Every year millions of people decide “This is the year for me!”  Promises are made and plans are set in place for a new, better you.  Most of these resolutions fade within a month.  Few survive to the see the spring, much less the heat of summer.

So what happens if you slip off the track?  You could just promise to try again next year, or you could take the initiative today and make a resolution for yourself that doesn’t have to compromise!  Here are a few tips to help you make everyday changes for the better.

1. Be realistic in setting your goals.  Even if you are feeling ambitious, realize that you’re only human.  You can’t end war and save the planet all by yourself, and winning a new BMW is largely out of your influence.
2. Have a specific goal in mind.  Want to save the planet?  Start by planting a new tree once a month.  Volunteer your time at a charity organization or community centre.  These are the kinds of goals you should be thinking about; clear and concise.
3. Create a resolution where you can measure your success throughout the year.  People tend to say things like “I’m going to be a better husband/wife”.  What does that mean in terms of new behaviour?  If you can’t evaluate your progress than the whole resolution is worthless.  If you say “I’m going to spend two hours every weekend alone with my husband/wife doing something she enjoys”, that’s a bit more manageable.  Commit to a schedule, a specific activity, or a certain location.  You should feel good about honouring your goals, so make sure you give yourself the chance.
4. Do something worthwhile.  It’s never too late to do something for yourself and the greater good.  Watching two hours of TV instead of three isn’t going to alter your life or anyone else’s.  Think about what you have to offer the world, your passions and hobbies, and what problem in your community you can help solve.
5. Consider alternatives instead of just “quitting”.  This is an extremely valuable lesson in terms of personal psychology.  If you want to quit smoking for instance, all power to you!  What will help you in the long run is if you can say “instead of smoking right when I get up in the morning, I’m going to take a hot bath to relax.”  Instead of lighting up at the office, make it a point to chat with a co-worker you haven’t spoken to that week.  It’s these little alternatives that keep your mind occupied as you wean off of unhealthy practices.

Get all the latest info on the newest innovations within the world of mass media.

Looking at this social media app, you can immediately see the potential for success.  Part GPS-finder and part video game, Foursquare has taken the world by storm as the fastest-growing application in the digital kingdom.  There’s already a Dubai application that has been up and running for months!

Think of foursquare as an “urban mix tape.” The application is specific to the city you are in and is used by downloading the software for free onto your cell phone.  In short, Foursquare helps you make lists of your favorite things to do and lets you share them with friends. Foursquare will keep track of the things you’ve done, help you create To-Do lists and even suggest new experiences to seek out.

By “checking in” around the city, you’ll start finding tips that other users have left behind. After checking-in at a restaurant for example, it’s not uncommon to unlock a tip suggesting the best thing on the menu. Checking-in at a bar will often offer advice on what your next stop should be. Every tip you create is discoverable by other users just by checking-in, and you even earn awards for being an active member!

From golden necklaces to flat screen TVs, Dubai Shopping Festival is without a doubt theworld’s premier shopping event of the year.  Now in its 15th year, DSF 2010 promises to be one of the biggest and grandest in history!  As the festival kicks off, more details are starting to roll in as excitement spreads throughout the city.

It has been announced for instance, that DSF 2010 will be raffling off an incredible 80 cars and Dhs 3 million in cash over the festival period, running from January 28 to February 28.  More than 6,000 retail outlets and nearly 50 malls and shopping centers are estimated to be taking part in the exceptional promotions.  According to event organizers, over 150 international and regional events are being held in the UAE over this period, with activities concentrated in areas like Al Seef, Dhiyafah and Rigga.  Eager consumers are flying in from all corners of the world, and hotels are benefitting from the influx of tourists.

Around three million visitors attended DSF 2009, spending a collective total of nearly Dhs 10 billion!  Both of those numbers were positive gains compared to the year before, and there is no reason to expect a slowdown in 2010.

If you haven’t gone already, it’s time to take advantage of the best deals in the UAE!

Many predicted that the last decade would see the emergence and rise of Asian brands around the world.  These emerging economic powerhouses would change the balance of power from West to East.  This certainly happened in terms of manufacturing, but how has the Asian brand developed on the international stage?

In a recent study for the Financial Times, a number of international brands were profiled in order to map the international development of leading brands.  According to brand experts involved in the survey, brands once needed to dominate the US market to become globally recognized.  That has now changed as larger and larger markets are found in emerging economies like China.   Several food and drink brands from emerging markets were predicted to make an impact on the world stage, including China’s ChangYu, the country’s largest wine producer, and United Spirits, the largest spirits company in India.  Brands like Tata and Sony have already been a part of the international scene for some time.

The real question now is whether Asia products are “better” than their Western rivals?  Tata’s products are proven top of the line, which is why they are preferred the world over.  Japanese brands like Sony are unquestionable leaders in electronic consumer goods.

Some people, like Joseph Baladi, CEO of BrandAsian, remains pessimistic about the opportunities for Asian brands on a global scale. “It’s arguably inappropriate to talk about Asian brands going to the next level - that is, international - when most fail to appeal to Asians within the region who continually demonstrate their preference for Western brands such as Apple’s iPhone, BMW or Nike.”

Even if this is true, Asia’s hunger for Western brands doesn’t necessarily mean that Asian brands are not going international at the same time.  What are your feelings about the rise of Asian brands?  Where do you see the competition coming from in 2010?  Let us know at editor@pr2live.com.

*Quotes collected from sources at MediaAsia

The best new show on Broadway is the swirling chaos of the city itself—and the seats are free! Inspired by technological innovations in cities like London, Hong Kong and Copenhagen, the city of New York has permanently closed five blocks in Times Square to traffic and installed 300 chairs and benches, where thousands of locals now join the tourists every day to experience the city in an entirely new way. Check out the highlights in this latest video produced by AdAge.com.

Blockbuster movies and television series from the Disney media empire will soon be screened free-to-air in the Middle East after a new deal was signed this past month in Dubai. The Disney Company is more than just the Mickey Mouse studio you knew as a kid.  Today, Disney is one of the three largest media and entertainment conglomerates in the world.  The organization owns entities such as ABC television channel, Pixar animation studio, and a host of successful film production houses.

Disney is now partnering with two regional free-to-air channels, Fox Movies and Fox Series, for a period of at least five years. The two free-to-air channels were launched in the past year and are joint ventures between Fox and the Saudi-owned Rotana Group. Rotana is owned by Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, the billionaire investor who is a major shareholder of both Disney and News Corporation, which is the parent company of Fox. In the last six months, News Corporation has been eyeing investments in Rotana with some reports putting the figure at 10 – 20%.  This most recent deal saw Rotana pay Dhs 100 million to Disney for the rights to screen its content.

The deal means Fox Movies now has the rights to screen films such as There will be Blood, Up, and The Chronicles of Narnia for the first time on free-to-air TV in the region. Fox Series also has the rights to Lost, Ugly Betty, Private Practice and Desperate Housewives and will air the latest seasons exclusively.

Looking at the television market in the Middle East, pay television channels are accessed by less than 5 per cent of the region’s television viewers! Perhaps this is why the free-to-air market is expanding at such a rapid pace.  Nevertheless, don’t throw away those satellite systems just yet; free-to-air still has a long way to go.

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.