MTV Networks: The Arabian Challenge
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Case Code: BSTR294 Case Length: 14 Pages Period: 2006-2008 Pub Date: 2008 Teaching Note: Available |
Price: Rs.300 Organization: MTV Networks Industry: Media, Entertainment, and Gaming Countries: Middle East Themes: International Business, Globalization Business |
Abstract Case Intro 1 Case Intro 2 Excerpts
"[...] MTV has a penchant for airing controversial material and making a mockery of convention. And of course, it's an American brand... The challenge, therefore, is transforming a notoriously risqué channel into a Middle Eastern-friendly platform for music and creativity without stripping MTV of its edge. It isn't without some irony that a channel known for angering religious, political, and conservative communities is operating in and catering to a region renowned for reacting (and sometimes overreacting) negatively to controversial content."
- Dana El Baltaji, Special Projects Manager, Trends magazine in Dubai, in 2008.
"In many ways (MTV Arabia) is the epitome of our localization strategy. It's a different audience (in the Middle East) but this is what we do -- we reflect culture and we respect culture. The programming mix on this one is going to be a little more local than normal."
-William H. Roedy, Vice Chairman for MTV Networks and President MTVI Network International, in 2007.
A Litmus Test for MTV's Localization Strategy
MTV Networks (MTVN) launched MTV Arabia on November 17, 2007, in partnership with Arabian Television Network (ATN) as part of its global expansion strategy. According to analysts, MTV's presence in the Middle East would provide the region with an international music brand, which till then, did not have an international music brand though it had clusters of local music channels. On its part, the region promised to offer tremendous growth opportunities to MTVN.
Analysts felt that MTV Arabia was MTVN's most ambitious and challenging venture. The Middle East offered huge growth potential to MTVN given its huge youth populace. However, according to analysts, MTV's success in the Middle East was contingent upon a tactical balancing between delivery of international quality music and the culturally sensitive environment prevalent in the region. Some analysts felt that the channel was well equipped to achieve this considering MTVN's extensive experience in the global market and its ability to provide localized content without diluting what MTV stood for.
To ensure that its programs won over the hearts of the Arabs and adhered to the local taste and culture without diluting MTV's global brand, MTV Arabia designed a much localized Arabic version of its international music and reality shows. In this connection, Patrick Samaha (Samaha), General Manager of MTV Arabia, said, "We've created programs that are an Arabic version of MTV programs. It is the first time that programs like this will really reflect the youth culture here, but we've been mindful all the way about respecting the local culture."4 According to the company, the launch of MTV Arabia was also expected to act as a culturally unifying force by propelling Arabic Music to the global forefront and vice versa. While launching MTV Arabia, William H. Roedy (Roedy), Vice Chairman for MTV Networks and President of MTVI, said, "Tonight's [November 16, 2007] MTV Arabia launch show celebrates one of the most important landmarks in MTV's 25-year history...
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