3Cs for Lebanese Communication
“A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.”
Mahatma Gandhi
Lebanon and Communication
A lot said and written about the Lebanese Miracle and the imaginary bird
that rises from its ashes. We have not left any birds except those in
supermarkets and the only miracle is that we still have an imaginary country
and a passport for those who wish to return for retirement.
Why? – We can give you at least 128 reasons and more but this is not the intention
today.
Lebanon and Advertising have a perfect fit made in heaven. If we want to define
communication and advertising as using ideas and language to promote and facilitate
business and trade, we can trace this practice back to the invention of the
Alphabet by the Phoenicians in order to communicate with other peoples and to promote
their business and trading activities. Do you think this stretched too much? –
No. This is just being Lebanese.
In the modern times, Lebanon and communication had again a very strong fit
that manifested in so many ways. We can also use branding and communication
terms to give our diagnosis for Lebanon’s ongoing dilemma. It is a brand with “confused
identity” and lack of “unifying purpose” and “rallying promise”.
The Ingredients of Success
The current overall situation in Lebanon is affecting every single aspect
of life and in particular an industry that relies heavily on a healthy economy and
stability.
Let us try to forget for a moment the famous cliché about how we invented
advertising in the Middle East and how we use to rule it and try to understand the
real market situation in Lebanon and how can we still develop and boost the
communication industry in the country. Is the Lebanese success in communication
related to an era that is gone or to a number of necessary conditions that can
bring this success again to life?
We have to admit first that the “Lebanese personality type” has a special talent
for communication of all sorts and this is a real piece of Lebanon in every one
of us. However, this is not enough to have a healthy and successful industry
that can grow and compete.
The proof of the above is the phenomenal success of other cities and
countries in the region that managed to gather the right recipe and the right ingredients
to create a very successful communication industry at a world-class level.
Let us explore these “ingredients” with the hope that we can use them to “reconstitute”
our success in advertising and communication, a success that will last and grow
in Lebanon and beyond.
The 3 Cs: Culture, Context & Creativity
If we examine the ingredients of success, we will discover 3 main areas
that we need to focus on and we are going to call them the 3Cs.
#1 – Culture
A good advertising and communication industry needs a good culture, a
culture rich with ideas and storytelling.
Culture is about the shared language and understanding that makes
communication so easy and interesting.
Culture is about the values and the fights that rally groups of people if
not the whole nation around certain ideas.
Culture means good education, better universities and more specializations
related to advertising and communication. It means new specializations every
day to be up to date with global development and to be ahead of the market so our
story will be more interesting and attractive.
Culture is about instilling the spirit of entrepreneurship in the new
generations so early in life they can learn to start a small business, such as creating
a mobile application that can make them millionaires at 14.
Culture is the rich “national cloud” of ideas, stories, jokes, songs and
slang expressions that connect people and make them smile and take action.
Culture is freedom to think and to express ideas through all media of all
types: traditional, new and social.
Culture is watching much less of the poisonous local news and see
international channels to learn and discover.
#2 – Context
Context is a healthy economy that can attract, generate and pump a good
flow of capital and resources in the country’s system. The communication industry’s
role is to be a catalyst for business. For this industry to grow, it needs
other industries to keep creating and selling new products and services.
Context is infrastructure, good roads, good telecom services, excellent
internet that connects people and companies inside and outside the country.
Context is favorable legislations to encourage business and favor an easy
establishment of new companies and startups.
Context is Free Zones, business incubators and all the widely tested and
proved formulas that encourage individual and institutional investors to put
their faith and money in new projects in Lebanon.
Context means security, political stability and visibility for business to
start, grow and develop.
Context means excellent foreign relations for Lebanon, starting with the
all the Arab countries.#3 – Creativity
Creativity is ideas. Ideas that make or break businesses, brands, countries and political parties.
Creativity is talent. First grade talent nothing less.
Creativity is expression without fear from any form of oppression.
Creativity is motivation. Motivation to change, to come up with new ideas,
new services and products that can change the world.
Creativity is innovation that gives us an advantage over the competition.
Whoever was this competition.
Creativity is about knowing ourselves, our country, our strong assets and
our limitations and how we are going to change the world.
The Way Forward
The list can go on and on; but if we want to change and regain the shine
of the Lebanese communication industry, everyone can start in her and his area
and the collective effort will eventually cover all 3Cs and take us forward.
By the way, the Lebanese communication industry can also lose few Cs for a
better future and better business.The 4th C
The 4th C is a small Cedar tree, a virtual one that is in the heart and soul of every Lebanese, in Lebanon and outside. This is the “country” that is inside every one of us, and that we take with us everywhere we go. This is not about poetry, but about a solid reality built by all the Lebanese success stories around the world and in every industry. This is the very “Lebaneseness” that make us so good in communication, in creativity, in business, in arts, in culture, in survival, and in so many other things. The same Lebaneseness that can succeed everywhere except in building a real country in our homeland.
