The launch of the new Sony Ericsson W810i phone exclusively through Axiom Telecom is set to kick-start rapid growth in the mobile music industry, claims Axiom CEO Faisal Al Bannai. The new handset offers a professional mobile music experience, a high-quality camera and a fully featured mobile phone in one device. Over the next 12 months Axiom Telecom forecasts triple-digit growth in sales of mobile phones with music functionality. “This state-of-the-art phone is at the forefront of the ‘mobile music’ experience and is a driving force behind the digitally converged consumer market,” Al Bannai said. “I predict 2006 will truly be the year of converged music, imaging and telephony devices across the whole region,” he added.

GMR

The Kingdom’s top consumer marketers turned out in force to hear global brand guru, Martin Lindstrom deliver his highly acclaimed “Brand Sense” seminar in Jeddah earlier this week. The event was organized by Gulf Marketing Review (GMR) magazine. Almost 300 of the Kingdom’s top marketing professionals heard Lindstrom call for a greater use of all the human senses in brand marketing communications which, he says, relies too heavily on sight alone. He singled out Mobily, the new Saudi telecoms operator, as employing a strong audio as well as visual branding, and encouraged more domestic brands to think creatively. Lindstrom has earned worldwide recognition for his groundbreaking theories on brand marketing. He presented conclusions from the world’s most extensive study on the impact of all the senses — touch, taste, smell and sound as well as sight — on consumer response and behavior. The study took 18 months to complete and involved 600 researchers.

LG

LG Electronics (LG) and Middle East Complex (MEC) recently appointed TRACCS Jordan, Levant Regional Office and member of Trans-Arabian Creative Communications Services Network (TRACCS) as their official PR agency and representative. The agency will be responsible for devising and implementing strategic PR programs for the firm’s advancement in the Jordanian market. The agreement aims to develop PR management for LG and MEC by means of implementing relevant and effective programs. LG’s Country Regional Manager T.Y. Lee and MEC’s Deputy Director General Ghazi Farouq and TRACCS Jordan’s Managing Director Faten Al-Masri Kamal signed the accord. “The signing of the agreement with TRACCS, a company specialized in PR, is an innovative initiative that will target enhancement of LG’s leadership status,” Lee stated.

RADISSON/INTERCONTINENTAL

Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts, “the first-class” brand of the leading hospitality company Rezidor SAS Hospitality, will take over the management of the InterContinental Hotel Dubai, the first five-star hotel in the emirate located in the heart of the city’s business district, from Oct. 1. Since the property opened more than three decades ago, it has been operated by InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, and is an established landmark on the Deira Creekside. It features 287 guestrooms, including 39 suites, a total of 16 food and beverage outlets and extensive meeting and exhibition facilities. “We’re honored to be taking this property,” said Kurt Ritter, president & CEO, Rezidor SAS Hospitality. Its VP Middle East Jean-Marc Busato said: “We’ll continue to explore business opportunities.”

WESTERN UNION

Western Union Financial Services Inc., yesterday announced in Dubai a reduction in its service fees for customers sending money from the UAE to the southern Indian state of Kerala. Customers living or working in the UAE can now send money to Kerala for just AED15 for transfer amounts up to AED8,500. This new offer valid up to Oct. 5 is exclusively for customers sending money to Kerala. It is not applicable to transfers made to other states in India. “Kerala has more expatriates living in the UAE than any other Indian state and it is only natural that we bring our service closer to this large market,” said Jean Claude Farah, Western Union’s regional VP for Middle East, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

LEO BURNETT

Leo Burnett has been appointed as du’s creative agency responsible for brand advertising, and promotional materials. Osman Sultan, CEO, du, mentioned du as an exciting brand and said his duty was to ensure that it becomes part of the language and an integral part of the diverse community that makes up the UAE. “We’re passionate about our brand because not only does it represent what we’re, but what we can do for our customers,” he said. du is the brand under which the Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company will be providing its services. du will begin providing mobile services across the UAE in the second half of 2006 and will follow with a phased rollout of other services, including fixed line, broadband Internet and pay TV.

DATAMATRIX

A UAE government customer care excellence and leadership conference will be held at Shangri-La Hotel in Dubai from April 25-26. Organized by Datamatrix, the conference will enable participants from UAE government organizations to develop future strategies to meet the rapidly evolving expectations of their customers. The keynote address will redefine the role of government organization’s decision makers in achieving true customer care culture and employees’ performance in government organizations. Topics for discussion include preparing government employees for customer care improvements, how the latest telecom and technologies provide for better customer services, research report and comment based on government organization customer services in the UAE.

MIC

Modern Industries Company (MIC), the maker of Tide, paved the way for fostering young national talent at the Jeddah Mawhiba Forum (JMF) held recently with the support of Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed. With far-seeing vision and a commitment to education in the Kingdom, MIC provides a platform for young nationals to explore their talents and potential by continuously investing in creative means for students to hone their skills. As main sponsor of the JMF, MIC participated in its activities and presented the objectives of Jeddah Science Innovation Club (JSIC) and its facilities. Ahmed Linjawi, external affairs director, reiterated the company’s commitment to education as it prepares to launch the JSIC, a far-reaching initiative in the field of education.