Dodging bullets to put up billboards in Iraqi cities

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As media the world over discusses innovative and "focused" means of promotional campaigns amid a global economic downturn, an ad agency operating in Iraq is thriving by putting to good use a primitive way of advertisement.

Nabil Hijazin, the managing director of Diyar Outdoor, says his Iraq-based company's [and that of Iraq's advertisement industry's] revenues were at rock bottom when the world revelled in prosperity. Now the revenues have begun to look up when the world faces an economic crisis. Iraq's annual advertisement revenues have touched $40 million (Dh146m), Hijazin says. His company that puts billboards "at incredibly dangerous locations" is looking forward to generate a revenue of $2m this year.

"It's much, much better than the past year. It will be much better in the days to come," he says.

Hijazin shrugs off queries regarding the effect of financial crisis on his and his peers' revenues in Iraq and says that his challenges are completely different. "We have to ensure that our staff do not get killed on the streets. Bullets keep flying in all directions in the city. And then we need to ensure that no one steals our billboards as the metal it contains can fetch a good price," he says. Security cover for its staff and its assets consume 20 per cent to 30 per cent of any company's budget in Iraq, he says.

Diyar Outdoor puts up billboards in cities like Baghdad, Basra, Karbala and Mosul. These cities have hit media headlines for terrorist bombings and the resultant deaths. Hijazin says he would like to move over to modern means of mass campaigns but the circumstances in Iraq prevent him from doing so.

"We can put up LED screens instead of billboards. But then they may be demolished the very next day," he says. Hijazin's billboards are made up of iron, wood and fabric, destruction of which does not bring a substantial financial loss. "It's very dangerous on the streets there. The first priority for any product is to survive," he says.

Advocacy campaigns from the government which call upon people to shun violence are the prime source of revenue, he says. "Even TV stations and newspapers bank on them. Multinational companies and the promotions for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs) come second. Mobile phone companies come third," he says.

With newspapers in Iraq finding it tough to hit the stands daily and TV stations finding it tough to operate without taking biased stands, billboards are a better choice of promotions in Iraq, Hijazin says. "There are newspapers that print for four days in a week because there is electricity supply for just two hours a day," he says.

Though several newspapers still exist in Iraq, many have been closed down. TV crews, including Doha-based Al Jazeera, have been asked by the Iraqi Government not to operate in the country on grounds of fuelling violence. Newspapers like Al Hawsa, Al Mustaqilla and Al Sabah closed operation in the country due to a variety of reasons. Al Zawraa and Salahuddin TV stations were the recent closures as far as electronic media is concerned. "That's were we come in. No body can accuse us of taking stands," Hijazin says.

Advertisement revenues in Iraq were beginning to look up in 2003. However, the figures plummeted as violence escalated. "Multinationals had begun promoting their products and our company had a turnover of $4m in 2003 and 2004. However, we incurred huge losses in subsequent years. Rampant attacks escalated in 2006 and I fled the country. Things look much better now," he says.

By Shashank Shekhar

© Emirates Business 24/7 2008