Little Leaders

The Advertising Arena in Lebanon

Lebanon, a 10,452 square kilometer with a population of 4 millions + country), has a diversified culture. It was under the French mandate until 1943. Our "second" native language is French. But English, the business language, is grabbing shares and has become widely spoken by the teens. They even text, tweet, or post in English.

When a product communicates in French, it is:
- Favorably received by the A or B Social Class
- Positioned as expensive by the C or D Social Class
- Perceived as a good quality product by all Social Classes
- Addressed to a niche market

And when another product communicates in English, it is:
- Favourably received by all Social Classes that speak the language, even French-speaking ones
- Positioned as relatively expensive by the C or D Social Class
- Perceived as a good quality product by all Social Classes
- Addressed to a wider audience

But when you communicate an imported product in Arabic, it is:
- Unfavourably received by the A or B Social Class
- Positioned as somehow cheap by the A or B Social Class
- Perceived as a bad quality product by the A or B Social Class
- Addressed to the mass

It is worth noting the following:
- The origin of the product matters (e.g. if it a good product from the U.S. or Britain, it is best communicating it in English)
- The local high-end brands, such as restaurants, communicate in Arabic
- Most of the Lebanese speak 3 languages (Arabic, French, and English)
- The persons that have internet access here (with Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and other accounts) are mainly educated
- Official Arabic is not easy to formulate in a headline for an advertisement (spoken Arabic is somehow better)
- The teens have created their own "language" while texting, tweeting, and posting: It is the Arabic typed in latin characters! (e.g. kifik ya Lisa, kif el7al, inshallah mni7a, 9arlna zamen ma sme3na a5barik / How are you Lisa, how is everything, I hope all is well, it's been a while since we last heard from you)

And of course there is the new "Arabic", that is to have the three languages (Arabic, French, and English): "Hi, kifak, ca va?" / "Hi, how are you, all is well?"

End note:
It is advisable to use the language of the product origin (the internet has made things go from local to global). However still, the Arabic language could be smartly integrated in several different messages. It allows to grab different target audiences.

Print Ad of the Week

Picture of the Week

Kobe Bryant goes up for a dunk against Nigeria at the Olympics - London 2012

Gibran K. Gibran: Children

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls, 
for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you can not visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward, nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends
you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
for even as He loves the arrow which flies, 
so He loves also the bow which is stable.

Remembering April 13

Postcard of the Week

Kefraya (West Bekaa) - Lebanon

Speechless

Reggia TVCF

Advertised Brand: Reggia
Advert Title: Food
Advertising Agency: Euro RSCG Beirut
Regional Creative Director: Karim Achy
Production House: Fantastic Film Factory
Published: January 2012

Note: Agency's Offline Cut

How To Taste Wines

Learning how to taste wines is a straightforward adventure that will deepen your appreciation for both wines and winemakers. Look, smell, taste - starting with your basic senses and expanding from there you will learn how to taste wines like the pros in no time! Keep in mind that you can smell thousands of unique scents, but your taste perception is limited to salty, sweet, sour and bitter. It is the combination of smell and taste that allows you to discern flavor. Here's How:


Look: Check out the Color and Clarity.
Pour a glass of wine into a suitable wine glass. Then take a good look at the wine. Tilt the glass away from you and check out the color of the wine from the rim edges to the middle of the glass (it's helpful to have a white background - either paper, napkin or a white tablecloth).


What color is it? Look beyond red, white or blush. If it's a red wine is the color maroon, purple, ruby, garnet, red, brick or even brownish? If it's a white wine is it clear, pale yellow, straw-like, light green, golden, amber or brown in appearance?


Still Looking. Move on to the wine's opacity. Is the wine watery or dark, translucent or opaque, dull or brilliant, cloudy or clear? Can you see sediment? Tilt your glass a bit, give it a little swirl - look again, is there sediment, bits of cork or any other floaters? An older red wine will often have more orange tinges on the edges of color than younger red wines. Older white wines are darker, than younger white wines when comparing the same varietal at different ages.


Smell:
Our sense of smell is critical in properly analyzing a glass of wine. To get a good impression of your wine's aroma, swirl your glass for a solid 10-12 seconds (this helps vaporize some of the wine's alcohol and release more of its natural aromas) and then take a quick whiff to gain a first impression.


Still Smelling. Now stick your nose down into the glass and take a deep inhale through your nose. What are your second impressions? Do you smell oak, berry, flowers, vanilla or citrus? A wine's aroma is an excellent indicator of its quality and unique characteristics. Swirl the wine and let the aromas mix and mingle, and sniff again.


Taste:
Finally, take a taste. Start with a small sip and let it roll around your mouth. There are three stages of taste: the Attack phase, the Evolution phase and the Finish.


The Attack Phase, is the initial impression that the wine makes on your palate. The Attack is comprised of four pieces of the wine puzzle: alcohol content, tannin levels,acidity and residual sugar. These four puzzle pieces display initial sensations on the palate. Ideally these components will be well-balanced one piece will not be more prominent than the others. These four pieces do not display a specific flavor per se, they meld together to offer impressions in intensity and complexity, soft or firm, light or heavy, crisp or creamy, sweet or dry, but not necessarily true flavors like fruit or spice.


The Evolution Phase is next, also called the mid-palate or middle range phase, this is the wine’s actual taste on the palate. In this phase you are looking to discern the flavor profile of the wine. If it’s a red wine you may start noting fruit – berry, plum, prune or fig; perhaps some spice – pepper, clove, cinnamon, or maybe a woody flavor like oak, cedar, or a detectable smokiness. If you are in the Evolution Phase of a white wine you may taste apple, pear, tropical or citrus fruits, or the taste may be more floral in nature or consist of honey, butter, herbs or a bit of earthiness.


The Finish is appropriately labeled as the final phase. The wine's finish is how long the flavor impression lasts after it is swallowed. This is where the wine culminates, where the aftertaste comes into play. Did it last several seconds? Was it light-bodied (like the weight of water), medium-bodied (similar in weight to milk) or full-bodied (like the consistency of cream)? Can you taste the remnant of the wine on the back of your mouth and throat? Do you want another sip or was the wine too bitter at the end? What was your last flavor impression – fruit, butter, oak? Does the taste persist or is it short-lived?


After you have taken the time to taste your wine, you might record some of your impressions. Did you like the wine overall? Was it sweet, sour or bitter? How was the wine's acidity? Was it well balanced? Does it taste better with cheese, bread or a heavy meal? Will you buy it again? If so, jot the wine's name, producer and vintage year down for future reference.