Problems and Prospects on the Evolution of Advertising and Public Relations Industries in Oman

Authors:
Sangeeta Tripathi , Muna Al-Shahri

Addresses:
1,2 Department of Mass Communication, University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Dhofar, Sultanate of Oman. sangeetakapil.234@gmail.com1, muna.alshahri.sal@cas.edu.om2

Abstract:

In this article, the researchers foregrounded media convergence that transformed old established media, PR (Public Relations), and advertising industries into new forms. Though the Omani government is encouraged to facilitate the PR and advertising industry by giving several licenses, universities offer PR and advertising courses to fulfil the national job requirement. However, this enthusiasm is not appearing in the Omani PR and advertising industry as the PR field practices need to be more organized, which shows an identity issue in public relations. This research paper argues how these issues are connected with company management's attitude towards PR functioning and why the Omani advertising industry is limited to a particular advertising area. Qualitative and quantitative methods are applied. Three sets of questionnaires have been devised in Arabic and English languages to facilitate a better understanding of different terminologies. Through the purposive sampling technique, 150 respondents were surveyed and interviewed. SPSS software has been used to analyze the data. The remainder provides insightful findings that indicate a substantial gap between the fundamental concept of PR and the practical approaches of private and public companies. It also explains the reasons for the uneven development of advertising industries in Oman. This pilot study will help as a reference document in Policymaking for the growth of PR and advertising industries in Oman and the Omanization process.

Keywords: Public Relations and Advertising; Industries; Media; Communication; Technology; Omani Government; Arabic and English Languages; Business Scenarios, Communication Process.

Received on: 16/11/2022, Revised on: 25/12/2022, Accepted on: 19/02/2023, Published on: 05/03/2023

FMDB Transactions on Sustainable Management Letters, 2023 Vol. 1 No. 1, Pages: 1-11

  • Views : 1105
  • Downloads : 7
  • Cited by: 34
Download PDF