Archive for June, 2009
it’s not your fault but you’re fired
"...but all we did is to follow orders"
With the great recession, as everyone has been calling this global managerial flop, many companies try to find ways to cut cost. The common factor among most companies is the making of their layoff lists. Majority of companies who see the need to ‘downsize’ are following the “last joined, first fired” system. Other who don’t agree with this rule argue that whoever the company has recently hired was filling a need; and as long as the need is still there firing this person doesn’t make sense. And therefore, middle managers with the highest salaries should be targeted first for the layoffs.
two cents: promos in tough times
As published on Bazaar Magazine monthly article: Loaay’s Two Cents
Why are the current marketing campaigns mostly about Sales and Promotions and are hardly about Services and Quality?
With the current financial crisis many companies have a hard time managing their stock or pushing their services. And like how teenagers are drawn to junk food as their first choice for dinner most Marketers and Sales Managers are drawn to ‘SALES’ and ‘PROMOS’ as their first choice for their financial hunger. So, naturally, the media gets flooded with ‘50%’ this and ‘FREE GIFT’ that. Out of fear that any spending other than sales-related activities may be needless in such times, companies reduce and even eliminate Branding, Corporate Social Responsibility, Sponsorship, Event Marketing budgets and more.
Posted in general, on advertising, on branding, on management, on marketing, two cents | 
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two cents: green marketing in developing countries
As published on Bazaar Magazine monthly article: Loaay’s Two Cents
Green Marketing is getting big in the developed countries. If we want to become more advanced in marketing in Kuwait, we need to move in that direction, but convincing the company and the consumers is going to be difficult, how would you start?
For decades the tone in developing countries has been all about sustainability, Carbon footprint, environmental protection and recycling material. The result was as slow as an oil tanker making a U-turn, time-consuming and unnoticed. However, in the last decade or so, Environmental Experts, conscientious Product Developers and Marketers started to shift their tone. They started to communicate from the other party’s perspective. And since we all know by now that ‘one size doesn’t fit all’, managers realized the need to bring lots of sizes to the table.