Here is a statement from the Organisers of the Dubai Lynx following the mayhem that surrounded this year’s event:
27 May 2009 – Following the events of Dubai Lynx 2009, the organisers have been in consultation with industry leaders in the MENA region and beyond. To establish the way forward industry opinion has been gathered from both the organisers of Dubai Lynx and the IAA UAE board
Philip Thomas, CEO of Cannes Lions, organisers of the Festival, said: “Dubai Lynx is not an art show, it is an advertising festival. For agencies to enter pieces of work that were not created for bona fide clients insults the hard-working international jury, and the other, honest, entrants. As organisers of many shows, such as Cannes Lions, Eurobest and Spikes Asia, we are determined that the MENA will have an awards show that is above reproach, hence this clarification and tightening of the rules for the Lynx Awards 2010.”
He added, “Over and above the rule changes, however, we of course reserve the right to penalise those that continue to blatantly disregard the rules and spirit of the event.”
Dr. Lance de Masi, President of the IAA UAE Chapter, provided the IAA’s reaction to the Lynx Statement:
“The Lynx organisers have reacted in a balanced and thoughtful way, preserving the essence of the Awards as an incentive and celebration of creativity, while providing deterrents to breaches in integrity. The onus is now on the industry to exercise discipline and to work within a universally recognised and required ethical framework.”
Based on the learnings and the insight gained from the Dubai Lynx experience, the following is a summary of the rule changes addressing the major concerns.
Entry Criteria/Rules
Currently, the rules require the name, title, phone number and email address of the client. In 2010, this will be expanded to include physical address and country details of the client. In addition, all completed entries will trigger an automated email to the client, asking them to confirm by return email that they are the brand owner, and that they give consent for the entry/campaign to be entered. If, after repeated attempts to contact the client, this cannot be ascertained, the entry will not be presented to the Jury.
Currently, the rules require information on the date of the first publication or airing of the work. In future, there will be a requirement for the names of the publication/Channel or Media that was used, the country it was run in, and the number of insertions or airings.
Currently, at the request of the jury, tear sheets and media schedules are demanded during and after judging where it is deemed necessary. In future, where extra proof is required, tear sheets and other proof of legitimacy may be requested before the judging. Should these not be forthcoming, the work will not be presented to the Jury.
Outdoor
One of the issues has been the complexities of the Outdoor category. As of 2010, this category is to be split into:
A - Outdoor
B - Ambient
C - Poster
The poster section will come without size limitations, but work in Poster must not also have been used on more traditional outdoor sites.
Entrants will have to provide:
1) - Dimensions of submissions
2) - Locations of sites (if outdoor) or shops/malls (if poster)
3) - In the case of Outdoor categories, we will also require details of which provider was used (JC Decaux, Shoof, ENG etc)
4) - In the Poster categories, pictorial evidence showing the work in situ will be required.
In order to deter the practice of merely running a Print entry as a Poster and entering the same work twice in order to gain points towards Agency Of The Year, entries into Print that are also submitted into Poster (without revision of the creative) will only be eligible for the higher awarded marks in relation to Agency Of The Year. For instance, if a piece wins gold in Press and silver in Poster, the agency will carry only the 7 points for the Gold when Agency Of The Year is calculated, rather than 12 (7 for the Gold and 5 for Silver) as previously.
Copycat work
Proving plagiarism represents a significant challenge. In future, where there is an accusation of plagiarism, either during or after the judging, the Jury President will be presented with the evidence and will be able to, at his or her discretion, remove an award from a winning agency if he or she feels the accusation of plagiarism has merit.
Cultural issues
We are repeatedly told that the great strength of the Lynx is the outstanding International Juries we appoint. The downside of this is local knowledge of the region. Since The Lynx was launched, local, Arabic-speaking media experts have been present in the Jury rooms advising on cultural issues. Despite numerous examples of work that could not or would not be run in the region having been picked up by these individuals during judging, we will increase the seniority of these people, and also where we can, have a pre-screening of the work from a cultural perspective.
The success of the Lynx depends of course on rules that are not easily broken by those intent to do so, as well as an industry which is prepared to play on a level playing field. We feel sure that the events of 2009 and the subsequent changes we have made and actions we have taken will ensure that the integrity of the Lynx will be preserved going forward.
This is cool, Pizza Hut is introducing a new kind of intership that focuses on social media, the restaurant chain announced a full-time paid 10-12 week internship during this summer at the company’s headquarters in Dallas. The intern will work closely with the PR team and will focus on various social media such as Twitter and Facebook.
Pretty exciting! Check it out!
More than one million copies of a fake issue of The New York Times were handed out in different cities across the US, with a headline that says: “Iraq War Ends”. The 14-page paper was dated 4 July 2009, and featured variety of optimistic news about politics, health care, energy, and much more. Not only that, the spoof paper got a website that looks exactly like New York Times original website.
The Associated Press reported that the pranksters — who included a film promoter, three unnamed Times employees and Steven Lambert, an art professor — financed and created the paper to urge President-elect Barack Obama to keep his campaign promises.
Catherine J. Mathis, a Times spokeswoman, said: “This is obviously a fake issue of The Times. We are in the process of finding out more about it.”
Read more here, and check the spoof website here!
It seems like things in the Arab world are going so well; 65% of Saudi youth, 60% of Jordanian youth and 57% of Emirati youth feel their country is heading in the right direction. According to the Arab Youth Survey by ASDA’A, 52% of Arab youth are optimistic about the direction of their countries, while only 34% of Western youth feel their country is heading in the right direction.
The survey was conducted on 1,800 young people between the ages of 18-24 was carried out in six Middle East states (Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates), and three Western nations (Germany, the UK and the US).
30% of Arab youth were concerned about the rising cost of living and overall economic outlook, compared to 43% of Western youth, that’s it? 30% only? Jordanian youth expressed the greatest level of fear for their financial security, with 42% highlighting this area, seriously, only 42%? Does this look right?
In Qatar 23% of the youth cited the rising cost of living and overall economic outlook as a central challenge. 68% of Middle East youth say that religion defines them as a person, compared to just 16% in the West. Personally I feel it’s a lame way to announce ASDA’A rebranding to ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller.
Anyway, here are the key findings of the First ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey:
(1) Western youth are generally pessimistic about the future, while Middle East youth are optimistic. Just 34% of Western youth feel that things in their country are heading in the right direction. In the Middle East, youth are considerably more optimistic, with 52% arguing that their country is heading in the right direction.
(2) Religion is enormously important to Middle East youth, especially when compared to their Western peers. Some 68% of Middle East youth say that religion defines them as a person, compared to just 16% in the West. Asked to name an influence on them and their outlook on life, 62% of Middle East youth listed religion, compared to just 38% of their Western peers.
(3) National identity and traditional values are extremely important to Arab youth, but not for their peers in the West. 9% of Arab youth say that the loss of traditional values and culture is the greatest challenge facing the world today, a sentiment a statistically insignificant percentage of their Western peers agree with. Likewise, Arab youth generally very strongly agree that their national identity is very important to them, while Western youth view the same as only moderately important.
(4) Arab youth generally admire political, religious and business leaders, while Western youth do not. Asked whom they look up to, 30% of Arab youth cited government leaders, compared to just 9% of their Western peers. Likewise, while just 5% of Western youth said they looked up to religious leaders, 31% Middle East youth claimed admiration for the same group. In the economic space, 29% of Arab youth look up to business leaders, a sentiment shared by only 5% of youth in the West.
(5) Family and friends are equally important to Middle East and Western youth. Precisely 64% of Arab and Western youth say that their family defines who they are as a person, with both groups citing family as one of the most important factors in this area. The two also agree that friends are among the key determinants in defining their identity, with concurrence from 57% of Western youth and 61% of their Arab peers.
(6) Arab youth want to make a difference, while Western youth mostly just want to get ahead. 11% of Arab youth say success means being enlightened spiritually and 34% say it is making the world a better place, compared to 5% and 12%, respectively, in the West.
(7) Arab and Western male youth have very different opinions about gender equality in the workplace. 79% of Western male youth believe that men and women should have equal opportunities in the workplace, while just 58% of their male counterparts in the Middle East agree. In striking contrast to the attitudes of their male peers, 73% of female Arab youth feel that they should have equal opportunities for professional advancement.
(8) Consumer and lifestyle habits of Arab and Western youth are strikingly similar. Young people in the West and Middle East indulge in similar activities, use similar technologies and have similar lifestyle habits. Both spend the majority of their disposable incomes on going out and shopping for clothes/shoes. Both groups constantly worry about their appearance.
(9) Global brands have transnational appeal among Middle East and Western youth. Despite some differences, young people view many brands with similar levels of warmth. The top brands for young people in the Middle East include Nokia, Sony, Toyota and Toshiba, all of which have similarly high favourability levels for the West.
(10) Europe is the top desired travel destination for both Arab and Western youth. 74% of Western youth and 49% of Arab youth would be interested in travelling to Europe in the future. Both groups would also be interested in travelling to North Africa, including 35% of Western youth and 21% of their Arab peers.
The PR Congress 2008 will take place between 11 - 16 October 2008 at JW Marriott Hotel, Dubai, UAE.
In the past three years we have tried to bring some of the brightest PR minds in the world to speak at our innovative PR Congresses. We also tried very hard to present ideas and topics that are revolutionary, cutting edge yet at the same time practical. You know better than I do whether or not we succeeded. What I do know, is that PR Congress 2008 will be the hottest PR show in the Middle East! But that is not all! We will not just give you a show – we will also bring you the business!
So, what do we have in store for you at this year’s event?
1. Two Innovative Guru Days: A Day With Larry Weber and A Day With Lord Bell
2. Specially selected speaker panel featuring PR trendsetters from the Middle East, Europe and USA
3. Carefully researched topics and discussions on Crisis, Traditional PR, New Media, Reputation Management, Financial PR, PR Measurement, CSR and Media Relations, to name but a few
4. Three groundbreaking workshops to help you confront forthcoming PR Challenges: PR Measurement Masterclass: Data Driven Public Relations, The New Media Bootcamp and Mastering Financial PR
5. Unparalleled networking opportunities with colleagues from the Middle East and abroad
For more details please visit: iirme.com/pr
Contact Details:
Telephone: +971 4 335 2437
Fax: +971 4 335 2438
Aramex revealed a new corporate image last week that has been implemented in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt. The re-brand included a new logo, where they went from an all-caps logo to a logo with small letters, I like that, I hate capital letters. As for the slogan, they’ve replaced the previous one “total transportation solution” with a new one: “delivery unlimited”, much better as it stands for their global expansion, aramex now has offices in all continents.
I know many people had bad experiences with aramex, some blogged about it, but to me I found them professional and a freight company that you can rely on, I used to work in a company where I was in charge of competitions in the whole Arab world, and I used to ship prizes through aramex; laptops, cameras, mobiles, electronics… etc., they used to package them in a special way to ensure a safe delivery. I remember my boss asked me to buy some books from amazon, I did and I used Shop&Ship to get these books, and I did.
I don’t work for aramex, and I has nothing to do with them, but to be honest they are one of few really good Arab companies.
Read their press release:
New look signals evolution of Aramex
Aramex today unveiled a new corporate image that is designed to catch up to the rapid growth of the company from a regional transportation solutions provider into a major player in the global logistics marketplace, with an updated look that marks the biggest change in the company’s visual identity to date.
Over the past decade, Aramex has become one of the Middle East’s leading brands in terms of exposure and recognition, and has long been considered one of the most respected and admired companies in the region.
Senior executives say that the last creative stroke to the brand was more than 10 years ago, and that the new logo more accurately reflects what Aramex represents today - a highly dynamic, global company whose vitality and innovation are fuelled by the passion of its people.
‘Rejuvenating the brand at this time was the logical thing for us to do. We have evolved as a company and are in a much different place than we were a decade ago - we needed a new brand position to articulate that, said Fadi Ghandour, Founder and CEO of Aramex.
‘Our new identity is closer to how we see ourselves and truly represents Aramex - an energetic, flexible, and progressive company.’
Following on a 26 year history of milestones, Aramex was the first company with Middle East roots to be listed on the NASDAQ, the first to issue a Corporate Sustainability Report, and aims to become the first carbon neutral company in the industry.
Evolving from its humble beginnings, the company has transformed over the past decade to become a major global logistics player, with a market capitalization of over USD 850 million and annual revenues reaching USD$485 million in 2007.
To complement the brand’s evolution, the company has adopted a new slogan - ‘delivery unlimited’ - a tagline which, with its longevity and ambition, seeks to match the company’s vision.
‘Aramex will always go the extra mile to deliver - not only to our customers, but to our people, to our stakeholders, and to our communities. There is really no limit to our potential,’ said Ghandour.
Building its business on sustainable practices, the company continues to set its sights high, proving that corporations can be a force for change by playing an active role in the progress of communities.
By adopting initiatives which are helping the company reduce its environmental impact and contribute to a better future, the Aramex brand has also become synonymous with sustainability - a responsibility that the company takes to heart.
The re-brand - which goes live today in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt - will be rolled out on all Aramex packages, vehicles, materials, uniforms, and facilities across the region in June, with full completion of global re-branding expected by end of year.
