A month ago I sat for an interview at an advertising agency here in Beirut. I was so confident that I would get an internship for this Summer at that company because of how well the interview was going. I was prepared for any question the interviewer would throw at me, except one. One question that as a Marketing student, nay, as a living person should know how to answer. The question that ruined my chances was : " What are the recent trends that you have noticed in Lebanon?". I froze. Nothing came to mind, except the movement to eliminate sectarianism.
I have noticed many trends lately and I always do, but my memory hasn't made a little box that registers "Trends" under it. So I've decided to list a couple here, for my future reference and to help out anyone else who may or may not face the same situation. So here goes:
* Online discount stores (in Lebanon) like Cobone, Sukkar,Marka VIP, and Makhsoom.com that take over the right side of your Facebook page with their discount ads.
* Also on Facebook, are the "Like our page so that you can enter the competition and win" competitions. You can check out the one by Bobbi Brown MENA cosmetics and the Start Middle East competitions.
* This I have noticed on people's statuses on Facebook and Twitter. They write short sarcastic letters on their statuses that start with Dear and end with sincerely. Here's an example I made up to illustrate:
Dear Lebanese revolutionists,
It really isn't our fault that you re-elect your politians when they keep on screwing you guys. So please stop hurting us.
Sincerely,
Tires
* This trend has been going on for quiet a while now and is still occuring everytime a Lebanese girl turns 18. They glue pieces of cloth together into a bow or Coca-cola caps and suddenly they are fashion designers! Then, they charge $$$$ for something that is worthless.
* The final trend for the day was suggested by the interviewer: So many burger restaurants are opening. What's up with the burger craze?! We have BurgerCo, Burger Nation, Classic Burger joint....to name a few.
Moral of the story is: Keep your eyes wide OPEN and your ears CLEAN because trends are happening all around you and you want to be ready for them. Always BE ALERT!
When you notice any trends, let me know, we would all appreciate it.
I have noticed many trends lately and I always do, but my memory hasn't made a little box that registers "Trends" under it. So I've decided to list a couple here, for my future reference and to help out anyone else who may or may not face the same situation. So here goes:
* Online discount stores (in Lebanon) like Cobone, Sukkar,Marka VIP, and Makhsoom.com that take over the right side of your Facebook page with their discount ads.
* Also on Facebook, are the "Like our page so that you can enter the competition and win" competitions. You can check out the one by Bobbi Brown MENA cosmetics and the Start Middle East competitions.
* This I have noticed on people's statuses on Facebook and Twitter. They write short sarcastic letters on their statuses that start with Dear and end with sincerely. Here's an example I made up to illustrate:
Dear Lebanese revolutionists,
It really isn't our fault that you re-elect your politians when they keep on screwing you guys. So please stop hurting us.
Sincerely,
Tires
* This trend has been going on for quiet a while now and is still occuring everytime a Lebanese girl turns 18. They glue pieces of cloth together into a bow or Coca-cola caps and suddenly they are fashion designers! Then, they charge $$$$ for something that is worthless.
* The final trend for the day was suggested by the interviewer: So many burger restaurants are opening. What's up with the burger craze?! We have BurgerCo, Burger Nation, Classic Burger joint....to name a few.
Moral of the story is: Keep your eyes wide OPEN and your ears CLEAN because trends are happening all around you and you want to be ready for them. Always BE ALERT!
When you notice any trends, let me know, we would all appreciate it.
