Following a previous post referring to a provocative forex campaign, I’ve met the man behind it, Dekel Shahrur. In an interview to Forex Crunch, he brings an insight of an outsider about the world of forex. How can forex reach out to the average Frenchman that enjoys a fresh baguette and the aroma of coffee?
Dekel Shahrur is the CEO of his own media company, which does online and offline campaigns that combine both advertisements and public relations.
Forex trading can be for everyone
When you first received a forex campaign at your desk, what was your first impression?
“The word forex sounded like Greek to me. The word itself, and many terms deter the average person. The first notion is that forex is for the rich or for economists. The terminology makes people step away before making their first position.
When I began exploring the world of forex, I started by doing research, using my skills as a journalist. I found that it isn’t as complicated as I thought. Forex isn’t only for economists or businessmen. It can be for everyone.
The daily quote of the exchange rate on TV isn’t correlated with forex trading. This is different than the stock exchange, where lots of people trade, without any formal education.”
Euro with a beer, Yen with Sushi
As someone that features advertisements here in Forex Crunch, I became curious about the way that forex advertisements are created.I asked Shahrur how he made his first forex campaign:
“My first forex campaign was for the German market. In order to connect forex trading to the masses, I needed to know them better. I took a flight to Berlin (from Tel Aviv, Y.E.), and began listening and talking to the locals in a “documentary way”.
By speaking to Germans, having a beer and a hot dog with them, I got to know what interests them, and which public figures are dominant in their lives.
The German chancellor Angela Merkel, especially around the elections, appeals to them much more than Jim Cramer or George Soros. By taking known figures that interest the public, I can reach out to a bigger audience. Lawyers, teachers, cafe owners and people of many more professions have the means and the will to trade, but have no clue about forex.”
Forex drama
The advertisement with the boxing ring caught my eye, and I wrote about it. I’m used to advertisements, and I’m sometimes “blind” to them. But this one was different. I asked Shahrur what made his advertisement unique
“I studied dramaturgy in the university, so I bring a lot of drama from the world of theater into my campaigns. Ads that just tell people what to do, especially when they ask people to deposit money, like in forex, won’t work well. Advertisements that think “out of the box”, and make people think will work better, and make the audience feel more comfortable.
In addition, I do most of the brainstorming out of the office. Many copywriters sit in fancy offices and charge the customers for brainstorm sessions. These places might be comfortable, but don’t supply the necessary inspiration and the necessary connections to the people out there.
Before starting the campaign, it’s important to get out of the office, meet people on the streets and feel them. The “brilliant idea” that we thought of might not talk to someone on the street. I add the baguette’s smell to a French campaign, drip some local German beer into a German campaign, and fly to Barcelona to add some flamenco dance to the campaign, so that the customers will shout Ole!
It seems that forex is rather known online, but isn’t known to the masses that watch television and aren’t connected to the computer all day. More dramatical campaigns appeal more to such people.”
Forex trading with a soul
After feeling the forex industry, I asked Shahrur what’s currently missing in the industry.
“I found that the customer support in many forex companies lacks a soul. All the representatives are professional, have a good understanding of the forex markets and the terminology, but aren’t really connected with the traders on a personal level, knowing the customer’s world.
I feel that some of these representatives are in a “bubble”, sitting in some international headquarters and speaking with someone on the other side of the globe without real communication.
Forex trading is very interesting and much less complicated than the current image it has. It can reach so many people out there.”
This concludes the interview with Dekel Shahrur. You’re most welcome to ask him additional questions in the comments, or approach him directly. He can be reached by email, or by phone: +972-544557367.
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