By: Nada Adel Sobhi

Cairo – Mubasher: The Egyptian government has undertaken several positive and efficient steps in marketing Egypt to the world, a top public relations executive has said.

Following several hits to the Egyptian economy, including four presidents over five years, a lack of security, and a plunge in tourism and investment revenues, the Egyptian government has carried out two campaigns which told the world that Egypt was safe and open for businesses and investments, said Loula Zaklama, president and managing director of Rada Research and Public Relations.

Speaking on the sidelines of the First Arab Marketing and PR Summit, held in Cairo, Egypt, Zaklama praised the government’s efforts in making Egypt a safe environment for businesses and tourists.

She highlighted the importance of communications in the public relations (PR) segment for both companies and the government.

Commenting on the PR industry in Egypt, Zaklama stated that the industry, in general, was often “misunderstood, misinterpreted, and miscommunicated.”

Responding to a question by Mubasher on the impact of the flotation on PR companies in Egypt, Zaklama said that the flotation was not well-explained and most companies, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs), do not understand the flotation and the economics behind it.

It is therefore hard to measure or estimate the impact of the flotation on this business segment, Zaklama, who has over 45 years of experience in the communications and PR industry, said.

“The power of communication is the most important factor,” she stressed.

Zaklama further discussed the issues of the PR industry in Egypt and the world, noting that in order to market a country’s tourism to a foreign one, a PR firm must have “on-the-ground teams”. She gave an example of marketing Egypt in China, indicating that the PR firm needs to be Chinese and operating in China, not a US one doing the marketing in a foreign market.

A company or country with a good reputation also needs PR, Rada’s top executive told Mubasher during the PR event, indicating that having a good image can come crumbling down in the blink of an eye.

She further stressed the point by citing two quotes by Benjamin Franklin: “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it” and “Glass, China, and reputation, are easily cracked, and never well mended.”

“Communication is continuous. Communication is key,” Rada Research and Public Relation’s top official concluded.