panamera, a four-door saloon.

So things are great at the luxury end of the market, but what about the mid and low sectors?

“September capped an outstanding 12 months for GM Middle East,” said John Stadwick, president and managing director of General Motors Middle East Operations.

The strong performance in September represents the 12th consecutive month of double-digit sales growth for the company.

Across at Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac, sales of SUVs rose by 30 per cent during the third quarter of 2011.

The Chevrolet Tahoe and the Cadillac Escalade were the best performing SUVs during that period, with sales growth of 46 per cent and 36 per cent respectively.

Over in the UK, however, business is not as encouraging.

According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT): “UK car sales are likely to be flat next year after lacklustre figures for the key buying month of September crushed hopes of a strong recovery in 2012.”

Not just that. The SSMT goes on to say: “The top 10 vehicles also appear to reflect bad times on the road, as well as the high street, with the Ford Fiesta and Focus – both economical mass-market hatchbacks – the topselling brands.”

Here in the UAE more people are buying luxury cars than in the UK, where they are buying cheaper models, at a lesser rate.

So, how does 2012 look for the region’s car sector? It is certainly starting to move in the right direction. Let’s hope it’s a n clear road ahead.

72 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

GMR 202 SA UAE Review.indd 72

10/26/11 3:31 PM

S E C T O R ANA L Y S I S

Affluence ahead

Sales of luxury motors in the UAE are pulling out in front.

If any proof is needed that luxury autos are the most important market segment in the UAE then, consider this.

Porsche is principally known for the excellent 911 and has made it since the mid 1960s. But mention the 911 to most Emiratis and they will look slightly puzzled. Why? Well, because 56 per cent of Porsche sales in the region are for the Porsche Cayenne. And a further 26 per cent of its sales are given over to the Porsche Panamera. Only 10 per cent or so of the volume is taken up with the 911 and the Boxter. So, a quarter of all the cars they sell are retailing for $190,500 or so.

So how is Porsche doing? Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE has just released its best month ever (August) delivery figures in the subsidiary’s 12-year history.

How about BMW? “The Middle East is an important growth market for the BMW Group. Customers are discerning and have an appreciation and desire to buy into strong luxury brands that offer status and the very best in quality”. This quote comes from Dr Joerg Breuer, MD of BMW Middle East.

He adds: “As a result, it’s our top-of-therange models, which include the flagship BMW 7 Series, BMW X6, X5 and BMW 5 Series that continue to be our best selling models in the Middle East. This, coupled with a January to August 2011 sales increase of 13 per cent proves that people are still in the market to buy expensive luxury premium products“.

And it’s not only the new car market which is booming.

The second-hand car market in the UAE is registering annual sales of 100,000 units, and is worth a total of US$1.5bn.

UAE-based Arabian Automobiles, the exclusive vehicle dealer for Japanese automaker Nissan, registered a 40 per cent increase in its second-hand car sales in 2010. And the one thing that is sure to Trading up

Discerning: DrJoerg Breuer MD of BMW Middle East

drive new car sales is a strong secondhand market because the financial gap between current car consumers own and the one they most likely want, is smaller.

Another strong potential growth driver is that both Maserati and Bentley have announced new four-wheel drive models, and this will surely persuade those currently making do with available models to trade up. One can only wonder about a Bentley SUV, but it may well have the same drive train as the VW Touareg.

New information about the purchasing habits of UAE consumers is also being uncovered. According to the New Vehicle Buyer Survey, 66 per cent of all new car purchases in the UAE are by consumers between aged 18 to 29 years. And firsttime buyers make up 61 per cent of all new car sales, due largely to the young demographic profile of the UAE as a whole.

That said, the luxury segment is still strong. Since its launch in 2003, Porsche Middle East and Africa has sold more than 24,000 vehicles, which is a lot of Porsches.

So there you have it. Consumers are buying younger, trading up and spending more on luxury cars. n

74 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

74-75 GMR 202 SA Luxury.indd 74

10/26/11 3:29 PM

Book early to save

28 – 30 November 2011, The Address, Dubai Marina, UAE

The Middle East’s largest gathering of leading regional and international brands Hear from over 50 leading brands on their CRM strategies to capture and convert customer knowledge into new revenue opportunities Find out how to turn your customers into brand advocates Learn how to build customer trust. Don Peppers leads an exclusive Master Class on why social media will revolutionize business and how you can deal with it Understand the business case for investing in social media to turn honest customer feedback into profitable business decisions Everything you need to know about how to maximize customer retention, CRM and customer experience at the region’s leading customer conference

www.terrapinn.com/csmena Headline sponsors:

Gold sponsors:

Strategic media partner:

Outsourcing partner:

Produced by:

Customer Show ME 2011 AD 215-280.indd 1

9/20/11 12:28 PM

S EC T O R A N A L Y S I S

ROAD TO recovery

© arabianeye

Public sector windfalls help lift sales in faltering GCC auto sector.

Impulse purchase: Unexpected salary hikes led to increased sales in the auto sector

The car industry suffered a number of blows in 2011. For years, if you believe the conservationists, cars have been raising the Earth’s temperature and damaging the environment.

Then this year’s floods in Japan caused the flow of Japanese cars and spares to dwindle to almost nothing.

It’s Nature 1, Cars 0.

But nothing is as resilient as the auto industry and a number of other factors have rallied to help it back on the road to recovery.

Firstly Kuwait had several celebrations this year called 50–20–5 to mark 50 years of Kuwait as a country, 20 years since the invasion by Iraq, and five years under highly popular leader, Sheikh Al-Sabah’s rule.

To celebrate this, each citizen aged three weeks-plus was awarded the sum of $78,955. One man reportedly picked up more than $217,800. What was this money spent on? Cars.

And this car-buying bounty has sprung from some unlikely sources. The recent unrest in Oman led to a loosening of the fiscal reins which filtered down to the population in the form of better conditions and pay. The result is a rash of new vehicles in Oman, and waiting lists for some models, including Volkswagens.

A timely launch, then, from the Zubair Automotive Group, which recently launched the new three-wheel Can-Am Spyder Roadster to the Sultanate.

Commenting on the launch, Naveen Sudhakaran, brand manager, BRP at Zubair, fuelling growth

Outstanding: John Stadwick, president and MD, GM Middle East Operations

says: “Although technically classified as a motorcycle this is truly a roadster vehicle as it gives owners the performance of a two wheel motorcycle but with much of the peace of mind of a convertible sports car.”

Prices range from $21,800 to $34,500.

In June the UAE’s Emirates NBD announced plans to cut interest rates on all of its auto loans. The bank said the rate reductions would apply to all loan categories for purchases of both new and used vehicles.

The UAE is one of the most stable Mena markets. Galadari Automobiles GM, Axel Dreyer, distributors of Mazda, points out that “Mazda Japan recovered very quickly from the Japanese disaster and therefore had no supply problems”. He is optimistic about sales for H2.

General Motors was even more buoyant.

“June capped an outstanding performance in the first half of 2011 in the Middle East. Our newest models are fuelling the impressive growth of our retail sales across the region,” said John Stadwick, president and managing director of GM Middle East Operations. June solidified a successful first half with monthly sales growth of 27 per cent.

There is no doubt that the UAE car market will fluctuate. Currently market share for Japanese cars has fallen from 72 per cent to 70 per cent, and there is a strong growth in Korean vehicles.

But the overall trend is that the recent political unrest, the Japanese disaster and other factors are only blips on the radar.

Overall in a strong economy where wealth is largely based on oil, the automobile will attract a strong buying public.

Ultimately it is hoped the unrest will lead to increased wealth and security for its inhabitants, and in this part of the world, at least, that will translate to car sales. n

76 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

GMR 202 SA disater sales.indd 76

10/26/11 3:27 PM

Pr ww e R w. egi ipe st xm er N e.c ow NOW IN THE MIDDLE EAST om

14 -16 November 2011 Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, UAE

International Trade Show for Digital Technology in Commercial and Large Format Printing

Dedicated focus on DIGITAL technology in

Commercial Printing | Wide/Large Format Printing | Transpromo Finishing Devices | Direct Mail | Web to Print Technologies

For more information Call us on +9714 407 2737 or Email us at ipex@iirme.com

Gold sponsor

Silver Sponsor

Official Online Media

Strategic Media Partner

Supporting Media Partners

Middle East Print Communication Magazine

Organised by:

www.ipexme.com

Online Media Partners

Media Partners

© Getty/Gallo Images

SE C T OR ANAL Y SIS

riding the Greenback

We all know it isn’t easy being green, but it seems twice as hard for drivers with a conscience.

The relationship between cars and the environmental conscience is a funny thing.

One, it varies by geographical location, and two, deep down we don’t take it all that seriously.

In Europe cars are evil monsters. Drive a Range Rover in London and you will be jeered at and possibly have your car vandalised. Then, when you arrive at the petrol pump, expect to pay approximately $325 to fill your tank. By the way, you will have paid approximately $81,000 to buy the car, and at least $16 an hour to park it. Then you pay $19 a day just to be in London, and $326 a year in road tax.

In Kuwait you would pay $24 to fill the same car, and nothing to park it.

You would also get subsidised insurance.

An average 18-year-old driver in the UK will pay approximately $3,270 a year for insuring a Toyota Yaris.

In Europe, a viable alternative to petrol is LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas), which costs half as much a litre and exempts you from paying to drive in London. The trouble is that there are fewer LPG refilling stations than petrol stations, so you find yourself constantly aware of your gauge and remaining miles. This adds extra worry to your journey and is more akin to flying an aeroplane than driving a car.

And therein lies the major problem with the potential saviour of the world – the electric car.

A recent press release reads: “Consumers across the globe expect electric vehicles (EVs) to be able to go farther, on less charge time, for a lower price than automakers are currently able to offer”. This is according to a new report from Deloitte Touche’.

Well, of course we are disappointed with the electric car.At the moment most electric cars will allow you to drive from Dubai to

Abu Dhabi, but not all of them will let you drive back. And, as you save the planet, knowing that you will have to recharge your car for eight hours, several six-litre cars will thunder past you at speed. So, you’re saving the world on your own.

Rolls-Royce recently brought an electric car to Dubai, and it was an excellent drive. Face facts, though, battery technology for autos has not reached the desired standard yet.

It’s similar to digital photography 10 years ago. We all know electric vehicles are going to come, but we want to be able to forget to charge our cars for several days and be back to full power in a couple of hours.

I recently came into the office to find two messages – one offering me the use of an electric car and the other a Porsche Panamera Turbo S. n I opted for the Porsche.

78 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

78-79 GMR 202 SA Greenback 1.indd 78

10/26/11 3:19 PM

UAE

SAUDI ARABIA

KUWAIT

OTHERS

MARKETING SPECIALIST

MARKETING MANAGER

MARKETING MANAGER

PR & MARKETING MANAGER

Qualification: Degree in Marketing Experience: 4-5 years Experience Skills: Strong communication skills Strong command of English Good computer literacy

Qualification: Degree in Marketing Experience: 5+ years Experience Skills: Strong analytical skills Strong communication skills Strong leadership skills

Qualification: Degree in Business Administration Experience: 8+ years Experience Skills: Strong command of English Strong leadership skills Strong analytical skills

Qualification: Degree in Marketing/PR/Engineering Experience: 2+ years Experience Skills: Strong team player Strong time management skills Strong organizational skills

Job Reference:JB1720767

Job Reference:JB1712627

Job Reference:JB1719201

Job Reference:JB1356323

BRAND /MARKETING MANAGER

MAKETING MGMT. CONSULTAN

MARKETING COMM. MANAGER

ONLINE MARKETING MANAGER

Qualification: Degree in Marketing Experience: 10+ years Experience Skills: Strong Strategic Thinker Strong command of English & Arabic Previous experience in similar position

Qualification: Degree in Marketing Experience: 10+ years Experience Skills: Strong communication skills Strong plannning skills Strong negotiation skills

Qualification: Degree in a relevant discipline Experience: 7+ year Experience Skills: Sales/Marketing related Technical Skills Strong command of English & Arabic Strong leadership skills

Qualification: Degree in Marketing Experience: 2+ year Experience Skills: Strong management skills Strong computer literacy Strong analytical skills

Job Reference:JB1719772

Job Reference:JB1716608

Job Reference:JB1717570

Job Reference: JB1716223

MARKETING EXECUTIVE

MARKETING MANAGER

PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER

E-MARKETING SPECIALIST

Qualification: Degree in Business/Marketing Experience: 1-2 years Experience Skills: Previous experience in Marketing Excellent communication skills Strong command of Arabic

Qualification: Degree in a relevant discipline Experience: 5+ years Experience Skills: Strong interpersonal skills Strong leadership skills Previous experience in a similar role

Qualification: Degree in PR/ Mass Comm.

Experience: 3+ years Experience Skills: Strong computer literacy Strong communication skills Strong command of Arabic & English

Qualification: Degree in Business Administration Experience: 3-5 years Experience Skills: Strong planning skills Strong analytical skills Strong organizational skills

Job Reference:JB1711405

Job Reference:JB1698821

Job Reference:JB1714943

Job Reference:JB1718164

SENIOR PR ACCOUNT DIRECTOR

TELE MARKETING EXECUTIVE

MARKETING COMM. MANAGER

TELEMARKETING EXECUTIVE

Qualification: Degree in a relevant discipline Experience: 8+ years Experience Skills: Strong command of English Previous expereince in PR Good team player

Qualification: Degree in a relevant discipline Experience: 2+ years Experience Skills: Strong communication skills Strong negotiation skills Strong Persuasive skills

Qualification: Degree in Business Management Experience: 8+ years Experience Skills: Experience sales & Marketing Strong communication skills Strong planning skills

Qualification: Degree in a relevant discipline Experience: 2+ years Experience Skills: Good persuasive skills Strong negotiation skills Strong communication skills

Job Reference:JB1719099

Job Reference:JB1661804

Job Reference:JB1714412

Job Reference:JB1718483

MARKETING MANAGER

MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE

PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER

MARKETING MANAGER

Qualification: Degree in a relevant discipline Experience: 5+ years Experience Skills: Strong planning skills Strong organizational skills High attention to details

Qualification: Degree in Marketing Experience: 7+ years Experience Skills: Strong analytical skills Strong communication skills Previous experience in similar position

Qualification: Degree in a relevant discipline Experience: 5+ years Experience Skills: Experiencein conducting a PR campaigns Strong communication skills Strong command of English & Arabic

Qualification: Degree in Marketing Experience: 5-6 years Experience Skills: Ability to solve problems Previous experience in a similar position Strong team playing skills

Job Reference:JB1716160

Job Reference:JB1708357

Job Reference:JB1717489

Nissan Middle East

HSA Group

Smith & Nephew

Fifth Ring

Al Fahim Group

Job Reference:JB1717496

SEDCO

Shahzad Training/Counsulting International

AL-Haddad Telecom

Global Knowledge

Consulting Center for Dermatology & Laser

Kuwait food company ( Americana )

S A D D A (Jordan)

First Resort Global Recruitment

The Regency Hotel

Abyat

Ali Abdulwahab Sons & Co

Atlas Interactive M.E. (Lebanon)

Regency Group Holding (Qatar)

Global Knowledge (Egypt)

Horizon Fitness LLC (Oman)

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

© Corbis

SE C T OR A N A L Y S I S

Switch off

Electric vehicles fail to turn on global consumers, says report.

Consumers expect electric vehicles (EVs) to be able to go farther, on less charge time, for a lower price than automakers are currently able to offer, according to a recent report from Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (DTTL) Global Manufacturing Industry group.

“Among the more than 13,000 consumers surveyed across the Americas, Asia, and Europe, there are more similarities in expectations on EVs in the areas of range, charge time, and purchase cost than one might think,” says Craig Giffi, DTTL Global Automotive sector leader.

“This can be valuable for automakers as they shape their plans to build EVs to appeal to consumers worldwide.

The real challenge, however, is meeting global consumer expectations, which is significantly different from the realities of what EVs can deliver today.”

For more than 85 per cent of the consumers surveyed, range, convenience to charge, and cost to charge were all extremely important or very important considerations for buying or leasing an EV. The study highlights a view of EV technologies today and, for example, analyzes the range capabilities of a selection of announced product introductions around the world through to 2013.

For most manufacturers, the driving range of pure EVs falls short of consumer expectations.

In most of the 17 countries included in the global study, a significant portion of consumers said they would either be a potential first mover in the adoption of an electric vehicle, or at least willing, to consider purchasing or leasing an EV. “Consumers in Germany, as well as in markets like Belgium, France, and Japan, were among the people less likely to consider themselves as potential first movers,” says Siegfried Frick, an automotive partner with Deloitte Germany.

“The fast-growing and populous markets of China and India led the world with consumers there more likely to consider themselves as potential first movers to adopt EVs.”

80 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

GMR 202 SA Greenback 2.indd 80

10/26/11 3:17 PM

SE C T OR A N A L Y S I S

Long way to go yet: For most manufacturers, the driving range of pure EVs falls short of consumer expectations

Government policies, fuel price trends, electric utility infrastructure, and alternatives will all play a role...

Criteria such as vehicle range are clearly an issue.

“Consumers expect EVs to be able to go a considerable way, an average of 320 kilometers, but current technology permits most EVs to cover an average of only 160 kilometers between charges,” says Frick.

“This disconnect is representative of the divide between consumers’ expectations of EVs and the actual technologies that are available in the market today.”

The survey also found that consumers want faster battery charge times.

“Most of the consumers surveyed expect an EV to recharge its battery in two hours or less,” explains Giffi.

“Japanese consumers, in particular,

had even greater expectations: 37 per cent cited 30 minutes as the longest acceptable charge time. In all countries, only a small majority viewed up to eight hours – the actual and longest time it can take to recharge the typical electric vehicle battery in vehicles today using a level 2 charger – as acceptable.”

As consumers become more experienced with EVs, new considerations for adoption, beyond factors such as range, convenience to charge, and cost to charge will likely emerge.

Operating costs to maintain and repair the vehicle and total cost of ownership, including considerations on residual value of the vehicle, will likely come into view.

“A number of factors will have an important influence on global consumers’ adoption of EVs,” says Giffi.

“Government policies, fuel price trends, electric utility infrastructure, and alternatives will all play a role, but it is government policy that will likely shape and potentially accelerate or decelerate the adoption rate of EVs over the next decade and beyond.” n Copy provided by DTTL About the sURVEY The online survey was conducted between November 2010 and May 2011 among 13,000 drivers aged 18 years and above, across the Americas, Asia and Europe, comprising potential first movers; might-be-willing to consider and not-likely-to-consider consumers who would not be interested in buying or leasing an EV.

82 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

GMR 202 SA Greenback 2.indd 82

10/26/11 3:17 PM

Seal the deal

!

You only get

1chance

to impress your audience at your next meeting or event...

Don’t fall flat. Hit the mark with www.satellite.ae Delivering engaging presentations & audience voting systems

Want a powerful presentation, that you actually enjoy presenting?

Give us a call on +971 4 326 8535 or visit www.satellite.ae

s e c t o r a n a ly s i s

Social wheels in motion

© Photolibrary

Tweeters and bloggers tend to write about the cars they wished they owned, rather than those they actually drive.

With Dubai’s roads bursting at the seams during rush hour, it is easy to recognise the importance of a car in the eyes of the Emirate’s growing population.

With the cost of fuel at a relatively low level, the upkeep and running of a car in the UAE makes owning one an economical and desirable choice.

However, with 4x4s a common sight in the region, are they really the popular choice of automobile, and what are people saying about the brand of car that they own or dream of owning?

In the UAE, top search volumes involving car manufacturers and brands show that the term “Mini” is in fact the most popular search query, achieving more searches than ‘Toyota’ and ‘Honda’ put together. This indicates the rising popularity for the British premium car brand, and is perhaps testament to the brand’s growing presence in the region with the launch of its all-wheel drive, the Mini Countryman.

In terms of social media buzz and online conversation, Mercedes lead the way in terms of mentions in the social

media sphere. However, the sentiment recorded here is zero, with the brand generating neutral conversations on the whole.

BMW and Ferrari follow closely behind, with brand mentions in September nearly reaching 350 each. However, Ferrari leads the whole group by far in terms of positive sentiment scoring.

With mentions referring to happenings in F1 or tourist attraction Ferrari World, it’s clear to see this kind of conversation creates a highly positive stir across the social media platforms.

Honda and Toyota trail with the most negative sentiment scoring of the group.

Honda failed to rouse a positive response about its servicing capabilities, with a negative buzz also generated around the terms of ‘faulty’ and ‘recalls’.

Toyota’s problem mainly originates from global corporation news, rather than general feelings about its models and their performance.

What is clear is the failure of tweets and blogs to refer positively to the experience of their own car that is used day in, day out. Social media adopters tend to tweet about the cars they aspire to own or the sporting interest that the brand represents. Those brands generating such a positive buzz online successfully affiliate themselves with sponsorship opportunities that generate their very own community offline, while bringing the brand alive online in a positive conversational tone. n

Lee Mancini Head of Sekari SEO Dubai

86 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202-SA SEKARI.indd 86

10/26/11 3:14 PM

Search and Social RETAIL market Analysis Top brands - autos

Top autus by volume of social media sentiment

#

Keyword (UAE)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

mini toyota honda nissan bmw ford mercedes ferrari Porsche Jeep lexus volkswagen volvo peugot jaguar bentley subaru

Local monthly searches 301,000 135,000 135,000 110,000 90,500 90,500 74,000 74,000 40,500 40,500 40,500 27,100 22,200 18,100 14,800 12,100 6,600

Brand Mercedes BMW Ferrari Ford Mini Porsche Subaru Toyota Volkswagen Honda Bentley Jaguar Nissan Volvo Jeep Peugeot Lexus

Global monthly searches 124,000,000 37,200,000 55,600,000 30,400,000 45,500,000 68,000,000 30,400,000 11,100,000 11,100,000 13,600,000 7,480,000 30,400,000 13,600,000 20,400,000 6,120,000 3,350,000 9,140,000

Sentiment o 9 48 25 6 28 3 -8 11 -8 39 15 21 15 -2 -4 1

Volume 595 338 338 338 262 252 143 138 122 112 88 87 75 64 55 51 49

Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS) research conducted on Google.ae.

Top 20 keywords with the most amount of searches last month based on local results from Google.ae. Source: Sekari SEO 2011

Number of mentions

Social media – Volume vs sentiment graph 600 570 540 510 480 450 420 390 360 330 300 270 240 210 180 150 120 90 60 3 0

Mercedes

HIGH VOLUME NEGATIVE SENTIMENT

HIGH VOLUME POSITIVE SENTIMENT

Ford

BMW Mini

Porsche

Subaru

Toyota

Volkswagen

Honda

LOW VOLUME Peugeot NEGATIVE SENTIMENT -20

Source: Sekari SEO 2011

-10

Jeep Lexus 0

Ferrari

Jaguar Volvo

10

Bentley

Nissan

20

LOW VOLUME POSITIVE SENTIMENT 30

40

50

Range of sentiment

November 2011 Gulf Marketing Review 87

00-GMR 202-SA SEKARI.indd 87

10/26/11 3:14 PM

S E C T OR ANAL Y S I S

Road block

Auto ad spend crashes in the aftermath of the Arab Spring.

The regional ad spending in the auto sector hit a major roadblock with the onset of the Arab Spring.

The regional monitored spending in the first half of 2011 is only $250m compared to $316m in the same period last year, a drop of 21 per cent.

The biggest advertising market of the region for 2010, Egypt saw its spending plummet by around 65 per cent.

Pan Arab Media with multi-markets reach and control of 35 per cent of the total regional auto-spending share saw a drop of 23 per cent.

Saudi Arabia, which is the top spending market in the region in the auto sector, saw a four per cent decline.

The UAE and Kuwait are ranked as the second and third biggest spending markets in the sector, weathering the storm with a three per cent decline.

Other market spending variations are: Lebanon (-18 per cent), Qatar (-5 per cent), Oman (-19 per cent), Jordan(-2 per cent) and Bahrain (-7 per cent).

Newspapers, which contribute 45 per cent of the regional media share in the sector, are down by 20 per cent.

Television, which had been gaining its share among the major media types in the recent past, plunged by 26 per cent.

The sector now spends approximately 38 per cent on television.

The magazine sector, with nine per cent media share, is down nine per cent.

The decline in passenger car spend is only nine per cent, compared to the 15 per cent downfall witnessed in the two-wheel drive sector. Road vehicle ranges recorded a 29 per cent downtick, while corporate advertising is 40 per cent for the period.

The top five spending brands for the first half of 2011 are Toyota, Ford, Kia, Chevrolet and Hyundai.

According to TGI, the car penetration in the region is very high. The higher purchasing power of the regional population, as well as an abundance of energy in the region, will add fuel to the sector growth.

The ad spend is calculated on the media rate cards and does not account for incentives and discounts that advertisers may avail from media owners. n

Shaharyar Umar Marketing director Pan Arab Research Centre, Dubai

88 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 201 PARC Analysis 1.indd 88

10/26/11 3:05 PM

A Mediaquest Corp publication

Synonymous with style, Haya is a must read for today’s fashionista.

Detailing the latest trends, styles and beauty secrets, Haya keeps its readers one step ahead of the fashion pack.

Packed with interviews, celebrity profiles and unique editorial, Haya offers brands an attractive environment in which to advertise.

For advertising inquiries contact: sales@mediaquestcorp.com

HAYA GMR 21.5x28cm.indd 1

8/29/11 7:11 PM

© Corbis

S E C T OR A N A L Y S I S

Drive time

With more than 70 per cent of people in the UAE owning a car, the region’s auto sector remains buoyant.

An overwhelming 70 per cent of the total adult population in the UAE uses private motoring.

Among car owners 64 per cent use saloon cars (four-door) and one in every five car owners use four-wheel drive (WD).

Among locals the ratio of 4WD to saloon cars is quite high – for every two saloon cars they have one 4WD. Nearly every local uses private motoring, with percentages running higher than 95 per cent compared to 80 per cent Arab expats.

Approximately 52 per cent of non-Arab expats use private motoring.

New cars are bought mostly by locals, with 82 per cent buying a new car, compared to 57 per cent for the non Arab expats.

Some 70 per cent of the cars were obtained one to four years ago, with approximately 13 per cent obtained in the past year.

The purchasing decision is made jointly between spouses among non-Arab expats, however, locals (35 per cent) and Arab expats mostly decide themselves.

Trustworthiness is the top factor cited when choosing a car for locals, something mirrored by Arabs expats. However, more than 25 per cent of non-Arab car owners

cited price as the top factor. Comfort is the third most important factor.

Fuel economy is becoming increasingly important among all ethnicities compared to previous surveys.

It is not only the demographic factors, especially the ethnicities that are distinctly different when it comes to private motoring in the UAE. The psychographical attitudes vary considerably to form different, discrete segments.

A significant 38 per cent of car users agree that their car should catch people’s attention, while 46 per cent agree with the statement: “My car is only there to get me from A to B”.

90 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 PARC Analysis 2.indd 90

10/26/11 3:01 PM

udien ce Our A

Silver Surfe

r

r e h t o M n r Mode

Gamer

Homemaker Lux

ly Social Butterf

eL

ife

Fashionista

Beauty h t l a e H

s u o i c s Con

Entertainment Buff

UV 5,125,385 - PV 26,215,633 Combining original content with stylish, dynamic design, dotmena female is a vertical network of premium lifestyle sites, taking brands closer to women in the Middle East.

Find the perfect match.

dotmena.com Dotmena GMR.indd 1

10/27/11 5:30 PM

S E C T OR A N A L Y S I S

Speed radars must be acting as a deterrent for speeding

Travelling in a car diary 20

National

18

Arab Expats Non Arab Expats

16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 % Morning 07:00-07:29

Afternoon 15:00-15:29

Midnight 24:00-06:59

Lower age, higher cost of car

Higher age, higher cost of car Land Cruiser

260 240 220 200 180

Lexus National My car should catch people’s attention

Cost of Car

160 140 120 100 80 60

Honda Accord

BMW Jeep Heavy monthlies

I tend to spend money without thinking Heavy internet

40

Heavy NP

Heavy Radio Heavy TV Arab Expats

Toyota Camary

Ford Focus

Non Arab Expats

20 0

Some 32 per cent agree that they would choose a car mainly on the basis of its look. The number of speed radars must be acting as a deterrent for speeding as only 34 per cent agree that they like to drive fast.

The financial attitudes are also evolving rapidly in the UAE for car users, as 59 per cent agree that they are more interested in their personal financial affairs.

Car owners are also heavy TV consumers. Newspapers, monthlies, internet and radio follow.

A number of related industries depend on the auto sector, eg fuel stations are used for many other services besides fuel.

Car wash, convenience stores and lube change are the top three services cited in the survey, as 39 per cent change their motor oil at petrol stations.

The top three items purchased at filling stations are drinks, snacks and food. The average monthly spend at filling stations besides petrol per capita is approximately $19.

The average spend on petrol is approximately $117 a month.

The industry is based on strong fundamentals, as one in every five adults expressed an intention to buy a car in the next 12 months; 71 per cent of those would like to buy a new car. For 27 per n cent of potential ne

80

Lower age lower cost of car Source: TGI UAE 2010: Copyright PARC international

Toyota Corolla 100 Age

Nissan Sunny 120 Higher age lower cost of car

Shaharyar Umar Marketing director, Pan Arab Research Centre, Dubai

92 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 PARC Analysis 2.indd 92

10/26/11 3:01 PM

T N E D I DISS GMR

R E M U S N O C

Y 2012 R A U R B E F , WORKSHOP

R

DE W OR E N E H L IN T A V I V R

D SU

BRAN

SELF-EXPRESSION FREEDOM EMPOWERMENT TRANSPARENCY EVOLUTION

THE ARAB SPRING IS A DEFINING MOMENT THAT IS CHANGING THE RULES FOR CONSUMER MARKETING IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

The spirit of revolution, especially among the youth, has infiltrated the minds of Arab consumers.

They are dissident consumers, and learning to live with this new reality is key to brand survival in the Arab World.

In a one-day workshop Gulf Marketing Review (GMR) offers insight, strategy and crisis planning expertise for when it all goes wrong. It looks at those brands that are successfully riding the wave of popular consumer opinion and those that aren’t. Packed with case studies, live campaigns, exclusive research and expert analysis, make this workshop your day of action.

THERE ARE ONLY 100 PLACES, SO ACT NOW TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT.

For bookings and sponsorship opportunities please email us on

gmr@mediaquestcorp.com

*Dubai venue and February date TBC.

S E C T O R A N A LY S I S

CATEGORY: AUTOMOTIVE – ADVERTISING MARKETS 2011 Millions US$250

Markets Ranking & Media Split (000 US$) Television Rank Market Name & Abbreviation 2009 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Pan Arab Media Kindom of Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates Kuwait Egypt Lebanon Qatar Oman Jordan Bahrain Other Markets** Total all markets

PAN KSA UAE KWT EGY LEB QTR OMN JOR BAH OTH

2010

%Var’n 2011 YTD

66,655 114,669 88,301 41,403 48,752 46,907 34,085 36,901 35,895 28,765 24,538 23,746 36,695 45,075 15,792 17,034 13,952 11,385 12,178 10,931 10,372 8,476 10,324 8,313 3,552 4,040 3,945 3,569 3,618 3,356 4,144 3,506 1,792 256,556 316,306 249,804

-23 -4 -3 -3 -65 -18 -5 -19 -2 -7 -49 -21

2011 78,278 1,437 3,647 3,069 1,051 7,437 64 342 21 0 568 95,914

%Var’n YTD -25 156 168 1 -86 -29 -80 11 -39 -26

Newspapers 2011 95 36,093 23,313 18,311 11,167 2,147 7,937 7,632 3,718 2,232 835 113,480

Magazines

%Var’n YTD

2011

265 9,928 -4 1,395 -23 3,945 -3 2,002 -61 1,481 11 976 -14 763 -7 303 -4 206 -19 993 -55 231 -20 22,223

Radio

%Var’n YTD

2011

-8 -26 26 -16 -42 10 -9 -15 27 36 -60 -9

0 249 836 364 1,414 39 57 36 0 28 158 3,181

Outdoor

%Var’n YTD

2011

109 14 11 84

56 3 52

Cinema

%Var’n YTD

0 7,733 3,644 0 679 786 1,551 0 0 0 0 14,393

84

-21%

2011

-11

-88 44 89

-100 -18

0 0 510 0 0 0 0 0 0 103 0 613

%Var’n YTD

129

692 160

**Other markets: Combined – Syria, Yemen & Arasian

Ranking of markets and media split (000US$) 100%

Category split by market

75%

35%

50%

2% 3%

1% 1%

PAN KSA UAE KWT EGY LEB QTR OMN JOR BAH OTH

5% 19% 6% 10% 14%

4%

25% 0%

Total GCC LEV PAN KSA UAE KWT EGY LEB QTR OMN JOR BAH OTH 249804 218043 31761 88301 46907 35895 23746 15792 11385 10372 8313 3945 3356 1792

Television

Newspapers

Magazines

Radio

Outdoor

Cinema

SPLIT BY PRODUCTS (000 US$) – 2011 All Markets 12% 25%

42%

Passenger cars Road vehicles Corporate adver

Pan Arab Media 3% 3%

5% 6% 10%

5%

50%

Four-wheel drive Car dealers Others

Passenger cars Corporate ads Cars-truck tyre

GCC Markets 8% 31%

Four-wheel drive Petroleum Co. Others

41%

5% 11%

Passenger cars Road vehicles Car dealers

6%

Levant Markets 10% 27%

Four-wheel drive Corporate adver Others

47%

12% 13%

Passenger cars Road vehicles Car paints

6% 10% 12%

Four-wheel drive Car dealers Others

TOP BRANDS – ALL MEDIA (000 US$) – 2011 Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Brand Toyota Ford Kia Chevrolet Hyundai Nissan BMW Mercedes Volkswagen Renault Infiniti Range Rover Audi Jeep Mitsubishi Dodge Cadillac Mazda Peugeot GMC

Pan Arab Media Value 21,920 21,022 20,792 20,588 20,254 13,182 9,481 7,489 6,665 5,889 4,844 4,729 4,523 4,421 3,800 3,568 3,228 3,114 2,973 2,906

Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Brand Kia Hyundai Chevrolet Ford Toyota Nissan BMW Volkswagen Range Rover Infiniti Renault Peugeot Hankook Qatar Petroleum Jeep Audi Mercedes ACDelco GMC Cadillac

GCC Value 13,605 11,739 11,369 8,492 7,351 4,094 4,016 2,807 2,676 2,313 1,813 1,764 1,565 1,517 1,449 1,437 1,175 822 779 647

Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Levant Brand Ford Toyota Kia Hyundai Chevrolet Nissan BMW Mercedes Volkswagen Renault Range Rover Infiniti Audi Dodge Mitsubishi Jeep Cadillac Mazda GMC Lexus

Value 20,514 20,283 18,579 18,091 16,671 11,987 8,495 6,487 6,041 5,220 4,681 4,496 4,204 3,559 3,511 3,495 2,913 2,907 2,886 2,751

Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Brand Chevrolet Kia Hyundai Fix It Pro Toyota Suzuki Nissan Mercedes BMW Subaru Al Masreya Jeep Peugeot Renault Volkswagen Mobil Speranza Ford Opel Volvo

Value 3,917 2,213 2,163 1,836 1,637 1,547 1,195 1,002 986 942 926 926 718 669 624 539 538 508 370 349

Source: PARC

All market

94 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

94-95-GMR 202- SA-PARC.indd 94

10/26/11 2:59 PM

CATEGORY: AUTOMOTIVE – ADVERTISING MARKETS 2011 Advertising Expenditure for Top Products (000 US$) 2009 – 2011 (Jan - MaY) 2009 2010 85,197 114,323 58,223 73,562 33,201 36,494 33,932 25,272 11,811 22,525 34,192 44,130 256,556 316,306

PGC RVR CRD CAD OTH

2011 104,353 62,529 25,731 14,802 13,551 28,838 249,804

%Var’n Y11/10 -9 -15 -29 -41 -40 -35 -21

Sh% 42 25 10 6 5 12 100

Y2011 Media Split %

TV 46 48 5 2 62 30 38

NP 39 37 80 85 17 50 45

MG 11 9 3 3 3 11 9

RD 1 0 2 4 1 2 1

OD 4 5 9 6 17 6 6

CN 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

Product Growth 2009 - 2011 (000 US$) 140000

PGC

120000

4WD

100000

RVR

80000

CRD

60000 40000

CAD

20000

OTH

0

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

PGC

Newspapers Television Magazines Outdoor Radio Cinema

4WD

RVR

2010

2011

CRD

CAD

OTH

2009

Overall Media Split Analysis (000 US$) Media Television Newspaper Magazine Radio Outdoor Cinema Total

Value 82,758 132,508 21,701 3,872 15,348 369 256,556

2009

Sh% 32 52 8 2 6 0 100

Value 129,439 142,729 24,297 2,090 17,515 236 316,306

2010

Sh% 41 45 8 1 6 0 100

Value 95,914 113,480 22,223 3,181 14,393 613 249,804

2011

Sh%

38 45 9 1 6 0 100

Var'n % 2010/2011 -26 -20 -9 52 -18 160 -21

Monthly Spend Analysis (Millions US$) 2009 – 2011 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Total

Jan

Feb

Mar 2011

April

May

2010

2010 43 40 48 51 62 73 316

2011 51 39 35 39 42 43 250

June

Total Category – Media Split %

(000 US$ - Semi Logarithmic)

6%

1%

9% 46%

38%

2009 Television Radio

Var’n % Y11/10 21 -3 -26 -23 -33 -41 -21

2009

Overall Media Split 2009 – 2011 160000 140000 120000 100000 80000 60000 40000 20000 0

2009 38 41 47 44 44 42 257

2010 Newspapers Outdoor

2011 Magazines Cinema

Television Radio

Newspapers Outdoor

Magazines

-21%

Top brands 2011 (000 US$) Television Top Spenders Rank Brand 1 Kia 2 Chevrolet 3 Hyundai 4 Ford 5 Toyota 6 Nissan 7 BMW 8 Range Rover 9 Volkswagen 10 Infiniti

2011 14522 13069 11841 9110 8082 6028 4743 3215 2670 2260

Newspaper Top Spenders Rank Brand 1 Toyota 2 Ford 3 Hyundai 4 Chevrolet 5 Nissan 6 Kia 7 Mercedes 8 Mitsubishi 9 BMW 10 Renault

2011 10616 6783 6737 6381 5242 4998 4345 3528 3418 3049

Magazine Top Spenders Rank Brand 1 Mercedes 2 Audi 3 Ford 4 BMW 5 Toyota 6 Hyundai 7 Cadillac 8 Porsche 9 Chevrolet 10 Nissan

2011 2242 1992 1319 1192 1045 974 877 807 771 744

Radio Top Spenders Rank Brand 1 Peugeot 2 Al Masreya 3 Shell 4 Volkswagen 5 Toyota 6 Renault 7 Mobil 8 Chevrolet 9 Michelin 10 Nissan

2011 330 289 217 190 174 145 143 138 123 109

Outdoor Top Spenders Rank Brand 1 Ford 2 Toyota 3 Nissan 4 Mercedes 5 Kia 6 Hyundai 7 Volkswagen 8 Exxon Mobil 9 Fuchs 10 Cadillac

2011 3571 2003 1008 733 705 628 604 584 578 459

Source: PARC *Please note figures throughout this section are rounded up.

Product and Abbreviation Passenger cars Four-wheel drive Road vehicles range Car dealers Corporate advertising Others Total

Millions US$ 250

Media Split %

November 2011 Gulf Marketing Review 95

94-95-GMR 202- SA-PARC.indd 95

10/26/11 2:59 PM

S E C T O R A N A LY S I S

CATEGORY: AUTOMOTIVE – AGCC, PAN ARAB & ARASIAN MEDIA MARKETS

Advertising Expenditure for Top Products (000 US$) 2009 – 2011 (Jan - JUNE Millions US$ 218 -13% Media Split %

Passenger Cars 4 Wheel Drive Road Vehicles Range Corporate Advertising Car Dealers Others Total

PGC 4WD RVR CAD CRD OTH

2009 56,239 49,219 30,141 10,088 24,187 26,841 196,715

2010 87,024 64,725 31,544 14,872 15,636 37,486 251,287

2011 89,325 58,743 21,985 12,062 11,695 24,233 218,043

%Var’n Y11/10 3 -9 -30 -19 -25 -35 -13

Sh% 41 27 10 6 5 11 100

Y2011 Media Split %

TV 48 50 4 65 2 27 40

NP 37 35 80 14 89 53 44

MG 11 9 3 3 2 12 9

RD 0 0 2 0 2 1 1

OD 3 6 10 18 5 6 6

Product Growth 2009 - 2011 (000 US$) 100000 90000 80000 70000 60000 50000 40000 30000 20000 10000 0 PGC 4WD RVR CAD

PGC 4WD RVR CAD CRD OTH 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Newspapers Television Magazines Outdoor Radio Cinema

2010

2011

Top brands 2011 (000 US$)

CRD

CN 0 0 1 0 0 1 0

OTH

2009

Overall Media Split Analysis (000 US$) Media

Value 69,054 99,046 17,854 2,103 8,289 369 196,715

Television Newspaper Magazine Radio Outdoor Cinema Total

2009

Sh% 35 50 9 1 4 0 100

Value 111,338 107,283 20,204 817 11,409 236 251,287

2010

Sh% 44 43 8 0 5 0 100

Value 87,369 95,977 19,428 1,728 12,928 613 218,043

2011

Sh%

40 44 9 1 6 0 100

Var'n % 2010/2011 -22 -11 -4 112 13 160 -13

Monthly Spend Analysis (Millions US$) 2009 – 2011 Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Total

70 60 50 40 30 20

2009 29 32 38 33 34 31 197

2010 32 31 37 41 52 58 251

2011 44 36 31 35 35 37 218

Var’n % Y11/10 35 16 -16 -15 -32 -36 -13

10 0

Jan

Feb

Mar 2011

April

May

2010

June

2009

Overall Media Split 2009 – 2011 120000 100000 80000 60000 40000 20000 0

Total Category – Media Split %

(000 US$ - Semi Logarithmic)

44% 40%

2009 Television Radio

2010 Newspapers Outdoor

6% 1%

2011 Magazines Cinema

Television Radio

Newspapers Outdoor

Magazines

9%

Television Top Spenders Rank Brand 1 Kia 2 Hyundai 3 Chevrolet 4 Ford 5 Toyota 6 Nissan 7 B.m.w.

8 Range Rover 9 Volkswagen 10 Infiniti

2011 13627 11467 11454 9109 7358 5865 4743 3215 2604 2177

Newspaper Top Spenders Rank Brand 1 Toyota 2 Ford 3 Hyundai 4 Chevrolet 5 Nissan 6 Kia 7 Mercedes 8 Mitsubishi 9 Renault 10 B.m.w.

2011 9885 6307 5240 4405 4293 3959 3583 3258 2748 2746

Magazine Top Spenders Rank Brand 1 Mercedes 2 Audi 3 Ford 4 B.m.w.

5 Toyota 6 Hyundai 7 Cadillac 8 Porsche 9 Honda 10 Nissan

2011 2078 1868 1290 957 916 905 836 725 690 668

Radio Top Spenders Rank Brand 1 Toyota 2 Renault 3 Volkswagen 4 Michelin 5 Nissan 6 Mitsubishi 7 Jaguar 8 Hyundai 9 Gulf 10 B.m.w.

2011 174 145 132 123 109 103 85 69 56 49

Outdoor Top Spenders Rank Brand 1 Ford 2 Toyota 3 Nissan 4 Mercedes 5 Volkswagen 6 Kia 7 Exxonmobil 8 Fuchs 9 Cadillac 10 Hyundai

2011 3569 1950 1001 690 599 593 584 578 432 410

Source: PARC *Please note figures throughout this section are rounded up.

Product and Abbreviation

96 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202 a- SA-PARC.indd 96

10/31/11 4:00 PM

CATEGORY: AUTOMOTIVE – LEVANT MEDIA MARKETS

Advertising Expenditure for Top Products (000 US$) 2009 – 2011 (Jan - JUNE) Millions US$ 32 -51% Media Split % 2009 PGC 28,958 4WD 9,004 RVR 3,060 CAD 9,745 CRD 0 OTH 9,074 59,841

Passenger Cars 4 Wheel Drive Road Vehicles Range Corporate Advertising Car Dealers Others Total

2010 27,299 8,837 4,950 9,636 23 14,274 65,019

2011 15,028 3,786 3,746 3,107 1,836 4,258 31,761

%Var’n TV Y11/10 -45 31 -57 21 -24 11 -68 1 7883 100 -70 19 -51 27

Sh% 47 12 12 10 6 13 100

Y2011 Media Split %

NP 51 59 85 72 0 52 55

MG 10 16 4 8 0 7 9

RD 4 2 0 10 0 12 5

Top brands 2011 (000 US$) OD 5 1 0 9 0 10 5

CN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Product Growth 2009 - 2011 (000 US$) 3500

PGC

3000

4WD

2500

RVR

2000

CRD

1500

CRP

1000 500

OTH

0

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

PGC

Newspapers Television Magazines Outdoor Radio Cinema

4WD

RVR

2010

2011

CRD

CRP

OTH

2009

Overall Media Split Analysis (000 US$) Media Television Newspaper Magazine Radio Outdoor Cinema Total

Value 13,704 33,462 3,847 1,769 7,059 59,841 196,715

2009

Sh% 23 56 6 3 12 100 100

Value 18,101 35,446 4,093 1,273 6,106 65,019 251,287

2010

Sh% 28 55 6 2 9 100 100

Value 8,545 17,503 2,795 1,453 1,465 31,761 218,043

2011

Sh%

27 55 9 5 5 100 100

Var'n % 2010/2011 -53 -51 -32 14 -76 -51 -13

Monthly Spend Analysis (Millions US$) 2009 – 2011 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Total

Jan

Feb

Mar 2011

April

May

2010

2009

2010 Newspapers Outdoor

2011 8 3 4 4 6 6 32

Total Category – Media Split % 4% 5% 27%

9%

Var’n % Y11/10 -26 -67 -61 -58 -36 -57 -51

June

(000 US$ - Semi Logarithmic)

Television Radio

2010 10 9 11 10 10 14 65

2009

Overall Media Split 2009 – 2011 120000 100000 80000 60000 40000 20000 0

2009 10 9 10 10 9 12 60

55%

2011 Magazines Cinema

Television Radio

Newspapers Outdoor

Magazines

Television Top Spenders Rank Brand 1 Fix It Pro 2 Chevrolet 3 Suzuki 4 Kia 5 Subaru 6 Toyota 7 Hyundai 8 Renault 9 Nissan 10 Cadillac

2011 1836 1615 1027 895 842 724 374 283 163 147

Newspaper Top Spenders Rank Brand 1 Chevrolet 2 Hyundai 3 Kia 4 Nissan 5 Mercedes 6 Toyota 7 B.m.w.

8 Jeep 9 Al Masreya 10 Ford

2011 1976 1497 1039 949 762 731 672 670 615 476

Magazine Top Spenders Rank Brand 1 Jeep 2 B.m.w.

3 Mercedes 4 Chevrolet 5 Jaguar 6 Toyota 7 Audi 8 Volvo 9 Kia 10 Porsche

2011 254 235 164 151 135 129 124 119 91 82

Radio Top Spenders Rank Brand 1 Peugeot 2 Al Masreya 3 Shell 4 Mobil 5 Chevrolet 6 Speranza 7 Kia 8 Volkswagen 9 Jac 10 Mercedes

2011 306 289 214 143 108 79 76 58 35 33

Outdoor Top Spenders Rank Brand 1 Hyundai 2 Total 3 Kia 4 Impex 5 B.m.w.

6 Kettaneh 7 Chevrolet 8 Speranza 9 Toyota 10 Mobil

2011 218 128 112 96 76 75 67 64 53 49

Source: PARC *Please note figures throughout this section are rounded up.

Product and Abbreviation

November 2011 Gulf Marketing Review 97

00-GMR 202 a- SA-PARC.indd 97

10/31/11 4:00 PM

21972GE_Gulf Markt.Review28x21.5SolarE.indd 1

10/16/11 5:53 PM

DIARY

EVENT OF THE MONTH

GEMAS effie Mena Awards 2011 The most prestigious business awards on the marketing community’s calendar, the GEMAS effie Mena Awards were launched to recognise, educate and encourage effectiveness among the marketing communications industry across the Middle East. They combine the regional marketing effectiveness awards, the GMR Effectiveness in Marketing Awards (GEMAS) and the internationally renowned effies.

Launched in 2004 to encourage international best practice in marketing in the Middle East, the GEMAS were awarded on the sole premise of proven marketing effectiveness based on the clearly demonstrable, quantifiable and transparent campaign results.

The effies were founded in 1968 by the American Marketing Association to recognise the most effective advertising efforts in the USA. In 2009 the GEMAS and the effies joined forces as the GEMAS effie Mena Awards. The initiative brings a broader international dimension to the GEMAS and marketing in the Middle East while launching the effies into one of the most dynamic, emerging markets in the world. More than anything, however, the GEMAS effie Mena Awards mark a major milestone in the history of marketing in the Middle East as the sector rapidly matures to take its rightful place on the global stage.

The glittering awards presentation ceremony takes place on November 24, 2011, at the Joharah Ballroom, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai. To ensure of your table reservation, visit www.gemaseffie.org.

GEMAS effie Mena Awards 2011 Organisers: Mediaquest Events Venue: Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai Date: November 24 T: +971 4 3910760, F: +971 4 3908737 www.gemaseffie.org Contact: Sahar Rafique, s.rafique@mediaquestcorp.com

November IP&TV Forum MENA 2011 Transforming the future of the TV experience Informa Telecoms & Media Conferences Date November 1 to 2 Venue: Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai T: + 44 (0)207 017 5506 E: itmevents@informa.com W: www.iptv-mea.com Dubai International Jewellery Week Exhibition 2011 Date: November 10 to 13 Venue: Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Ctr. Location: Hall 5, 6, 7 & 8 Contact: Nadeera Jayaratne T: + 971 4 308 6477 E: Nadeera.Jayaratne@ dwtc.com W: www.jewelleryshow.com 11th Dubai International Motor Show 2011 Dates: November 10 to 14 Venue: Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre Location: Halls 1-4, Sheikh Saeed Hall 1, Sheikh Saeed Hall 2, Sheikh Saeed Hall 3, Trade Centre Arena, Zaabeel Halls 1-3.

Contact: Lynda McWalter T: + 971 4 308 6219 E:Lynda.Mcwalter@dwtc. com W: www.dubaimotorshow.com Saudi International Motor Show Al Harithy Company for Exhibitions Limited Date: November 19 to 23 Venue: Jeddah Centre for Forums & Events T: + 966 (0) 2 654 6384 E: ace@acexpos.com

Successfully Managing Marketing Teams IIR ME Date: November 20 to 23 Venue: Kempinksi Hotel, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai T: +971 4 3352437 F: +971 4 3352438 W: iirme.com/mktgteams Total Marketing IIR ME Date: November 20 to 23 Venue: The Address Dubai Mall Contact:Janet D’Souza Tel: +971 4 335 2437 Fax: +971 4 335 2438 Email: register@iirme.com Jewellery Arabia Arabian Exhibition Management WLL Date: November 22 to 25 Location: Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre, Manama T: +973 17 550033 Email: fawzi@aeminfo.com.bh W: www.aeminfo.com.bh The Saudi-Turkish Forum Exhibition Council of Saudi Chambers and the Gulf Research Center Date: November 26 to 27 Venue: King Faisal Conference Hall, Intercontinental Hotel, Riyadh T: +966-2-6518888 E: events@grc.ae W:www.grc.net Developing and Implementing a Successful CSR Strategy Date: November 27 to 30 Venue: Kempinksi Hotel, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai T: + 971 4 3352437 E: a.watts@iirme.com W: www.iirme.com/csr

98 Gulf Marketing Review November 2011

00-GMR 202-Diary.indd 98

10/26/11 2:56 PM