Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Marketing and Business Buzz words - from a Middle East POV


Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
A recent survey of IT decision makers in the Middle East by Aruba Networks revealed that the adoption of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies by businesses in the region is accelerating, but that security concerns remain the biggest obstacle to adaptation 

GenMobile
We are seeing the emergence of a breed of workforce dubbed ‘GenMobile’. This generation is blending work and play via their mobile devices and will further accelerate the need for IT to respond.

Source - Google news

More at http://www.profoundry.co/top-21-digital-buzzwords-2014/

https://econsultancy.com/blog/65411-are-these-the-world-s-worst-marketing-buzzwords/


Whats Markening in Qatar - Marketing news and developments

mobile application has been launched by Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).  Aim is to assist citizens who encounter emergency situations abroad. Mostly aimed at citizens travelling. 



CSR


Doha bank joined hands with members of the Green Banking Task Force Committee and the Planet Savers Club of the bank to plant trees near its Dukhan branch under the theme "Plan and Plant for the Future" as part of its corporate social responsibility strategy

Aims :
To raise awareness about the role of trees in biodiversity conservation

Remind people about their duty of environment protection and preservation

Digital Media

Screen International provides a range of advertising opportunities both in print and online. It has developed an excellent digital edition for Doha Film Institute.




Workshops

Jointly organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Qatar Olympic Committee, there is a media workshop on women and sport in Doha on 15 and 16 May 2015. Workshop aim - raise awareness and educate media  about the importance of the media in promoting gender equality.

Key themes to be discussed during the event include: 
Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality in 2015 and beyond – 
The potential of media as a platform to accelerate changes; 
 Addressing the imbalance - challenges posed by the media and their impact on gender equality; Promoting leadership of women through the media; 
Media coverage of women’s events & the “rules” of media coverage; and 
Why aren’t more women working in sports media?



Acquisitions – expanding the brand

Qatar Airways announces acquisition of Scottish Novotel Edinburgh Park Hotel; says will buy more hotels in future. This is the 2nd. The first acquisition, earlier this year, was the Sheraton Skyline Hotel at Heathrow Airport in London. ‘In addition to our travel portfolio, complementing our five-star hotel the Oryx Rotana in Doha and Sheraton Skyline Hotel Heathrow, making it easy for passengers who wish to spend some time in Edinburgh before travelling further afield in Scotland.” - QA


Energy

Qatargas delivered its first cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to China National Oil Corporation (CNOOC) - highlights Qatargas’ capability to supply LNG to customers around the globe safely and reliably, and will further strengthen the relationship between both companies over the long term 


Internet

Infographic: Paradoxes of MENA Internet Use





Transport and Infrastructure

While three of Qatar’s major rail and metro projects are facing delays, Lusail Light Rail Transit is the latest to show progress with the tram contract awarded by the Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail). 
While the Education City People Mover is more imminent, due to be complete by 2015, some major projects are still on hold. Both the West Bay People Mover and Friendship Bridge are on hold, while the Msheireb tram has also been postponed. 
The latest progress on Qatar’s rail scene is the Lusail tram contract awarded by Qatar Rail to a consortium of Alstom and QDVC. The four-line tram network is worth USD2.72 billion (QAR 10 billion). Expected to start service in 2018 with the launch of the Yellow Line, the next phase of delivery is scheduled in 2020. 
The four-line network will cross the city covering a distance of 33 kilometres (km), including 7km underground and 37 stations. Designed to accommodate 200,000 people, Lusail City will also house one of the 2022 World Cup stadiums.


Source - TheEdge

Monday, April 20, 2015

These smart ads bubble wont burst for a long time

The idea of minimalism in ads without too much write up - both on images and message - is one that is tough to try out but winning nevertheless. Especially on platforms such as mobile technology or social media or if its a new product, where marketers would want to 'introduce' it to the target so that familiarity is gained quickly.

Two minimalist/quirky/innovative smart ads I saw these last two days and which caught my eye.

The Indigo app ad. Tags which come to your mind when you see it - smart, funny, minimal, a smart app, cool airline,  customer first etc.



Secondly, Hector's Paperboat drinks ads doing the rounds. I follow them on Instagram and I love the illustrations and imagery. 


Image courtesy - behance


The website is oh-so-fun-yet-chic and mind you we are talking of a beverage here, not Tarun Tahiliani's site.



Ok let say you arent for the product, but you will definitely not miss the stories woven throughout the site. No Yash-Chopra-flashbacks or Alok Nath preaching of 'woh din', but delightful, like the aamras they sell. 






Their integrated content across platforms is consistent and fresh. The lesson is, you may have just one strategy, but play it well and play it in parallel. 




Views are my own and not endorsement. I enjoy marketing damn it!


Sunday, April 19, 2015

Whats new in Indian Content Marketing

Social media network

Report from http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2015/04/17/tata-drives-employee-adoption-of-social-platform/

A fun and work blended social media platform called Knome for TCS employees, was set up. Currently used by a large majority of its employees, it may prove as a good jump from the traditional email communication and company messenger (if any). 


Image courtesy - IndiaWSJ


Ad world

Totally digging the UAE Exchange Malayalam ads by Aashiq Abu featuring Malayalam actors Jayasurya and Fahadh Faasil. I loved the subtlety, quirks and emotions showed in the ads. Hope to see more. Thank you Abu.

The ad story is about two friends in the Middle East (apparently Dubai) representative of the huge Malayali expat population. Jayasurya's role is of one, who, in different emergency situations needs money,mostly in communication with a mom and an ex-girlfriend in India (again totally identifiable with the ME expat life). In a playful but friend-in-need role, Faasil transfers the money from his mobile showing UAE Exchange's easy money transfer mode. Not much emphasis or star image and neither on the situations. 


 Ad 1



 Ad 2




Making of the ads 








Saturday, March 7, 2015

Get your ABCDs right

Starting a company or continuing an established one needs a lot of thinking and brainstorming. But the basics will never change. These basics are the foundation on which continuous business pillars are built. No matter what developments technology make,its important to understand that no fad or trend can replace a basic. Yes you can always modify a basic but you still have it there right?

Marketing's four P's are the basics on which any company can look forward to do its marketing.
Getting these right should be the priority.

Product
Price
Place
Promotion

Adding to these are just 2 more aspects :
Customer
Budget

Designing your company's strategy around the above aspects are mostly enough.


Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Agency and In House Marketing - Too many cooks?

A brand is like a baby. You take responsibility of it as a parent would do. So who is this 'you'? Is it the marketing unit of the company or independent agency?

 Every company has a marketing department even if it doesn't have a wall. The team indirectly responsible for revenue generation (and also considerable spending!) ,directly responsible for sales team go -aheads is one which takes care of the marketing of not just the products today but also of the company tomorrow. With such futuristic goals, is it safe to have agency taking care of the brand?

Some very brief ideas on the above puzzle :

Why is it good to consult an agency/freelance

- Better and breather  ideas

- More freedom in terms of creativity

Why not?

- Lesser accountability

- Brand may get a 'stepmotherly' treatment

So what can be done to nurture a brand ?

- Involvement of the CEO or Company head instead of just holding the CMO accountable

- Constant skill development of marketing team (even CMO) where trends and market scenarios are dealt with

- Constant research

- Efforts to regularly reinvent the brand

- Can keep agency on project basis.

Overall a deeper relationship needs to be bridged between the brand and whoever...well..adopts the baby.