2010 Winners & Shortlists

HOTSPOTS PROMOTION

Short List
BrandTHE ECONOMIST
Product/ServiceTHE ECONOMIST
EntrantMEMAC OGILVY & MATHER Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryBest Use of Digital Media (Including Internet, Mobile Devices, etc)
Entrant Company:MEMAC OGILVY & MATHER Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Advertising Agency:MEMAC OGILVY & MATHER Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Credits

Results and Effectiveness

Thousands of people have logged on at WiFi Hotspots, taking their chance to truly ‘Join the global conversation’. Making it the perfect media solution: Where the communication has actually delivered on the promise. Sales of The Economist have also shot up: In June 2009, during the recession, The Economist Group recorded a 39% profit in the region. Thanks to the success of the strategy, we’re now planning to roll out WiFi Hotspots across the region.

Creative Execution

The tricky part was finding a cost-effective way to implement this strategy and roll the campaign out. We knew that there were no free WiFi facilities in Dubai, so we focused all our efforts on digital media. We set up a series of Economist WiFi Hotspots, partnering with restaurant and coffee shop chains across Dubai. Customers were given a code, and when they logged on, they were driven to the Economist website, before they could surf for free. We promoted these HotSpots with a range of low-cost in-store media, some traditional print and outdoor, and extensive PR.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

The Economist tasked us with raising its profile, building the brand and increasing subscriptions across the Middle East. But when you have a very small budget, and you can’t afford any fancy, big budget outdoor stunts –you need to be very smart about your choice of media. Secondly, we were speaking to an audience that didn’t really know the brand. So we needed an idea that to a young, ambitious and affluent Arab target market would relate to. We created the strategic platform: ‘Join the global conversation’.

Credits

Name Company Role
Till Hohmann Memac Ogilvy & Mather Dubai Executive Creative Director
Guy Sinclair Memac Ogilvy & Mather Dubai Creative Director
Dylan Kidson Memac Ogilvy & Mather Dubai Senoir Copywriter
Mel Harvey Memac Ogilvy & Mather Dubai Senior Art Director
Adriano Konialidis Memac Ogilvy Pr Account Manager
Charlotte Coghill The Economist Group Brand Communications Manager