The total spend on media monitoring and coverage analysis in the Gulf rose sharply in 2008, reaching the $25 million mark in the first ten months of the year, of which 20 per cent was government spend, said a media expert.

The ongoing global credit crunch has actually boosted media monitoring and analysis operations in the Gulf, with many private and public companies increasing their media analysis budgets, said Mohamed Elzubeir, head of Mediastow, the leading media advisory and intelligence agency in the Mena region.

'The monitoring industry actually shines in times of crises as companies need accurate market data to make informed decisions and know better their standing in the market and hidden perceptions of their products. Companies now believe that knowledge is power and they are investing heavily, keeping this aspect in mind,' he explained.

Elzubeir added that media monitoring provides insights into a company’s operations, competitors and industry trends, fuelled by the professionalism of the media community that supports effective media monitoring results.-TradeArabia News Service