The Blog from Xische & Co.

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Our CEO Danish was asked to present a keynote on how ROI is measured for social media. He jumped at the opportunity because he believes asking to measure ‘ROI for social media’ is a bit like being asked to explain what the ‘ROI for a receptionist at an office is.’ It’s an absurd question. In his entertaining talk, Danish talked about why it’s the wrong question to ask, explains why brands are obsessed with nothing besides ‘number of fans’ and 6 key things to do in order to start measuring things that actually matter.

We are incredibly excited to be able to announce our collaboration with the definitive event of the year — TEDxDubai 2010. Those of you who attended the first-ever edition last year know exactly what we’re talking about. Others that have just awoken to this phenomenal opportunity to — not network, not parade your creds around — but simply connect and learn, we’re happy to welcome you to this unique experience.

What really galvanised us to this year’s event was it’s daring theme: Reboot. As simply as the jargon now appears in our daily technology-overdosed lives, I hope this year will renew its meaning for many. The culture of failure isn’t exactly the most palatable cup of tea for anybody, least of all in the region. I for one am looking forward to seeing untold stories make their way onto the huge red letter ‘X’ that will mark the stage in 4 weeks.

The new website helps reflect the theme of reinvention starting with the color palette. It is not a fancy online presence, just a clean and simple one. The team wanted to let the stories and the many ensuing conversations take centre-stage, and I think the site’s visual language helps achieve that.

But the real adrenalin shot for us is the registration process for the event. We’re thrilled to be able to make the event as ticket-less as possible. Your entry will require a simple barcode scanned straight off your smartphone to walk right in. This, we are immensely proud of.

TEDxDubai.com has now rebooted.

The latest issue of Dubai’s lifestyle magazine 4Men carries a feature by ace wordsmith Hisham Wyne profiling our CEO Danish Farhan as one of the Dubai’s rising young entrepreneurs.

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“Entrepreneurs and the businesses they engender are the lifeblood of the new economy where emphasis is slowly shifting to the hyper local. Despite the cards sometimes being stacked against them, several young entrepreneurs in Dubai have started viable businesses through dint of competence and persistence.”

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Some of you might have attended our CEO Danish Farhan’s keynote yesterday at Social Media World as part of The Internet Show in Abu Dhabi. Danish wanted to share his slides, so here they are. If you’ve been to one of his talks, you’ll know that its the ideas that drive the presentation, not the slides!

Thanks to all for the applause and the absolutely fabulous response and interaction!

Social Media World MENA brings together the region’s leading consumer brands, social networks, and their partners. As consumers open up to new channels, brands across the region are under pressure to develop a social strategy that works and delivers ROI.

Our CEO, Danish Farhan will be delivering a keynote address at the conference tomorrow, titled Of Banks and Movies: Social Media in the UAE. He’s let slip to us that the talk will feature two prominent social media stories that Xische has been a part of: RAKBANK and City of Life. If you’re around, make sure not to miss it!

Update: Some Twitter mentions from the conference (more…)

The interview below was originally published on PSFK.com

Not many individuals in the Middle East can speak with as much authority as Dubai’s Danish Farhan, CEO of Xische. Having lived in Dubai for well over 20 years, and having a client roster that boasts the region’s leading brands, he offers insight into the future of media in the Middle East and the growing role of technology in the region. (more…)

Art Dubai is the definitive art fair of the Middle East, bringing collectors, artists and art professionals from across the Middle East and South Asia to our bustling city. We’re big fans and routinely take time off during the fair to do little else but soak it all in.

A few days ago, Antonia Carver — the brand new director of Art Dubai — called to say they wanted us to come in and talk about that “social media stuff” everybody seems to be talking about. And well, our chief Danish Farhan has a little crash-course he calls ‘Weapons of Mass Attraction’ — a cultural, sometimes techy, but mostly fun chat about the world of social media. And that’s exactly what we went in with. (more…)