MIDDLE EAST
01
23 November 2008
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
9 DIRECT MAILERS RUN-DOWN REAL ESTATE
How to avoid having your Plummeting property market
promotional mail junked promises riches or ruin for
p18 agencies p20
Quality is the necessity
Advertising/Marketing/Media/Public Relations www.mediaweekme.com Issue 0009 23 November 2008
In this issue of these times
THE BIG QUESTION Abu Dhabi Week launches
Publisher promises “aggressive” competition for Time Out and What’s On
not an expat living guide. We’re
CHARLIE NEYRA/News writer targeting Emiratis, foreign resi-
ABU DHABI Turret Middle East, dents and tourists.”
an independent Abu Dhabi-based And advertisers, he says, have
publisher and events organiser, been quick to respond. Buchanan
will launch the UAE capital’s first says the launch issue will feature PROPERTY, AS any resident of a major Middle Eastern city
dedicated city weekly, Abu Dhabi ads from BMW, Aldar and the Abu
Girl talk
Week, on November 27. Dhabi Intercontinental Hotel,
The new title will compete di- among others, attracted by Tur-
Industry experts hold forth on rectly with the Abu Dhabi versions ret’s promise that the magazine
the lack of women in senior of ITP’s Time Out and Motivate’s will not carry any Dubai-specific
management at ad agencies. What’s On, which will, promises advertising or editorial. will know, has been the second boom of the region after oil
p08 Andy Buchanan (pictured), Tur- “If you look at What’s On and
ret’s publishing director, be “hit Time Out in Abu Dhabi, they
BACK STORY hard”. Not least because the title, carry restaurant reviews and ads
which will be free, has a claimed from Dubai,” says Buchanan.
weekly circulation of 75,000. “So our advertisers have really
“Our distribution policy is jumped on the fact that we’re not and gas. In the UAE it has been the backbone of exorbitant
very aggressive,” says Buchanan. a serialised version of a Dubai
“We’re swamping the city. Our publication with ‘Abu Dhabi’ on
remit—and our goal—is to po- the front.
sition Abu Dhabi in advance of “In our opinion, the people at
any other city, including Dubai.” ITP and Motivate are not doing a
Turret is a foundation partner of great job for their advertisers. Or ad sales, especially in outdoor. One ad executive told me that
the Abu Dhabi National Exhibi- for their readers,” he continues.
tion Centre. “A significant part of each of their
Pressing issue Turret has struck a deal with also struck exclusive deals with Content-wise, the magazine issues is talking about Dubai.
Abu Dhabi Airports Company all five of the capital’s shopping will include listings; restaurant
As the financial crisis deepens, And that really isn’t what people which will make the magazine malls, as well as coffee shops reviews; shopping, property, mo-
will quality content finally in Abu Dhabi want to be reading available at exclusive distri- throughout the city, including toring and night life sections. But
become a selling point for about. We don’t want to drive an prices along the Sheikh Zayed Road, once reduced by 40 per bution points throughout the Starbucks, Costa Coffee and Buchanan is keen to stress that it
regional publishers? hour and a half to go to the cin-
p10 airport, from passport control Mugg and Bean. “And if we miss will have a wider target audience ema. Everything’s on our door-
onwards. There will be 7,000 you in all those places,” Buchan- than Western expats. “This is a step. But nobody’s actually been
REGULARS copies a week in Abu Dhabi an says, “we’re in major hotels community magazine with broad covering that. And that’s what
NEWS 02 airport taxis. The publisher has and apartment blocks.” editorial appeal,” he says. “It’s Abu Dhabi Week will do.”
INSIGHT 10 cent, will only then be closer to those at sites in Picadilly Circus
PROFILE 12
OPINION 14
THE NINE 18
FEATURE 20 Arabian Business editor walks
PRWEEK 22
MEDIAWEEK 24 Cronin resigns ITP post amid rumours of editorial meddling
ADWEEK 26 or Times Square. Property has paid out, and with reports of its
DIGITALWEEK 28 DUBAI Sean Cronin, editor-in-chief of ITP’s bers of Robert De Niro, Ben Affleck, Lindsay
PLANNINGWEEK 30 Arabian Business magazine resigned on Lohan and Vanessa Feltz, among others) for
DESIGNWEEK 32 Thursday. Cronin, who joined the title in Jan- Thursday night’s celebrity-strewn launch of
IN FOCUS 34 uary after a spell at Bloomberg, walked out the Atlantis hotel—a story that has been re-
AD SHOWCASE 36 after disagreements with the management, ported by other regional media, including
THE BLOTTER 40 having been told to spike certain stories, ac- The National. gradual withdrawal media owners, ad agencies and associated
cording to sources close to the situation, who Our inquiries to ITP were referred to Alex-
asked to remain anonymous. Cronin declined ander McNabb, group account director at Spot
to comment. On PR. The official company line, McNabb
The final straw, it seems, came when tells us, is: “We can confirm that Sean has ten-
Cronin was told to spike a story on the leaked dered his resignation and it has been accepted
list of guest details (including the room num- by the company.” businesses are fearing for Dubai’s media future. The feature
this week (p.20) studies the effect that the property bubble-
burst will have on the city, and what can be done about it.
One solution, as raised in our Back Story (p.10), looks at
how quality will attract the remaining ad spend, benefiting
Publisher Ashley Rees
consumers and buyers alike. For editors the idea of demanding
ashley.rees@engworldwide.com ever-higher standards from your team is delicious so let’s hope
Rupert Murdoch is correct—we must strive for the highest
Peter Barton, editor
MIDDLE EAST
Editorial
standards. Other ways to stand out from the crowd are discussed
Executive editor Chris Wright
in Digital Week (p.28), which suggests the use of bloggers as a
peter.barton@engworldwide.com
chris.wright@engworldwide.com
Editor Peter Barton
cheap, and trusted (by the consumer), source of good word-
peter.barton@engworldwide.com
of-mouth. It depends what you’re selling of course. Car-nuts
News writer Charlie Neyra
charlie.neyra@engworldwide.com
at a raceday is a different prospect to lending out jewellery to
diamond-crazed bloggers.
Creative
Ad Week (p.26) even looks at how the homeless can teach
Creative director Victoria Calaguian
victoria.calaguian@engworldwide.com
marketers a thing or two. We may be more likely to see the QEII
Head of design Roy Cruz
sink on her arrival than disembark gangs of hungry panhandlers
Designer Leigh Walsh onto Dubai’s streets, but the lesson is still valid.
Designer Rouland Medina
Marketers will have to think a little harder, journalists write a
Designer Ali Arellano
Designer Maricel Poso
little better and creatives toss the ‘idea ball’ a little faster. A fine
Chief photographer Bernard Testa
distraction will be the arrival of the most famous ocean-going
Photographer Mosh Lafuente liner afloat, but how can it be turned into a guerrilla-marketing
opportunity? Answers on a postcard.
Production
Production manager Maher Mahbouby
maher.mahbouby@engworldwide.com
Senior production executive Issam Ghanem
Issam.ghanem@engworldwide.com
Circulation
Circulation director Nick Pomeroy p02 p03
p06
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
Management
Publishing director Mike Orlov
Managing director Neil Petch
p14
Group CEO Rehan Merchant
Chairman Hanif Merchant
The Publisher does not accept any liability for errors or
inaccuracies contained in this publication, however caused.
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
specialist information before acting upon any information
enclosed herein. No part of this publication or any part of
its contents may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form, p12 p26
without the express permission of the Publisher in writing.
The only exemption to this is for extracts used for the purpose
of fair review.
p28 p30
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p32
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