austynallison

Posts Tagged ‘communicate’

, , ,

Weber 4.0

In Communicate, Public relations, Published journalism, Q&A on November 23, 2010 at 5:50 pm

PR guru Larry Weber talks about the future of the Internet. And golf balls

Originally published in Communicate, February 2009

In 1987, Larry Weber founded the Weber Group, which grew – as Weber Shandwick – to be one of the biggest PR businesses in the world. And in 2004, he started out again, with W2 Group, which specializes in digital PR. He has long been a proponent of the Web, having worked with Tim Berners-Lee, the man credited with inventing it, and has been called “the town crier of the Internet.” Communicate caught up with Weber when he was in town to be a keynote speaker at the PR Congress in Dubai. We took the opportunity to find out what he’s been up to, and to gauge his thoughts on PR, the region and technology. Read the rest of this entry »

, , , , ,

Rising stars

In Advertising, Communicate, Dubai, Published journalism, Q&A on November 23, 2010 at 5:47 pm

Changes are afoot at Publicis Groupe Media. Communicate catches up with the top brass to find out why the management team has been given a makeover

Originally published in Communicate, November 2008

Communications group Publicis Groupe Media, the parent company of buying and planning agencies Starcom MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia, has recently promoted three of its top men to more senior positions. Communicate sat down with the management to discuss what the changes mean to the group, and to take the pulse of the region’s media industry in general. Read the rest of this entry »

, , , , ,

The legend of Spamalot

In Communicate, Dubai, Journalism, Marketing, Public relations, Published journalism on November 23, 2010 at 5:43 pm

We look at the unsolicited mail in our inboxes, and see who’s jamming our computers with junk

Originally published in Communicate, September 2008

As journalists, we thrive on information, and a lot of this comes via our inboxes.

Unfortunately, to get to that information, we have to dig through piles of irrelevant rubbish, much of it sent by PR professionals.
So we fired a warning shot last month, when we warned we would name and shame the worst offenders. (See Letter from the editor, page 3, July-August 2008.) Read the rest of this entry »

, , , , ,

License to bill

In Communicate, Dubai, Journalism, Published journalism, Q&A on November 23, 2010 at 5:39 pm

Haymarket’s licensing director, Tim Bulley, tells Communicate why a publisher should fork out fees to launch someone else’s title

Originally published in Communicate, September 2008

The region’s news stands are filled with regional editions of international magazine titles, and Haymarket is the name behind many of them. The UK-based publisher has 127 franchised titles around the world, and recently launched football magazine FourFourTwo through UAE publishing house The Media Factory. It is also preparing to relaunch Campaign, formerly with ITP, through Motivate Publishing. Although he would not be drawn to comment on the advertising title, Haymarket’s licensing director Tim Bulley did make time to talk to Communicate about why a publisher should fork out money on license fees rather than going it alone. Read the rest of this entry »

, , , , , , ,

Press conference saves babies

In Communicate, Dubai, Journalism, Marketing, Public relations, Published journalism on November 23, 2010 at 1:40 pm

P&G vaccinates 100 newborns for everyone who attends campaign launch

Originally published in Communicate, July 2008

Communicate (and some other journos) saved some babies yesterday. By going to a press conference.

We were intrigued by a press release from IPN, on behalf of P&G’s Pampers diaper brand, inviting us to attend the launch of their “1 large pack = 1 tetanus vaccine” campaign, run in partnership with UNICEF. It promised that, “P&G has pledged to donate 100 additional vaccines towards the campaign for every person who attends the press conference.” Journalists were encouraged to bring family and friends to further boost numbers at the presser. Read the rest of this entry »

, , , , ,

Eastern promise

In Advertising, Communicate, Dubai, Published journalism, Q&A on November 23, 2010 at 1:24 pm

ADK’s Koichiro Naganuma tells us about the importance of local knowledge and how the Middle East is the center of the Earth

Originally published in Communicate, July 2008

Koichiro Naganuma, president and group CEO of Japanese ad agency ADK was in town recently to familiarize himself with the workings and staff of AGA ADK, the result of a merger between his company and Dubai-based AGA a year and a half ago. Communicate caught up with him and Roger Sahyoun, president and CEO of AGA ADK, to talk about the unique appeal of this region to an Eastern agency looking west. Read the rest of this entry »

, , , ,

Lynx lowdown

In Advertising, Communicate, Dubai, Published journalism, Q&A on November 23, 2010 at 11:48 am

Phil Thomas, CEO of the Cannes Lions advertising festival, was in town this month to talk about the upcoming Dubai Lynx advertising awards. Communicate caught up with him to find out what direction the event is taking

Originally published in Communicate, March 2008

When the Lynx started, was the plan always there to turn it into a festival?
Absolutely. What we wanted to do was test the waters and see if we were going to be supported by the region. Is this something the region really wants? Let’s have an award first and see how that goes. And we were blown away by the support we had, we were amazed by the entry levels and the attendance on the night last year, so we felt confident that we could create a three-day event that would also be supported by the region. Read the rest of this entry »

, , , ,

Production pragmatism

In Advertising, Communicate, Dubai, Marketing, Published journalism, Television on November 23, 2010 at 10:34 am

It’s an unlikely deviation from the usual plot, but Dubai Studio City is trying to give the industry what it requires, rather than telling it what it wants

Originally published in Communicate, February 2008

During the Dubai International Film Festival in December, Dubai Studio City (DSC) announced full occupancy of its 18 boutique studios. The project’s aim of bringing production to Dubai, it seems, is being achieved.

Dr. Amina Al Rustamani, executive director of media at Tecom Investments, the parent company of Dubai’s free zones, says there are four main reasons to attract the film and production industry to the emirate: tourism, the economic benefits of having a big budget industry in town, “building the knowledge economy,” and the creation of jobs. Read the rest of this entry »

, , , ,

X Games excels at X-selling

In Communicate, Dubai, Marketing, Published journalism on November 23, 2010 at 10:22 am

Dubai is full of bored middle-class kids with a thirst for rebellion and Mountain Dew. The X Games brings both, with branding to boot

Originally published in Communicate, January 2008

Not content with importing replicas of the pyramids, faux Taj Mahals and inoffensive clones of famous art galleries, the UAE has been striving to import subculture in the form of the X Games.

After being dropped off in 4x4s, thousands of surly youths last month trudged to a makeshift skate park at the back of Festival City. Checking their bikes, boards and inlines at the gate, the nobody-understands-mes of Dubai scowled from beneath Korn hoodies at the likes of Garrett Reynolds in the BMX freestyle street event (who was “psyched to have won”), Tyler Hendry (skateboard street, “It was very close and I’m so stoked”), and Greg Hartman, who – according to a press release – pulled a switchblade no-footed can flip to win his Moto X best trick medal. Awesome. Read the rest of this entry »

, , ,

Son of a Fitch

In Advertising, Communicate, Dubai, Marketing, Published journalism, Q&A on November 23, 2010 at 10:19 am

Design guru Rodney Fitch talks to Communicate about his new business in Dubai and plans for further expansion in the Middle East

Originally published in Communicate, January 2008

In September, international design consultancy Fitch became the majority partner in Dubai-based independent branding and design consultancy GSCS – now renamed GS Fitch.

Communicate met with Fitch founder and CEO Rodney Fitch, and his new business partner, Gregg Sedgwick, when Fitch came to Dubai recently to meet the GS Fitch team. Read the rest of this entry »