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Manus on Markets: Firing Fed chair divides White House
From tariff turmoil and stock shocks to market meltdowns, the global financial system has never been in such flux. Manus Cranny, The National's geo-economics editor, cuts through the noise and presents insights from the stories making headlines around the world.
Campaign ME
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Franklin Templeton campaign marks 25 years, recommits to the Middle East
Franklin Templeton, a global leader in asset management, has revealed its integrated marketing campaign to mark its 25th anniversary in the Middle East. The integrated campaign was rolled out in the form of radio spots, out-of-home advertising such as on the Dubai tram, print media – including prominent regional publications such as The National, Gulf News and Khaleej Times – as well as across social media and YouTube content. Beyond highlighting the brand's presence in the UAE since 2000, and in DIFC since 2004, the campaign also aimed to reaffirm Franklin Templeton's brand promise of being 'Your trusted partner for what's ahead'. Balaji Vaidyanathan, Head of Marketing for Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (CEEMEA) at Franklin Templeton, said, 'This isn't just about trust; it's about looking forward and being dedicated to the future of investment in this vibrant landscape. We weren't just looking back at our history, but also as a testament to our continuous evolution and innovation within the region. Beyond celebrating our history, the campaign was about reaffirming our commitment across the Middle East.' Franklin Templeton multi-channel campaign roll out While the creatives and video content for Franklin Templeton's campaigns were produced in-house by its dedicated team, the brand partnered with specialised agencies for various aspects of the rollout. The radio spot was developed in collaboration with ARN ABC – Arabian Radio Network to ensure the message resonated effectively on air. For the highly visible tram campaign, the brand partnered with Info Media Group. 'This blend of in-house expertise and strategic agency partnerships allowed us to maintain creative control while leveraging external specialists for their specific channel proficiency,' Vaidyanathan added. The Franklin Templeton campaign leaned into a mix of channels to boost visibility, maximise impact and audience engagement. Vaidyanathan explained, 'For print media, we began by partnering with prominent regional publications such as Khaleej Times and Gulf News to secure front-page advertisements, leveraging their credibility and visibility to reach our target audience effectively.' He added, 'Our digital campaign utilised programmatic advertising on platforms such as DV360. The impressive viewability rates, significantly exceeding industry benchmarks of 50 per cent to 60 per cent, demonstrated that our ads were effectively placed and captured audience attention, successfully driving them to our dedicated campaign landing page.' Complementing this, Franklin Templeton's impact buys with Khaleej Times and The National yielded high click-through rates (CTR), indicating strong audience engagement and effective messaging. Franklin Templeton also leveraged social media, particularly LinkedIn, to publish a mix of static and video content, which also surpassed industry benchmarks for engagement, thanks in part to its employee brand ambassador programme. Vaidyanathan said, 'This initiative was designed to capture the attention of our target audience in a highly visible and memorable way within a key urban area.' He added, 'This integrated, multi-channel approach ensured that the campaign resonated across various touchpoints, significantly enhancing both our visibility and engagement with the diverse audience in the UAE and the wider region. Franklin Templeton is focusing primarily on the UAE for this campaign, given its long-standing presence and commitment to this key market. Success metrics of the campaign Franklin Templeton defined a range of metrics to define the campaign's success, which fell into three main categories. First, the brand looked at consideration metrics, which included engagement on ads – specifically click-through rates (CTR) and view-through rates (VTR) – as well as visits to the campaign page and the time spent there. This helped the brand understand how well the campaign content resonated with our audience. Vaidyanathan said, 'A key video created for YouTube captured viewers' attention, far exceeded the industry benchmark for skippable ads on YouTube, which is 40 per cent to 50 percent, demonstrating its ability to captivate viewers. The campaign also targeted financial professionals through B2B publishers such as Citywire. Additionally, we ran targeted radio ads on Dubai Eye during peak commute times and launched an out-of-home advertising initiative with a branded tram in Dubai Marina.' The brand also tracked awareness metrics, including the total number of impressions, reach, frequency, video views and circulation for print ads. These metrics gave the brand insight into how broadly the campaign was seen and how often our audience was exposed to it. 'Additionally, we monitored channel-specific metrics. For our digital campaign, this meant tracking impressions, clicks, CTR, and viewability rate for both programmatic and impact buys. On LinkedIn, we looked at impressions, CTR and VTR. On YouTube, we tracked impressions, views, and VTR. For print ads, we considered daily average circulation, total readership per copy, and opportunity to see (OTS),' Vaidyanathan added. By using these metrics, the brand aimed to reinforce Franklin Templeton's reputation as a trusted partner and leader in the Middle East's investment sector. The campaign is scheduled to run for a duration of three months, from July to September 2025.
The National
3 days ago
- The National
From wall climbing to a serene wellness centre, why this Phuket resort caters to every kind of traveller
Spread over 24 hectares, surrounded by the Sirirat National Park and overlooking the Andaman Sea, Anantara Layan Phuket Resort offers a peaceful getaway from the hustle and bustle of the Thai island 's main tourist town. With the promise of diverse dining options, a wellness centre and varied activities, The National checks into the property to find out whether it truly offers an all-round rejuvenating getaway. The welcome A loud gong announces my arrival to staff at the front desk, who quickly take my luggage and passport. I am welcomed with a fragrant floral wristband, cold towel, refreshing butterfly pea and lemon tea, and a goji berry and nut snack. After about 10 minutes, I am escorted to my room on a buggy and my luggage follows swiftly. The room The resort has 76 rooms across 13 categories. I stay in a spacious deluxe pool villa. The decor blends traditional Thai architecture with modern Asian influences; white walls are offset by dark wooden furniture and accents. Hotel room essentials are all available – there is a mini bar, which contains chargeable snacks and drinks, as well as complimentary teas and coffees. A safe, robes and slippers, as well as an umbrella (an essential for tropical Phuket) are inside the wardrobe, while there is also a wicker bag that guests can use for the beach or pool. There is a large desk in the room, with ample charging points to power up all devices. Complimentary toiletries are by The Essence of Anantara Spa brand and are available in refillable containers. I particularly like the fragrant lavender, ylang-ylang and lemongrass bath salts in little jars next to the stand-alone bathtub on the deck. Outside my room I have a private pool, which is cleaned every day during my stay, and a deck where I can bask in the sunshine in solitude. Spa and wellness Layan Life Wellness Centre is a minimalist building in a quiet corner of the hotel grounds, surrounded by lush foliage and a pond. The centre offers treatments that encompass beauty and wellness. The property is also home to a spa, which offers treatments that use freshly grown herbs from the garden next to it. Treatments at the spa start from 4,700 baht ($145), but the signature massage, at 5,885 baht, I am told, is one of the most popular. There is also a salon on site. Hotel facilities There are three pools at the hotel and a stretch of private beach. Guests can partake in a number of activities, including tennis, wall climbing, pottery and one of the longest ziplines in Phuket. Located on the cliffside of the active zone, the 400-metre long zipline is suspended 15 metres above ground and offers panoramic views of Layan beach. There are also water activities on offer, including kayaking and paddle boarding. Family-friendly factor Little ones can play with clay and dabble in other arts and crafts in the children's club. There are also plenty of outdoor activities, such as nature discovery trails and an in-house farm. For those who would rather do something more sporty, the active zone has a children's area, which has a separate pool and slides for little ones. The hotel also caters to teenagers, with archery, foosball, air hockey, snooker and Muay Thai boxing on offer. The food Guests are spoilt for choice at this hotel when it comes to food. Breeze restaurant, which serves Italian food, has a separate multi-cuisine wellness menu with dishes that are wholesome and nutritious. My personal favourites are the delicious and spicy som tam salad (700 baht) and lamb fillet koftas (1,200 baht), as well as the sumac-saffron marinated chicken (900 baht). The red fruit cheesecake (600 baht) is a delicious guilt-free dessert option. The floor above Breeze, where breakfast is served, turns into a Zuma restaurant in the evening; I spot several well-heeled guests dining late into the night at the popular international Japanese venue. My best meals are at the Thai restaurant, Dara, where Khun Jenny and Khun Bee offer recommendations for their top dishes and drinks. The offerings here are elevated, well-balanced and taste extremely fresh thanks to the restaurant's approach of cooking with vegetables grown at the hotel's farm. My favourite dishes include peek gai yang (chicken wings with sea salt, lime and spices; 530 baht), pad Thai noodles (980 baht) and khao man koeng kai (black sticky rice, coconut butter, yellow curry and chicken roulade; 850 baht). The mango sticky rice (450 baht) is among the best I've had. The hotel is also home to Age, an industrial-chic restaurant that is known for its meat dishes. It has a room of dry-aged meats, allowing diners to choose their cuts. Age also offers a selection of oysters and caviar, alongside fresh seafood dishes. I am not a major meat eater but, thankfully, they have chicken options on the menu and I quite enjoy digging into my flat iron baby chicken (980 baht) with a side of Dauphinoise potatoes (200 baht). The breakfast scene The breakfast spread is impressive. As well as staple buffet options – eggs, baked goods, yoghurts etc – the highlight is the hotel's range of multi-cuisine offerings. I notice new dishes in the halal section each day, and there are also Indian options and several Asian dishes on offer. I find the fruit station particularly impressive, with its array of freshly cut Thai fruits, such as papaya, mango, watermelon and dragon fruit. The station also allows guests to create their own acai bowls. I am not the only fan, either; the hotel's rescue macaw pops by for breakfast every morning, demanding his fair share of the fruits. The wellness corner is another highlight, with a variety of fruit-and-nut-based snacks on offer. Insider tip The hotel's Thai restaurant, Dara, offers stargazing experiences. When the weather permits, guests can book a spot to see the night sky from the observatory on the rooftop. The telescope here is the largest in Phuket. The service In a word: flawless. From the staff at the wellness centre and concierge, to the room cleaners and the servers at the restaurant, I am always greeted with a smile and a polite 'sawadee kha', and every request is attended to quickly. Accessibility and sustainability Most of the resort is set on ground level, but there are lifts wherever necessary, such as the building that houses Breeze and the rooftop bar. However, I did not see any ramps. The hotel has a focus on sustainability, with refillable toiletries and reusable water bottles. The bottom line The deluxe pool villa costs from Dh2,018 ($549) a night. Check-in is from 3pm, check-out is at noon.
