Meridian Communications

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about our services.

What does Meridian actually do?

Media relations and press office, thought leadership and executive profiling, launch and funding announcements, crisis and issues management, and corporate content. We work in English and Arabic across the GCC. We are not a performance marketing or paid social agency, though we brief and coordinate with the ones our clients use.

How much does a retainer cost?

Our standard monthly retainer starts at AED 18,000 for a single-market programme and AED 32,000 for a full GCC programme with Arabic media. Minimum commitment is six months, because coverage compounds and a three-month test rarely proves anything. Project work such as a single launch starts at AED 25,000.

Which sectors do you know best?

Fintech and financial services, venture capital and private equity, hospitality and F&B, and consumer technology. Between them they account for roughly 80% of our current book, so the journalist relationships in those beats are already warm. We take on adjacent sectors selectively and will say so on the call if we are not the right fit.

Can you guarantee coverage?

No credible agency can, and any that does is buying placements rather than earning them. What we do commit to in writing is activity and quality: a set number of pitches per month, named target publications, and a monthly report showing pitches sent, responses, coverage secured and share of voice against your named competitors.

How quickly can you start?

Onboarding takes two to three weeks from signed contract. Week one is a messaging and audit workshop, week two is media mapping and spokesperson prep, and outbound pitching normally begins in week three. For a dated announcement we can compress this to ten days if the spokespeople are available.

Do you handle Arabic media?

Yes. We have two native Arabic writers in house and translate rather than machine-convert every release, because a badly localised quote gets a story spiked. Arabic media relations across Al Bayan, Al Khaleej, Asharq Al-Awsat and the regional business press is included in the GCC retainer tier.

What do you need from a client to make this work?

A nominated spokesperson who can be available at short notice, sign-off inside 24 hours on time-sensitive statements, and honest early warning about anything commercially sensitive. Programmes stall on approval bottlenecks far more often than on media appetite.

How do you handle a crisis or a negative story?

Retained clients have a 24/7 escalation line to a senior counsel, not an account executive. We aim to be on a call inside 60 minutes, produce a holding statement inside two hours and a full position paper the same day. Crisis retainers for non-clients start at AED 40,000 for a defined engagement.

What happens on the first consultation?

It is 45 minutes, free, and deliberately diagnostic rather than a pitch. We ask about your commercial objective, current visibility, the announcements in your next two quarters and your budget range, then tell you whether a retainer, a project or nothing at all is the right answer. You get a written summary within two working days.