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Archive for the ‘Published journalism’ Category

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Chat’s the way to do it

In Communicate, Dubai, Journalism, Opinion, Public relations, Published journalism on November 24, 2010 at 3:43 pm

Communicate joins the Ramadan feeding frenzy and finds that focus-free feasting will serve a good host well

Originally published in Communicate, October 2009

“It was like the buffet was a wounded gazelle and the marketing folk were starved lions,” says one friend of Communicate, talking about an iftar to which we weren’t invited (This is unthinkable, don’t they know who we are?).

Well, it’s reassuring to know that we journalists aren’t alone in being, “a bunch of good-for-nothing freeloading gannets” (in the words of the same friend) during Ramadan. For many in the press pack the Holy Month is all about getting fed, and in these strained times the frenzy for freebie food has seemed even more desperate than usual. And rightly so – this could be the only dining out most of us manage all year. Read the rest of this entry »

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The need for speed

In Communicate, Dubai, Opinion, Published journalism on November 23, 2010 at 6:52 pm

Is two minutes enough time to forge a creative collaboration? The organizers of Match networking night think it is

Originally published in Communicate, September 2009

A bell chimes. Members of the crowd shuffle round like players in a game of musical chairs, and collectively take their seats. Everyone is now sitting opposite someone they’ve never met before. They lean forward and begin to sell themselves to their new acquaintances. Fast.

Speed is of the essence at Match, a creative networking night hosted by Shelter, a “community workspace” in Dubai. Arts organization Thinking Cloud and events-company 9714 were also behind the night. According to organizer Sonia Brewin, the inspiration for the idea was speed dating. Read the rest of this entry »

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Needs must

In Advertising, Communicate, Dubai, Published journalism, Q&A on November 23, 2010 at 6:50 pm

Richard Pinder, now promoted to CEO, tells Communicate that, for Publicis, “better value” is not the same as “lower price”

Originally published in Communicate, June 2009

When Publicis Worldwide’s then chief operating officer (now CEO) Richard Pinder came to town, Communicate caught up with him to find out about the importance of value, North African creativity, and how Publicis Graphics (the regional manifestation of Publicis Worldwide, which is the lead creative agency in the Publicis Groupe holding company) should be winning more prizes. Read the rest of this entry »

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A wishbone of contention

In Advertising, Communicate, Dubai, Opinion, Published journalism on November 23, 2010 at 6:46 pm

Pride of Young Lions fails to roar

Originally published in Communicate, June 2009

Last month Communicate was invited to be among the 40 or so judges of the Cannes Young Lions competition in Dubai. The contest pitted teams of young creatives against one another to see who would win the chance to go and represent the UAE in Cannes this month.

Each year the competition picks a charity and the ads are created – in nine hours – against that noble cause’s brief. This year, the client was the UAE Make a Wish Foundation. The foundation grants wishes to seriously ill children between the ages of three and 18, and the brief was simply to raise brand awareness.

Some of the work on display looked like it could have been put together by those children. If their dying wish had been to work at an advertising agency, this might have been what they produced. It might have been quite impressive if the young creatives behind it were, say, at school. But they’re not; they are working at agencies. And not as interns, either; as fully paid-up members of staff. Read the rest of this entry »

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Public revelations

In Advertising, Communicate, Dubai, Published journalism, Q&A on November 23, 2010 at 6:39 pm

Saatchi’s outspoken CEO Kevin Roberts tells Communicate that the time for analysis is over. Advertising is going to get ugly

Originally published in Communicate, June 2009

Saatchi & Saatchi global CEO Kevin Roberts was back in town recently to check up on the new regional management at the agency. A year after he created controversy across the Middle East by calling the region’s creative output “awful,” and the quality of work “crap,” Roberts’ agency is hoping to reinvent itself with a restructure. Read the rest of this entry »

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Periodical prognosis

In Communicate, Dubai, Interview, Journalism, Published journalism on November 23, 2010 at 6:37 pm

The FIPP’s Don Kummerfeld says magazines in the region can survive the crunch, but only if they expand their online scope

Originally published in Communicate, June 2009

Although advertising spend in the Middle East is notoriously hard to measure, the ad revenue from magazines in Western Europe and the US is in decline, and Don Kummerfeld predicts this region will not be far behind.

Kummerfeld is the president of the International Federation of the Periodical Press (FIPP), a global organization that represents magazine publishers and organizes training, networking and licensing fairs. He was recently in the UAE, and told Communicate advertising growth in magazines is likely to be on hold for a while in the Middle East. Read the rest of this entry »

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First Draft

In Advertising, Communicate, Dubai, Published journalism, Q&A on November 23, 2010 at 6:33 pm

Draftfcb’s chairman says it’s time for the agencies of the world to unite. They have nothing to lose but their silos

Originally published in Communicate, May 2009

Howard Draft, CEO of Draftfcb, was recently in Dubai to visit Horizon Draftfcb, his agency’s partner in the Middle East. Draftfcb is the product of a 2006 merger between below-the-line agency Draft, and Foote, Cone & Belding, the world’s third oldest advertising agency. Heritage doesn’t mean stagnation, though, says Draft. The agency bills itself as the world’s only global, integrated agency. The CEO tells Communicate what that means, and why other agencies will soon be following suit. Read the rest of this entry »

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Ladies’ night

In Advertising, Communicate, Dubai, Opinion, Published journalism on November 23, 2010 at 6:30 pm

No toil or trouble at Adwomen ME’s first TrendTalks sessions

Originally published in Communicate, May 2010

ACT I
SCENE I. A desert place.
Thunder and lightning. Enter witches

Ah, the opening of Macbeth. It was the first thing which sprang to mind when Communicate was invited to the inaugural Adwomen ME TrendTalks, a get-together of 50 female members and various speakers organized by Adwomen Middle East. It was hard to escape visions of cauldrons and an evil coven, eager to boil this male journo alive. Read the rest of this entry »

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Grand National

In Advertising, Communicate, Journalism, Opinion, Published journalism on November 23, 2010 at 6:24 pm

As the paper celebrates its first birthday, Communicate finds the title still has a long way to go

Originally published in Communicate, May 2009

At a round table in Abu Dhabi last month, Gavin Dickinson, the executive director of publishing at The National, spoke with journalists about the newspaper’s business model. Like everyone else, it seems the daily has been hit by the credit crunch. But being young, bold, and blessed with very rich parents, it doesn’t really care. Read the rest of this entry »

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Waiting game

In Advertising, Communicate, Dubai, Published journalism, Q&A on November 23, 2010 at 6:07 pm

Leo Burnett’s global CEO says forward planning has prepared his agency well for the economic slump. But all any agency can do now is watch and see what develops

Originally published in Communicate, May 2009

Tom Bernardin has been Leo Burnett’s global CEO since 2005, when he moved to the agency from Interpublic Group of Cos.’ Lowe. When he came to Dubai recently, Communicate caught up with him and regional managing director Kamal Dimachkie to find out how the global financial crisis is affecting Leo Burnett abroad and at home, and what others can learn from the agency’s approach to the slump. Read the rest of this entry »