Dubai: Orient Planet PR & Marketing Communications, a public relations, marketing and communications consultancy, has expanded its operations in Qatar and Lebanon to target new business opportunities.
"Qatar is one of most competitive economies in the Mena region and is thus of strategic importance to Orient Planet," said Nidal Abou Zaki, Managing Director, Orient Planet PR and Marketing Communications.
"We are now in the process of reactivating [our office in Lebanon] and are presently drawing in new clients as well as generating greater awareness on the role of PR in energising business and the local economy as a whole. There are many sectors such as tourism and real estate, which still offer great potential there that would benefit substantially from our services."
According to Orient Planet's figures, the region's PR sector recorded total fee revenues of around $150 million (Dh551.7 million) in 2009 and has been recording steady double-digit growth since the 1990s. They also expect the total market value to reach $500 million by 2015.
Sustained activities
"We are witnessing a major shift among the region's private and public sectors from traditional advertising to more targeted and sustained PR activities," Abou Zaki said.
"Marketing budgets and spending have declined throughout the region in general. The good news though is that more organisations are realising the cost and performance benefits of well-planned and strategically-targeted PR campaigns. The downturn has actually helped us highlight the advantages of engaging in PR, which has turned out to be the least-affected element within the region's marketing mix."
An increasing number of companies in the region are now focusing their resources on developing their reputation and brand image, which eventually drives them to resort to the services of professional communications consultancies, he explained.
By Samia Badih Staff Reporter
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