Enough with the complaints about the white influence on our day to day communication practices, I feel like talking about the word of mouth in this writeup. Isn't this the promise that PR agencies in general in this region give their clients during a pitch? Well this is the most influential com tool in the region and it can help ur product/brand/image/reputation achieve miracles. Now that we all know what it does, the question remains " How do we do it?" I don't claim the discovery of this HOW, yet I have worked on finding the map to this treasure.
We have lived in a tribal social system for centuries. Technology invaded this system in the late 20th and early 21st century. However, technology (the tube-TV) was introduced to the coasters first (Arabs living by the ocean at the coast) followed by the Bedouins (those who lived in the desert). During that period and all the time before, news used to spread via the Majales or the minaret of a mosque which still required that you live close to the mosque. These majales used to convene on daily/weekly/monthly basis depending on the need and occasion. The majles is usually chaired by the host who is usually the tribe clan or the richest among all. During the majles, tribes men discuss all issues about their daily life trade... This has become more of a debate forum for the public to listen, discuss and argue about various issues that has taken place or will happen in the near future. Well, this still happens until today especially in the Gulf States.
An efficient and fruitful PR campaign will have its best chance by targeting the majalis. This will only happen when identifying the chairs of these majalis and study them thoroughly. Influencing these people will help you convey your message to his guests and their families... having said so, have you ever heard of any organization/company/institution that decided on studying these majalis? I haven't yet however, I know that if this will not happen, it will be a very long way for PR to be effective in this society. Some of you might ask "What about the expats living in this region, how do we talk to them?" my experience tells me that the most efficient way is advertising and tailored PR that suits each community. In short, there isn't ONE STOP SHOP, a press release will reach some, but many will not even care to what you have to say unless you do that in person. Others, cannot listen to anyone but to what they read or watch on the telly... Our job as professional PR practitioners is to dissect our target audience and idnetify the tools and methods that can help reach them in the most efficient way. Doing that will require a colorful set of resources of various origins and cultural differences.
Therefore, if I were to promote a product among the Asians, I will hire an Asian resource, who will do it the same way it happens in Pakistan or India, and so on so forth. This is the fastest and easiest way to reach your audience " Amro Diab doesn't mean a thing to Indians, and cricket is Japanese to Arabs" however both are excellent ambassadors only to their fans and nations.
In short, PR will be integral to business in the region when we practice PR that matches the race and color of our target audience and use the different channels and routes implied by the race/color.
Tota tota, kholsit l7atoota
Monday, October 29, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Can PR be an Imported Communication Discipline? Read 2
I believe that being radical in business is what defines your practice and gives it the distinguishing flavor among others. In a region that titles itself as the HUB, it is time to create our own flavor. We all hear about markets with distinct marks such as Singapore, KL, Hong Kong...but what is special about our HUB besides the fact that it is emerging and growing?
As I recall, books say that the western influence has had its roots in this HUB when the Europeans from the CONTINTENT imposed themselves as strategic counselors to our WISE leaders, this phase witnessed the time when business modules, educational paths and marketing strategies became an imported product sent by CIVILIZED nations that ruled half the globe. Not to drift into further politics, I'll focus on identifying the value of these imported products for our HUB and say whether or not this product facilitated more business transactions benefiting the local people and companies. Yet, before doing that, I’ll go fast through the evolution of PR in our region trying to know if we can utilize it and how.
Arabs have a saying that is identical to that of the English "Necessity is the mother of INVENTION", you might think that I am straying away from the subject, but no, I am still trying to understand why as an Arab I had to import PR? Was there a need (necessity)? How come this necessity only aroused during the presence of western troops at our land (post WW1, First Gulf War)? Isn't invention the name of locally thought and made concepts/products...? So if I (as an Arab) saw a need for communication discipline to support my image/reputation.. in the region among my consumers, how come I didn't invent one as the saying states? Isn't the imported product a reflection of a need/necessity in some other market??
Deciding whether we need PR or not in our market will require a more academic study filled with figures, charts and numbers prepared by personnel from the western hemisphere (so it can be believed). I don't think I'll wait for that to happen so I can talk about it, I'll just improvise relying on Allah, my Arabian guts, insights and Arabic cross cultural background developed due to intensive visits, work and meetings I experienced with the people and orgz from all around Arabia.
"Public Relations is an art of mass communication ignited by commercial objectives set by a company/organization/government seeking a certain image. This image helps the operation achieve its objectives ", I gave myself the permission to give this definition based on my years of PR practice in the region, if you agree then my later explanation should make sense to you. "PR is an art" in other words, it requires creativity and uniqueness, we only categorize any work as an art when we realize it's uniqueness. This creativity that reflects uniqueness requires a tolerant environment-regime that doesn't impose random regulations or irrational limits i.e: Freedom of ,speech, expression.... In this particular world, PR has never been an art, thus, PR doesn't help me communicate with the mass and will not support my image or set my reputation as the English man says it will in his shiny PowerPoint presentation. What will? Word Of Mouth supported by some fancy full page ads in Advertising/Newspapers. This conclusion will require that I talk more about word of mouth, how our societies generate it, and how it spreads via journalistic and non-journalistic channels that have existed centuries before the neo Romans exported PR to us.
I hope I didn't take long this time, please do send me your comments mentioning your name, profession and position.
Abdulhameed Halwani,
Have a good day
As I recall, books say that the western influence has had its roots in this HUB when the Europeans from the CONTINTENT imposed themselves as strategic counselors to our WISE leaders, this phase witnessed the time when business modules, educational paths and marketing strategies became an imported product sent by CIVILIZED nations that ruled half the globe. Not to drift into further politics, I'll focus on identifying the value of these imported products for our HUB and say whether or not this product facilitated more business transactions benefiting the local people and companies. Yet, before doing that, I’ll go fast through the evolution of PR in our region trying to know if we can utilize it and how.
Arabs have a saying that is identical to that of the English "Necessity is the mother of INVENTION", you might think that I am straying away from the subject, but no, I am still trying to understand why as an Arab I had to import PR? Was there a need (necessity)? How come this necessity only aroused during the presence of western troops at our land (post WW1, First Gulf War)? Isn't invention the name of locally thought and made concepts/products...? So if I (as an Arab) saw a need for communication discipline to support my image/reputation.. in the region among my consumers, how come I didn't invent one as the saying states? Isn't the imported product a reflection of a need/necessity in some other market??
Deciding whether we need PR or not in our market will require a more academic study filled with figures, charts and numbers prepared by personnel from the western hemisphere (so it can be believed). I don't think I'll wait for that to happen so I can talk about it, I'll just improvise relying on Allah, my Arabian guts, insights and Arabic cross cultural background developed due to intensive visits, work and meetings I experienced with the people and orgz from all around Arabia.
"Public Relations is an art of mass communication ignited by commercial objectives set by a company/organization/government seeking a certain image. This image helps the operation achieve its objectives ", I gave myself the permission to give this definition based on my years of PR practice in the region, if you agree then my later explanation should make sense to you. "PR is an art" in other words, it requires creativity and uniqueness, we only categorize any work as an art when we realize it's uniqueness. This creativity that reflects uniqueness requires a tolerant environment-regime that doesn't impose random regulations or irrational limits i.e: Freedom of ,speech, expression.... In this particular world, PR has never been an art, thus, PR doesn't help me communicate with the mass and will not support my image or set my reputation as the English man says it will in his shiny PowerPoint presentation. What will? Word Of Mouth supported by some fancy full page ads in Advertising/Newspapers. This conclusion will require that I talk more about word of mouth, how our societies generate it, and how it spreads via journalistic and non-journalistic channels that have existed centuries before the neo Romans exported PR to us.
I hope I didn't take long this time, please do send me your comments mentioning your name, profession and position.
Abdulhameed Halwani,
Have a good day
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
PR In Arabia, Read 1
"This is not PR in Arabia, it is free advertising flavored with coincidental publicity".
This is the one statement I always use to describe this practice in our part of the world. It is quiet interesting to see a non Arab who have never lived in Arabia, or known an Arab except through the Hollywood propaganda, practicing PR proudly and with attitude in our markets. As I know, PR is the art to communicate via channels that advertising cannot reach or utilize. As I know, PR is an art of communication that can only serve the objective if found in a certain environment that accommodates a democratic practice, fair competition and the knowledge of how to loose a battle and the science of winning it.
We all know that PR helps other communication vehicles to reach areas that are not passable, in the west its the minds, in Arabia, ITS THE HEART. Arabia has had its glory days when both heart and mind were vibrant and active, but not anymore. As the physicians say, the brain is another muscle, if you do not train it, it will become dull and less efficient. Well, this is the case nowadays with our EMRGING PEOPLE IN EMERGING MARKETS. Our minds are at rest, yet our hearts are still pumping. So the question is, if I want to practice PR, isn't it a requirement that I know the WAY to the hearts of Arabians?
My answer is a definite yes but this is not enough. Having a clear knowledge of this WAY, mastering it and possessing the ability to become the controller makes you a successful PR practitioner. Having said that, I would challenge any PR guru coming from the East or West to explain how he/she is planning to reach the hearts of Arabs when not knowing what makes these hearts, happy, sad, satisfied, frustrated, relieved, depressed... Didn't we all agree that what makes a person happy in the US might not even mean a thing to someone in Japan? Why are we taking Arabians for granted? Why does an English PR practitioner thinks that his PR approach reflected by his UK experience works well on the targeted audience in the Gulf and sometimes the whole middle east?? Does a western PR practitioner think that we lost our emotional identity in addition to our intelligence identity? What have inspired the Singaporean PR practitioner to make him/her apply for a PR senior job in our region with no clue of how we live, eat, drink, buy, sell, love, hate, marry, divorce, talk, speak, listen, hear... Isn't PR all about insights? Didn't these practitioners rely on their own local insights to be able to set proper and efficient PR strategies and approaches in their markets?
It is quiet shocking when you see a PR practitioner who have lived in our region for 10 years and he/she still eats in public places during the month of Ramadan because they didn't know/forgot/ignored that it's not something welcome by the people fasting. How do I accept/expect this senior PR practitioner to have the qualifications needed to put a PR approach that will make me change my behavior, follow a new trend or enhance my company’s deteriorated image?
The PR industry in Arabia is not of Arabic characteristics or genes, it is like everything else, imported. Shall we continue to use this product that has proved it's impotency? This is what I will talk about in the coming chapter trying to draw a road map for a new creation of a PR industry (made in Arabia).
Have a good day,
Hameed Halwani
This is the one statement I always use to describe this practice in our part of the world. It is quiet interesting to see a non Arab who have never lived in Arabia, or known an Arab except through the Hollywood propaganda, practicing PR proudly and with attitude in our markets. As I know, PR is the art to communicate via channels that advertising cannot reach or utilize. As I know, PR is an art of communication that can only serve the objective if found in a certain environment that accommodates a democratic practice, fair competition and the knowledge of how to loose a battle and the science of winning it.
We all know that PR helps other communication vehicles to reach areas that are not passable, in the west its the minds, in Arabia, ITS THE HEART. Arabia has had its glory days when both heart and mind were vibrant and active, but not anymore. As the physicians say, the brain is another muscle, if you do not train it, it will become dull and less efficient. Well, this is the case nowadays with our EMRGING PEOPLE IN EMERGING MARKETS. Our minds are at rest, yet our hearts are still pumping. So the question is, if I want to practice PR, isn't it a requirement that I know the WAY to the hearts of Arabians?
My answer is a definite yes but this is not enough. Having a clear knowledge of this WAY, mastering it and possessing the ability to become the controller makes you a successful PR practitioner. Having said that, I would challenge any PR guru coming from the East or West to explain how he/she is planning to reach the hearts of Arabs when not knowing what makes these hearts, happy, sad, satisfied, frustrated, relieved, depressed... Didn't we all agree that what makes a person happy in the US might not even mean a thing to someone in Japan? Why are we taking Arabians for granted? Why does an English PR practitioner thinks that his PR approach reflected by his UK experience works well on the targeted audience in the Gulf and sometimes the whole middle east?? Does a western PR practitioner think that we lost our emotional identity in addition to our intelligence identity? What have inspired the Singaporean PR practitioner to make him/her apply for a PR senior job in our region with no clue of how we live, eat, drink, buy, sell, love, hate, marry, divorce, talk, speak, listen, hear... Isn't PR all about insights? Didn't these practitioners rely on their own local insights to be able to set proper and efficient PR strategies and approaches in their markets?
It is quiet shocking when you see a PR practitioner who have lived in our region for 10 years and he/she still eats in public places during the month of Ramadan because they didn't know/forgot/ignored that it's not something welcome by the people fasting. How do I accept/expect this senior PR practitioner to have the qualifications needed to put a PR approach that will make me change my behavior, follow a new trend or enhance my company’s deteriorated image?
The PR industry in Arabia is not of Arabic characteristics or genes, it is like everything else, imported. Shall we continue to use this product that has proved it's impotency? This is what I will talk about in the coming chapter trying to draw a road map for a new creation of a PR industry (made in Arabia).
Have a good day,
Hameed Halwani
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