GHADA CHEHAIBAR

Managing and Creative Director PURPLE ADVERTISING

We are undoubtedly going through a critical period; it’s a global economic crisis where the whole region is affected, and of course, Lebanon first. As we all know it too well, advertising reflects the image of the country and is closely related to the general financial atmosphere. To know how advanced and civilized a country is, we can clearly measure it through its cultural level, its progress but also through its advertising level of investments and creativity. It’s a difficult period to overcome, we are trying to find intelligent solutions and think in the right direction with the right strategies in order to resist and overcome this crisis, while hoping for better days to come. It’s quite obvious that clients are reducing their budgets, that the supply is higher than the demand, on top of a major fall in the purchasing power. Several factors describe the current state of the market, while we are all aware that a product on the market without awareness campaign and promotion fades into oblivion unless it has very solid roots previously established. The urgency and the challenge is to adapt to the situation, to ensure that each dollar spent is effective and in the interest of the client and the agency. It’s about measuring the best effectiveness of the action plan, while a answering the expectations and evolutions of consumer values, finding messages that are friendly and close, turning negative rumors into positive messages, giving impetus and encouraging the consumer not to let go, all that while being transparent and direct! In conclusion, Communicating is the best way to deal with the crisis.