DUBAI’S SPIN CYCLE
9 EXTREME EVENTS
Business leaders
Flugtags to flashmobs:
talk transparency
the region’s smartest
in tricky times
event marketing stunts
p14 p16
Advertising/Marketing/Media/Public Relations www.mediaweekme.com Issue 0017 08 February 2009
In this issue
ADVERTISING
IN FOCUS
Changes afoot at Team Y&R
THG boss Joseph Ghossoub reveals that DMC move is imminent, introduces
streamlining measures across group
CHRIS WRIGHT/Executive editor
DUBAI Shortly after the unveiling of say it, do this just for fun,” he says. “They
Team Y&R’s redesigned logo and just invite 13 agencies, each agency spends
before its move to Dubai Media City, Dhs200,000, Dhs300,000, and then gets
the flagship agency of The Holding that nice little letter: ‘It was a tough call,
Group is undergoing a top-to-toe review but...’” As for recent reports that some
Khede Kasra
of its expenditures, according to THG clients are considering charging agencies
president and CEO Joseph Ghossoub. for the privilege of pitching, Ghossoub
H&C Leo Burnett’s Integrated
Similar efforts will be undertaken across laughs and says, “I hope none of them
Grand Cristal campaign for the
THG’s Middle East network, he adds. calls me.”
Hariri Foundation’s “Women
Empowerment Program”.
“It’s time to assess people, businesses While Ghossoub describes the current
and clients, the way we operate,” mood in the industry as “exaggerated
p27
Ghossoub says. “Some of our businesses panic”, he allows that regional
PROFILE
are doing very well, but I’m not going to communications companies, his own
claim we manage things to perfection.” included, need to take stock of where,
Speaking from his current office in why and how they have been spending
Jumeirah, Ghossoub says that he will be money. “These times we are facing,
keeping an especially close eye on new they give us time to reflect on things we
business pitches. “When the economy may have missed during the boom,” he
was good, we didn’t say no to any pitches,” says. “We were hiring like there was no
he says. “But now you look and you see tomorrow, we were spending like there
what these pitches cost in a year—it’s a was no tomorrow. We’re discovering
lot of money, a lot of talent and a lot of things that maybe we shouldn’t have
hard work. So we’ve made a decision to done and straightening them up.”
The dark horse
not take part in presentations unless it’s On a more positive note, Ghossoub
We talk to Fadi Yaish, creative
serious and we want the business.” says that THG’s relationship with WPP— Team’s new logo—“I didn’t like the old blue”—and has high
director of FP7 Doha about his An increasingly acute source of which became a majority shareholder in hopes for the move to Media City. “DMC is a good business
award-winning annus mirabilis frustration, Ghossoub adds, is the his network a little under a year ago—is environment,” he says. “And our current office has grown
and why he’s still not satisfied. number of pitch invites that are motivated going very smoothly, “smoother than I too small. Someone gets up from a chair, another person
p10 by curiosity. “Some clients, I am sorry to thought it would”. He is also pleased with sits on it.”
REGULARS
NEWS 04 MEDIA
PROFILE 10
OPINION 13
City 7 about to enter ‘transition phase’
FEATURE 14
THE NINE 16
Dubai-based channel reportedly moves out of studio, cuts programming and reduces staff
ADWEEK 19
PRWEEK 20
DUBAI Managers at troubled community TV is also said to have launched a company called “New shows will be introduced”.
MARKETINGWEEK 21
channel City 7 (see “Tune in, turn on, shut down”, Unconventional Gurus. The host of In Gear, Adam Kechil, will join
MEDIAWEEK 23
Feb. 1) have come up with a plan to save the The plan to save City 7, according to an internal the 40 or so staffers who have reportedly left the
PLANNINGWEEK 24
station. A “transition phase” was announced at document provided to Media Week, will include station, says one insider, as will Kristy Gentz,
DIGITALWEEK 25 a meeting on January 28, in which staffers heard the “termination of unprofitable contracts” host of Kids Club. City 7 is also said to be ending
IN FOCUS 27 of “efforts to move the channel from its current and streamlined programming (“efforts will be its relationship with its studio, RGB.
SHOWCASE 28
situation (point X) to a desirable situation, concentrated into fewer shows”). Some City 7 employees are said to be less
THE BLOTTER 34
namely a successful business model (point Y)”. On March 1, according to the document, City 7 than thrilled with the proposed changes. One
The plan seems to have been formulated by will focus on three programmes: a one-hour news, station insider summarises the content of
marketing expert Tatiana Saliba, who insiders sports and business show, to be aired five days a the recent staff meeting as: “Shut down the
say is now the de facto head of the station. On a week; a health show “which will include a number studios, stop producing programmes and sack
profile on linkedin.com, Saliba’s past experience of different aspects including hotels”; and a revised all the staff.”
is listed as “Marketing exec. at BMW” and In Gear. “All other programs will be on hold” until Efforts to reach Saliba, and City 7 owner Mohi-
“Marketing executive at Bosch and Siemens”. She new sponsors are found, the document says, while Din Bin Hendi, were unsuccessful.
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36