The Difference Between PR and Advertising
ALEXANDER MCNABB:”…Advertising is all about lying. It’s what they do, constantly. What amazes me is how we put up with it, consigning it to the dump bin of background noise”
The ‘A’ Word: A Big Problem for Cola Makers
THE VIEW FROM FEZ: In spite of the cool words issued by cola manufacturers there is still great concern across the Muslim world regarding ingredients.
Paint it Red: Unfortunate Brand Association
ALEXANDER MCNABB: It’s a charming tradition in the UAE that landmarks are frequently known by the company nearby…
Qatar World Cup 2022: Sponsorship versus Principle – To Serve or not to Serve?
JAMES M. DORSEY: The outcome of FIFA’s dispute with Brazil and Russia is certain to shape the soccer body’s certainly forthcoming debate with Qatar.
Radio: UAE, Home of the World’s Worst Ads?
ALEXANDER MCNABB: It’s becoming a problem for my radio listening life: I turn the radio off as soon as the adverts come on, and then often forget to turn it back on again.
Danger to America: The All American Muslim
CROSSROADS ARABIA: The group claims showing Muslims as ordinary, hides the fact that some are terrorists. The show therefore is a danger to America.
Home of the Brave? Branding to America’s Seven Million ‘Thriving’ Muslims
SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMED: The lesson from these examples is courage pays off. Muslims show loyalty to brands supporting them in the public space.
ENOC PR: What’s Behind the Curious Timing?
ALEXANDER MCNABB: Quite why the company has broken its silence now remains to be explained, but one is left with the feeling there’s something…
Film Review: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
NASEEM TARAWNAH: While those of us in the Middle East may not necessarily face the exact same problems with advertising, we are facing very similar issues.
Benihana: Where Winning Means Losing
ALEXANDER MCNABB: What amazes me is how utterly, unbelievably stupid Benihana Kuwait is being in pursuing this case – and how idiotic Benihana Tokyo is in allowing it.
Etihad’s Controversial $642m City Deal
JAMES M. DORSEY: The agreement dwarfs Arsenal FC’s 2004 deal with Dubai’s Emirates Airways that was valued at $144 million over 15 years.
ENOC, PR & the Media: 5 Lessons to be Learned
ALEXANDER MCNABB: Here are the five rules of Public Relations that may help Enoc, and indeed any other company that has to break bad news, going forward…
Advertising: No Subject for a Play on Words
DAVID ROBERTS: Other people’s suffering is not the obvious subject of a play on words in advertising – and sometimes a negative cannot and should not be turned into a positive.
How Blogging Can Be Your Company’s Voice
STEVE ROYSTON: “If you manage to persuade your CEO to write a blog, you’d better make sure he or she writes lively content. Otherwise their blog will have the opposite effect…”
A PR Coup: The Woman & the Jeddah Projects
SAAD AL DOSARI: The decision of asking her to be part of the inauguration is clever because it gives the project a human face. She is the voice of Jeddawies.
Social Media: Are Brands Getting the Revolution?
ALLAN BIGGAR: The path is now open for a consumer revolution where a new generation will be more influenced by their social-network contacts than by traditional marketing messages.
Social Media’s Rise: A PR Blessing, And A Curse
HAYDEN SUTHERLAND, ANDREW MACKAY: Social and digital media are changing traditional comms, giving rise to new communicators.
Rebuilding Business Confidence the Next Battleground
ANDREW MACKAY: Countries across the Middle East and Africa need to examine the damage done to their reputations, and rebuild vital revenue streams from inward investment and tourism.
Snow Joke: How to To Combat Travel Chaos
ALEXANDER MCNABB: It’s mad to have people looking at screens talking to customers when those customers could be looking at the screens themselves.
On Your Bike – an Untrue Ad Executed Badly
ALEXANDER MCNABB: My delight is enhanced that the latest piece witless buffoonery originates from HSBC, the bank that likes to say ‘Is there anything else I can do to help you?’ at the end of calls where they have been signally useless.
