Monday, September 29, 2008

Celebrity branded real estate in Dubai


It is SRK time. The king khan - Shah rukh is coming do Dubai to perform on 25th October. And this is not all, he is also starting a property development project in Ras Al Khaimah. Aptly called Shahrukh Khan boulevard, it is set to be a premier destination for one and two bedroom apartments.

I was involved in the PR for ACI Real estate, which launched the Boris Becker towers a few months ago in Dubai. With Boris becker in town, the media was abuzz with what he had to offer to the world of real estate. Listening to the former tennis star ( and a star in his own right today), one could glean a certain business acumen from him. He was talking "return on investment", "commitment to excellence", values which he embodies.

The premise of Celebrity branding is that the celebrity's perceived value will rub-off on the projects undertaken positively. While Boris becker, Donald Trump, Michael Schumacher, and now Shahrukh Khan are banking on their name to give wings to their projects, one is left wondering how much of the cross-pollination does really occur in such branding exercises ?

Does Boris becker's status in tennis really matter when it comes to a brick and mortar industry ? Of course, one can rest assured that he would not associate with someone who doesnt value quality and aesthetics in construction, but again; how much of his real 'self' is involved in the project ?

I presume that in the world of real estate branding, perceptions are really what matters. Perceptions become reality. And PR drives this more than advertising. The real value of these projects is in peopl'e minds.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Why no food marketer should ignore Halal products



As the fastest growing religion in the world, with over 1.6 billion followers, Islam has become a formidable force. Though the muslim world constitutes a tiny fraction of the world's GDP, the sheer numbers speak for themselves. Especially in the developing world, as well as the slightly better off Middle East, the market size of products and services catering to Muslims is quite large and cannot be ignored.

Consider Halal foods, Islamic tourism, Shariah compliant products. Each of these categories are multi-billion dollar industries. While Jews have kosher food, all Muslims prefer ( or in theory have to eat) only Halal food. As a muslim, i can testify that this is an extremely important part of one's diet. One would forego meat and other foods which are considered "haram" . For a company catering to this huge chunk of people, there is a lot of money to be made, by identifying the needs and fulfilling them.


Dynamics Driving the Global Halal Food Market
-Growth in the Muslim population, the primary market for Halal food
-Rising incomes in primary markets for Halal food
-Increasing demand for safe, high quality food in primary markets
-Increasing demand for greater variety in primary markets
-Incidents of food marketed as Halal but failing to meet Halal requirements has
spurred demand for genuine Halal products
( source : http://www.ats.agr.gc.ca/africa/4352_e.htm)


Key Halal Markets Algeria Bahrain Egypt Indonesia Iran
Iraq Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Malaysia
Morocco Oman Qatar Saudi Arabia Syria
Tunisia Turkey United Arab Emirates Yemen

Combined Population of key Halal markets: 652 million

Key Halal Markets in Non-Muslim Countries
India 140 million
France 6 million
China 40 million
Germany 3 million
USA 8 million
UK 1.5 million
Philippines 6 million

( source : http://www.ats.agr.gc.ca/africa/4352_e.htm)


While there are various estimates of the size of the Halal food market, a study conducted by the Canadian government estimates it to be in the range of US$500 billion to US$2 trillion. The more conservative value of an annual US$500 billion is a reasonable estimate of global spending on Halal food, as it assumes per capita spending on such products to be approximately US$300 per year.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Ramadhan in the UAE

My first Ramadhan in UAE
- Witnessing the holy month in the melting pot of Middle East
This is my first Ramadhan in UAE and also the first outside my home country. Observing Ramadhan while being away from one’s family is quite strange as this is the time for bonding with the family, friends and also getting to understand one’s self better. The period of fasting, prayer and charity is meant for self-purification.
One of the simplest acts which has a deep meaning is that of breaking the fast. Going to the mosque in the evening for Iftaar, sitting amidst other Muslims of all ages and social classes and sharing the iftaar food is a great social leveller. At a very basic level, it tells us that we are all one - that our needs at a very basic level are all the same. We strive and put in efforts for the same basic necessities - food, clothing and shelter. In this, we are all the same and have the same destiny. The level at which we may put in effort and gain results may be different, but very fundamentally; we are all equal in this respect. We share a common destiny and this act of breaking the fast - with people of all social and economic classes brings this truth to light very powerfully. One is humbled with this realisation and cannot but help feel a sense of gratitude for the food before us. Hunger is the great leveller. Infact, with the media portraying the month of Ramadhan as a month of excessive consumption, the truth is very different. Ramadhan is about developing a sense of gratitude, and thankfulness for what we have - both in terms of material wealth and also peace of mind. The act of sharing our food, of charity, giving drive home this truth.
Iftaar evenings are also a good opportunity for expats and non-Muslims to get to know the Islamic practices better. The various hotels in Dubai offer iftaar dinners. These are meant for both muslims and non-muslims alike and give a good peek into the cuisine as well as the culture of the Arab world. During one such evening, I heard some soulful Oudh music as well as got to sample delicious mezze and kebabs at one of the better hotels in town. And not surprisingly, half the guests at the restaurant were expats. Most of them seemed to be non-muslims. These occassions also serve as good “ice-breakers” for the non-Muslims to get to know the Arab and Muslim culture up-close.

What I notice in Dubai during Ramadhan is a general sense of piety and calm. Right from the roads which are less clogged to the office environment which seems more serene; there is an overall calming effect. Even the irate taxi drivers are complaining less and being more tolerant, perhaps imbibing one of the key lessons of fasting - patience.

Reduced working hours, fewer vehicles on the road, people who are consciously trying to “do good”, through charity, organizing various initiatives - such as a charity donation drive at the major malls in the city ( Mall of Emirates and Deira city centre) are some of the key highlights of the month which are visible to the onlooker who is looking at the month from the outside.
For an insider, the view is even more spectacular. There is not only a greater satisfaction in doing the everyday acts - of fasting, praying and being aware of the various things that we need to be thankful and grateful to god for. If there is one emotion that captures the spirit of the month, it is this sense of gratitude and thankfulness that the month tries to imbibe.