Tarek Nour
2002

A large, white space in a newspaper imprinted only with the headline: “Washed with Nabulsy Shahin soap” sparked the beginning of advertising in Egypt. The ad, although ahead of its time, was created more than 50 years ago by a man considered the godfather of Egyptian advertising, Sayed Abul Naga.
The second media king was Abdullah Abdel Bary, who established Al Ahram agency and brought it to the distinguished level it is at today.
In the 1970s, however, a revolutionary figure in advertising emerged: Tarek Nour. He reformed the concept of television advertising and started the first professional advertising agency in Egypt. 

“There is not going to be advertising as we understand it now,” he prophesizes. “The Internet is going to be a major tool [used] in advertising.”

Nour says such advanced technology will bring vast changes to the country, and that the television box is going be an interactive medium, which will include the Internet, telecommunications, and on-demand programs and movies.
The technological revolution has already started in the United States and Europe, and includes virtual shopping, where a person can select items and complete his shopping from the comforts of home — all by using his computer. Advertising and marketing agencies around the globe have started to prepare themselves to keep up with the incredible pace at which technology is moving, and Tarek Nour is right behind them. 
“Every dynamic organization knows that change is the engine of growth. The challenge here is not only to embrace change when it comes, but to anticipate it, adapt it and even exploit it,” says Nour.

In Egypt’s case, there is still time to prepare, since he anticipates it will take at least another 10 years to catch up. However, his agencies are already heavily researching new advertising media to prepare themselves for the tidal wave of new communication. The future consumers are today’s web-surfing, he says, and these are the audiences he is preparing to target. 

As for globalization and the effect the GATT agreement could have on his business, Nour is not worried. 
“You can globalize the product, but you can never globalize the consumer,” he says, explaining that although the same product can be used in different parts of the world, its advertising has to be sensitive to every country. “A good global campaign will always be second to a good local one.”

Since the GATT will result in more products on the market, there is going to be more demand on advertising agencies. “The more products you have, the more competition you have, and whenever there is competition, advertising strikes.”

Today, Egypt’s future is what holds Nour’s attention and he is quick to submit a wish list for it. For one, he desires more freedom in television advertising. Although he is an advocate of regulations, he points out that “the law in the hands of ignorance is dangerous, stifling and imposes clear limits on the creative professional.” Meanwhile, he adds, it is the advertisers’ responsibilities to find legitimate ways to overcome legal ignorance and offer creative solutions.
Second, he desires more mergers between advertising agencies, as in almost every other field, because he says companies that do so will become stronger, more competitive and will be able to save costs. 

Third, and most important, is the hope for privatized television stations. 
“I [agree] with privatizing the media, all media,” he reiterates, criticizing the current monopolistic nature of television in Egypt, but he is confident the government will do this sooner or later. Having private entities means having better programs and films to attract more audience and, in turn, sell advertising, which is the only source of revenue. 

That doesn’t mean he wants to have sole control of the media. He thinks competition is to the consumer’s benefit, and that competition in television is no exception. 
Also, he plans to put a lot of effort into convincing businessmen — who he considers the most important element in Egypt’s future — to work together to persuade the government of the importance of having a private media.
Private media may be his goal, but within limits, he admits. He says he believes that the government should keep its own Nour expects the privatization policy adopted by the government will have positive effects on the advertising industry, because agencies will have to learn to deal with professional, demanding clients.

Wish list aside, Nour praises the performance of Egyptian advertising agencies and envisions a bright future for the industry, especially with the increasing number of multi-national companies. 
“The sophistication of the economic scene is definitely going to reflect on advertising,” he says.