Silence is golden

Boy, when the shutters go down in this town, they really shut tight. I'm hearing a lot of frustration from journalists that simply cannot get companies to talk since the whirlwind of economic turmoil hit the shores of Dubai. Imagine what it would be like if we were as badly affected as the rest of the world!

At times like this there can be reputational value - both current and stockpiling for the future - in sticking ones head above the parapet, if only to utter the words "business as usual", rather than lodging head firmly in sand and letting potentially damaging reports, based on assumptions and heresay, fill the business pages.

I've always been a bit of a quote collector - my A Level economics folder cover could be published in its own right - and here are a few lines I'm storing up for use at the appropriate time...

"You can't stop communicating. Even when you say nothing, that's a statement" (Watzlawick)

"In an information vacuum, corporate reputation is created by others" (my boss)

"You say it best when you say nothing at all" (Boyzone I believe, but not entirely on message!)

As you can see...I'm struggling for succinct words of wisdom!

Anti-social media

I spent yesterday afternoon discussing with a client their first foray into social media. The crux of the discussion was that to be a leader and be perceived as a leader, the company had to embody innovation yet - as a business - what was actually appropriate? And should the company executives bring their own personalities and views online, or be a rather more cautious voice for the corporation?

I know which answer I would go with for the latter question, but then I never claim that my personal views are those of the company I work for, or my best professional advice! If you are such an industry personality that people will assume you are representing your organisation then it's a different ball game.

As I see it, social media is in danger of shooting itself in the foot here. It's like the idiom that the psychology of a crowd differs significantly from the psychology of individuals with it - at the extreme: mob mentality. So consider a blog - Dubai Media Observer for example - that conveys the (anonymous) views of one person, who sets himself up to be outwitted by the next (anonymous) person, out-bitched by the third (anonymous) person, criticised by the (anonymous) fourth...and so it goes on. A rational voice is a dull one indeed, so the blog follows a steady downward spiral and mob mentality takes over.

Given a free reign and anonymity to hide behind, there is no reason for commentators to take responsibility or be asked to justify themselves. Anything goes. Fair enough, the credibility of such blogs is quite rightly limited and they can be entertaining reading. But does everyone know not to take them seriously or can they do serious reputational damage? For a company or individual that wants to engage in the wonder and revolution that social media can be...it's a bit of a dampener on spirits.

So I say, if it wants to avoid regulation or have any sort of shelf life then 'social media' as a whole needs to grow up fast. If you have a good point, put your name to it otherwise keep it to yourself. In an environment where offline manners and respect also apply online, we will find ourselves rewarded with much more interesting content, contribution and interaction from genuine experts, interesting people and individuals with something of value to say.

A shopping fiesta

Whoever dreamed up the Dubai Shopping Festival deserves a big medal and a pat on the back. Who would have thought that a city with more malls per square inch than any other conurbation in the world could actually encourage its residents and visitors to spend more money than they already do? Especially with the words 'credit crunch' on everyone's lips.

I'm not really a sale-kinda-gal. The look of a jumble sale puts me off, along with the dashed hopes of finding the perfect top/shoes/handbag before entering into a bunfight only to find it doesn't exist in my size or colour. Not for the feint hearted, and not exactly fun in my book.

But yesterday I went to check out the new Waitrose to see whether it had decent quality lettuce (a veritable treasure hunt in these parts, I tell you)...which involved going to the new Dubai Mall...which led to temptation to just take a quick peek in one or two shops...and we all know how weak I am in the face of temptation.

Anyway, the upshot is that DSF (for us local yokels) isn't a jumble sale at all. It's a tidy, available in all sizes and colours, genuine money-off kind of affair that leaves you with a satisfying number of carrier bags full of new things and a warm glow about how much you've saved. Just don't think too closely about how much you've spent!

What a tweet!

For those of you that thought this might be a blog about Twitter, then sorry...but it is a very funny story.

Apparently a man travelling from Dubai was stopped at Melbourne airport the other day for smuggling pigeons in his tights.

Two eggs were found inside a multivitamin container carried by the passenger, who comes from Melbourne, and a further search revealed that he was wearing tights with a live bird stashed down each leg. The question is, would the birds have been discovered if the eggs hadn't given the game away?

Brings a whole new meaning to budgie smugglers!

The outer skin of your digital onion

My new favourite phrase...and one which brings a whole new meaning to "knowing your onions".

I have shamelessly whipped it from a WPP article on the genius that was Obama's digital communications campaign, but am now vowing to use it at least once a week as I take up a renewed mission to bring the not-so-new media element into UAE PR.

Laughing in the face of yet another "I want press release", maybe now is a good time to point out how much more efficient, effective and...dare I say...exciting digital channels can be.

If dowdy politics can find new ways to communicate through Facebook, Digg, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace and a wealth of other mobile, online and interactive applications, then I am more than convinced of the potential for a country that has 150% mobile penetration and a gadget-obsessed population.

A step in the wrong direction for UAE press freedom?

"The United Arab Emirates plans to crackdown on media freedoms amid a slew of bad headlines about the impact of the global financial crisis on the Persian Gulf state's economy and corporate scandals in Dubai." Zawya Dow Jones, Dubai

Interesting news indeed. The story goes on to report how a draft law is proposing to introduce fines for journalists and publications to constrain reports that could impact the country's reputation, economy or tourist industry. Could the embarrassing spate of inquisitions of high profile business leaders around issues of transparency and accountability towards the end of last year have proven slightly too much to handle?

Contrast this news with a paper I wrote just 5 months ago, and you will see what I mean. In the paper I cheerily remarked that a 2007 press freedom index by Reporters Without Borders showed the UAE jumping 12 places to a ranking of 65 out of 169. This positive move was largely driven by changes to legislation announced by Dubai to decriminalise the UAE media law and prevent journalists being imprisoned. The system of fines and penalties has always been in place, but one cannot help but wonder what the implications will be of the revamp and focus on business reporting.

The crux of the issue is that Dubai and the UAE is no longer a desert outpost that can keep itself to itself - and neither does it want to be. It is a business hub that craves the centre of attention, and has the world's press watching its every move. This new step to impose greater control over the ability of its own media to report honestly on the business environment (...for fear of being seen to join the world in the current economic slowdown??) appears so at odds with the direction that the global media industry is moving in, and risks putting its own reporters at a distinct and embarrassing disadvantage against worldwide sources that can and do report without such shackles.

The UAE media industry has grown from a handful of newspapers, to over a dozen dailies and hundreds of magazines. In the year that I have been here I have seen so many positive changes and new initiatives. There is further scope for growth as vertical industries gain strength and commentary diversifies from a single voice to cater to different political viewpoints and values.

The potential is enormous and for me one of the most exciting reasons to be in PR, right now, right here. When the industry has gained so much momentum, it will be interesting to see the impact of this latest move.