From left: Ramzi Raad - Executive vice president intermarkets group, Nigel Page - regional sales manager - Middle East, British Airways, Sandra Owen - sales executive, British Airways, Joseph Ghossoub - general manager, Intermarkets UAE & Oman, Chris Cum-mings - BP Middle East, Hassan Laham - AI Jallaf Modern Establishment, Edward Lim - Singapore Airlines, Elle Kai - Media International Services, Najib Haddad - ODECO

DUBAI – Intermarkets U.A.E. invited clients, media and friends to an open house to celebrate new year and the recent announcement that for the 12th consecutive year, it has achieved the highest annual turnover with both, Dubai and Abu Dhabi television stations.

Since its opening in Dubai, on February 1st, 1975, Intermarkets U.A.E. has maintained this number one position with the two television stations. During the party, messages of greetings were received from the Intermarkets offices in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, North Yemen, Egypt, Lebanon and England.

Intermarkets’ Kuwait and Jordan confirmed in their messages that they – too – have achieved the number one position with their local TV stations, in 1987.

The celebration also marked the move of Intermarkets U.A.E. to their new premises on the Dubai-Sharjah road.

Originally published in ArabAd, May 1988

BEIRUT – Mr. Emile Kayrouz, a senior executive at Intermarkets has left the network for another network, last September, on the media side this time. Emile Kayrouz joined La Régie Libanaise de Publicité, as advertising and marketing director. Kayrouz was general manager of Intermarkets Lebanon, and assistant to the president of the network.

Kayrouz’s decision to leave Intermarkets was prompted by the desire “to reshape my future”, as he told Arab Ad. “I found it a good opportunity, and I found I had a lot in common with RLP’s president Mr. Najah Abi Assi, on both the professional and ethical levels.” Kayrouz felt he has many things to give on the media side, given his professional background, at a time when advertisers are becoming more cost-efficient oriented and media more competitive. Kayrouz will be deeply involved in development and would enjoy a partnership status in future projects.

RLP has currently a network of four offices in Beirut, Kuwait, London and Paris, and it represents a host of media, among which the Lebanese Assayad, Ashabaka, Sahar and Scoop,and the Kuwaiti Osrati, Al Yaqza, Burda Arabic edition, Al Watan International; it recently pitched for Tele Liban, and acquired the Arabic daily Ad Diyar. But Abi Assi may not be interested in relaunching his activities in Lebanon on a large scale if his bid for Tele Liban did not materialise.

Kayrouz is a 1974 AUB graduate in Economics. He attended post-graduate studies and earned diplomas of Advertising and Marketing Administration, and Institute of Marketing from the Watford College of Technology in London in 1976.

Kayrouz joined Publirizk for five months in 1975, as a marketing manager; he was then an Associate Manager at the Saudi Research monthly – Jeddah in 1976, then he joined Intermarkets as a Regional Account Director based in Bahrain in 1977. In 1980, he was appointed General Manager of Intermarkets Cairo office, then GM of the Beirut office in 1982. In 1988, he was promoted to the post of Assistant to the President of Intermarkets.
Kayrouz will be based in Beirut, but his job requires much travelling.

Originally published in ArabAd, 1988

Sonia Chaanine

BEIRUT – Intermarkets Lebanon is undergoing a major reorganization that will give the Intermarkets Group unprecedented strength in Lebanon. Joining Intermarkets Lebanon in key executive roles are Ramsay Najjar, Elie Khoury with The Agency Group and Sonia Chaanine and her team. Erwin Guerrovich, President of the Intermarkets Group, described the move as “another landmark.”
The Agency, a young and creative company headed by Elie Khoury which quickly made its mark in Lebanese advertising, is merging with Intermarkets. Top executives of The Agency are coming on board. They include Adel Kanaan, Marketing Director, Hannibal Raide, Associate Creative Director/Producer, and Abdo Saleh, Chief Art Director.

Elie Khoury

Sonia Chaanine, who recently set out on her own outside the Advise Group, and Ramsay Najjar, currently Associate Director of Trust Advertising, are also joining Intermarkets.
The reorganization creates a new executive board for Intermarkets Lebanon together with members of the existing management. Ramsay Najjar becomes Chief Executive Officer, Elie Khoury is Chief Operating Officer, Jack H. Makhoulian becomes Vice President for Client Servicing and Sonia Chaanine is Vice President for Sales Promotions and Public Relations. The new executive board is to report to Intermarkets Group general management.

Erwin Guerrovich

Erwin Guerrovich explained the rationale behind the reorganization: “We have always believed in mergers and acquisitions as a source of strength in manpower and development. It is part of our company philosophy. And in the history of our company we have accomplished mergers that proved highly successful in increasing both our professional strength and the scope for our activities. This new merger is another landmark which reflects our constant concern for progressive management for the benefit of our clients, staff and company.
Foremost among our objectives is to provide our clients with the full scope of still better services in all areas. The strong team that is being created covers account planning, marketing, strategic thinking, creativity and promotional/below-the-line specialization. It is a team that will complement our manpower throughout the area and contribute to our regional activities.”

Ramsay Najjar

Commenting on the merger, Ramsay Najjar described Intermarkets as a “finishing school” that creates top advertising executives and which he is now rejoining after an absence of some years. “I am proud that in this way I am achieving my original and professional destiny and moving towards self-fulfillment. The professional interaction and the outstanding performance of the corporate team will always be the most motivating environment for an ‘old timer’ like me as I rejoin my advertising alma mater.”
Elie Khoury said that “The approach of Intermarkets was no surprise to us. The company has a long history of successful mergers. During the negotiations it was clear that the chemistry was there. So was the unity of our goals.
“I am certain the merger will be most rewarding, not only to the company but mainly to our clients,”
Elie Khoury said. “It is certainly a great boost to our professional ambitions and a promising shift towards broader horizons.”
J.H. Makhoulian added that the merger “is undoubtedly a landmark for our clients and for our Lebanese agency. It will have far-reaching effects on the overall strength of our entire regional group.” Makhoulian’s experience covers Intermarkets operations in Kuwait, Dubai and Bahrain. “I am particularly proud to have been a part of the planning of that master structure over many months,” he said.
Sonia Chaanine noted that “a great deal of my professional reputation has stemmed from my interest and achievements in merchandizing and sales promotions. The limited attention that has been given to that element in the marketing package has always been a frustration. I welcomed the approach of Intermarkets because it will allow me to build a specialized unit inside the agency that will add further scope to our services.”

Originally published in ArabAd, November 1988

DUBAI – Intermarkets concluded its Dubai meeting late January in which the company’s executives laid down plans for staffing, training and the upgrading of their four Gulf offices.

Rarticipants with RAAD

The meeting was chaired by Ramzi Raad, executive vice president of the Intermarkets Group. Also in attendance were Nadim Sfeir, Saudi Arabia, Bassam Soboh Kuwait, Joseph Ghossoub, UAE, and Shankar Narayan, Bahrain.

In the meantime Intermarkets concluded a workshop in Kuwait between 20-25 January for executives from the client servicing and media departments of Intermarkets Kuwait. Those attending included Rana Shebeata, Mohammed Kassassier, Shaheen Kazi, Mohammed Jundi and Louay Abu-Nada.

Originally published in Arabada, April 1988

DUBAI – Intermarkets UAE was awarded a Finalist Certificate at this year’s International Advertising Festival held in New York. Entries in the print and radio competition numbered 3205.

Intermarkets UAE won the award for its campaign: ‘Nothing Grabs Attention Quite Like Advertising’, which it prepared for the UAE Chapter of the International Advertising Association. The campaign has been running in the UAE since January this year and will shortly be featured throughout the region.

The International Advertising Festival awards winners were announced at the awards ceremony held at the Sheraton Centre in New York.

Originally published in ArabAd, April 1988

Erwin Guerrovich

Intermarkets’ President Erwin Guerrovich replied:

Our 1987 major objectives were:
a – A targetted modest growth of 50%, owing to the area situation.
b – A re-structuration of our regional operations to answer both client’s new geographical requirements, and own servicing/financial efficiency.
c – Drive on selected local new business acquisitions to further develop our local base in some markets.
Overall, we are satisfied with 1987 as objectives have been met with growth, evaluated at end 1987, to be of 80% consolidated.
However, in individual countries conditions are stepping up in differences (clients priorities, individual markets’ true potentials) which had a bearing on individual offices’ performances. For instance, Saudi Arabia has recorded major growth, while Bahrain recorded decreased performance owing to the market being hit by Saudi commercial television, opening of the causeway and a loss of interest by many clients in Bahrain as a regional centre.
Most of the markets have started levelling off and have adjusted to new conditions. But as we predicted in 1984, the well-managed trading companies and industries have benefited, carving for themselves increasing market shares to the detriment of vulnerable competitors.
Our company looks forward to various new business gains that start in 1988 and the full effort of our regional re-structuration pinpoints towards an objective of 11 per cent consolidated growth.
Our outlook is optimistic. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Oman, Yemen are growth areas. Developments in the Gulf conflict may hinder evolution.
Originally published in ArabAd in January, 1988