Advertising in the Middle East

[1] However, in the 2005 presidential election, the office director for Information Minister Ahmed Selim declared they were entering an era of "free, transparent and independent Egyptian media.

[5] Also, because of the popularity of Facebook many advertising mediums are using the classic ‘like button’ icon in their ads to appeal to their newly informed audience.

With a more progressive generation in charge of the media we will see it begin to alter and expand to fit their changing needs and to connect with the rest of the world.

[8] Later, German immigrants began to open more agencies in the mid to late 1930s, resulting in an abundant advertising industry.

[10] The daily newspaper, Hamodia which is based in Brooklyn, New York was founded on Haredi Judaism ideal, is a popular publication in Israel.

[11] The publication is against the printing and publishing of photographs of women, and is described as writing stories that align with the Torah and traditional views.

[15] Today, censorship in Israeli media is fairly low and a majority of advertisements are published in print publications.

[18] Saudi Arabia, an Arab state located in the Middle East and the home to the religion of Islam, is a country consisting of harsh geography including deserts and mountain regions.

According to a study done on advertising in the region, its people are deeply rooted in the Islamic faith, and followers from all over the world make pilgrimage to the country to visit one or both of its two holy shrines: Mecca and Medina.

While these are positive changes, the country still faces challenges when it comes to the future, and will likely remain at the forefront of international issues, partially due to its surplus of oil and natural gas.

[20] In a region like Saudi Arabia where tradition plays a huge part in the overarching culture, advertising has had to adapt to the Arab values that dictate everyday life.

Unlike Western countries like The United States, print is still the most popular media vehicle, with newspapers accounting for 61% of money spent, dwarfing even the television budget.

According to a study, government has even been known to employ people to tear up advertisements in magazines and newspapers which do not comply with the established Islamic laws.

Because of these extremely strict guidelines, many companies who are advertising in Saudi Arabia must completely change their communication strategy when targeting this region.

[23] Huge companies such as IKEA and Starbucks have dealt with both the pressure to assimilate to the modest, conservative values of the region as well as the backlash from the rest of the world after doing so.

The issues distributed to people in Sweden, The United States and other countries the world over featured women throughout the catalogue.

IKEA eventually released a statement apologizing for the decision and explaining that the choice to exclude women from the narrative totally went against their values.

[24] Starbucks dealt with a similar issue when the franchise opened its first locations in Saudi Arabia and removed their signature mermaid from the logo and replaced her with just a crown.

[33] Even though not directly referring to advertising, Freedom House said in 2017 that the press in Syria is not free, giving it the worst possible rating.

[citation needed] Founded in 1971, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has a strong religious influence that dictates much of the government.

[citation needed] Instead of a central regulatory council, different sections of the government set rules and guidelines for what is acceptable.

[39] The Advertising Business Group (ABG), formed by members including Google and Facebook, self-regulate to avoid violations of the UAE's rules.