Causing a stir: Twitter and the news media
The latest in a long line of Twitterpower case studies came last week with the news piece in The National highlighting Twitter outrage at the decision to send 25 Emirati women to Bahrain to watch the UAE play Bahrain in the Gulf Cup. The prevailing tide of expressed opinion was strongly against the activity, rallying […]
Are brands at risk from the UAE’s new cyber-crime law?
Taking many media watchers by surprise, the United Arab Emirates President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has approved a new cyber-crime law for the UAE, Federal Legal Decree No. 5, this week. The online law was duly announced by the Emirates official news agency WAM yesterday evening (you can find the contents […]
How ‘social’ was GITEX 2012?
The Middle East’s largest technology trade show, GITEX, took place at Dubai World Trade Centre last week, bringing an estimated 3,500 exhibitors from around the world together with more than 100,000 businessmen and IT professionals (estimates vary). That’s equivalent to about 20,000 visitors per day, plus more than 10,000 company representatives on stands each of […]
GITEX 2012 Social Buzz
* Go straight to GITEX 2012 Social Buzz dashboard * It’s nearly that time again! GITEX, the Middle East’s largest technology trade show, starts on Sunday, bringing the region’s IT industry together with attendees from all over the world. More than 100,000 people are expected to converge the Dubai World Trade Centre halls from October […]
#StopTimeOutDubai rings alarm bells
It’s today’s marketer’s nightmare. You’re alerted to an outburst of negative sentiment towards your brand on social networks. Worse, it has some legitimacy. You don’t know how big it’s going to get, you don’t know how long it’s going to continue and it’s impossible to forecast the impact on your business. Yesterday’s UAE Twitter campaign targeting […]
It’s Social Media Forum time again!
The Social Media Forum is to take place in Dubai next week and it’s already sold out. This is interesting news for those in the Middle East who thought we really didn’t want to listen to another word about social media and don’t ‘need another talking shop’. I must admit, we’ve been avoiding the term […]
Communication first, technology second
As usual, Phil Lynagh’s column in the latest issue of Campaign Middle East magazine is bang on the money and this month he’s touched on a particular bug-bear of mine in ‘This social media bubble needs to pop‘. Having been more than a little prone to geekiness in my time, I am reminded of my […]
We are all publishers
We are all many things. You can be an oil executive, commuter, father of three or violent crime victim to journalists, depending on whether they’re quoting you on oil prices, late trains, the joys of parenting or the nasty gash in your cheek. On Thursday, all four of the UAE’s English daily newspapers report on […]
Social media marketing in the UAE
How fast are UAE businesses adopting social media best practices? Dubai One TV’s Emirates 247 news programme interviewed Spot On’s Alexander McNabb about social media trends in the UAE and how social media is changing company communication. Watch the interview Dubai One TV Emirates 24/7 – 8pm February 14, 2012 (5.54 mins) Listen to a […]
Online advertising in the Middle East
Wednesday’s Dubai Eye radio’s #Unwired weekly digital programme featured a special segment on online advertising in the Middle East & North Africa featuring Spot On PR’s own Alexander McNabb; Professor John Grainger Pro-Vice Chancellor and Executive Vice President Academic Services of Murdoch University in Dubai; Kamal Dimachkie, Executive Regional Managing Director of Leo Burnett; Google […]
