There's a war among advertisers for consumers' attention this summer, above all on Egypt's North Coast beaches, writes Salonaz Sami Summer is finally upon us, and everyone is flocking to the North Coast, which has been the place to be for the past decade. Whether the destination is favourites like the Marina, the Diplomats Village, or Sidi Abdel-Rahman, or newly rising resorts like La Hacienda, Marassi and Costa Del Sol, boys and girls offering all kinds of free merchandise to visitors can be seen on the beaches in their uniforms. And it's not just on the beaches. Upon arrival at the infamous Cairo-Alexandria toll station, a kind of war zone that would-be North Coast tourists have to pass through on their journeys, dozens of men are on hand offering everything from shampoo to halawa (sweet) bars. While some drivers opt to roll up their windows as fast as they can, others, myself included, go for some of what there is on offer. And there is a lot on offer, from iced beverages -- how do they manage to keep them ice-cold? -- to, most popular of all, the range of goods offered by vendors wearing colourful Mobinil T-shirts and caps. Most of the stuff they offer is really useful, like razors, towels, ice boxes and cool games you could use on the beach. When you see them the next time you are on the road northwards, why not give them a shoot? "Summer, starting in mid-July and ending at the end of September, is the real high season," Ali Nassar, operation manager for Ads'n MORE advertising agency, told Al-Ahram Weekly. "Vacationers heading to the North Coast, classified as from the A and upper B classes of Egyptian society, are more than willing to spend money." According to Nassar, the reason for the sheer number of vendors trying to sell articles to such people is that the summer season on the North Coast can generate more revenue for some products than is generated during a whole year in Cairo. One day's purchasing on the North Coast can amount to five or more times that of a day in Cairo, and advertisers need to be where consumers are. The North Coast as a vacation destination was initially neglected while the government focussed its efforts on the Red Sea. However, times have changed, and the coast is now being promoted by the authorities as a year-round destination. Advertisers, too, have been quick to grasp the idea. Back in the 1990s, advertisers used to relay mainly on TV ads, print advertising in the daily newspapers and weekly magazines, and outside billboards. These kinds of advertising are called "above the line" (ATL) advertising, explains Ahmed Amin, managing director of Ads'n MORE. Today, however, advertisers are opting for a mixed combination of ATL and "below the line" (BTL) advertising in order to get their messages through to their target audience. While ATL and BTL are terms that are likely to be familiar only to advertising professionals, most of us will have had experience of both kinds of advertising. BTL advertising in particular comes to life over the summer, with advertisers intensifying their activities in this area over the past 10 years, especially on the North Coast, Agami and Alexandria. BTL, which relies on techniques like product sampling, promotional giveaways, shows and events, has now become a staple part of many people's holiday experience, as all those uniformed vendors on North Coast beaches show. However, BTL advertising is not as easy as it might seem. "First, you have to identify your target consumers clearly, and then choose the best tools to reach them," explains Amin. Other elements also go into the equation. "The nature of the advertising company itself, its size, budget, and other services or products," is also important when deciding on a BTL strategy, Amin says. "It's not just a matter of giving a potential consumer a free gift." According to Nassar, the aim of BTL advertising is "a matter of building brand awareness." While ATL advertising can be effective when trying to create awareness about a certain product or service, BTL advertising can be more effective when a company is trying to promote a certain positioning for its brands in the minds of a segment of consumers. "So, identifying the consumer segment you are targeting and the message you want delivered are of the utmost importance," says Nassar. As a result, instead of offering free give-aways, the Egyptian café chain Cilantro has opted to use online social networks like Facebook to create awareness of their products, services and promotions, as well as to reach the right consumer. In short, Amin argues, companies need to be creative in order to capture the attention of consumers. They also need to follow the behaviour patterns of their chosen consumers. "If those consumers are going to the North Coast, then advertisers should too," Amin says. Nassar agrees that during the all- important summer season conventional ATL advertising can be less effective. "Many members of the Egyptian A and B classes congregate on the North Coast and Agami during the summer, switching into holiday mode," he explains. This means that such people tend to read fewer newspapers and magazines and to watch less TV. "BTL advertising activities then become the best way to reinforce product presence in consumers' minds," Nassar explains. Agami itself used to be thought of as a kind of Egyptian St Tropez, though this is unfortunately no longer the case. The small city is now shifting towards a public beach culture, though a lot of harassment cases have been reported, unlike on the North Coast, which is humming with members of Egypt's A class. Both Nassar and Amin agree, however, that the Egyptian market has been adversely affected by the current financial crisis. "The market is flat, and companies are downsizing budgets allocated for advertising," says Amin, "even the multinational ones." This makes it harder for advertising agencies to make ends meet, especially given the increasing competition and the fact that the Egyptian markets is generally seasonal and unstable. Nassar agrees that it is difficult to predict demand. "There are certain patterns, like the summer season and Ramadan," he says, "but there are few real buying patterns because the market is constantly going up and down," something reflected in consumer behaviour. Nevertheless, it is unlikely that even smaller companies will want to cut their advertising budgets down to the bone, since all companies want to be where their competitors are and to establish brand recognition, even if this means incurring losses. The current financial crisis has also had the effect of causing some companies to spend downsized advertising budgets on BTL advertising, on one consumer at a time, as it were, rather than aim their messages at the general public through ATL advertising and hope they stick. This explains the increased numbers of salesmen on the North Coast this summer. "It has become very hard for advertisers to get consumers' attention," Nassar says. Although it does not take an expert to realise the lengths some companies are willing to go in order to get consumers' attention -- just take a drive over the 6 October Bridge in Cairo and look at the advertising banners -- many people will not realise that there is "a war for consumers' attention" among advertising agencies, according to Amin. That war is expensive. "Every consumer is different," Nassar says, "and for this reason we have to have different techniques for different segments of the market." North Coast visitors, for example, tend to be segmented into A and B classes. "Such consumers are harder to get to, because they don't need the promotional giveaways we give them," Nassar says. "So, you have to show them why they need these products. You have to find out what their mindset is, and what their purchasing power is, before you approach them with your message," he adds. There is also the need to use the right kind of salesman for such consumers, since the right or wrong kind of representative can be enough either to make or break a deal. "Advertising representatives are the advertisers' link with consumers, which is why they have to be well trained, presentable, and, most importantly, experienced," Nassar says. Such people need to know how to approach consumers and how to make sure they get the message that is being delivered. "We spend almost all summer weekends here on the North Coast," explains 28-year-old Dina Abdallah. "And although we stay at the Diplomatic Village, we spend most of the daytime at one of the Marina's private beaches, which have great music, great food and a lot of promotional events and giveaways." However, Abdallah notes that not all of the advertisers' efforts are worth considering, though "it is usually the person making you the offer, not the product itself, that is off-putting. Some of the representatives don't know what to say or how to say it," she says. Nassar agrees that whereas "years ago good representatives could be found everywhere, today they are getting harder and harder to find." So, pack your bags and head to your summer destination on the North Coast. And don't forget to keep your car window open when you are passing through the toll station. Who knows what you might get as a free giveaway?
