Mohammad Al Redha says his nagging the dealership every day about his GMC Sierra Denali led to an offer to become a brand ambassador for the car maker. Courtesy GMC
Mohammad Al Redha says his nagging the dealership every day about his GMC Sierra Denali led to an offer to become a brand ambassador for the car maker. Courtesy GMC
Persistence was the trait that secured Mohammad Al Redha his role as a brand ambassador for GMC. When the 36-year-old Emirati ordered a Sierra Denali from the company two years ago, his eagerness to drive his new motor was noticed by the vehicle manufacturer, and relayed to those in head office.
“I was nagging them every day about when my truck would be arriving,” says Dr Redha, the director of the executive office for organisational transformation at the Dubai Health Authority. “I then received a call from GMC saying they’d like me to become a brand ambassador. I don’t think they’d ever seen anyone waiting so passionately to receive a truck before.”
Since then, whenever one of Dr Redha’s friends wants to buy a GMC vehicle, they get a discount if they buy through him. “I’ve convinced about 12 of my friends to switch from their cars to GMC,” says Dr Redha. He also gets to drive a GMC car every day and to test drive the brand’s latest releases.
Mohsen Kassem, GMC’s regional sales and marketing manager, says Dr Redha’s “passionate yet rational” approach to his first GMC vehicle purchase inspired the car maker to make him a brand ambassador. “Not only is he an automotive aficionado, he embodies the GMC philosophy of ‘lead by example’,” says Mr Kassem. “He is an embodiment of the spirit of the brand campaign and the character of GMC’s products, which is tailored toughness; our cars are large, bold and project leadership, but cosset their occupants in complete safety and premium comfort.”
Finding the right ambassador can be a tricky task, as Maurice Hamilton, the global chief executive at the global rights procurement agency The SMC Group, knows. His company specialises in matchmaking brands with ambassadors. “For a start, not everyone has the same objective,” he says. “The brand and ambassador’s original thoughts very rarely align, leading to a string of compromises that sometimes negatively affects the relationship.”
For GMC in the Middle East, it was important to find the right individual who speaks to their target customer base, says Mr Kassem. “We have to build on that heritage of ‘Al Jims’ [as GMC used to be known in the UAE] and what that means to the people of the Middle East.”
Mr Hamilton advises companies looking for an ambassador to ask specific questions before entering a potential influencer relationship, such as: how will the success of this relationship be measured? And what things are we not willing to compromise on?
Knowing who does what and why is an important part of assessing any potential match, he says, adding: “If the success of your campaign relies heavily on PR, it’s essential that whoever you engage is enthusiastic about this aspect of the relationship. Our job would be to review their PR history and advise our clients on how active and effective they’ve previously been in this area.”
With most brand ambassadors carrying out their influencing online, a new automated platform, IndaHash from Dublin, is about to launch in the Middle East, which links brand campaigns with social media influencers.
Targeting “power users” – those with followings of 1,000 to 20,000 specifically – the platform enables companies to upload their campaigns and budget. Carefully screened influencers can then bid or apply for the campaign execution and can be live within hours.
But do brand ambassador endorsements really result in a boom in profit?
According to Instabrand, a company that connects brands with influencers, advertisers reported a return on investment of US$9.60 per $1 spent on influencer marketing in 2015, up from $6.85 per $1 spent in 2014.
For David Labouchere, a Dubai-based serial competitor in the Ironman World Championship, his success at his sport, coupled with a fairly sizeable social media following (4,403 Instagram followers and almost 1,000 Facebook friends) has led to him becoming a brand ambassador for activewear brands such as Lululemon and On running shoes, as well as Black Spade bicycle racing wheels.
“Sometimes I start using the products and then I let the company know, but mostly they come to me first,” says the 54-year-old Briton. In most cases, Mr Labouchere says he is given products, rather than cash, in return for being “rather noisy” about using something. With Lululemon, which has an advanced global brand ambassador programme, Mr Labouchere’s reward is a “generous budget” to spend in their stores. “My role at Lululemon is about being part of a very strong and large international ambassador community,” he explains. “We all work together doing events.”
However, Mr Labouchere says he does not like “being commercial”.
“I won’t come out and say ‘I wear Lululemon’. I’m doing my ambassadorial role because of what I’m wearing in the pictures, and the fact I’ve hashtagged them,” he adds, saying this keeps him within his ethical boundaries as a brand ambassador. “I have lovely clothes from a top brand, and I get them for free. In return I wear them, which isn’t a hardship. I don’t want to be thought of as someone who’ll do anything for money, so the balance for me is to live within my guidelines. I only attach myself to brands I use.”
Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
Sunday's fixtures
Bournemouth v Southampton, 5.30pm
Manchester City v West Ham United, 8pm
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
Scoreline
Switzerland 5
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
