MIDDLE EAST
MARKETING WEEK
THREE MINUTE PROFILE
Department of
self promotion
Ahmed Al Tenaiji, marketing manager at Zabeel, represents
a young, savvy and headstrong generation of Emiratis
A FEW years ago, shortly after he started working “We are a young country, and we cannot deny that
for Dubai Properties, Ahmed Al Tenaiji began to we have learned a lot from the West,” he says. “But we
notice a strange pattern of behaviour in one of his need our own people to study, to gain experience.”
managers. The woman would invite Al Tenaiji to Al Tenaiji’s interest in this subject is personal as
client meetings, and then not show up. “She’d call well as professional. He was born in Ras Al Khaimah,
and say, ‘Ahmed, I can’t come, I have something to a traditional family, a background that doesn’t
urgent to do,’” he recalls. “Then she’d do it again, necessarily lend itself to a high-flying career in
‘Ahmed, my daughter is sick.’” marketing. “My father wanted me to be an engineer,”
Though Al Tenaiji was horrified at the time—the he says. “My mother always said, ‘Don’t work in the
newcomer was woefully–ill equipped to lead such private sector, the government is more secure.’”
meetings, and he admits to being paralytically shy And while young nationals now have outfits like
at the time—he thinks he understands now what the Emirates National Development Programme to
was going on. “She was doing it on purpose: she guide them, there were no such resources when Al
wanted me to learn,” he says, adding with a laugh, Tenaiji was young. “Nobody used to talk to us about
“I learned a lot.” jobs,” he says. “There were no career courses, no
Today, as marketing manager for Zabeel internships.” So, after attending college in the US,
Investments, Al Tenaiji uses similar in-at-the-deep- he worked his way through a series of short-term
end tactics with his young interns. “I’ll go away jobs—an arduous process of trial and error that
for two days and leave them the password to my eventually led him to Zabeel and Bidaya.
computer,” he says. “They have plenty to do.” But things are changing. Even more encouraging
In some ways, Al Tenaiji is perfectly suited to a than the opportunities now open to young Emiratis,
job in marketing—he is attentive, accommodating Al Tenaiji says, is the fact that they are becoming
and almost excessively pleasant. At the same time, increasingly determined to carve out their own career
however, you get the sense that his heart isn’t really paths. “We had a young lady from Zayed University,”
in it. His real passion, as becomes clear after about he says, referring to one of his Bidaya students. “We
five minutes in his presence, is the work he does offered her a job and she refused. She said, ‘I want
for Bidaya, Zabeel’s programme aimed at educating, to work in a job that I want to do!’” He smiles and
training and mentoring young nationals. adds, “Today, young people even fight with their
“This,” he says, “is something I’m proud of.” parents. They know what they want, which is a very
Nationalisation—the drive to introduce young good sign.”
Gulf nationals into private sector industries—has lost As for his own career, Al Tenaiji says he is mid-
some of its urgency in recent months. The dominant way through a five-year plan, one which involves
theme these days is who’s being fired rather than getting his Master’s degree and gaining as much
who’s being hired. For Al Tenaiji, however, the subject hands-on experience as possible—only not, most
has been a lifelong preoccupation. He is convinced likely, in marketing. “I know where I’m heading,” he
that the communications industry, in particular, is says. “I’d like to go into HR. This is the place where
in sore need of local talent. I feel I can do the most good.”
THE EXTRA MILE
Give and ye
shall receive
CONSUMER PSYCHOLOGY is a slippery crisp one-pound note, courtesy of Waffar.
thing at the best of times. When it comes to No website to visit. No purchases to be
special offers—a marketing device fraught made. No forms to fill out. All people
with potential pratfalls—things get even had to do was peel the money away
trickier. Do you go with the basic 50 per from the page—after which they saw a
cent off? Buy-one-get-one-free? Buy-now- brief message: “For more savings, visit
pay-later? Buy-seven-get-a-33-per-cent- Waffar.com…”
discount-upon-the-presentation-of-your- According to Waffar, the no-strings
firstborn-child? giveaway led to a flood of calls from
One special offer that’s sure to get a potential clients, and within a month visits
positive response—as the Cairo-based to the site had gone up by 26 per cent,
promotions site
Waffar.com has amply while brand awareness rose 18 per cent. A
demonstrated—is free stuff. Especially if few subscribers even called the company
that stuff happens to be money. to say thanks. Heaps of goodwill on a razor-
Recently, 2000 subscribers to an thin budget—a marketing campaign for
Egyptian magazine were each given a 2009 if ever there was one.
www.mediaweekme.com
08 FEBRUARY 2009 / 21
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