Najla al-Thani from Stenden University will represent Qatar in the ninth edition of the Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) Apprenticeship Programme next month.
She is among the 17 students from across the Middle East and North Africa who have secured a spot in the programme, as announced by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), organisers of DSS.
The participants will convene in Dubai on August 15 for the destination-marketing internship.
During the selection process, each student was asked to submit an essay on the topic: “What would you do differently for DSS 2014, in terms of promoting and positioning this event for your local market, if you were assigned the position of chief marketing officer for DSS?”.
In her winning essay, Najla said: “As chief marketing officer, I would introduce elements of creativity and innovation as well as unique advertising campaigns to attract the desired target market. In terms of the creative elements, I would launch a new eye-catching logo and slogan for DSS, as well as devise new charismatic friends for Modhesh (the festival’s mascot). This would entice fans of the event to come back and interact with Modhesh’s new pals.
“On the advertising front, I would create an application and name it ‘Where is Modhesh Today?’. This app will be able to trace Modhesh’s location at any given time and also provide the user with the list of prizes and activities that are being offered on that day. This will open a new channel of communication between the DSS brand and its target audience.”
Professor Robert Coelen, executive dean at Stenden University, said: “Najla is one of our top students and this experience is set to be a great learning experience for her. We wish her all the best.”