Intermarkets, has announced an affiliation with the London-based FISH consultancy, specialists in Internet web-site design and promotion.

Considered pioneers in multi-media and the fast expanding medium of the Internet, FISH designs and builds award winning web-sites for a number of top blue-chip clients using a unique blend of creativity, marketing know-how and sophisticated technology.

Recent successes include nominations for the prestigious YELL Best Site Design Awards in the UK, for work on the Blockbuster Entertainment and The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) web-sites, the latter having been recently launched by HRH Prince Philip at St. James’ Palace, London.

Bringing a totally new perspective and approach to the new media through ‘Internet marketing’ techniques, FISH provides a unique service to assist clients in successfully developing and exploiting all new opportunities in this ever-changing field of electronic communications.

“Given the rapid growth of the Internet and the far reaching potential of this new medium, we believe that the time is ripe for forging links with a specialist consultancy such as FISH,” explained Ramzi Raad, Chief Operating Officer, Intermarkets.

“FISH view the Internet as the fifth and fastest growing medium, and expect it to exceed well over 200 million users by the turn of the century,” he continued. “They are experts in this field and our new affiliation will enable Intermarkets’ new and existing client base to benefit from their state-of-the- art Internet services.”

Being relative newcomers to the Internet phenomenon, the Middle East is seen as one of the biggest potential markets as much of the anticipated growth is expected to come from businesses going on-line. In the UK alone, growth is expected to generate billions of pounds in commercial transactions.

Services available from FISH include the design and building of interactive web-sites, CD-ROM press packs, promotional screen savers, user friendly touch screen kiosks for effective point-of-sale, and collation of data for direct marketing purposes which includes on-line warehouse fulfilment services.

Originally published in ArabAd, September 1997

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

Erwin Guerrovich: clients will have to be more adaptable

Intermarkets founder, chairman and CEO Erwin Guerrovich gave Karen Thomas a progress report on how Lebanon’s reconstruction is effecting agencies and the media.

Israel’s bombardment of southern Lebanon and Likud’s subsequent election victory have hit Lebanese business confidence hard. Despite these setbacks, the international business community has kept faith in the reconstruction process and in Lebanon’s ability to pay back its debts. However, after 17 years of war, Lebanon has learned to function on psychological rather than economic factors says Intermarkets chairman and CEO Erwin Guerrovich.

Israeli raids on southern Lebanon led to a crisis in consumer confidence during the critical spring peak of March-June, he told GMR in an exclusive interview in Beirut.
Lebanese advertising expenditure fell dramatically after the south was evacuated and consumer confidence slumped to its lowest ebb in years. Agencies will not start to recoup their losses until the second annual peak from October to December, if then, Guerrovich said.

“When there are a few months of calm on the political front, the Lebanese start to become over-excited consumers,” Guerrovich said. “But when something like the crisis in the south happens, you suddenly get a situation where the Lebanese immediately go back to war psychology where money is better in pockets, rather than being spent.”

“The first period of the year was hit hard and the result is that it will pick up again, if it does pick up, in October.” Guerrovich likens Lebanon in 1996 to Saudi Arabia in the early oil-booming Seventies, awash with huge infrastructure contracts and over-run with building sites, but lacking an affluent, spendthrift middle class.

Crucially, though, Lebanon lacks oil. What it does have is growing inward investment from the far-flung Lebanese diaspora, a vote of confidence from international financiers and a wealth of local talent waiting to return from overseas.

It lacks a heavy industrial base, but new service-based industries are showing signs of growth.
Lebanon is emerging as a major production centre for 35mm films and commercials, Guerrovich says. Production houses are springing up to take advantage of the republic’s ample supply of talent so that more commercials are being produced locally, rather than in Europe.

“More and more companies are making their commercials here, because they find that our quality compared to price is very interesting,” Guerrovich says. “Now, agencies in the Gulf are doing their production work in Lebanon – and not just the ones with Lebanese managers, but the expatriate agencies as well.”

Middle Eastern advertising first took root in Lebanon and Guerrovich set up one of its first agencies. He founded Middle East Marketing and Advertising Services (MEMAS) in the early 1960s.
After steady growth and several strategic mergers, MEMAS spawned Intermarkets. Today the organisation handles both advertising and public relations and has branches in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, Jordan, Syria and Yemen.

Today, Intermarkets’ regional stable of advertising and PR clients includes Lancome, Polaroid, Visa International, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Unilever Gulf, Grundig and Tag Heuer.
Agencies’ other preoccupation is the restructuring of Lebanon’s media. “There has been a war in this country between the television stations which represent the bulk of advertising expenditure and this war has led all the television stations to have super conditions officially on the rate card for clients,” Guerrovich says.

Lebanon’s media shake-up is not the only change on the horizon. The signs are that advertising agencies and their clients will also have to adapt to the new, more commercial environment, Guerrovich predicts.

All the signs are that these changes have already started. Earlier this year, the country’s largest agencies set up a syndicate to promote greater transparency in their dealings with the media.
Traditionally, multinational companies have relied on local agents to buy airtime. Those agents have spread their bookings between a large number of channels, often going through small advertising agencies whose lower overheads could easily undercut their larger rivals.

In a future with fewer channels, Lebanese agencies want to bypass the agent and approach the client directly. Clients will have to work with larger, more professional agencies to buy airtime more effectively, Guerrovich hopes. “Today, we have a situation where the leading agencies are strongly structured and offer more professionalism than the market needs. And the market is not following with the development of ad volumes and the mentality of the clients,” Guerrovich says.

With these kinds of imbalances, the Lebanese advertising industry will have to brace itself for further restructuring, mergers and closures. And as the biggest agencies club together, small agencies with narrow margins will bear the brunt of these changes.

Originally published in Agencies

Mr Robert Leaf, Prince Bandar bin Saud bin Khaled Al Saud with Mr Erwin Guerrovich

A new communications agency, Ailamia Intermarkets, has been launched in Saudi Arabia.

The company is a 51/49 joint venture between Ailamia, a Saudi company owned equally by the King Faisal Foundation, ARA Group International; Syahya, the national company for tourism, and the Saudi Hotels and Resorts Group and Intermarkets Public Relations. The company will offer clients public relations, marketing, research, promotion and direct marketing.

Ailamia Intermarkets is an exclusive affiliate of Burson-Marsteller, who took an active role in establishing the joint venture. The Chief Operating Officer is Mike Verligans (38), a former UK Government Information Officer with added experience in banking and the PR Consultancy business.

Originally published in ArabAd, January 1997

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

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

I was browsing the internet and to my great surprise I found out that WPP purchased Intermarkets Advertising from Joseph GHOUSSOUB and Talal MAKDESSI.
My late father Erwin GUERROVICH has never received the monies due to him for this sale, this is why we are in courts for now over 10 years now.
How can Intermarkets advertising be sold to WPP if neither my late father, neither us were paid?
Was that fact hidden from WPP when Intermarkets Advertising was sold?
Ironically the official reason Joseph GHOUSSOUB and Talal MAKDESSI give in court for not paying their due is that the sale was never completed?
How can Joseph GHOUSSOUB and Talal MAKDESSI sell Intermarkets Advertising to WPP if the initial sale from Erwin GUERROVICH was not completed?
WPP doesn’t have lawyers that check what they are buying beforehand?
I am ready to answer all questions you can PM me or comment here.
YG

“Intermarkets, the oldest PR and advertising group and marketing communications network agency in the Middle East, was founded in 1961 in Beirut, Lebanon, introducing the concept of modern communication to the Middle East. Today, it has 11 strategically located offices. Having gained a high reputation and numerous awards for their creative advertising campaigns, Intermarkets has a holistic full-service approach, including relationship marketing, market research, and corporate identity services for their industry-leading clients.”

Tylda Ghosn

by Zaza Khalaf

Experts have long declared that artistic people make bad managers. The same has often been said about women. Tylda Ghosn has proven both these proclamations wrong. One of still very exclusive group of female agency heads, she is also undoubtedly the most creative.

That is actually the first thing that strikes you on meeting her. It was no surprise then to learn that her first ambition was to design jewellery. However, with no such school available in Lebanon, she decided to pursue other prospects at ALBA (Lebanese Academy of Arts). As luck would have it, she went the very day of the advertising entrance exam! Needless to say, not only did she pass the exam, but also graduated with flying colours in 1984.

After graduation she resolved to take a month’s break; she managed one week. Incapable of staying without work, she applied to H&C Leo Burnett and embarked on a fruitful seven year collaboration. Recalling those days, Ghosn remarked, “it was an intensely active time on the Lebanese ad scene, the golden ad era; there were so many agencies, now major players, which were just starting to Brow.”

H&C was probably the most prominent among them and Tylda Ghosn made her mark. Hers was the talent behind ads like Dewar’s “Stuck On You” elaborating on Farid Chehab’s hit theme: “When it’s love, it never varies.” And she followed with the publicly acclaimed “I witnessed…” ad for Ancestor whisky.

Unfortunately, even the most successful partnerships come to an end, and so, for reasons she tactfully chose not to disclose, Ghosn left H&C in 1991. She got married immediately afterwards, giving her the opportunity to take a break and dedicate herself to family life. But true to form again she could not bear staying without work for long.

“Some women are made to raise children, and some to work,” she explains. “Offers started flooding from everywhere. I was really flattered! I mean, you stay with a company for so long, you’re creative behind closed doors!”

Among the offers, one was challenging enough that she could definitely not turn it down: Intermarkets approached her to set up a partnership. “All my friends warned me about getting into a partnership” she confessed, “you know, it’s like a marriage and you are somehow stuck with it!”

The offer involved a 50-50 partnership with the new company securing great independence and creative control. For Ghosn, the opportunity was too good to forego. And so, Gemini was launched in June 1992. While the name may seem unusual for an advertising firm, the way it was actually chosen is even more peculiar. Ghosn explains: “I had been making lists and lists of possible names for a long time. In the end, I had so many I could have written a book! But on the very day of registration I still had not found one that completely suited me. In despair I asked my partner, Erwin Guerrovich, what the horoscope was for that day. Alas, Gemini it was.”

Specially made for Fransabank

On the subject of Guerrovich, her partner, Ghosn has nothing but praise: “Erwin is a great partner; he doesn’t interfere; he dosen’t question our decisions; he’s always there when you need him, just like a friend.”

Of course, Gemini must obviously be doing something right to keep the relations running smoothly. And, as Ghosn admitted, this doesn’t exclude competing with Intermarkets: “Oh yes, we definitely do compete with them,” she affirmed. “Some clients fear the big companies. We at Gemini give the required time for every client.”

On the subject of competition in Lebanon. Ghosn is equally frank: “Gravissimo! They are fighting with every kind of weapon. The media scene is a complete carnival and everyone is copying everyone else. And the agency – would you call one man working with his secretary an agency? I mean those people have no overhead costs. How much do you think they need to operate? They are just media booking boutiques, and they are cutting everyone’s profits! What can you say to a client who has been given a better price from that kind of agency.”

Finally, on the subject of clients, Ghosn doesn’t consider them entirely blameless either. As she reported, “The client used to be king – he’s now emperor! Some give you a brief one day and ask for something else the next; some just argue for the sake of it. Agencies are also to blame for this situtation as the client doesn’t understand what various things cost, especially new technology, and by cutting prices to snatch each others’ clients we are sabotaging the whole system. It’s getting absurd!” Serious again, she adds a heartfelt appeal: “The clients must act like a civilised person and we “professionals”, agents and media, must act with respect. Believe me, I’m in this business because I love it – and the day the business stops pleasing me, I will quit.”

Until that time, Ghosn is managing to survive with poise and determination. “I don’t give and take on matters of money. I try to give my clients more than they have asked for; a perfect and complete package: a concept with all its facets,” she insisted. Gemini does offer a thorough deal, from the initial creation to the marketing stages. For example, the Ksara promotional campaign was completely designed by Gemini, including the girls’ outfits! From the time Ksara entered the Wine Expo in France, Gemini only had four weeks to come up with a booklet. The result was a small black gem of a brochure and, scores of compliments from home and abroad for all the staff.

Such attention to details has meant that Ghosn spends long hours at the office: “Of course when you love what you do, you give without counting…,” she confessed.

Even though it also means spending long hours away from your baby daughter?
“Oh please don’t remind me! It’s hard enough,” she admits as she proudly shows me a picture of her family. She puts the picture back on her desk and we move on to more theoretical notions about being a woman in advertising.

“Yes, I believe women are more sensitive and more…’entier’ – when they give themselves to something, they give completely, and we do persevere!” A quality she finds essential to survival in the advertising world today. “You have to be a hard worker in this business, you really should love people and have patience, lots of patience. Women usually are quite good at dealing with people.”

Any gender-related problems with her staff?

“Oh no, an agency is a team and your mentality and enthusiasm rubs off on the staff.”
And clients?

“Not really, I think they overcame my being a woman, if that is what you are insinuating!”

We both laughed.  The interview had gone on longer than either of us had realised.

Everyone else had long since left the office. But Ghosn had time for one last reflection on the future of the business she cherishes:

“It’s sad that today in Lebanon we are neglecting our educative mission. People have come out of a long war, and the media should be helping to promote and restore our culture. I believe we have a role to play in educating the public. We should do our share to help our country move forward. With my ads, I try to sell dreams, beautify images; I try to change someone’s day a bit…, and my clients’ sales a lot! I would love to be part of what makes the Lebanese say every morning: ‘Good morning Lebanon, welcome back to real life!”

Originally published in ArabAd, August 1994

Here is one of the lists I found for Intermarkets Advertising with all the employees that worked in the Intermarkets offices around the World from 1966-1988.

I know the list is incomplete, but I have others and will publish them later. You will find: Intermarkets advertising Europe, Intermarkets advertising Kuwait, Intermarkets Advertising U.A.E., Intermarkets Advertising Bahrain, Intermarkets Advertising S. Arabia, Intermarkets Advertising Lebanon, Intermarkets Advertising Egypt.

This should be of special interest to the people that forgot who schooled and taught them advertising. In other words, who made them who they became today. I for sure, know that if my father was alive, he would be surprised of how fast some forgot. Stay tuned, more interesting docs coming.

Intermarkets Advertising Europe

Intermarkets Advertising Kuwait

Intermarkets Advertising U.A.E.

Intermarkets Advertising Bahrain

Intermarkets Advertising S. Arabia

Intermarkets Advertising Lebanon

Intermarkets Advertising Egypt

The Intermarkets Advertising Management Group recently held its annual meeting at the Royal Abjar Hotel in Dubai. The meeting reviewed the achievements of the group for the past six months, during which accounts such as Rothmans of Pall Mall, the British Bank of the Middle East, Trisa, and Alberto Culver were won.

The group also reviewed final plans for the introduction of direct/integrated marketing services via the joint venture company Tequila Middle East, which will operate as a sister company very much like Intermarkets Public Relations, Middle East affiliate of Burson-Marsteller, the world’s largest public relations consultancy.

The meeting finalised Intermarkets’ expansion strategy up to the year 2000, a strategy aimed at delivering the group’s goal “To be the best”.

Intermarkets started in Lebanon 35 years ago, and its Dubai office was set up 20 years ago. The agency also has offices offering integrated marketing services in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen and Syria.

Attending the meeting were Erwin Guerrovich, Intermarkets Group CEO; Ramzi Raad, executive vice president & managing director – Dubai; Joe Ayoub, managing director – Saudi Arabia; Fady Mouannes, managing director – Kuwait; Bassem Dajani, managing director – Jordan; Makram Zeenny, managing director – Syria; Galal Zaki, managing director – Egypt; Khalil Bitar, the Group’s senior vice president of finance; and Nadim Sfeir, vice president-Levant area and Saudi Arabia.

Originally published in ArabAd, May 1996