The creative questions

Are innovation and creativity in the UAE's local advertising industry sinking under the weight of massive ad spends? And what's the next big medium that'll target us?

• By Shalaka Paradkar, staff reporter
• Published: 00:08 July 2, 2008
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Are innovation and creativity in the UAE's local advertising industry sinking under the weight of massive ad spends? And what's the next big medium that'll target us?

Do you recall the TV spot for a fast food chain in which a mother offers her baby an index finger slathered in grease from a fried chicken, in lieu of a pacifier? The baby stops crying and licks her finger, gurgling in glee at the wondrous taste of it.

To the advertising agency's credit, it is a spot that lingers on in memory. Albeit, for all the wrong reasons. If advertising shapes popular culture then it's easy to understand why the UAE is fighting an epidemic of early onset diabetes and obesity among its adolescents.

Yet if the latest media reports are to be believed, advertising spending in the UAE is now an incredible Dhs3.3 billion per year and growing.

"That's a lot of money being wasted!" exclaims Vincent Raffray, creative director and partner at Tonic Communications.

"Just look around, turn on your TV or listen to the radio or go online. When was the last time a piece of communication from this region actually engaged or moved you?

"Before we even begin to start thinking about where we spend our money, we need to fix the basics. You can throw as much money into new technology as you like, but if it doesn't have an idea behind it you will fail to interact with your audience.

"But we have to start somewhere and this industry here is still young. There are some good people in this industry trying to make that difference. Progress is slow, but occasionally some great, innovative ideas surface and people take notice."

Ballooning ad spending ought to translate into bigger budgets for creativity, talent and innovation than ever before. Unwary listeners ought not to be subjected to radio ads like the one for a British mortgage company in which a cut glass accent stamps approval of the lender because they are "even faster than in my own country".

But big spending doesn't always translate into creativity or talent, says Fadi Salameh, CEO of MCN (Middle East Communication Networks), the largest advertising agency in the Middle East.

"Most of the ad spend in our region is driven through media. Because there's so much more, advertisers need to do just that much more - meaning, their media spends increase," he says.

"But we do allocate budgets for creativity and innovation. And talent is what drives those two areas. In this busy market to cut through the clutter you need to be truly creative and innovative."

Advertising today also needs to be multimedia, given the massive shifts in technology and means of communication. Raffray believes the biggest influence on communication will be the all-pervasive internet.

"Social networking, blogging and podcasting feel almost outdated now because we're continually being bombarded by the next big thing to change our lives. It's actually pretty scary trying to keep up with all of it."

Mobile technology is big for now, given that mobile phones function as social planners, office managers, entertainment centres and more.

"You can watch TV, listen to music, blog, run your business and even measure your heart rate using mobiles. It's a piece of technology that never leaves your side. Hence it's a natural target for marketers," says Raffray.

Advertising in many developed markets has embraced the next big thing: digital and mobile advertising. Mobile operators such as Virgin in the US and Blyk in the UK are already offering their subscribers free text messages and free minutes of voice calls as long as they agree to receive text messages and video clips from advertisers. (The ads are targeted to specific consumer groups, based on information given out by owners.)

What about advertising here? Salameh says they are "constantly updating and upgrading our delivery spectrum with clients. We're looking at innovative new touch points. Digital is big. That's where innovation is the key driving force. It's hard to identify any one or two technologies.

"We are very aware that today, the consumer is driving our business, controlling both message and medium. Consumers are choosing technologies based on their lifestyles, conveniences and needs."

Salameh believes mobile-based advertising is going to be big and given the mobile usage in this region, it makes complete sense.

"HDTV and its interactive, response-driven broadcasting cannot be far away on the horizon. The technology's there already, it's just waiting to be switched on. And, of course, there's region-relevant programming content."

While advertisers elsewhere are breathless over the inherent possibilities of digital, the Middle East seems stuck in a timewarp, says Raffray.

"Media agencies think that online advertising is buying a pop-up banner. This is not what it's about," he says.

"We should be using that money to create new applications that our consumers can interact with rather than p***ing them off with a web banner. Ideas that will engrain themselves in our culture and move the industry forward. Again I ask you, when last did a piece of online communication from this region engage you?"

"In this region, we haven't scratched the surface," agrees Salameh. "Consumer-driven Facebook brand messaging - I'm not calling it advertising, you notice - is something we haven't explored properly. Viral marketing is pretty much in its infancy I'm told.

"One, the idea is just catching on here; and two, your creative needs to be compelling for the platform to work. A lot of our 'creative' is pretty much still not digital savvy. So, there's a wake-up call there."

Raffray says he is still amused that a 12-year-old kid with a webcam can get millions of hits on YouTube for free when the advertising industry spends millions on producing expensive and "mostly crappy TV ads that no-one really wants to watch. And we keep on doing it. I'm amazed".

"We need to be able to blend in with new technology and popular culture and keep up to date with innovation and use it to our advantage. But at the end of the day, you still need to wrap a great idea around that technology. Maybe the technology is the idea. Whichever way you look at it, you still need an idea to grab attention."

However, given the UAE's unique context, where social networking sites such as Orkut, are banned by the state-owned internet service providers, will they ever find a place in media plans in this region?

Salameh believes a service provider can't stand in the way of innovative viralising. "There's many ways to skin that cat," he says.

A few of MCN's Fortune Promoseven agency clients, such as Nivea, have already started to benefit from viral marketing. Salameh cites Nivea's Beauty Is... online campaign done by its digital agency Innovations as an example of consumer-driven content at its forefront.

One of the biggest challenges facing the industry is finding and retaining talent. The advent of newer technologies and media, such as mashup sites and mobile telephony, demand a whole new set of skills.

"We're keen to see some good homegrown talent. Digital is another area that will usher in a lot of change and new thinking. That's not a threat, that's an opportunity and a challenge. To convince the clients, to produce cutting-edge work in that area, to find the right digital people - wow, that's always a challenge," says Salameh.

Salameh predicts that over the next five years the big agencies, the big sharks, will get bigger.

"There'll be some M&As happening where they eat up the mid-level players. And there'll always be the small boutiques doing well - the small fish, the creative shops. They'll always have a place catering to special needs. Pretty much like what happened in North America and Europe over the last few years," he says.

Given all these multiple challenges and constraints, the advertising fraternity remains hopeful and optimistic. The Middle East is a growing market, still new and flush with plenty of opportunities to produce great concepts.

Does the fact that the media here operates within certain restraints affect the quality of advertising? Fadi believes it doesn't. "It actually makes us more accountable. It helps us think and focus better. Sometimes control is good. If you know what the box is, only then can you think outside the box."

"Us advertising folks are boomtown rats," concludes Salameh.

"There's growth all around us. When there are new projects, products and services every day, someone needs to tell the people about it, right? So, advertising will grow riding along. In the UAE we're blessed with a lot of freedom. and that really creates a stimulating business."

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