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Winners of the 2014 DSS Apprenticeship Program share their innovative solutions for engaging new audiences in their home markets
The Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and organisers of Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS), called upon the 17 winners of the DSS Apprenticeship Program 2014 to share their creative ideas on engaging new audiences from the MENA region to Dubai’s popular summer festival. The award-winning destination marketing internship, which has been a successful component of the iconic DSS since the first edition of the program, this year welcomes its largest-ever group of winners - including its first apprentices from Yemen, Tunisia and Libya. More than 100 universities were invited to participate this year - a significant increase from the 80 universities representing 14 markets in 2013. The 2014 winners will head to Dubai from August 15-28 to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime internship. As part of the selection process, each student was asked to submit an essay on what they would do differently for DSS 2014, in terms of promoting and positioning the event in their local market, if they were assigned the position of Chief Marketing Officer for DSS.
According to H.E Laila Mohammed Suhail, Chief Executive Officer, DFRE, the students offered a really savvy bouquet of ideas that revealed their understanding of the DSS offering and insights into the promotional landscape of their home markets: “We were impressed with the innovative ideas presented by our young winners this year. Their unique perspectives on ways in which to tap into local markets through unconventional tactics will help inject a fresh burst of vigor into our promotional campaigns across the region in years to come.” Ideas ranged from guerilla marketing tactics like fun buses, to social media competitions and high-impact traditional channels like outdoor advertising.
According to UAE winner Sarah Makki from The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, image-driven content on social media is the way forward: “I would organize a competition where fans are invited to post relevant pictures throughout DSS. Participants will be encouraged to use the hashtags #MyDubai and #DSS as a source of communication.”
Aya Jardaneh from Jordan University, Jordan, added: “I would install DSS booths at popular spots to distribute booklets to residents and visitors. The booklet would include a DSS puzzle that they can solve in steps by finding clues at key DSS-events. This would create an unforgettable experience for visitors as they tweet or share their special DSS experiences online using the #myDSSpuzzle hashtag.”
Fatema Hrezi, from the American University of Libya, added that social media was a key channel in the Libyan market due to high penetration rates. “I would promote DSS events through Facebook and Twitter and encourage engagement through an interactive contest. An additional strategy would be to promote the event through billboard and radio advertising as they are considered to be very influential channels of marketing in Libya.”
Ali Al-Farsi, from Sultan Qaboos University, Oman, also highlighted the digital platform as a central source of consumer information. “I would promote DSS in Oman by creating an e-portal labeled ‘Welcome to DSS’. It will be designed as the main gateway of electronic services offered by DSS to provide rich, personalized and highly customizable information including e-services such as live chat options with DSS agents, allowing the users to get instant answers on DSS-related inquiries.” The focus on making it easier to obtain information about various DSS activities and travel logistics to Dubai was also highlighted by Ahmed Median from the Mediterranean School of Business, Tunisia, who proposed a strategy that involved building strong ties with the travel trade community in his home country as they act as the gateway to travel decisions. He said: “To get the domestic Tunisian audience interested in DSS, I would develop a marketing reinforcement program for travel agents in Tunisia, where they would attend local workshops to emphasize Dubai as an exciting summer and shopping destination. Following this, my DSS team and I would coordinate with travel agents to design discounted packages that included flight tickets, special hotel rates in Dubai along with free tickets to attend one DSS event of their choice everyday throughout the festival.” Dounia Boujrada from Al-Akhawayn University, Morocco, seconded this tactic saying: “I would also establish travel partnerships with travel agencies in Morocco to offer potential visitors a number of ‘One-time Only’ offers, with exclusive promotional packages for Dubai, including discounted flight fares and reduced hotel tariffs.”
Some markets favored novel over mass mediums in keeping with their local promotional landscapes. Nagham Sous from Birzeit University, Palestine, said: “I would focus on marketing and promoting the event in my local market through the use of guerilla marketing techniques in an exclusive and unconventional manner while ensuring maximum exposure at the lowest cost. I would do this by launching a moving yellow bus that travels through different cities in Palestine while stopping at public hotspots and other crowded areas to host fun competitions for the residents. The DSS team on the bus could offer small promotional prizes to link the DSS brand with fun and excitement along with a positive feel, which will enhance DSS’ brand awareness.”
Nadeem Amary from American University of Beirut, Lebanon proposed “several partnerships with popular international chocolate brands to reach out to as many children of different cultures. This will showcase DSS as a fun-filled and enjoyable event that the little visitors can look forward to.”
Nouran Salah Osman from University of Khartoum, Sudan, came up with an idea that played on Dubai’s multi-cultural ethos. She said: “I would invite celebrities to create an official theme song featuring well-known figures and promote it through commercial advertisements. These celebrities can be singers, actors, football players and politicians presenting the theme song in various languages, with one underlining message: “One Race, Many Cultures, One Place… Dubai”. These advertisements could also be promoted on official social media accounts of the celebrities, who already enjoy a huge online follower-base.”
Shawn Chomani, from the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani, Iraq, said: “I would provide local shopping venues and academic institutions with the latest information about upcoming DSS events and promotions within the locale. Additionally, events such as career fairs would attract not only the young broad-minded student community but also their families. I would also launch a Facebook and Twitter campaign to run a Scavenger Hunt contest that utilizes QR codes. Flash mobs can also be organized and coordinated to enhance the fun spirit of DSS, with surprise appearances of the mob along with Modhesh at various shopping venues.”
Other winners emphasized tactics that played on local tastes and sensibilities. Fatemah Jamal Al-Lail Dar Al-Hekma University, KSA, said: “I would use entertainment, especially theatricals as the basis of my tactical campaign. This would ensure that Saudis who already love Dubai continue to enjoy their stay. Other options could include concerts, movies and possibly comedy entertainment with stand-up international performers.”
Abdulaziz AlSabah from the Australian College of Kuwait, Kuwait, said: “As Chief Marketing Officer for DSS, I would strengthen the popularity of the event in Kuwait by collaborating with a Kuwaiti non-profit organization called ‘Proud to Be Kuwaiti’ (P2BK), which aims to support Kuwaiti youth and SME projects in Kuwait. The organization not only boasts a wide reach, but also has a specific focus segment, which is the Kuwaiti youth. Additionally, DSS will outshine and distinguish itself from its competitors in Kuwait, if the team creates an annual calendar of events tailored specially for Kuwait, similar to those hosted by P2BK.”
Emotionally-appealing advertising campaigns continued to dominate the promotional mix in markets such as Syria, Bahrain, Qatar, Yemen and Egypt.
Shereen Juhani from the Arab International University, Syria, said: “I would give the public the opportunity to create their own advertisements for DSS to help them connect with the brand as their own. They would be provided with all the necessary resources to create the most colorful and eye-catching advertisements for DSS. The advertisements could be designed for any media outlet of their choice. The most creative and striking ones will be awarded an exciting prize at the end.”
Maryam Taqi, University College of Bahrain, Bahrain, said: “For the event to be successful in Bahrain, promotional and advertisement techniques must be executed vigorously - from outdoor advertising, ensuring maximum exposure to the target audience and advertising in high traffic areas like shopping malls, supermarkets, restaurants, highways and other public hotspots. An additional method would be through SMS text messages and the distribution of flyers and informational brochures.”
Najla Al-Thani, Stenden University, Qatar, said advertising campaigns should be driven by novelty. “In terms of the creative elements, I would launch a new eye-catching logo and slogan for DSS, as well as devise new charismatic friends for Modhesh. This would entice fans of the event to come back and interact with Modhesh’s new pals.” Modhesh was also the center of the plans of Egyptian winner, Nouran Mahfouz from The British University in Egypt who said: “I would design my plans with the objective of not only attracting new audience sets, but also retaining the existing ones. To achieve this, the Modhesh character will be joined by a ‘family’, in the form of a series of new characters. Further, special booths for instant personal photography opportunities with a virtual Modhesh, will be installed at every DSS venue.” Zahra Mohammed from the Lebanese International University, Yemen, said she would plan a variety of promotional activities that would entice the Yemeni populace to engage with the brand in the local market. “This can be done by organizing ‘Modhesh Visits’ in parks and malls in addition to surprise visits at restaurants to spread awareness and raise curiosity about the brand. With social media, I would use platforms such as Facebook to announce the new events held as part of DSS. By offering sneak peeks and teasers, fans could be encouraged to participate in an online conversation to guess the names of the new activities.”
In return for their creative input, the 17 winning apprentices will each receive an all-expense-paid trip to Dubai including return flights and a two-week stay at The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management (EAHM), strategic partners of the program for the last three years. EAHM is one of the world’s leading hospitality business management schools and part of Jumeirah Group, a luxury hotel company and a member of Dubai Holding. Throughout their stay, students attend workshops, visit key DSS events and tourism landmarks, and meet leading players behind the Destination Dubai brand.
The program will offer students the tools and resources they need to gain hands-on experience that will not only enhance their theoretical understanding of their chosen field of study, but also its practical applications, as they build a valuable network of potential future employers and corporate mentors.
At the end of the two-week internship, the apprentices will be grouped into teams to present their reflective proposals before the senior management. The presentations will be based on their observations and experiences from the program. Over the past editions, participating students who have successfully completed the internship and graduated from their respective universities have secured rewarding jobs at prestigious organizations and multinational companies in their home countries and abroad.
Since its launch in 2006, the DSS Apprenticeship Program has grown successfully to its current edition, which is another step forward in DFRE’s broader strategy to take the DSS Apprenticeship Program global by 2015, when the program will reach its 10-year milestone.
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