Expert in digital marketing delivers engaging lecture at AUS

Yousef Tuqan Tuqan, CEO of Flip Media, gave an engaging lecture about digital marketing entitled "The Year of the Movement" to students, faculty and staff members of American University of Sharjah (AUS). The lecture was held on November 24, 2011 in the Main Building on campus.

Tuqan spoke on a range of issues including introducing advertisers to moving beyond buzzwords and six-week campaigns, building consumer movements through long-term relationships, and evaluating examples of successes and failures in the region.

"Five years ago, we didn't have Facebook, Twitter or iPhones. Now think about how much these inventions have changed our lives," said Tuqan. "The world is changing so fast. The reality today is that we live in a million-channel universe. If we are watching TV, we want to watch it on our own terms, without advertising," he added.

Tuqan also briefly discussed the impact of social media on the revolution in Egypt. "Previously, revolutions were led by one person, such as Che Guevara or Gamal Abdel Nasser. But Egypt was a Wikipedia revolution. It wasn't done just by one person. It was by millions of people, each contributing a small part," he said.

Regarding corporate usage of social media, he said, "It doesn't matter if a million people like you on Facebook. If they don't buy your product or endorse your campaign, there's no point. Consumers and citizens have higher expectations than ever from brands."

Tuqan joined Flip Media as an Account Director in 2005 and was appointed CEO in 2008. He has been at the center of many of the region's online initiatives, leading a global team of 120 staff across eight offices worldwide.

The lecture was organized by the Department of Mass Communication in the AUS College of Arts and Sciences.