Fadi Mouannes: Intermarkets Kuwait was established in 1968, long before the invasion of Kuwait and was among the first agencies to resume activities after the liberaton. Since then, we have been steadily growing and we have been recognised as the first agency in terms of media spending, especially with newspapers who swallow up to 60 percent of the advertising budgets.

We are a full-fledged agency that offers all the services the market requires. Our 35-strong staff are equipped to offer all kinds of services the market needs and at the same time we enjoy the full support of the Intermarkets network. Eighty percent of the accounts we handle are local. On the creative level, we have recently won six awards at the Al-Anba’a Advertising Awards.

ArabAd: How do you deal with a market said to be “unsophisticated”?

Fadi Mouannes: What does unsophisticated mean? All Kuwaiti clients are looking for quality services. If they find them in simple concepts, so be it. They want to have the best creative service, the best media plan, the best promotional ideas, the best art work… Our challenge is to meet their quest for the best.

There are two types of clients. Those who know what they want. They understand the business and are professional enough to understand our business to know what we should give and to know what we are giving. There are also those who want the best but do not understand the business. They leave it to us to come up with ideas that would fulfill their objectives. So it is a challenge either way and it is very important that educated people — and there is a majority who are educated — take the leadership.

Originally published in ArabAd, December 1998

Intermarkets Advertising successfully held its second private airshow from the roof of its offices in Dubai. Over 200 clients and friends joined the Intermarkets team over the four days of the Duhai Airshow and enjoyed their own private view of the exciting air displays.

This year’s hospitality theme was traditionally Arab with a Bedouin lent. Intermarkets served their guests the traditional cuisine including a buffet of cold delicacies, a Shawarma stand and Sheesha.

Ramzi Raad, Executive Vice President of the Intermarkets Group was on hand to greet guests as they arrived, alongside the Agency’s team from the Dubai office. Visiting from Beirut, Erwin Guerrovich, the Group’s Chairman, and Khalil Bitar, Senior Vice President – Finance and Administration, also joined in welcoming the guests.

Originally published in ArabAd, 1998

Edmond Moutran

Edmond Ibrahim Moutran was born in Beirut, 1994 and graduated from Choueifat International College, Choueifat, Lebanon. Received his Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Higher Studies in Mass : Communication from Southwest Missouri j State University in 1972.
Joined Intermarkets as Gulf Area Manager in January 1973.
Eddy opened Intermarkets’ Bahrain office in February 1973, and remained as Head of Intermarkets Bahrain till 1983, when he became Managing Director of Burson Marstellar (a PR agency) in 1979 maintaining his duties as MD Intermarkets Bahrain as well.
Founded MEMAC (Middle East Marketing and Communications) in January 1984, with one client, four people, j and a capital of US $25K. 1984 Bahrain- 1986 Jeddah – 1987 Dubai – 1990 Kuwait – 1990 London- 1994 Lebanon- 1997 Egypt.
Today MEMAC has a network of 7 offices with 171 people, and a turnover of US$85 million.
Founding member of the GCCAA, is an IAA Bahrain member since 1977. e became a board member of Ogilvy&Mather Africa in 1996. Initiated and became the first Chairman of Middle East Advertising Agencies Association (MEAAA)

Originally published in ArabAd, May 1998

Kumar (left) and Costandi

Intermarkets Advertising announced that it has awarded a contract for upgrading and expanding its computer networking system to the Dubai-based Alan Technology.
The contract was signed in Dubai between Michel Costandi, Managing Director of Intermarkets and Sudhir Kumar, manager, Sales and Marketing of Alan Technology.
According to Costandi, the upgrading of Intermarkets’ IT systems is aimed at enhancing the agency’s response time to client needs.
“It is part of an ongoing overall corporate expansion strategy to ensure improved efficiency.”
Originally published in ArabAd, October 1998

Picture shows from left Ramzi Raad, Intermarkets Group Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer; Reg Lascaris TBWA Regional Director, Africa, Middle East, and Eastern Europe; Abdullah S. Al-Jehani, Saudi Arabian Airlines - Vice President Advertising and Marketing Programmes; Prince Bandar Bin Saud Bin Khalid Al-Saud, Chairman of Ailamia /Intermarkets Public Relations; and Yarub A. Balkhair, Saudi Arabian Airlines General Manager Public Relations and Editor-in-Chief of "Ahlan Wa Sahlan" magazine

After an exhaustive review which included presentations from six of the most qualified advertising agencies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabian Airlines re-appointed Intermarkets Advertising to handle its worldwide marketing communications account in partnership with its international associates TBWA and its PR consultancy Ailamiah/lntermarkets Public Relations together with its international associates Burson Marsteller.
In his statement on the appointment, Abdullah S. Al-Jehani, Saudi Arabian Airlines Vice President Advertising and Marketing Programmes said:

“… after careful evaluation of the six presentations, it became obvious that Intermarkets with its established multi- disciplined communications set-up and its world renowned associates offered the full mix of creative excellence, strategic planning skills coupled with the product know how that would serve the Airline best in the long term.”

Erwin Guerrovich Chairman and CEO of the Intermarkets Group commented on the appointment saying: “We are delighted with the added responsibilities and look forward to continuing our close partnership with Saudi Arabian Airlines expanding our task of helping in building the unique position of our client as a world class airline with a distinctive Saudi character – not to the travelling public in the Middle East only – but all around the world.”
Originally published in ArabAd, October 1998

Tylda Ghosn

In line with the forward vision of Lebanon’s future, coupled with the regional scope of operations Intermarkets has announced the following changes. Area vice President, Nadim Sfeir, will become general manager of Intermarkets-Lebanon and will be based at the Beirut head office. He will continue to assume his group corporate responsibilities over the Levant, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Tylda Ghosn remains Area Creative Director. Makram Zeenny, transferring from Damascus, will also be based in Beirut, and will assist Nadim on both Lebanon, Levant and Egypt territories.

Makram Zeenny

Nadim Sfeir

Originally published in ArabAd, October 1998

Paul Laramee, MD of Tam Tam, Intermarkets' associates in Canada, receiving the trophy from the President of the Publicity Club of Montreal

Intermarkets has been awarded the bronze prize of the “Prix de Nations – Liban” for their Sleep Comfort ad at the Mondial de la Publicite Francophone held recently in Montreal. The creative director of the entry is Tylda Ghosn.
The trophy was received by Intermarkets associates in Canada.
Originally published in Arab Ad, November 1998