austynallison

Posts Tagged ‘dubai’

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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 »

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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 »

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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 »

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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 »

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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 »

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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 »

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Piersing insight

In Communicate, Dubai, Journalism, Published journalism on November 22, 2010 at 11:31 pm

Piers Morgan urges regional media to get more aggressive and stop kowtowing

Originally published in Communicate, December 2007

Piers Morgan came to the Media and Marketing Conference to discuss celebrities, and how they can be used by regional media. But when he took to the podium, although the one-time Fleet Street editor – now “shamelessly pursuing celebrity status myself” as a judge on America’s Got Talent – spoke a little about star power, he spent most of his 30-minute speech berating the regional press for being cowed and timid. Read the rest of this entry »

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The main event

In Communicate, Dubai, Marketing, Public relations, Published journalism on November 22, 2010 at 11:29 pm

In the UAE, where every business wants to appear the biggest and best, firms are turning to event marketers to make their functions stand out

Originally published in Communicate, December 2007

In Dubai, everyone has something to say. Even when they don’t. Press conferences promising “important announcements” or “pioneering developments” are a daily occurrence. Showing off, it seems, is an important part of business culture here.

Companies, then, need to do something special to make their announcements and corporate events stand out. Read the rest of this entry »

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The strategy of spin

In Communicate, Dubai, Journalism, Marketing, Published journalism on November 22, 2010 at 11:26 pm

Sultan of spin Alastair Campbell was in Dubai last month for the PR congress

Originally published in Communicate, December 2007

One PR recently shared the refreshing confidence with Communicate that the reason she went into the business was that, “Whatever I do, it won’t harm anyone.” This is not true for all practitioners of the dark arts, though, and Alastair Campbell, described by one UK tabloid as “the most powerful man in Britain,” is – some would have it – proof that a well-spun story can be a lethal weapon. Read the rest of this entry »

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Heavyweight Haddad

In Advertising, Communicate, Dubai, Marketing, Profile, Published journalism on November 22, 2010 at 11:24 pm

JWT’s regional boss talks about stepping down. And agency biology

Originally published in Communicate, November 2007

In the training gym of regional advertising, Roy Haddad is a gruff, experienced sparring partner – the sort of adversary younger pugilists can learn from. He sways and bobs and weaves as he talks, rolling back in his chair, fidgeting with energy.

Haddad delivers his answers, insights and analysis in sharp jabs. He says what he has to, then stops. Asked what agencies he worked for before he founded Tihama Al Mona International, which eventually became JWT, in 1981, he parries the question. “You want me to promote the competition? Forget it.” Read the rest of this entry »