A YEAR OF BIG HOPES

In essence, Saab and Yasmine are trying to just stand tall while facing a “perfect storm” – clients wanting to get the highest return on investment, not exactly caring about the level of creativity of their advertising, or the coherence of their campaigns, in addition to consumers who can no longer afford to be brand loyal, and agencies stuck in the middle of it all. What is interesting is that no one is above the fray, even media agencies, which for a long time have been the “bread and butter” of the industry, have been hit hard.

According to General Manager of Universal Mccann

(UM), “media agencies face the dual challenge of navigating a price war initiated by media owners and addressing clients’ heightened focus on short-term gains. In this complex environment, our media agency is poised to devise strategic solutions that not only navigate the aggressive pricing strategies but also align with our clients’; imperative of marketing’s contribution to growth.”

CEO of Pimo is a little more focused when it comes to how they are handling all these changes engulfing the market: “Rebuilding a thriving advertising industry in Lebanon, reminiscent of its golden age, requires a multi-faceted approach that involves nurturing talent, embracing digitalization, fostering creativity, and adapting to the evolving market

George Slim, Assaad Kassis,

dynamics while staying true to the local culture and values.”

What is interesting is that “local culture and values” for a long time immutable and unchanging are fighting their biggest battle to remain relevant. A small example is for a long time – women would never agree to wear second-hand clothing, yet the market has been inundated with second hand stores and “outlet” shops which either sell pre-owned wares and unsold items. These shops are currently making a killing in the Lebanese market, when the consumer – far from choosing them for ethical or environmental reasons – actually buys from them due to being extremely price-sensitive at this point in time.

CEO Purple, explains the duality and perplexity of 2023 – a year of big hopes that remained simply that: Hopes. They never truly materialized yet just kept of glancing their head here and there. “Lebanon is no stranger to trials, we continue to wake up to international and regional challenges. There are moments of optimism that surface, only to be swiftly replaced by a strong sense of uncertainty that unfortunately throws us back into a recession mode. It’s like a superball – hitting the ground, only to bounce back – higher! That is the norm for us.”

However, Chehaibar goes on to say that indeed, “the market is calibrating; people are back to spending; brands

“The collapse of Lebanon’s advertising industry is V\PSWRPDWLF RI WKH QDWLRQ·V EURDGHU LVVXHV ZLWK advertising often seen as a non-essential luxury rather than a priority.”

Ghada Chebaibar,

are still emerging & proliferating.

Yet investments remain shy and restrained. The good days of big briefs and production haven’t fully surfaced yet; digital rules and overrules with one mindset: More for Less. This is pushing us to enhance our expertise & potential.”

The “more for less” Chehaibar expressed was indeed felt across the board – clients are irrationally demanding the impossible from agencies, or, truth be told their own inner teams as many have replaced outside agencies with skeletal staff which shoots, captions, posts, follows up all within a one-for-all approach. Naturally, such results are often not within reach of clients who fantasize about reaching goals with an almost non-existent budget. At least in times gone by, clients were aware that their small contributions could only procure them this much. But hope springs eternal these days and clients truly tend to think that their work is going to go viral when it drowned in the anonymity of the apps.

Kassis has a rational view about this: “the increasing saturation of digital platforms and channels poses a challenge. Marketers must stay innovative in capturing and retaining audience attention amidst the noise. Striking the right balance between traditional and digital channels.” Normal is no longer “normal” in the Lebanese landscape. Chehaiber

poetically claims: “Looking over the past year, one can’t help but smile at the irony of how everything is so different yet on a day to day the changes are not sensed.”

For regional managing director Levant, Group M, the scope of returning to “normalcy” is much bigger: “returning to normalcy remains a small prospect.” At least she concedes that “building a thriving advertising industry in Lebanon would require economic stability, political reforms, addressing infrastructure issues, fostering a business-friendly environment and efforts to restore investor and global advertiser confidence. All of that would require collaborative efforts between government, businesses, and international stakeholders.”

CEO, ORIGIN is more outspoken on this front: “Lebanon has strayed far from

Hana Kaddaha Khatib, Marwan Arban,

its illustrious past. The era when innovative advertising campaigns like Exotica and Almaza dominated outdoor and TV spaces is long gone. The collapse of Lebanon’s advertising industry is symptomatic of the nation’s broader issues, with advertising often seen as a non-essential luxury rather than a priority, unlike in first-world regions such as the USA and Europe where brand building is recognized as vital. For Lebanon to thrive again, education is crucial. It’s essential to enlighten the business community and nurture new talent. Moreover, substantial investment is necessary.” Of course, “international stakeholders” are currently wary of the way politicians managed – or rather did not manage – to handle the crisis since 2019. So at this point there is dim hope of convincing anyone that the Lebanese market is a ripe place for a winning investment when it is more like “let everyone handle it themselves” with no clear plan or guidelines.

“It’s essential to acknowledge that business in Lebanon remains slow and unpredictable.”