On the 30th of January 2019, Strategic Marketing Course students from AUD’s School of Business Administration were honored to have Mr. Moatassem Moataz as a guest speaker. Mr. Moatassem is an entrepreneur and a business partner from Innovest Middle East (http://innovest.me). He started the presentation by explaining his main roles in life then he shared with the students how his career developed from working in Multinationals to owning his own business. He advised the students that they have to manage themselves as if they are selling a brand and they have to be clear about their goals. They need to also build a support system to encourage them in achieving their own goals.

Following that, he discussed the most important aspects of marketing. The first important aspect being insights. From insights, companies can build brand opportunities. Differentiation between insights and observations is crucial. He showed them many advertisements to illustrate his points. He further explained that the insights could would have the following benefits:
• Launching a category: mobile phones.
• Launching a brand: dove (real beauty, real figures)
• Launching brand extension: Nivea men creme
• Launching package: duck toilet reaching.
• Launching a communication: siri ad.

Mr. Moatassem described great insights as being deep ones reflecting the ladder of needs, they have to be fresh, relevant and enduring. The second important thing is business objectives. Insights have to be linked to business objectives. He explained to the students how the BCG matrix is being applied in organizations and how marketing objectives are being set as well. Furthermore, he made an exercise with the students relative to the BCG matrix; he showed them different brands in different product categories and then the students tried to place them in a certain quadrant in the BCG matrix

Finally, he discussed with the students the 6 universal emotions that would be depicted in the advertisement which are:
• Love: P&G campaign
• Hate: stop smoking cigarettes
• Greed: bitcoin, financials, bubble of real estate
• Tenderness
• Fear
• Protectiveness: insurance, educational plan for the kids

He ended his presentation with 5 great tips:
1. Keep a note for your ideas. Your favorite friend (pen of digital notes)
2. There is no winner and loser. There is winner and learner.
3. Growth mindset.
4. Be a sponge not a rock.
5. Healthy living.

The seminar ended with an interesting Q&A session.