No Reservations

This is a diary of a madman. A vitriolic culmination of one man's opinion. About my experiences with Concept Group and its surrounding fiendish characters. 

I cannot stand being reserved with my feelings, it's not of my culture. People who finishes last are the ones who have reservations of different sorts. That's how I view it. 

Reservations is something you apply in a culture where you stand. Middle East or in the Old World. The New World offers more freedom to express one's opinion and openly share feelings. I was advised by an editor that my blog was blatantly vilifying and hate infused, so he is afraid that he cannot feature me for the hateful nature of my blog and would place the publication in great compromise. I even encouraged him a full identity disclosure of myself in light of the matter that I had with Concept Group. 

Recently, AdNation released an article on blogging out scheming agencies. Majority of the piece covers the bloke from Blighty, Mr. spimf, who was lured by an Ominous Integrated Creative Consultancy. I know this agency, we're neighbours back then. I had a friend back then working for them, luckily he moved to another company before the firing squad come upon him. 

Now, in that a general article appeared discussing blogs outing scheming agencies, I felt that there was an element of snobbery when my part was written. Mr. spimf and I shared horrifying ordeal with our own previous employers. Moreover, there was a comparison that in context the author appears to be more sympathetic to Mr. spimf than me. 

Was it because Mr. spimf's writing is a favourable and culturally familiar approach to the author? Against my all-out roguish style of writing? 

My articles are libelous but these are presented as opinion. There is truthfulness behind the explicit way of my writing. It felt like my story was overlooked just because I called my ex-boss as 'inbred', 'devil's spawn' and 'douche-bag'. It can't be that bad... maybe the author needs to look over the bigger picture what these things are all about. 

 

Despite the difference in views we have, I still respect this guy for who he is. He is just a guy who is anxious for his job.

To Mr. spimf, I do wish the best for him and his family back in UK. 

No one should experience what Mr. spimf and I had gone through. There is no real justice in UAE. Blogging is the best choice of weapon in our circumstances. 

Mr. Author, no matter how distasteful my writings were, try to put yourself in my shoes and recall those things that had undergone me, you have all the details after all. Suggest you tone down impartiality. Mr. spimf's story is not as distant to mine. 

Incubi

So, Bandra Trickster Boy can dance! Dance all you can... 

Beware of these cocksuckers from hell... 

NEW ARTICLE COMING SOON!!!

Devils Amongst Us

Here's my time to demonize fake humans... Since they had their turns demonizing me and made me look the bad guy, I will share you what these devils are all about...  

The guy above, inbred Naveed Ahmed Pigzada, is one exceptional character to break through the poser-infested Integrated Communications community of Middle East. He is a 30-something fresher, no known Gulf experience from Pakistan and had great claims of being a head honcho of some obscure marketing company (read: taco stand) back in Karachi. This poser from nowhere picked an interview in Concept Group and joined on board as Account Manager... This son of a bitch has no idea about the post he had assumed. His greatest skills were pretension and emulation, he acted as if he know the world of finance, high-tech and real estate. He has a penchant of bastardizing his co-workers' press releases and turn them into elongated piece of rubbish. Any press release writing monkeys (including me) can write a short and crisp piece without the hallucinating jargons. He is not fundamentally equipped in PR, he cannot identify things, he'll just do things his way and if F-ups happens, has a way of excusing himself to many faults. This man has no balls! No PR SKILLS... Not even skilled in tracking, planning, media follows-up and valuation... This guy just fast talks his way... 

And you know what, he is a major in defying PR ethics -- this lunatic is a self-serving media whore. Unsolicitedly, he engages in speakership on behalf of clients. He likes misrepresentation, he does not have an idea on a certain subject. 

This devil's spawn was the mastermind of denying to one of my human rights called -- "rightful salary." Hey, bad guys have human rights too??? What can't you pay 'bad guys' like me?

Naveed also undermined the demise of the previous Concept PR MD. 

In the business world, it does not matter who's the good guy or the bad guy... what matters to us is who pays and who does not pay... Concept Group = non-paying company = real bad guys... Naveed = non-paying person = the ugly bad guy.  

Recently, this degenerate douche-bag was sacked in Concept Group for he ran out of luck and excuses in the Tuesday morning boardroom sessions. 

He is currently working with an agency called MBR Alternative. It's an alternative marketing agency for clients who have no money to pay... If you like rubbish work, they are prepared to consume your crap. By the way, you can buy your way to Naveed Pigzada over a bottle of Jack Daniels and few packs of cigarettes, you'll get spoiled tacos in return. 

Yes, TACO STANDS are very prevalent in Integrated Marketing community of Middle East. Go for MBR Alternative -- your neighborhood taco stand in Karama, Dubai. You'll see Naveed serving you tacos. 

Now, we turn to this ugly creature, the pea-brained Vijay Gomes: 

This character above is another piece of racist shit known for the following: 

1. Declaring Nepalese women are only good for prostitution. 

2. Denying deserving emergency leave to his staff. 

3. Master schemer.

4. Cussing and usage of profane words such as: F-word, shagging (as he utters with ladies)

5. a so-called Managing Director of Concept Media... 

6. Protector of his posse colleagues from Goa... he runs his own gang within.

So there were three little birds knocked at my door (yes, they knocked), they brought a message for me. It's about this evil character called, Vijay Gomes. 

I was told by these birds that Vijay has been and still being a very naughty inhumane retard. One time, this coworker of him requested for a leave. This coworker of his is quite in need to see her ailing grandmother for few days only. It's only in Bombay, so travel time is not something to be worried... a return was guaranteed. 

That coworker of Vijay belongs to the directory space selling division of Concept Media. That person herself is the top performing individual and her team as well... She breaks her targets to unbelievable figures. In fact, she made a record sales of 192.31% of her target. She is a money making worker for Concept Group. 

Since Concept Group is a personality driven company, Vijay is part of that trend. He appeared to be insecure and shuffling teams. He placed this money making lady with under-performers and losers. She still manage to break through and made significant directory advertising sales. Vijay even called this lady a WHORE running a WHORE HOUSE in the office. Would you expect such statement from a Managing Director? 

Now, back to her leave request... Vijay denied this lady a deserving 'vacation' under his suspicion that she was lying... So what if she was lying? She deserves a break after tremendously exceeding her annual sales quota. And, if a leave involves serious family matters - why not give it? 

In other case, Vijay allowed his underperforming posse to have 4 leave/vacation in a year. 

Apart from this leave issues, this Vijay whack-job had a way of preventing the lady's sales commission... Lady made a tremendous sales of AED 576,958 and her annual quota was just AED 300,000.  

As a result of her assertions, she was asked to resign. She sought attention of Aldrin but it was all in vain... Aldrin and Vijay are after all, related. 

Concept Group's Alleged Values! Wow!

This is what Concept Group people do behind your backs. 

Respect
To accord significance and value to the people and projects that determine our enterprise. -- chronic disrespect to coworkers, great in demeaning, condescending and downplaying low-ranks. 

Accountability

To deliver with honesty to the trust and expectations placed on us by the thoughtful use of our resources.  -- What accountability? Seniors are great job passers, if things go wrong, low ranks should pray for mercy...  Concept Group leaders are not considerate, they are inhumane ruthless job-passing corporate monkeys. 

Innovation
To visit each task with fresh perspective, looking always for ideas designed to win. -- what Innovation? It's factory work, nothing innovative, just an assembly line... Innovations comes from imported ideas, they're nothing but fame brokers. 

Success
With conviction we commit to the ideal that we will succeed. -- Ideal or idea? I go for the latter word... See how these people are linguistically challenged at the same time they have big claims of their so-called greatness in business... Sure! 

Enterprise

We attach courage to vision and reality to dreams. -- The courage to scam clients, partners and employees! That's what it meant! Rip-offs and connivance are their key to growth... Great job Aldrin Gigolo and your conceited boy band cohorts... 

Values my ass... 

The Irrelevance of Dubai Fashion Weak... er, Week...

¡Salud! ...says the monkey in the suit.

Dubai Fashion Week boasted itself to be the Middle East region's forerunner of fashion business. Apparently there were no clear objectives of running the show. Fashion world in general is a very discerning and a challenging arena of creativity, portrayals, egos and relevance. 

THE ORGANIZING TEAM

It is perceived that the organizers were doing this for the sake of portfolio prestige. Some of them really knew that a fashion show is all about business connections - but has none whatsoever skills of delivering a winning event of such. 

Concept Events, a division of Concept Group, were the mastermind of this event. They are composed of irrelevant imported personalities and an in-house team of undesirable characters. The bratinellas of Concept Events' Ivory Tower and few irrelevant party friends who are close to Aldrin. Yeah, party on!!!

Dubai Fashion Week is one of my many questions and was the result of my departure from Concept Group is their dim vision of delivering this event... 

I have foreseen its failure... the plans they insisted to execute is designed to be failed. In our industry, we are always in pursuit of covering our asses or simply be fool proof in our dealings with people surrounding us in a situation. Account management is all about delivering effective and flawless delivery... this, they don't know...

What do they know? Concept's client handling trend is about grabbing the bag of money and with not-so-witty deliverables. That's how f-ups happen!

Many sponsors were lured to support this event failure... Thanks to the guys who wear the shiny designer suits with empty heads and the sophisticated flower vased muse... 

TREATMENT OF MEDIA AND BEYOND MEDIA RELATIONSHIP

Shamefully speaking, I was one of the many PR underlings commanded by the ever-great PR conman Naveed Pirzada to beg, pressure and please media people to attend the show... Sad part, we have nothing great to offer to media people who were supporting us (thank you media friends!)... Concept's internal greed disabled the great potential of this event... No tokens of appreciation were made, no funding to assist media people's convenience like transport, no proper media lounge for them to have access to internet and other field work concerns. 

All we had there were crappy PRESS KITS to go and few enforced INSERTS from SPONSORS. Desperate, huh?  

Prior to the event, I also discussed about bringing people from international media like Conde Nast or Hearst. People in the likeness of Anna Wintour of Vogue or Kate White of Cosmopolitan. It really sounded to be too ambitions but certainly a very harmless attempt... It's worth a shot... After all, the event is a unique one. Why not? That's how PR works? Right? The ability to influence. 

Can we fund such people for airfare, hotels and other essentials? Why not? Fly them in, make them witness, fly them back as quick as possible... and give them a great field work experience... 

After all, the Concept Events people bagged a lot of sponsorship cash. Unfortunately, the brilliant idea came from a small voice... too small to be heard... too small because of my minority status... Minority probably reads: low-ranked subordinate and probably my racial status... I am just the few hired 3rd world useful aliens who do not share any common heritage of the Concept Group's populace... we all know it's a populist company. 

SPONSORS RIPPED OFF

A lot of sponsors were snared from the uniqueness of DFW, a lot of them failed miserably and just took it as a learning experience.  

Concept Events just took anybody on board who has the immediate cash. Some sponsors can be identified who are trying to fit in... Big-named sponsors got in unaware about the schematics and plans of their areas. 

The only benefit they had on this event was the Media Mileage... what a great waste of marketing money! They have their own PR companies who can independently spot a better opportunity for their money. 

Have you seen how crappy the exhibition spaces? Too limited? 

Abracadabra! Money speaks louder in this case... 

TALENT SOURCING, CLIENT SOURCING

It requires great amounts of cash for a designer to join the event... Some of the designers were sourced from immediate circles of Aldrin... hopefully for the right reasons... Some were really exceptionally talented, hats off to their fashion mastery and humble characters.

The roster of buyers seems not to be in the right place or perhaps misguided, misinformed? These buyers are not as informed as they should be, who are the designers they would likely face? Some buying reps probably felt bad for the wasted company money for not getting something back to their "atelier."

Were the designers briefed about the set of buyers who will come? 

Nothing wrong with these designers and buyers... boasting that DFW is the premier event in the Middle East, how come they missed to scour other parts of region to join them? The dreadful short-sighted organizers failed to aim higher!  

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Dubai Fashion Week was nothing but:

1. An elaborate way of ripping sponsors 

2. Misguidance of buyers and designers

3. Cheap trick showmanship

4. A convention of Aldrin "The Gigolo" Fernandes and his conceited boy band mates prying on scantily clad models... 

One thing, it is noticeable that DFW has no consistent identity, they keep on repackaging from time to time... They have no ideas about branding and guidelines... in additional to their F'd up works...