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Lebanon has had very difficult years, following the Beirut port blast, the many lockdowns and an economic crisis that keeps worsening. ArabAd talks to Katia Yasmine, Managing Director of TRACCS Beirut, to understand how the agency and team have managed to thrive throughout such a tumultuous time.
How would you describe in one word the year that past?
Reflections; this is the word we would use to describe 2021. With all the hardships of 2020 and the exacerbation of the crises in 2021, this year has not only made us reinforce our commitment to value the small details but also, encouraged us reflect on details of the past and how much we’ve grown since TRACCS first started. Through our reflections on growth, our will and power to fight the hardships grew.
Were you able to find certainty despite all hardships and adversity crippling businesses in the country?
Watching our country and its economy cripple was certainly not easy. But seeing our clients’ trust in us and their excitement to work with our team made us realize that yes, despite it all, there is certainty that we shall continue.
Did you feel at risk at some point of getting pulled out of the game? And what helped you reinforce your team’s belief in Lebanon and strong commitment and dedication to sustaining the business?
Towards the end of 2019, we saw many companies close their doors in Lebanon, as the situation was worsening. We feared that our turn to close would come, but we took that fear and updated our business strategy and tried to make the impossible happen. This motivated us to take a different approach and drive change in the game and aim higher than ever before.
How have you managed to channel your energy into keeping up?
Focusing on the “now”. We are all aware of how uncertain the future of Lebanon is. Therefore, it is only through focusing on the present that we were able to keep up. Having worked on amazing national campaigns this year, like the #TimeToAbide and #TimeToRegister campaigns with UNICEF, also helped us remain grounded and consumed by the present enough to keep our minds distracted from the uncertainty of the future and focus on the urgency of the situation at hand.
“The situation inspired different forms of creativity that pushed us to continue… We believe we gained more than we lost.”
Has your passion and energy remained intact in such a gloomy climate?
Our energy was further ignited by the gloomy climate. We refuse to allow the worse to take over, and while we have been faced with so many downturns, it is this refusal to give up and our belief that Lebanon shall become again a hub for talents and creativeness that are keeping us going. As we are in the creative industry, the situation inspired different forms of creativity that pushed us to continue. We were able to see new things, explore new campaigns, answer new needs, and more – we believe we gained more than we lost.
The Lebanese crisis —and the global sanitary crisis —have challenged managers and marketers to rethink the way they do business and plan the future of their organizations. Where the biggest opportunities lay mostly for you?
Opportunities are everywhere, even during the crises. All it takes is to look closely and allow oneself to accept these opportunities. Therefore, I believe TRACCS’ biggest opportunities lay in the minds and hearts of the team.
What are the shifts that you foresee taking place in the year ahead? And what do you think will be your biggest challenge in 2022?
With the ongoing Lebanese crisis, we believe there will be a major difficulty in establishing investors’ trust, employees, and hope. The brain drain is not only resulting in a lack of talent and clientele, but is also resulting in a drain of hope and trust in the future of Lebanon. With most of the young Lebanese community migrating outside, targeting Lebanese has become targeting the diaspora and rarely those residing in the country.
INTERVIEW CONDUCTED IN NOVEMBER 2021
