Who would have thought that healthy sandwiches would replace the days of French fries and Big Macs?  That’s right; Subway is officially the world’s largest and fastest-growin restaurant chain.  Subway sells around 2,500 sandwiches a minute from more than 30,000 locations in over 90 countries.

In 1965, Dr. Peter Buck was working as a nuclear physicist.  Fred DeLuca had barely graduated high school and was dying to make some money for college.  It was an unlikely pair of entrepreneurs to say the least.  The two men were connected through family friends, and after a BBQ one summer day, Buck pulled out a checkbook and wrote a $1,000 check to DeLuca.  “Open a subway shop Fred.”  That’s where it all began.

Today, Buck and DeLuca are thought to be billionaires, although they work hard to stay out of the public spotlight.  In some ways, the total number of locations—like all records—is just a symbol.  It doesn’t necessarily account for revenue or popularity, but it does point to a distinct business method. McDonald’s for instance, entered into the international market years ago and is now focused on making profits in existing locations rather than opening up new ones (Subway’s current strategy).   Subway is also different from European chains like Pret a Manger and Benjys, which offer only pre-wrapped and pre-made sandwiches.

They’ve definitely hit upon a branding strategy that has stimulated the public’s appetite for subs. It’s all about eating healthy on the run.  Anyone can be healthier if they choose Subway over any of the competition in the market. That message has struck a chord with many consumers at a time when obesity rates are up and many people feel they lack the time to prepare home-cooked meals.

Good ideas = strong brands.  After all, who wouldn’t want to “Eat Fresh”?

The unveiling of the Burj Khalifa was an unforgettable night by all accounts.

It was more than just the opening of a building; it was a night for the Nation to come together in mutual love and respect for the visionary leadership that has made UAE the country that it is today.  Standing beneath the tower as flashes of multicolored lights showed off the enormous stature of the world’s greatest architectural marvel, it was a moment in time that will always be remembered as a pinnacle of humankind’s ingenuity and ambition.

An estimated two billion people around the world watched live TV coverage of the inauguration, which coincided with the fourth anniversary of the succession of Sheikh Mohammad as ruler of Dubai.  The value of the tower’s residential units has been skyrocketing in recent months, although much of the space was sold years ago to developers across the globe.  If you haven’t seen the building yet, definitely make it a point to drop by and see the view from the top of the world.

It was one of the biggest media purchases of 2009, although results will not be seen for at least another three to five months.  Al Jazeera Sports, part of the region’s largest and most popular satellite operator Al Jazeera, has bought the rights to Arab Radio and Television’s (ART) sports content, including this year’s FIFA World Cup.

That might not sound like such a big deal, but is in fact estimated to be worth more than $1 billion!

The landmark deal, which makes Al Jazeera the dominant regional player in sports broadcasting, is the second major consolidation between Middle East pay-TV providers in the last twelve months, following the merger between Orbit and Showtime last July.  According to officials at ART, that merger was part of the decision to sell content to Al Jazeera.  Financial pressures from the recession made the decision even easier.

ART was the largest sports rights holder in the region until the sale, with a portfolio that included the FIFA World Cups for next year and 2014, the African Cup of Nationals from next year to 2016, and an array of league championships throughout the region, including the Saudi League and national team matches. Those rights will shift to Al Jazeera, with the exception of the Saudi League (ART is owned by Sheikh Saleh Kamel, a Saudi billionaire, and the contract for league TV rights requires them to go to a Saudi company).

ART will distribute Al Jazeera Sport Channels +1 to +8 “on a non-exclusive basis”, and although Al Jazeera will still have the option of selling its own smart cards, industry observers believe it makes sense for Al Jazeera to leave the distribution game to ART.   The company recently made a major investment in new encryption technology for its smart cards, and has an extensive network of offices throughout the region to service them.

Some fear that ART and Al Jazeera joining forces will eliminate rights holders’ ability to pit them against each other in bidding wars, with potential costs to the consumer.  On the other, concentrating so much sports broadcasting power in one place gives Al Jazeera a stronger position when setting prices for its packages.

For the time being, it seems as though conglomeration has won out again.

Have you been affected by this decision? If so, please email us at editor@pr2live.com and tell us about how your world has changed.

He’s the world’s first billionaire athlete.  He’s won more awards and shattered more records than anyone in his field.  Even mentioning the sport brings to mind one iconic figure; golf is Tiger Woods.

Since he became engulfed in allegations of multiple extramarital affairs following a mysterious car accident outside his Florida home last November, the world has learned just how important Tiger is to golf, and his corporate sponsors.  Although projections vary, the scandal is estimated to have cost shareholders of companies endorsed by Tiger $5 billion to $12 billion in losses.

Sponsors who have dropped Woods include technology outsourcing and consulting firm Accenture, Procter & Gamble Co ’s shaving products maker Gillette (which dropped the golfer from its marketing), and telecommunications giant AT&T. However, Tiger’s biggest and longest sponsor Nike has said they are standing by the golfer as he hits the rough.  Luxury watchmaker Tag Heuer has gone back and forth with Tiger but has yet to officially drop him.

Besides being the hottest scandal in recent sporting history, the Tiger Woods incident is also a great case study for those in the world of marketing.  It has provoked us to reflect on the value—and risk—involved in building brands around a single person or idea.  His brand of video games alone has earned millions for EA Sports and his personal piggybank.  This has been the ultimate crisis point for Tiger as a brand and an athlete.  His indefinite departure from the sport was an honorable thing to do given the nature of the scandal; his very own crisis management strategy.  Has this saved Tiger from further scrutiny?  Was he able to save face by giving up his love of golf in order to resolve his character flaws?  Like his sponsors, some people say that his actions are unforgivable, while others are standing by their iconic role model figure.

Not even a month after the scandal, Tiger was voted Athlete of the Decade by Associated Press, and he’s graced the cover of countless magazines and journals.  Sports biggest brand may have suffered the greatest blow of his career, but the brand of Tiger Woods is far from expired.

The world of free media has taken another blow as Google says it will let publishers set a limit on the number of articles people can read for free through its search engine.  The decision comes as media moguls like Rupert Murdoch bash Google for profiting from online news pages without giving royalties to the sources themselves.  Google indexes the information in places like California and serves online news at no cost to people searching for stories, photos or other material online.

Previously, each “click” from a user would be treated as free.  Under the new system, publishers have the option of implementing programs that can limit the number of clicks allowed by users.

Publishers for instance, can join a “First Click Free” program that lets Google index website content but prevents Web surfers from having unrestricted access once they reach the online locales.

For many news sources, an Internet user’s first click will lead to the desired page, but attempts to go deeper into the website will be routed back to registration pages, in which most media sources are likely to charge for content.  Google has already updated the program so that publishers can limit users to no more than five pages per day without registering or subscribing.  The change means Google users may start seeing registration pages pop up when they click for a sixth time on any given day at websites of publishers using First Click Free.

So is this just pure greed on the part of big business? That’s what we thought at first too, but further investigation brings to light some interesting conclusions.

Proponents of the new program point out that paying for news is in the public interest.  A program like this could generate enough revenue to save the world of investigative journalism from bankruptcy as newspapers across the world fold under financial pressure.  If micropayment programs are implemented and users are charged just a few cents per page, that would be an incredible boost to the industry without restricting most internet users.  More money could be used on uncovering hard news.  Today’s parade of low-quality infotainment talk shows could be replaced by primary research and first-person interviews.  News in general will be better, which will benefit everyone from the financial consultants to the high school students.

As these advocates rightly point out, journalism is like any other business; you get what you pay for.

Within this monthly forum, O2 takes a look at some of the most influential Arab business leaders shaping today’s markets.  These individuals have achieved incredible success while advancing best practices in their respective industries.  If you know someone who you think fits this description, let us know at editor@pr2live.com.

Ahmed Humaid Al Tayer
Governor of DIFC
Ahmed Humaid Al Tayer has led an exceptional life of public servitude in the UAE and has previously received the”Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Annual Banker Middle East Industry Awards.  Those that know him say Al Tayer has dedicated his working life to the development of the UAE, to advancing of the interests of the private sector, and to implementing the bold strategic vision of state and federal governments. Last month, Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum appointed Al Tayer to head up the DIFC as part of efforts to “improve performance in Dubai government and semi-governmental departments”.

After graduating in economics and political sciences from Cairo University in 1973, Al Tayer rose through the UAE government ranks, taking on a number of portfolios that included a 14-year spell as Minister of State for Finance until 1997, when he became Minister of Communications.

Today he counts the governorship of the DIFC as one of his manifold high-profile responsibilities.  He holds a number of positions including chairman of Emirates NBD, Commercial Bank of Dubai, vice chairman of Dubai Aluminium Company, chairman of Board of Trustees of Emirates Nationals Development Programme and chairman of Emirates Institute for Banking & Financial Studies.

He is also deputy chairman of the Emirates National Oil Company, director of the Dubai Corporation for Government Investment, and vice chairman of the Emirates Bank Association.

In the world of banking, Al Tayer is the man making things happen.

Helen Thomas
Former UPI Bureau Chief and Correspondent
The 89 year old Helen Thomas has served as one of the most distinguished media reporters in the history of the United States.  She was born to Lebanese Christian immigrants from Tripoli, Lebanon, which at the time was part of Syria.  She was brought up in Detroit, Michigan, and attended Wayne University (now Wayne State University), graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 1942.  Since then she has worked tirelessly as a news service reporter, a Hearst Newspapers columnist, a member of the White House Press Corps, and distinguished author.

She served for fifty-seven years as a correspondent and, later, White House bureau chief for United Press International (UPI). Thomas has covered every President of the United States since John F. Kennedy. She was also the first female officer of the National Press Club, the first female member and president of the White House Correspondents Association, and, in 1975, the first female member of the Gridiron Club.

She has also written five books and spoken at numerous occasions about international politics and the business she loves most, journalism.

George Shaheen
Director at NetApp and former CEO of Siebel Systems
Few people have more experience in the world of IT consultancy than George T. Shaheen.  He was appointed to the Board of Directors at NetApp—one of the world’s leading IT storage and protection companies—in June 2004.  His distinguished career in the technology industry spans over 30 years, including being CEO of Siebel Systems; CEO and chairman of Webvan Group Inc.; and CEO and Global Managing Partner of Andersen Consulting—which later became Accenture.

After conquering the IT world, Shaheen decided to branch out and use his consultancy experience in a number of other industries from real estate to healthcare.  He currently serves on the boards of PRA International, Univita Health, 24/7 Customer, newScale and Voxify. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Marcus & Millichap Company and the Strategic Board of Advisors for Genstar Capital.

Outside of the office, he has served as an IT Governor of the World Economic Forum and as a member of the Board of Advisors for the Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Shaheen has a master’s degree in business administration and a Bachelor of Science degree from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, where he has served on the University’s Board of Trustees.

Ned Mansour
Author and former CEO of Mattel, Inc.
Known amongst his friends as an incredibly sincere, down to earth individual, Ned Mansour’s success in the corporate world is only matched by his charitable contributions.  Perhaps some of that inspiration comes from the 21-year career that Mansour had with the world’s largest toymaker Mattel, Inc. 

Working from the ground up, Mansour was involved in every aspect of the company’s operations from 1979-2000.  After graduating with a J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law, he started with Mattel, Inc. as an attorney, inching his way up the corporate ladder as President of Operations and Executive Vice President.  In 2000, after being promoted to President of Mattel, Inc., Mansour decided that he needed a new challenge.

In 2008, Mansour joined the Board of Directors of The Ryland Group with a wealth of experience in operations, international expansion, marketing, and corporate governance.  He is also a Director at Blue Nile, Inc.—a leading online retailer of diamonds and fine jewelry.
Outside the office, Mansour is a acclaimed author of children and young adult literature.  He works include Divided Roads, White Canvas and A Cedar Valley Christmas, and he co-wrote Florian’s Special Gift. All his books have served to benefit a variety of worthy causes.  He holds a B.A. in Finance from the University of Southern California and a J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law.

The creative industry is a dynamic business, one of unreserved passion and continual inspiration. Every day is a chance to reinvent the ordinary and create something extraordinary.   It is a stage that knows no bounds, which is why we have developed PR2Live.  The publication is essentially a guide for those looking to learn more about today’s marketing communications industry.  By highlighting international trends and award-winning campaigns using a variety of multimedia content, PR2Live is an indispensible resource for professionals in the region and beyond. PR Upgraded.

Apple never ceases to surprise us by providing the world with amazing inventions and innovative takes on age-old concepts. So what is the company’s newest gadget to hit the market?   It’s the iPad, revealed to the public for the first time on January 27th. 

The iPad is a medium-sized device that allows you to do everything you could do using an iPhone and more, but with more flexibility and ease. The smart invention is a bigger version of the iPhone and a smaller version of the Macbook, and it is as light as your wallet in the middle of the month (it weighs an incredible 1.5 pounds—less than 1 kilo)!  The size of the iPad can also help you use it for more purposes than the iPhone like reading e-books or watching your favorite movies or series without getting your eyes tired. The multi-touch screen and the clarity on iPad makes it easy to surf the web, watch videos, utilize GPS navigation, play games exactly the way you are meant to experience them. iPad also provides you with great sound quality with built-in speakers to make you live the game you are playing, laugh with the show you are watching or dance with the song you are listening to wherever you are, online or offline.

The iPad is extremely user friends and former Apple junkies will have no problem learning their way around the device. The price of an iPad ranges from $499 to $829 depending on the features and upgrades, and is unlikely to go down in the foreseeable future.

A salute once again to Mr. Jobs and the Apple team!  We can’t wait to get our hands on one.

Check out the latest creative work breaking the mold and pushing the limits of the ad world.

A Music Video that Changes by the Hour?

Famed director Roel Wouters has done it again as he partners with graphic designer Jonathan Puckey to direct this interactive clip for “More is Less” by C-Mon & Kypski.  Part ad and part social media campaign, visitors to Oneframeoffame.com are invited to shoot themselves in a particular pose which is then integrated into the main video every hour.  Brilliant!

O2 Bahrain has managed all the activities associated with the official launching event of Bahrain’s Wahooo! Waterpark on December 9th, 2009.

His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Hamad Al Khalifa inaugurated the Middle East’s first ever temperature controlled, indoor/outdoor high rise, high-thrill Wahooo! Waterpark and has expressed his excitement and gratitude of Wahooo uplifting a new set of leisure standards in Bahrain. 

Based on a research oriented strategy, O2 Bahrain allocated a “Tropical” theme for the event while ensuring that all the aspects including venue branding, entertainment and F&B match the overall concept, look and feel.

O2 Bahrain organized a series of stunning scenes and spectacular performers who have come from the UK to perform especially for this occasion.  Aerial acrobats, international ‘flow riders’, fire jugglers and a ‘power-pyrotechnics’ fireworks performers kept the crowds on their feet and helped create a vibrant and lively atmosphere in unleashing each section of the waterpark.

Alongside of organizing the entertainment, O2 Bahrain handled the branding of the venue itself adding little touches in attempt to add to the overall look and feel of the setting.  Guests were amazed by the very little details of the event such as the center pieces of the cocktail tables which included a hand made sand castle custom made especially for this occasion.

Guests also had a chance to enjoy a hand-selected menu of light canapés while gazing at a number of astonishing shows, some which took place on the waters of the waterpark itself.

Over 200 VIP guests and media members attended the launch ceremony.  Kuwait TV, Gulf Daily News, Akhbar Al Khaleej Newspaper, Bahrain This Month Magazine and Radio Bahrain were one of the many media outlets which covered the launching event extensively and provided detailed editorials of the launch.

Located in Bahrain’s City Center Mall, Wahooo! Waterpark Bahrain is a 15,000 square metre indoor “aqua park” presenting an incredible mix of slides, chutes and rising rapids in the largest temperature-controlled waterpark in the region. Among the many attractions is the exciting ‘Flowrider’, one of the world’s largest full size surfing machines, a 190 metre ‘Masterblaster Rollercoaster’ and a four-lane ‘Matt Racer’ that loops around the outer edge of the waterpark. All this is at a guaranteed 30 degrees Celsius – all year round.

Having been appointed the exclusive advertising and media consultant of Wahooo! Waterpark, O2 Marketing Communications will continue to provide Wahooo! with exceptionally creative advertising services and comprehensive media strategies in order to effectively launch the Wahooo! Brand in the region.

Samer Nassif, General Manager of O2 Bahrain said: “We are very happy with the results and the successful outcome of our very first challenge of launching Wahooo! waterpark.   Based on our partner’s gratitude and the positive publicity created, I do believe we were able to live up our Wahoo’s anticipation and the public’s expectations.

He also added: “We are very proud to associate ourselves with the first water park of its kind in the Middle East, and we look forward to unleashing our imaginations, and showcasing fresh creative concepts that will create extensive awareness of the brand while shedding the light on the exciting adventure of Wahooo! as a premier regional destination”.