Marketing Committee
The New Tax Law Advertising Campaign
The Marketing Committee hosted Rajia Omar, managing director, DDB Egypt, on May 23, who gave a presentation entitled: “The new tax law advertising campaign: “When the government thinks marketing... wonders can happen.”
Omar, who was responsible for the new tax law’s marketing campaign, said the campaign came about as a result of new government thinking. She said the Ministry of Finance recognized the power of communication to deliver its message to the masses. Accordingly, it selected a communication agency and hired top consultants to prepare a brief for the agency.
The marketing campaign sought to convey the new philosophy of the tax law – which is one of mutual trust between the Tax Authority and taxpayers. While this would require changing the Egyptian mindset, the communications agency was able to deliver a clear message to the audience in a campaign divided into three phases.
Phase 1, which began in June 2005, aimed to create awareness of the new law. The agency informed the masses of the new tax law and set the ground for the new vision of the Tax Authority and tax inspectors.
Phase 2, which began during Ramadan 2005, sought to grab the audience’s interest. It did this by capitalizing on the high television viewership during the holy month.
Phase 3, which was done until the March 2006 tax filing deadline, aimed to remind citizens of the approaching deadline. It encouraged citizens to submit their papers and file their taxes before the deadline.
Omar concluded by pointing out that the three-phase marketing campaign is just the first layer of the message, as it will take time for people to trust their government and real change to occur.
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Business research in emerging markets
The Marketing Committee held a meeting on April 3 with guest speaker
Anna Slachciak, business research manager, Central Europe, Middle
East and Africa, Eastman Kodak Company, who gave a presentation
entitled "Business research in emerging markets."
Slachciak started her presentation by pointing out that the world
has shifted to the digital era and, as a result, it has become increasingly
difficult for traditional film-based photographic companies to continue
operating. In fact, of the myriad of traditional film-based companies,
only Kodak and Fuji have survived this transition by shifting their
focus to digital technology and services. Competition is fierce
in the photo business, as large electronics firms with years of
experience in digital technology and huge advertising budgets have
come to dominate the market.
In terms of business research, it has now become centralized, Slachciak
stated, noting that to cut down costs, many companies operate without
business research budgets or local staff, which means only essential
projects can be carried out. What makes Kodak competitive is that
the company leverages the power of the Internet, implements strong
research planning and finds synergies. It also focuses on quantitative
research, modeling and forecasting, while taking care to study what
has been done in other markets.
Companies perform better when they employ specialized multinational
research agencies. While these agencies might not be cheap, she
noted, they provide the highest quality results. Kodak, for instance,
has worked with GfK Marketing Services for years, as this is the
only company that monitors the photo business. ACNielsen and MEMRB
are also considereded prestigious and reliable agencies, according
to Slachciak.
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Marketing unleashed: empowering
people to drive innovation and results
The Marketing Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt
hosted Jim Stengel, global marketing officer, Procter & Gamble (P&G),
on March 26, who gave a presentation entitled "Marketing unleashed:
empowering people to drive innovation and results." Stengel shared
P&G's global vision with AmCham members, and explained why the consumer
goods giant stands out and has a competitive edge in the market.
The company's philosophy is that the consumer is their only boss.
After all, it is the consumer who defines their success. With this
in mind, P&G's strategy is to harness its human resources and unleash
the talents of its people. One way it does this is by getting its
staff personally involved in the company's research, and thus closer
to their "boss." P&G researchers spend long hours in shops observing
consumers so that they can understand them and come up with ways
to differentiate their products from other brands. P&G is also working
to please consumers.
Stengel admits this can be an exhausting yet challenging endeavor.
He said the company collaborates with various communications and
planning agencies to assess consumer needs and develop innovative
ways to satisfy them. Stengel affirmed that unleashing human resources
is the cornerstone to a healthy, competitive organization. By encouraging
its staff's creativity, allowing them to be heavily engaged in the
company's processes and encouraging closer relationships with consumers,
P&G cultivates passion among its staff - which leads to innovation
and definitive results.
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CSR: Putting your conscience at ease,
or supporting business objectives?
On March 12, Mohamed El-Hamamsy, deputy chairman of Vodafone Egypt Telecommunications,
spoke to AmCham's Marketing Committee on the topic "Corporate social
responsibility (CSR): Putting your conscience at ease, or supporting
business objectives?"
According to El-Hamamsy, CSR refers to a company's ethical and social
behavior as demonstrated in the way it interacts with the communities
it relates to, ameliorating society's weaknesses, stimulating economic
growth and engaging in a continuous process of creating value for
society. A socially responsible corporation is the one that aims
at profits while taking into account the impact of its operations
on the community. CSR in the mobile industry, for instance, entails
responsible marketing, responsible purchasing and concern for the
environment by recycling batteries, phones, office supplies, paper,
glass and plastic. It also means meeting investors' needs, supporting
socio-cultural events, and involving employees in community services
such as Ramadan caravans, blood donation drives, the phasing out
of computer equipment and clothes donations.
El-Hamamsy said that an effective social responsibility policy enables
a company to consolidate its brand image and reputation in the community,
thereby creating goodwill, improving customer retention, increasing
investor confidence and improving employee satisfaction and motivation.
CSR supports delivery of a company's business strategy while having
it recognized as a corporate citizen and generating trust with key
stakeholders.
At Vodafone Egypt, CSR is maintained through the Vodafone Egypt
Foundation Mission, which relies on using new technologies, developing
partnerships and projects that meet the real needs of children and
youth in the fields of health and education, focusing on tangible
activities and sustainable projects, transferring project management
skills to partners and stimulating the implementation of innovative
and effective projects, thus positioning Vodafone as a role model
of CSR, with an impact on the Egyptian community.
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