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‘The year 22 was a catch-22. We literally all lived through difficult circumstances from which there was no escape’, states Moe Minkara, Executive Creative Director & Founder of Beirut-based Mink agency. In the following interview, Minkara gives us a glimpse into his agency’s journey over the past year, how they navigated the myriad of challenges, managed to thrive while also keeping a positive mood all through.
To continue functioning in a country where nothing functions is in itself a miracle. Could you share with us what are the efforts that have been deployed all through the year to keep your business alive amid the successive crises and stay inspired in an environment that doesn’t help creative inspiration to flow naturally?
The year 22 was a catch-22. We literally all lived through difficult circumstances from which there was no escape. Yet, if you look at the speed of jokes and often dark humor that comes out of the Lebanese instantly after an issue, a national catastrophe, or a disadvantage of some sort you would quickly understand that our environment is not what is halting or slowing our creativity and inspiration as a nation. I would rather blame it on the inhumane distractions that we have had to live with for years now, such as the lack of electricity, fuel, the continuous political deadlock, the banking system… I can probably go on forever. Like many others, we have built our own creative bubble and we all live humbly in it. We do our best to keep the mood positive and we go out of our way to invest in the needed infrastructure to ensure that at least within our own space, things function, as they should. It is all about creative discipline. I am a firm believer that motivation and inspiration have their peaks whereas discipline yields consistency. Without creative discipline we would not have made it through.
Clients have become very smart with whom they work and where they place their advertising. Where does “new business” typically come from today?
If you look at your 4th question, you rightfully state that for the past few years barely a couple of advertising campaigns have stood apart. I believe as you stated that it is because many clients have become very smart with whom they work and where they place their advertising campaigns. The few that still invest in creativity and strategic marketing are those who were able to thrive throughout this period and who stood out. The best new business still and has always come from good work and word of mouth. When you truly care for your clients, and when your creative product is consistent, they care back for you, grow with you, and recommend you onwards.
“It has always been cheaper to run a creative hub from Lebanon catering for the Gulf region. It has always been the practice to follow; it is simply now on steroids because of the rise of demand...”
Many network agencies and even smaller local ones currently service the Arab region from their Beirut offices. Do you think that companies in the Gulf are taking advantage of the low-priced local creative services?
A year ago, I would have probably answered yes, but today the prices are quickly being readjusted to the pre-crises situation in Lebanon and to top it off, experienced talent is really scarce at the moment. Moreover, most of the companies and managers in the Gulf hiring Lebanese are in fact Lebanese themselves. Some see it as cost cutting, but I would like to believe that most see it as a way to help Lebanese talents that don’t have the luxury to get out.
Objectively speaking, it has always been cheaper to run a creative hub from Lebanon catering for the Gulf region. It has always been the practice to follow; it is simply now on steroids because of the rise of demand in namely the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
If like most people claim you believe that creativity isn’t linked to big budgets, then how do you explain this creative rut we have been witnessing in Lebanon for the past few years, with barely a couple of advertising campaigns that have stood apart?
I look forward to seeing the re-birth of creative shows in Lebanon. Creative education and industry competition is much needed to reeducate the new generation of creatives and the new generation of clients and brand custodians to appreciate smart and intuitive marketing in order to reap the benefits of creating groundbreaking work. We should all be responsible for re-raising the bar for agencies and clients alike. Since the crises, we have had an amazing surge of locally grown products and services. These new clients on the market must understand that good agencies are worth investing in, and older clients should ideally acknowledge that creative consultancy in most cases yields better overall results than a DIY approach.
