GCC's leading marketeers create region's first advertiser's association

The inaugural meeting of the GCC Advertiser's Association was attended by a list of the region's biggest media spenders, including Procter & Gamble, Nestle, Pepsi, Reckitt Benckiser, Gillette, GlaxoSmithKline, Citibank, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, McDonald's, Eros Electricals, Nissan and Dubai Tourism.

Together these companies represent over $300 million of the region's $1.5 billion annual media spend.

On the agenda was the make-up, structure and future administration of the body. The GCC AA will be led by an executive committee to be elected after its third meeting, until which time an interim team will be in place.*

"This is not going to be another talking shop for the Middle East's advertisers," said Jan Zijderveld, Interim Chairman of the GCC Advertiser's Association. "There are a number of key issues in this region that need to be addressed by advertisers and we intend to get straight down to business."

"However, the GCC AA is not only about the needs of advertisers, but is a body that will help to improve standards within the industry as a whole, to the benefit of all. The WFA is a global organisation with representation in almost all developed markets; it's high time we had a local chapter in the GCC," he said.

Issues on the agenda will initially concentrate on media, with a specific focus on the creation of standards within the major a-t-l media and, audience measurement. Future issues will also include self-regulation, general industry issues, etc.