Limitation Of Human Understanding

Scientists discover and spread new thoughts by understanding the world.

Businessmen evolve and grow by spreading stupidity and false thoughts in their environment.

That’s how they grow. They have given the people around them their own education by doing things their way. After 5 years of working in the Advertising/marketing field I have only received one marketing plan properly made by a 60 year old marketing manager who used to be the CEO of the Bank of America.

Few weeks back I got a request from a marketing manager to work on his annual marketing plan.

I have this feeling that bothers me most of the time. It’s an unnamed feeling where I see that most of the people around me suffer from a limitation of human understanding.

A Brand Name

The brand needs a stand out name, the seven criteria of a Stand Out Name are;

1. Distinctiveness 
2.  Brevity 
3.  Appropriateness
4. Easy spelling and pronunciation
5. Likability
6. Extendability
7. Protect ability

 A great name deserves Great Graphics

 Logos are dead. Long live icons and avatars

An Icon is a name visual symbol that suggests a market position.

An Avatar is a brand icon that can move, change, and operate freely in various media.

National Pride

When will it end? I want it to end soon. Actually I can't wait to see the finale. With all the killing and slaughtering in Syria is a tragedy especially that its happening during the holy month of Ramadan.

We are annoyed of people who come over to boast about their accomplishments, but when countries do so we call it National Pride.

What is a Brand?

A Brand is not a logo !

A Brand is not an identity !

A Brand is not a product !

A Brand is a person’s gut feeling about a product, service, or organization.

A Charismatic Brand is any product, service, or organization for which people believe there’s no substitute

Addicted

   The three most harmful addictions a human might fall into are Carbohydrates and a Monthly Salary.
You can't have a breakfast that is free of carbs and you can't grow and progress in life when you go everyday to work to do what you have been doing for a long time.

Do What Is Right ! Then Apologize

In the marketing industry here in Saudi Arabia, I get a lot of inexperience and uneducated clients.
What I fear the most is that they take decisions that can negatively affect their brand.
The best thing to do is, do what is right and correct even if the client doesn't like what you are saying. You know its a good practice to always apologize except when you have done something wrong.

Poverty Mistreated Me

The fastest way to become rich is to socialize with the poor; the fastest way to become poor is to socialize with the rich ! The truth is "you are rich if and only if money you refuse tastes better than money you accept".

Am I Civilized?

   You will be civilized on the days you can spend a long period doing nothing, learning nothing, and improving nothing, without feeling the slightest amount of guilt.

The Evolution Diet

 I recently came upon a new Diet. A diet that was created by a former economist and author called Art De Vany. Art's study began when his son was diagnosed with Diabetes. He did his own research and came up with the ultimate diet. He called this diet the Evolution Diet; a diet based on what our ancestors ate and how they exercised.

The Four Principles of The Evolution Diet:

1. Listen to your body, not your culture

2. Appropriate your diet in the method of our ancestors

3. Eat from nature and avoid intake of Artificially Extreme Foods (AEFs)

4. Exercise and sleep when your body tells you to

Literature

The test of whether you really liked a book is if you re-read it; the test of whether you really liked someone's company is if you are ready to meet him again and again. The rest is spin, or that variety of sentiment now called self-esteem.

Don't Blame Me

When we want to do something while unconsciously certain to fail, we seek advice so we can blame someone else for the failure. And that’s something you see everyday at work.

Some people actually excel at this. They see things crashing and run to throw the blame on others even before it happens.

The Power Of Ideas

      In Marketing, its always about brilliant ideas that make a big change and lead to an increase in awareness and sales when it hits the consumer in a positive way. This is why a brilliant idea starts to be interesting when you get scared of taking it to its logical conclusion.

What is a state?

Yes !  I am  Lebanese and I am the son of the beautiful city of Beirut. But after watching and following up on the political news in Lebanon for six years in a row, I have came to the conclusion that what we speak of today as Democracy is simply a political strategy of populative chaos.

None of the middle eastern countries is running on a normal level especially Lebanon. The freedom of speech system is a situation where a country becomes a failed state in the long term.

Socrates once said that “Democracy passes into despotism”, and this is exactly what we are seeing.

The spread of Democracy has given the corrupt people the chance to dominate and take control of countries.

Democracy is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder !

A Liar

Its a crazy world we're living in. The incidents that take place everyday at work simply tell you that:
" The best revenge on a liar is to convince him that you believe what he said"


TRY IT !

The Disciplines Of Branding

 

The 5 disciplines of branding:

Differentiate

a.       What are you?

b.      What do you do?

c.       Why does it matter?

Collaborate: building a brand is a collaborative project

a.       The One-Stop Shop: contains the resources to develop and steward the brand

b.      The Brand Agency: hire the best firm to develop the brand

c.       Integrated marketing team: managed internally

Innovate: You know that an idea is innovative when its scares the hell out of everybody

Validate: bringing the audience into the creative process

a.       If your audience cant verbalize your concept, you’ve failed to communicate it

Cultivate

Brand Extensions:

-          Bad Brand Extensions: are those that chase short-term profits at the expense of long-term brand value

-          Good Brand Extensions: grow the value of a brand by reinforcing its focus

Dont Be A Follower

I was shocked yesterday when one of the “brand managers” of a local company in Jeddah asked me to develop a BTL Campaign for highlight the promotion/offer on a product without having a visual of the product highlighted. What kind of logic is this? This is why a lot of companies will not grow in the middle east. They make irrational decisions.

As a marketer you should always aim to find something in your company where you can boast and pride yourself about. Something that your competitors do not have. It is not enough to be ip better than you competitors. Your goal is to be the first. Its what Al Ries calls the law of leadership.

Finally, its better to be first than it is to be better because this way its much easier to get into the mind of you consumer. Being recognized for something very unique and distinct

Beiruty Terms

Ever since I was a kid in school I used to brag and pride myself about being a BEIRUTY. ( I Still do)

I feel that Lebanese coming from outside Beirut have had this jealousy from the people of Beirut.

To express my love for this beautiful city, I will share with you a couple of Beiruty terms that are fading away slowly as time goes by.

1.    Sameeek= Fish

2.    Jabeel = Mountains

3.    Sabouneh = knee

4.    Batta= leg muscle

5.    Goal = Football

6.    Coyboy = Jeans

7.    Biftaik w Batatah = Beef Stake & Fries

8.    3adees= Lentils

10. Titba22at =  Tekol

  
11. Titshabra2 = Drink

12. ba2ibshak= kiss you

13. To2borneh = i love you

14. Slatah = Salad

 15. Nashshaf ree2eh = Im thirsty

 16. Taramain = Stupid

  17. BittyFool = French Pastries

  18. Man2oufi so7tak = getting thin

  19. 5eh = take this

  20. Ji3aan = hungry

 21. te3seeli = nap

22. tsata7 = lay down ---> be flat heheheeh

23. mdabras= depressed

24. tare2 booz = very sad

I would like to thank a lot of friends who have helped me bring this together.

Words Don't Mean The Same

When a woman says about a man that he is intelligent, she basically means handsome. And when a man says about a woman that she is dumb he basically means attractive.