Big brands flock to Paris show

Do not underestimate the power of Paris Hilton – there is more to her than meets the eye. Within 48 hours of arriving in the UAE, the 28-year-old managed to bring international attention to local products, give Emirates airline free publicity worth millions, and tell the world she is switching to Sony Ericsson after years of her being seen out with a trusted BlackBerry.

In case you haven't heard already, the socialite, model, actor, singer and designer is in Dubai filming the next season of her hit MTV reality show, Paris Hilton's My BFF – Dubai with Lionsgate TV International, Ish Entertainment, Uniqon and Paris Hilton Entertainment.

With her numerous clothing lines, product endorsements and personal appearances – as well as various television, movie and music projects – anyone would be forgiven for beleiving Hilton was all about making money. After all, according to Forbes magazine, she made $8m last year.

Although Hilton said "a lady never discusses money as it is tacky", she told Emirates Business: "I am primarily here to shoot my TV series, but I have been really welcomed by businesses and vendors in this region and I look forward to expanding and exploring more opportunities here."

However, it is predicted the star's three-week stay could also attract millions of dollars in free PR for Dubai – whether intentional or not.

The publicity started even before Hilton landed on these shores, when she gushed about her Emirates airline first-class cabin on social networking site Twitter, posting pictures of the Emirates logo and cabin. Later that day, it was reported the endorsement could be worth between $1.5m and $3m in free PR for the airline (considering Hilton would normally demand approximately $1m for a paid advertising endorsement for a day's work).

Duncan James, Strategy Director Middle East, The Brand Union, said he was unsurprised: "Whatever Paris Hilton does, it attracts a great deal of publicity, so it wouldn't surprise me if that Tweet was worth millions," he said.

"The media takes a great interest in whatever she does – that can be great for certain products."

During a press conference at the InterContinental, Dubai Festival City (DFC), the socialite revealed she had replaced her BlackBerry with a Sony Ericsson handset due to Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications is a sponsor of her Dubai show. At the time of going to print, BlackBerry was unavailable to comment to Emirates Business.

However, James insisted it would not affect the company too much:"Not all PR is good PR. Bad PR spreads awareness but the message is bad," he said.

"However, while people who religiously follow Paris will most definitely switch to Sony Ericsson, it won't really affect Blackberry's business, because it's not the core business strategy.

"Paris' followers are mostly young females. I can't imagine business professionals rushing to switch their Blackberry to a Sony Ericsson just because Paris Hilton did so."

But there is no doubt Hilton's stay in the UAE will give local products a big push in the international market.

"Many local brands and designers have been contacting us offering clothing and jewellery," said Hilton. "It's important to me that we incorporate things from the local fashion and culture into the show. We're speaking to lots of brands and businesses. We want the show to feel authentic and true to the city."

For example, up to last week, many would not have known that there's more to traditional Middle Eastern culture than wearing black abayas. But when Hilton stepped out at the press conference in a green creation by local designer Zahara, courtesy of Sarah Belhasa's boutique Studio 8, the world took notice, prompting everyone from international blogs to fashion magazines to talk about what she was wearing. Belhasa said: "We are honoured that Paris chose to wear an outfit from Studio 8 – she looked absolutely amazing and stylish."

Meanwhile, Emirates Business has learned Hilton's show has tied up with Freej's Mohammed Saeed Harib and Lammtara Pictures to feature the Freej brand in one episodes.

Harib, speaking exclusively, said: "The details are still sketchy, as no formal contract has been signed yet. But yes, Uniqon and Showtime Arabia recommended Freej to Paris's representatives saying the brand is a cultural icon here and best represents Dubai's diversity. We will be finalising the contracts in the next few days, if all goes well."

Harib said Hilton had been sent DVDs of the show: "The focus really is on her show, not us, but featuring the Freej brand in My BFF almost works as an endorsement deal with Paris and gives us international media exposure. This partnership can only benefit us."

Then there is the tourism aspect, said James: "The short-term benefit is that people from neighbouring countries could visit Dubai to check out what Paris is doing and go to the places Paris is going to.

"In the long-term, Paris will give a boost to the region in two ways. Firstly, she will show that the Middle East is not the sort of region portrayed on Fox News, for example. It will also push the tourism industry in the next few years and Dubai will be known as one of the hot spots Paris filmed her show at."

Hilton said: "I really hope I can help with tourism for Dubai. Through my television series and through my fans I will share my experiences of the city and help shine further attention on it."

It could attract tourists to certain properties as well. Two big players involved with Hilton's stay are the InterContinental DFC, and DFC itself. Despite being officially associated with the celebrity, it is rumoured 'Brand Paris' could attract more publicity for the companies than the sponsorship deals are worth.

Tom Meyer, Area General Manager of InterContinental Hotels Group, said: "We're currently opening our third property on site, the InterContinental Residence Suites, and this is where Paris and all the contestants are staying.

"|We won't see what the final impact it will have on the brand internationally until we see the final cut of the show. However, what you can see from one day is it has been fantastic publicity for the hotel."

Tom Miles, Director of Shopping Centres at Al Futtaim Group Real Estate, said:?"Not only is she staying here, her first self-titled Middle Eastern store has opened in DFC. It's awesome to have the only thing of anything."

Hilton said: "[The Middle East] is a very important market and I know I have many fans here so I want to be able to visit them and bring them my product lines. Later this year we will release more of my products."

Interestingly, Hilton's visit to Dubai is not only set to benefit the emirate financially; it could also have a huge impact on spreading the word about Dubai's culture and traditions, said Emirati filmmaker Nayla al Khaja, CEO of D-Seven Motion Pictures.

Unfortunately, as with all celebrity associations, some organisers have been left red-faced. Rumours were rife that Hilton would host a party at Cavalli Club and/or The 400 last night. However, she denied the news on her Twitter page, requesting club management and event organisers to stop misusing her name to promote their venues. When Emirates Business contacted Pragma Group, managers of both clubs, a spokesperson refused to confirm or deny the allegations, saying it was too early to say anything.

This precautionary measure was not surprising considering InterContinental' Bed Lounge's opening – which claimed to feature Hilton on Wednesday night– was a washout when the star denied the news, saying the organisers had falsely promoting the event using her name.


The bed lounge controversy

Concept PR, which represents the organisers of The Bed Lounge, released the following statement: "Concept Events and The Talent Brokers sought the necessary approvals from the InterContinental DFC for the promotion of the opening of The Bed Lounge including a Paris Hilton appearance. These activities were undertaken on the understanding that the guest would be present at the launch. Local organisers and TV producers handling Ms Hilton's visit advised a changed decision after an agreement was made, which was unbeknown to us at the time of going to press."

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