(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) According to captains of the industry, some 80 per cent of Fortune 500 companies, including the top 10 global conglomerates, now have their presence in the UAE - and that means that the country's public relations (PR) industry is also evolving.
"Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah have become global cities and companies are demanding the services that their peers in other countries enjoy. They require consultancies that can use research and insight to develop communications campaigns that work," Yousef Al Taweel, founder and CEO of National Network Communications,said.
The market is very competitive, admits Hanin Joudieh, communications director at Havas PR. "It is interesting to see that companies are very specialised in different disciplines. You'll find some agencies focused on government brands, while Havas PR, on the other hand, is a leader in luxury brand representation," she adds.
So what do PR companies actually do? Al Taweel explains: "Our clients are either substantive government departments or affiliated organisations that work to promote learning and culture in the country. Our role is to help these bodies promulgate what they do to the widest possible audience by working with the media as an effective mouthpiece."
"As we represent the government sphere, what we do is less about marketing and more about performing an important public service. Our goal is to ensure that customers and service users are well acquainted with the functions and activities of the various departments we represent," he adds.
But aside from PR content (or constantly churning out press releases) and media monitoring activities, PR agencies also offer other key services such as consulting, reputation building, crisis management, media training, public speaking training, key message workshop, spokesperson development, and internal communication, according to Nidal Abou Zaki, managing director at Orient Planet Group.
"We start by brainstorming on the requirements of our clients to formulate an impactful PR plan. During this stage, we establish the objectives, key messages, the target market, communications channels, and the budget, among others. We do research to know how to effectively launch the campaign," he shares.
"Next, we devise a proactive plan and a systematic approach to deliver the message and reach the target audience. During implementation phase, we connect with local influencers and identify the most effective spokesperson to give us the leverage and ensure that we reach out to all target stakeholders," Zaki adds.
In the UAE, companies depend increasingly on public relations activities to build their businesses, observes Firas Sleem, managing director of Virtue PR & Marketing Communications. "Earlier, there were just a handful of PR agencies, but now there are niche agencies that serve as spin specialists. The emerging number of agencies implies that the industry is strong and resilient and posed for a stable, competitive growth," Sleem underlines.
How do PR firms get their clients?
According to Joudieh of Havas PR: "There is no specific rule and answer to that question because it is different for every case. There are times where we receive RFPs (request for proposals) from companies; other times WOM (word of mouth) referral really works because a satisfied and happy customer can give great feedback about the agency, which could materialise into getting new clients on board."
There are also freelancers or independent PR consultants who get small but substantial accounts. Filipino expat Tamarah says: "I get my clients only through referrals. Freelancers like me don't usually get invited to pitch or receive RFPs, but I am glad that I've worked with some big PR companies and I cultivated contacts."
Zaki says: "We keep an eye on important metrics such as Google analytics, online mentions, media coverage, media impressions, and website traffic. Ultimately, the best way to gauge the effectiveness of the campaign is to look at the relationship between our clients and their target market and how has this improved before, during, and after the implementation of the PR plan."
Angel Tesorero
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