After more than a decade, communications for Dubai Summer Surprises had become repetitive and unexciting, especially for Gulf audiences which comprise a major percentage of visitors to the summer fiesta. Organizers were finding it difficult to generate sustained interest among the target markets, draw new audiences to DSS or create the desire to visit Dubai during the festival.

The agency devised a strategy to localize DSS to make it relevant to regional markets, galvanize local interest, and attract target audiences to DSS.The agency tackled this challenge with two programs covering 9 countries: The Modhesh Goodwill Tour created local goodwill by having the DSS mascot visit terminally ill children in selected international hospitals.The Apprenticeship Program promoted local talent by allowing one student each from 5 GCC countries, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and the UK to participate in a 2 week marketing apprenticeship in Dubai.The novel campaign generated over 650 media placements valued at over $1 million – a 700% increase from the 2006 pilot campaign figures. The attention succeeded in engaging a new market segment – young adults who will form the future regional market for DSS, and elicited renewed interest from regional audiences in the festival.

The Modhesh Goodwill Tour was executed 2 weeks before the opening of DSS in June 2008. Agency representatives accompanied Modhesh on a regional tour and editorial photos of Modhesh interacting with the children were distributed to dailies in each country Modhesh visited the UAE.

For the Apprenticeship program, Deans of the top marketing and business schools in 9 countries nominated their top six students. Shortlisted students filled in an application including an essay on their different approach to DSS if they were Chief Marketing Officer.

The winner from each country attended the 2 week program in Dubai, including opportunities to work with the DSS team and visits to key events.

Press announcements including interviews, winning essay quotes and winner photos were distributed. With the campaign running in 9 markets simultaneously and news breaking in each separate capital on the same day, we created localized versions of each story – as many as 20 variations being distributed in Arabic, English and French on any day.

The Modhesh Goodwill Tour captured media attention in all six countries and associated Modhesh with a highly emotive and important humanitarian gesture, even gaining endorsement from the Saudi royal family.

The DSS Apprenticeship Program allowed students to experience Dubai as a destination. They were given training to prepare and present creative solutions to the DSS board of directors to improve the 2009 DSS. At the end of the apprenticeship, the students were able to give solid strategic recommendations on how to further enhance DSS 2009, many of which have already been integrated into the 2009 DSS plan.

The Apprenticeship Program also generated a great deal of media coverage – press releases, features, one-on-one interviews and news alerts which tracked the progress of the program from start to finish.

The whole campaign elicited active engagement from local audiences in the GCC and MENA region which in turn generated over 650 media placements valued at over $1 million – a 700% increase from the 2006 pilot campaign figures.