MIDDLE EAST
PUBLISHER
LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
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
BANGING THE GONGS
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 IT’S AWARDS season in the Middle East, and just as Hollywood
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 is gearing up for the Oscars, so the region’s ad professionals are 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 preparing for the Dubai Lynx Awards. The MENA Cristals were
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 dominated by JWT, who took home 23 awards (see Regional
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 News, p.7), and once again Fadi Yaish of FP7 Doha visited the
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 winner’s podium—this time for his “Helmets” campaign for
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
DUBAI Managers at troubled community TV is also said to have launched a company called “New shows will be introduced”. L’Oreal. In our profile (p.10) we try and uncover the secret of PRWEEK 20
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 Yaish’s success—maybe there’s something in Doha’s water.
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.” Successful companies have been saying that creativity and
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.
digital will help ride out the economic storm. This has been
backed up by the second Arab Media Outlook report, which
also indicates a sharp decline in advertising growth—but
it’s still forecasting growth. That’s an unusual statistic in
Publisher Ashley Rees
times of recession—but something the region should take
ashley.rees@engworldwide.com comfort in—from Kuwait to Egypt advertising spend is still
increasing—and my money is on advertisers looking to tap
Editorial
Ashley Rees, publisher
Iraqi consumers too, but that’s a market we hope will mature
MIDDLE EAST
Executive editor Chris Wright
chris.wright@engworldwide.com
for reasons beyond commerce.
ashley.rees@engworldwide.com
Contributing editor Ben Flanagan Regional diversity means it is impossible to expect the
ben.flanagan@engworldwide.com
same market conditions across the Middle East. There are
News editor Paul McLennan
paul.mclennan@engworldwide.com
wildly different levels of wealth and attitudes to business. The
News writer Charlie Neyra
richer nations are benefiting from rising internet penetration,
charlie.neyra@engworldwide.com
which, combined with mobile web use, is a driving force
Creative
behind stable-to-rising ad spend. If these trends fail, you
Creative director Victoria Calaguian
could try some unconventional marketing methods (see The
victoria.calaguian@engworldwide.com
Nine, p.16). These events can maximise the fun in selling,
Head of design Roy Cruz
which people always look for.
Designer Leigh Walsh
Designer Rouland Medina
This is part of the reason creative teams love awards season:
Designer Ali Arellano
it is a time to celebrate. But the positive outlook for media is
Designer Maricel Poso reason enough to be cheery—although an awards-bash bar
Chief photographer Bernard Testa
and an LED-screen dancefloor (see Planning Week, p.24)
Photographer Mosh Lafuente
always help.
Production
Production manager Maher Mahbouby
maher.mahbouby@engworldwide.com
Senior production executive Issam Ghanem
issam.ghanem@engworldwide.com
Production Executive Sadish Kottodi
sadish.kottodi@engworldwide.com
p04 p09
p13
Circulation
Circulation director Nick Pomeroy
nick.pomeroy@engworldwide.com
Marketing
Marketing director Gemma McKeown
gemma.mckeown@engworldwide.com
Marketing manager Shaik Shibli
shaik.shibli@engworldwide.com
Advertising & Sales
Commercial manager Tanya Sharp
tanya.sharp@engworldwide.com
+971 50 633 6284
p16
p19
Management
Publishing director Mike Orlov
Managing director Neil Petch
Group CEO Rehan Merchant
Chairman Hanif Merchant
The Publisher does not accept any liability for errors or
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The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those
of the Publisher. Information contained in this publication
is intended for general use and readers are advised to seek
p14
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enclosed herein. No part of this publication or any part of
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p27
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