Property advertising 'mediocre' - Ghossoub

ADVERTISING BLASTED: International Advertising Association president Joseph Ghossoub (pictured) has labeled the standard of real estate advertising in the region as 'mediocre'. (ITP Images)

International Advertising Association president Joseph Ghossoub has labeled the standard of real estate advertising in the region as “mediocre”, accusing younger advertising executives of “looking for material gain immediately”.

The chairman of the Holding Group, while quick to praise campaigns for the region’s biggest developers, said in a interview with magazine CEO Middle East he is concerned about the work produced for smaller developers, accusing them of failing to develop strong brand identities.

“For the majority of the real estate businesses, I would say the creativity levels are not medium but mediocre. Today very few of the real estate companies in the market have worked on their branding the way the major players have.

"At the end of the day you must be able to provide customers with an offering and a brand they can relate to. And few have achieved that. Every company is giving the same message and they are all singing the same song. There are 100 developers doing the same thing.”

Ghossoub’s comments come in an exclusive interview to be published in CEO Middle East in June.

He also had strong words for young advertising executives, and said he is increasingly unimpressed by their work ethic, which he claims, is geared towards material gain and not career progression.

“Our times were different. I would not say they were harder but it’s different now. What I’m realizing is that the new generation is losing its entrepreneurial spirit.

"They are looking for material gain immediately, which was not the case in my generation. It was 50% that but the other 50% was building a career with a lot of sweat. Today the new generation wants everything done by tomorrow.”

His comments come just a month after Kevin Roberts, worldwide CEO of Saatchi and Saatchi, launched a scathing attack on the creative standards of advertising in the Middle East.

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property advertising mediocre
Posted by Anthony Ryman, doha, qatar on Thursday 19 June 2008 at 16:46 UAE time


I think it is really easy for prominent ad execs of whatever hue and flavour to kick up a media storm by labelling whatever their industry does as crap or mediocre. Both Kevin and Joseph have done this and the resulting media outcry and column metres have been worthy of several low cost apartment in Dubai. However, guys - it would be much more worthwhile if you did something about it and improve the design standards and strategic thinking within your own erstwhile organisations. Stop pulling the donkey's tail -yes it does cry out! Instead teach it how to tap dance!

GHOSSOUB'S TAKE ON ADS
Posted by ANIL MATHEW, DUBAI, UAE on Thursday 19 June 2008 at 16:21 UAE time


This is classic. Here's a man who was one of the pioneers in systematically driving creative standards into the doldrums with his XL mediocre agency group, and he now complains about the standards he and his colleagues have set? By the way, out of curiosity, which large developer's campaign was he impressed with?

Real Estate advertising
Posted by The Consultant, Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Thursday 19 June 2008 at 16:21 UAE time


Leigh, sounds to me like you are in the wrong city. Advertising is not a sophisticated market (some would say amateur) here, so it is not surprising that it is effectively treated as a commodity, with price being at least as important a factor as quality. If you don't want to be a workhorse and instead want everyone to be impressed by your (apparently) phenomenal creative talent, you would be better somewhere like London.

Otherwise, welcome to the Gulf, where every employer wants to get what they perceive to be their money's worth out of you, regardless of your talents or qualifications.

Real estate advertising - standards
Posted by Leigh Vernier, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Thursday 19 June 2008 at 12:35 UAE time

I agree. Standards are poor. But the big ad agencies are partly to blame. Reasons?
1. Agencies are not meritocracies. The cream does not rise to the top.
2. Creatives treated like workhorses. Long hours, lots of pressure.
3. How much an agency charges for a job is more important
than quality work.
4. Agencies offering choice of "creative approaches". Would a surgeon offer a patient a choice of operations?
5.Breakneck speed. Jobs turned round too fast. No decent brief. Still less think tanks to zero in on the right strategy.

We need a new generation of meritocratic ad groups who cosset and feed intellectually, their creatives and planners. Only then will standards improve.

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