Pierre El Daher, Chairman and CEO of LBCI, discusses media landscape of Lebanon and Arab World at Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity

On the sidelines of the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, Pierre El Daher, Chairman and CEO of the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI), addressed the pressing issues affecting Lebanon's media landscape.

In an interview with Asharq Business, El Daher attributed the media crisis to the ubiquity of social media and Lebanon's spiraling economic and political instability.

El Daher emphasized the intertwined nature of the country's status quo and the media's standing.
 
"If the country's condition worsens, so does the media's. The crisis in the media is a global crisis that began with the rise of social media, which started to attract the media market," El Daher said.

Reflecting on the transformation of the advertisement industry, he highlighted that today, 70% of advertisements are hosted on social media, leaving the remaining 30% scattered across other channels. 

El Daher noted this shift underpins the ongoing crisis facing traditional media, which he identified as a global concern.

Lebanon's economic woes, underscored by the depreciation of the currency and daily operational challenges such as fuel, electricity, and internet accessibility, further complicate the media landscape. 

El Daher stressed, "People in Lebanon are under pressure just to accomplish the simplest task. Therefore, if the political problem in Lebanon is not addressed, we should not expect to solve the media problem."

El Daher also acknowledged the role of the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity as a hub for innovation and creative minds, transcending traditional television to encompass all media forms.

Reflecting on the Saudi Research and Media Group's (SRMG) impact, he said, "SRMG primarily targets the entire Middle East, starting from Saudi Arabia, but it is indeed present throughout the Arab world. I'm thrilled that SRMG is keeping up with the times. It has young leaders who fully understand the language of social media and are pushing in this direction more than others."

El Daher continued to comment on the evolving advertising landscape. Traditional commercial advertisers are being supplemented by a variety of new players, including institutions, countries, and governments. 

These new advertisers, El Daher explained, demand a different advertising strategy than traditional commercial products.

"You need to know that you must change your content," El Daher advised. 

He argued that the traditional advertising format of interspersing content with commercial breaks is becoming outdated. 

Today's advertisements, he said, need to be seamlessly integrated within the content itself.

El Daher closed by commending Saudi Arabia's enduring media presence, initially focused within the country but quickly expanding throughout the Arab world. 

He singled out SRMG for its speed in transforming and attracting young, innovative leaders. "SRMG is the fastest. 

It quickly transformed into a place that attracted young leaders who think differently, and in my opinion, this is the future," El Daher concluded.