Campaign Middle East - March 2023

2022 MENA Agency Of The Year Dubai Lynx

2022 MENA Network Of The Year Dubai Lynx

2022 MENA Agency Of The Year Cannes Lions

2022 Global Agency Of The Year MadStars

2022 MEA Agency Of The Year Loeries

2022 MEA Network Of The Year Loeries

2022 Mea Agency Of The Year LIA

2022 Campaign Global Agency of the Year for ME

2022 Campaign ME Agency of the Year

2022 Communicate Agency Of The Year

Only one agency could have run this ad.

Dubai Lynx announces Khaled AlShehhi as Advertising Person of the Year 2023

Dubai Lynx, MENA’s Festival and Awards for creative excellence in branded communications, has announced Khaled AlShehhi as Advertising Person of the Year, Outstanding Contribution. One of the Festival’s most prestigious awards, it celebrates an individual who has made a significant contribution to MENA advertising in the prior year.

Philip Thomas, Chairman, Lions and Dubai Lynx, said, “AlShehhi has shown significant commitment to transforming the communications industry in the UAE and using creativity to drive progress across the MENA region. We’re delighted to honour him with this award.”

AlShehhi is a transformational marketing leader who’s reshaping government communications. He has changed the way the UAE Government communicates and his approach to creativity has made AlShehhi an important and inspiring speaker around the worldsharing the how governments’ creativity can be turned on.

His creative strategies have resulted in the UAE Government Media Office being awarded over 200 awards at some of the most prestigious creative and marketing shows around the world, including Cannes Lions, Dubai Lynx and WARC. AlShehhi has earned leadership roles at the Global CMO Growth Council established by Cannes Lions and the ANA,

New York Festival AME Advisory Council, Brand Advisory Board (BAB) for The World Media Group, Strategy Board Member in the Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) and Executive Board Member in The Public Relations and Communications Association. AlShehhi was the winner of the World Media Award (WMA) for Content Leadership & Innovation for 2022 and the Honorary Award of the 2022 Effie MENA.

AlShehhi, executive director of marketing and communication at UAE Government Media Office, said, “Looking at the impressive pedigree of previous recipients, joining the exclusive club of Advertising Person of the Year at Dubai Lynx is an immense and amazing honour. In the marketing roles I have held in the last few years, I have been driven by the desire to innovate and achieve the best results possible for our humanitarian or nation-building campaigns. All I wanted was to serve my country to the best of my abilities and being awarded this title for me is the validation that I have met this ambition. This is the recognition of a lot of hard work by my team and the industry partners who inspire and support us, bound as we are by the same mission and dream. I not only thank them all but also dedicate this trophy to them as well. Advertising is the fruit of collaboration.”

Grey MENA wins Al-Futtaim IKEA

Grey MENA has announced its appointment as the creative and strategic agency for Al-Futtaim IKEA in the UAE, Qatar and Oman region. The account win follows a competitive pitch process involving five network agencies. As the lead creative and strategy agency partner, Grey will be responsible for developing Al-Futtaim IKEA’s creative communication campaigns, positioning, and supporting its growth and expansion across these markets.

ABAAD DIRTY LAUNDRY

honour and dignity of

Carla Klumpenaar, GM – marketing, communication & interior design, Al-Futtaim IKEA, UAE, Qatar, Egypt & Oman, said: “As a brand, we are connected with our consumers with everything we do, and our aim is to create a better everyday life for many people. Grey offers a like-minded approach driven to fulfil the IKEA vision by creating campaigns that inspire and emotionally connect with the consumer at every touchpoint.”

Leo Burne Beirut and ABAAD teamed up with multi-disciplinary artist Remie Akl to launch ‘Dirty Laundry’, a bold take on silencing and shaming rape victims. The film opens with the radically poetic Akl, explaining how survivors of sexual abuse in Lebanon are taught to hide their ‘dirty laundry’ from everyone, and to believe they are responsible for carrying the

their entire family, so they must stay silent.

Khaled AlShehhi is the executive director of marketing and communication at UAE Government Media Office

Dentsu launches Dentsu Creative in MENA; merges Denstu MEA, John Brown Media and Isobar into one

globally in June 2022 at Cannes Lions by Fred Levon who is now the global chief creative officer of Denstu Creative. According to a statement, “Dentsu Creative is poised to transform brands and businesses through the lens of modern creativity, which looks to deliver ideas that create culture, change society and invent the future.”

Fred Levron, global chief creative officer, said, “Dentsu Creative is answering the need of a global creative network designed for the modern world. Clients, talent and the industry at large are craving a change: in the way we build brands, in the way we collaborate and in the role we give to creativity. If the current players have set the rules of the previous century, we have the ambition to set the rules for the decades to come.”

Denstu

Dentsu has announced the launch of the new global creative network, Dentsu Creative, in the region.

The launch aims to unite its creative agencies and expand its entertainment, earned attention and experience capabilities. It is also a part of a broader strategy aimed at simplifying client engagement and creativity.

Regionally led by Ziad Ghorayeb, Denstu Creative MENA will see the consolidation of Dentsu MEA, John Brown Media and Isobar to form one creative brand with offices in Dubai, Cairo and Riyadh. Commenting on the local

Media and Isobar to form one creative brand launch, Ziad Ghorayeb, managing director, said, “As a relatively young creative brand with rapidly expanding scale and over 70 creative experts across the region, we have all the right ingredients to totally rethink the creative agency model and reinvent the way we build brands and businesses for the modern world. With creative magic at our core, rich heritage and an incredibly talented team, we are looking forward to creating ideas that are big enough to live everywhere, bold enough to chart new executional territory and rich enough to connect personally with global audiences.”

The new agency was initially announced

The new agency network is fuelled by horizontal creativity – a creativity designed to unify people, their capabilities and the delivery for clients. Drawing on Dentsu’s Japanese heritage, Dentsu Creative aims to offer a simplified, modern creative proposition that answers clients’ need to break down agency silos and connect talent around the right opportunities at the right time.

This is not the group’s first time breaking down agency silos and bringing businesses together. In December last year, the Global CEO of Dentsu international Wendy Clark stepped down from her position after her position was made redundant as a part of a global reorganisation. The restructure was aimed at combining Dentsu’s two subsidiaries, Dentsu International and Dentsu Japan, into one operation. Dentsu is pursuing a ‘One Dentsu’ strategy of bringing the Dentsu Japan and Dentsu International businesses closer.

AL-FUTTAIM IKEA COUCH COUNSELLING STA DISCOVER ANOTHER SIDE OF YOURSELF IN ARABIA

In the limited time activation, Al-Fu aim IKEA aimed to offer a stress-free shopping experience for couples. To do this, the brand brought on professional relationship counsellors and therapists with whom couples could reserve consultation sessions. They could discuss any relationship issues, including decision-making around furniture. The campaign was inspired by real-life couple problems to make shoppers feel understood and normalise the challenges they may face while shopping for furniture

Agencies Impact BBDO Dubai, Impact Porter Novelli

Starring Lionel Messi, the “Discover another side of yourself in Arabia” campaign for Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) sees the Argentinian football legend explore many of Saudi Arabia’s beautiful sights and sounds – from iconic tourist hotspots and glamorous concert halls to lesser-known destinations in the great Arabian outdoors. The campaign marks a new chapter in Saudi Arabian tourism which is now aiming to be one of the fastest growing leisure and lifestyle destinations in the world.

Agency FP7 McCann Dubai Production house City Films

Creative MENA will see the consolidation of Dentsu MEA, John Brown

OMG launches TRKKN in the Middle East and hires Badiani

Omnicom Media Group (OMG), the media services division of Omnicom Group Inc., announced the launch of its dedicated Google Marketing Platform and Google Cloud Platform consultancy TRKKN in the region.

Founded in Germany in 2008 as Trakken, the analytics, marketing and cloud technology consultancy has become one of the largest Google Marketing Platform (GMP) and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) resellers in Europe. It was acquired by OMG in 2015 and has expanded to 14 markets in APAC, Europe and North America.

Under OMG’s ownership, TRKKN’s offering has expanded from Google reseller to also include a wide range of services to help clients manage their Google Marketing and cloud stack, including digital analytics, ad tech, conversion optimisation, advanced analytics and AI, cloud engineering, training and support, advanced builds and full strategy planning across Google products.

Elda Choucair, CEO of Omnicom Media Group MENA, said, “We’re thrilled to now bring the global TRKKN brand and its advanced offering to our markets, as it will help advertisers capitalise on the scale and scope of the Google Stack. With the launch of this established Google Marketing and Cloud partner, we will be even better placed to accelerate our clients’ digital

transformation. Our mission is to help them build deeper consumer connections and increase their digital efficiency with technology.” She also announced that Vimal Badiani will lead the new consultancy’s Middle East operations. “I am also delighted to welcome Vimal Badiani to OMG MENA as TRKKN’s managing director for the Middle East. His deep understanding of the marketing and technology landscape, combined with his passion for driving results, make him the perfect person to lead TRKKN and

MMPWW acquired by LifeOnScreen

MMP World Wide (MMPWW) has announced its acquisition by LifeOnScreen in a AED 110 million deal that will see the programmatic company be integrated into state of art technology for screens and Digital Out-Of-Home (DOOH) solutions.

The deal will allow LifeOnScreen to advance further into the digital and tech space, consolidating the full MMPWW portfolio and aid expansion into new markets. A key draw for the acquisition, MMPWW’s strong foothold across the EMEA and APAC will strengthen LifeOnScreen’s presence in these countries and broaden its current offering.

deliver value and agility to our clients.”

Vimal Badiani joins TRKKN from Dentsu group’s Merkle MENA where he held the same position. Badiani said, “As the digital ecosystem becomes increasingly fragmented, clients need expertise to effectively manage their Google Marketing infrastructure. We’re meeting this demand with our team of experts who are renowned for their ability to impart insightful clarity, deliver substantial value, and ensure complete transparency in their operations.”

Alexandre Hawari, CEO of Akama Holding said: “Today we announce the successful sale of our entire stake in MMPWW. The sale yielded a 22x return on Akama’s initial investment, resulting in a significant return for its investors.”

MMPWW CEO, Ayman Haydar said,“The transition has been smooth and I know I speak for all of my team when I say we welcome the opportunity to advance to the next level with the full backing of LifeOnScreen. We’re delighted that our new owner can see the value in what MMP has built.”

The company has said that further announcements on the new company structure will be made in due course.

SUN AND SAND SPORTS COMMIT TO NOTHING GREENPEACE VANISHING SYMBOL

The campaign

tackle the perceptions a ributed to sports. The campaign film surprises viewers and inspires them to defy judgement and unapologetically express themselves while trying something new. It intends to shift the narrative of commi ing to just one sport and redefine having fun without the pressure of commitment

Agency Mother London Production house Radical Media London Director Dave Meyers

Greenpeace created an interactive donation platform, ArzePay.com, to raise funds against the extinction of the Lebanese cedar tree Arze. Through the use of machine learning and built-in cameras, users must first scan an image of a cedar design or illustration to prompt the next steps of making a donation. This serves as a stark reminder to all that the Arze is an omnipresent symbol of national pride that needs to be preserved in reality.

Agency Digitas Dubai

features world-renowned American DJ, record producer and rapper DJ Khaled out and about to

Vimal Badiani will lead the new consultancy’s managing operations as managing director

INDUSTRY FORUM:

Will Ramadan budgets be scaled back this year?

Hatem Fakih

Business director at UM KSA

NORamadan is the advertising season which some brands use and build on for the rest of the year. We don’t consider only four weeks as Ramadan since categories like food build on pre-Ramadan which planners also consider to be Ramadan budgets. The Ramadan season starts two weeks before the holy month and continues for a week after.

We might see that big advertisers are reducing budgets, but this is compensated through many local brands since this is the only season for them to be present and benefit from the higher viewership and the audience's watching habits on TV and streaming platforms.

The industry might see a drop in one media vs. another, but this doesn’t mean that brands are investing in other media or platforms where the audience has become fragmented and diversity of media selection in reaching them is a necessity.

Jamal Al Mawed

Founder and managing director at Gambit Communications

Ahmed Hamza

Senior account director at TBWA\RAAD

NORamadan is and has always been the Super Bowl of the region’s advertising. The resulting increase in media space demand makes companies amp up their spending to ensure maximum exposure. This won’t change. What should change, however, is where budgets are invested.

While a Ramadan campaign’s success hinges on a distinct brand message championed by a memorable brand experience, it also requires a different budget distribution that’s tailored to the occasion and audience. This calls for a shift in budget allocation: moving away from a one-size-fits-all method to a multidisciplinary approach. All to invest smarter and connect better.

NO

If anything, they will be at their highest in the past five years. Given the highly inflated market, brands need to spend more to get the same platforms, media, suppliers and influencers that they have worked with before, so budget increases are a must. In addition, this Ramadan falls within the crucial phase of the end of Q1 and the beginning of Q2, so we expect brands to be aggressive with spending and activities to make sure they don’t fall behind.

NORamadan is a significant cultural moment in the region, a time of connection and reflection. Brands will be seeking to go bigger and bolder this Ramadan.   In recent years, there’s been rapid adoption of the latest tools and technologies, including AR and AI, so we can expect to see more developed iterations that give customers an immersive shopping experience. Budgets will increase as brands move from traditional e-commerce to an omnichannel approach, providing consumers with more channels to purchase from, supported by Research Online and Purchase Offline (ROPO) and conversion API. Brands should be focusing on a mobile-first strategy, with higher attention on short-form video ad formats as consumers will be spending more time on social media due to Ramadan working hours.

Ian Drinkwater

Managing director at Performance Communications

NO

Ramadan is one of the most important annual marks on the calendar for retail – across many sectors including automotive, luxury and technology, and this year will be no different. In fact, with Ramadan falling earlier this year during the cooler period, the opportunity for retail and marketers is even greater than when it falls in the peak of summer. The population of the region will be higher, from both residents and also tourists, leaving brands more opportunity to take advantage of activities such as outdoor events and OOH, resulting in brands spending more this year.

Dalya Bahanshal

Performance marketing manager at Assembly

Senior media manager at Havas Media Middle East

NODespite the unfortunate recent disruptions and difficulties, Ramadan remains a holy occasion when people come together and celebrate family, blessings and happiness.

So, brands will increase their spends during Ramadan and Eid as TV and digital video consumption increase by around 80 per cent and 40 per cent respectively.

As advertising during Ramadan is seen as a valuable opportunity to reach a captive audience, brands should be smart about the way they advertise the messages that can help them create meaningful connections with consumers. This is also an opportunity to connect with consumers on a much deeper level and to create tailored content that is unique to our region.

YESRamadan is known to be the month when brands communicate heavily to engage with their audience. While TV is the key medium for brands to tell their stories, many brands are shifting their budgets towards the digital landscape. Consumers are becoming more interested in dynamic content, prompting brands to invest in high-ROI platforms such as TikTok.

As a result, social media continues to be an avenue for brands to connect with their audience through targeted, interactive and engaging content, allowing them to achieve better returns on their marketing investment.

They’ll remain relatively flat vs last year. Ramadan is the biggest spending occasion of the year for most brands. Though annual budgets are being squeezed, this is unlikely to dramatically impact Ramadan budgets specifically, given the significant opportunity this season affords brands to connect with consumers in a meaningful way.

NO

What we can expect to see is a further shift away from predominantly traditional plans, towards predominantly digital plans. And a focus on platform-first content ideas and experiential brand experiences, as the push for both efficiencies and effectiveness, is driving marketers to more closely consider how to best reach and resonate with consumers this Ramadan season.

NOTraditionally, Ramadan sees an increase in advertising investment, and this year will be no exception. While the IMF warns of recession risks resulting from global geopolitical and economic challenges, economies in MENA, particularly KSA and Egypt, have proven resilient and maintain high growth.

Beyond TV advertising, brands will capitalise on the moment with augmented reality filters, virtual stores, messenger bots and mobile videos as the average user will spend more time on social media across multiple platforms. We expect fashion, beauty, home décor, kitchen appliances, electronics, perfumes, and gifts to be the top go-to categories for online shoppers. Meanwhile, automobile and real-estate clients will focus on capturing consumer attention to enhance their brand value in the long run while honouring the true spirit of Ramadan.

YESThe past two years have seen significant changes in consumer behaviour due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Marketing technology has advanced significantly, and consumers have also become savvier. I believe that the marketing industry will shift more towards digital channels in 2023 as consumers are now choosing to shop online for the sake of convenience rather than out of necessity, and this trend will increase during Ramadan when people tend to consume more online content as they adjust to different work schedules and connect with friends and family. Brands that place a strong emphasis on digital engagement during Ramadan will be able to target their audience more effectively and yield more meaningful results.

Nour Zeineddine Social media manager at Entourage

NORamadan budgets will see a boost in 2023. Since the last quarter of 2022, we have seen an uptake in marketing activities with new launches, events, and campaigns.

Ramadan is the opportune time for brands to connect with their communities, strengthen relationships and allow access to a wider audience base through television and social media channels. As per a report released in 2022 during the Holy Month, e-commerce sales were expected to see a 40 per cent jump compared to the same period in 2021. With the year-on-year increase in sales and the spending power standing strong in 2023, brands and marketers are sure to leverage this opportunity and boost budgets during the Holy Month.

Shauna Byrne

Group account director at FP7 McCann Dubai

Anthony Berbari Senior media planner at Fusion5

Maya Daou

Mazen Bassil

Senior account director at Impact BBDO

Shubham Gaur Performance manager at Carat

TALKING RAMADAN

Industry experts took a deep dive into Ramadan advertising and the year ahead at Campaign’s Breakfast Briefing. Here’s how it went

Campaign’s Breakfast Briefing returned for the first time in 2023 with a deep dive into Ramadan advertising. For many brands, Ramadan is the busiest time of the year, and serves as an opportunity for marketers and advertisers to connect with an audience in a way that aligns with the values of the community. Campaign’s Breakfast Briefing was an excellent opportunity to hear from platforms, agencies and brands to understand how to engage with consumers in the region, increase brand awareness and drive sales throughout the year.

Jochen Bischoff, head of consumer business partnerships MENA –Global Business Solutions, TikTok, gave the opening speech, which preceded two riveting panel discussions. ‘Customers at the Heart’ discussion featured Mehdi Moutakil, CMO, L’Oreal Middle East, Maria Poulton, managing director, UM UAE and Sumit Kapoor, director of marketing and Prime, Amazon MENA. The moderator was Sal Vakilian, CPG industry lead at Amazon Ads MENA.

A second panel discussion looked at how advertising content has evolved during Ramadan. Moderated by Aakriti Goel, head of strategy and insights at Leo Burnett, it featured Dzila Dik, marketing manager at Lego MEA, Lara Abizeid, equity innovation and marketing excellence director MENAP at Mondelez, Amer Chehab, head of agency development, Snap MENA and Mona Al Borno, UAE marketing director at Majid Al Futtaim Shopping Malls.

At the breakfast briefings, brands get visibility for what they are doing differently while agencies, production houses, tech and other solution providers get to network and understand the pain points of brands.

A full house enjoyed insights into advertising strategies

GOLD SPONSORS

PRESENTED BY Presente d b y Go ld Sponsors

Campaign editor Justin Harper

Campaign publisher Nadeem Quraishi

TikTok’s Jochen Bischoff

Panellists discussed how Ramadan advertising has evolved

Experts debated ways to put customers at the heart of ad campaigns

CREATIVITY IS KING

Legendary comedian John Cleese will be bringing his creative mind to the Dubai Lynx Festival 2023, writes Justin Harper

Taking place on March 14, the Dubai Lynx Festival 2023 is MENA’s largest gathering of the creative marketing community. Attendees are the most influential, innovative and creative minds in the region. And this year, famed comedian John Cleese will be among the top attractions.

Cleese is also an actor and writer, famous for Monty Python, Fawlty Towers and A Fish Called Wanda. At the Dubai Lynx event he will share his key ideas about creativity, which he stresses is a learnable and improvable skill.

“Many people have written or spoken about creativity, but although they were very, very clever, they weren’t actually creative. I like to think I’m writing and speaking about it from the inside,” he says.

He has written a book on the subject, called Creativity : A Short and Cheerful Guide. In it, Cleese shows us creativity is a skill that anyone can acquire. “You might think that creativity is some mysterious, rare gift – one that only a few possess. But you’d be wrong,” he adds.

Drawing on his lifelong experience as a writer, Cleese shares his insights into the nature of creativity and offers advice on how to get your own inventive juices flowing. His key questions are: What do you need to do to get yourself in the right frame of mind? When do you know that you’ve come up with an idea that might be worth pursuing? What should you do if you think you’ve hit a brick wall?

Other top speakers at Dubai Lynx Festival 2023 include Tom Beckman, the global chief creative

officer at Weber Shandwick, Damon Jones, global chief communications officer at P&G and Asmaa Quorrich, chief marketing officer at Saudi Tourism Authority.

The festival is made up of big brands, advertisers, start-ups, creative communications agencies, innovators and tech companies. As a sister festival to the globally-renowned Cannes Lions International

Festival of Creativity, it promises an extremely influential network. The high global standards ensure it is valued as the most credible and trusted awards, and content-led event in the region.

Attendees also enjoy prestigious, communityfocused networking and awe-inspiring talks and discussions. The aim is to find creative business opportunities and discuss the best solutions to key challenges facing the industry.

Bringing together leading creative minds and visionary thinkers who will share trailblazing ideas to propel the industry forward, attendees get to understand the region’s hot topics and learn about the cutting-edge technology and innovations that are enhancing the creative marketing sphere.

Among the top themes are: What’s Next for Creativity in Saudi Arabia? Future Proofing your creative skills, AR & the Future of Storytelling and Winning Strategies for Marketing in MENA. These are at the core of the newly -designed learning and development experience that will take place in a number of venues across Dubai.

Alongside the festival, The Lynx Awards celebrate creative excellence in the MENA region, enabling those who push the possibilities of creativity to compete locally and be recognised globally. There will be a Lynx party and shortlist announcements on the evening of March 14, followed by the awards ceremony on March 15.

For more details on the schedule, visit https://www.dubailynx.com/festival/schedule

Discover the diversity of our global network in one incredible skyline done by AI

/imagine Create a cinematic view of a desert skyline by combining photo-realistic images of one landmark building from each of the following cities: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Shanghai, Singapore, Riyadh, Bangalore, Cairo, and Tirana.

FROM LOCAL TO GLOBAL

Havas’ Yannick Bolloré speaks to Campaign Middle East about his group’s strong commercial momentum and global transformation while it continues to focus on innovative solutions for clients

In an industry that’s in a constant flux of change, Yannick Bolloré is known for his strategic vision and for being instrumental in driving growth and transformation. With a diverse background in finance, technology and media, Bolloré has a unique perspective on the intersection of these fields. As CEO and chairman of French advertising group Havas, and Havas’s parent company Vivendi (he is chairman of Vivendi’s supervisory board), he has led acquisitions, partnerships and digital initiatives. In an interview with Bolloré, Campaign Middle East takes a closer look at his accomplishments and his impact on the Havas Group.

Havas Middle East is being increasingly noticed globally for its work – work that was validated with international awards and the region’s first Outdoor Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity last year. It has three main pillars in the Middle East: creative, PR and media. Its creative arm is one of its most rewarded divisions. At present, two of the most promising areas for Havas Group are events and health communication. Havas is known for healthcare communication in other parts of the world such as the US, Europe and some parts of Asia, and now it is planning to grow here in the Middle East. Meanwhile, events as a discipline is growing worldwide.

Bolloré speaks about how Havas Middle East fits into Havas globally. “We see the event operations developing and it’s going to be a big part of our revenue in the coming years,” he says. “KSA is becoming a sizeable operation for us, and we are developing in the region. We recently organised the Noor Riyadh festival in October. Our teams in the Middle East and France have been partnering to create this event. We are

doing tons of things in the region and we see lots of business coming from Middle East.” He adds that the pandemic was “lethal” to events in general but clients, brands and organisations have understood the importance of live events. While it is counterintuitive, 2020 worked as an accelerator for the business of communication in general.

What did Havas do right during the pandemic? Bolloré says: “I believe our talent is our most precious asset. The first thing we did right was not laying off anyone. We were the only group in the industry that did not do layoffs and we did not cut compensation.” Being family-owned gave Havas Group the space to develop a long-term strategy. “Of course, we are concerned about the quarterly results, but our main focus is what the group will look like in 20 to 30 years,” he says.

Secondly, Havas Group continued to invest in data, customer experience and e-commerce. It enabled the group to grab e-commerce opportunities accelerated by the pandemic. Havas propelled its e-commerce business with its acquisition of e-commerce consultancy Expert Edge last year. When asked about the possibility of acquisitions in the Middle East, Bolloré doesn’t rule them out. The group has grown a lot organically in the region without acquisitions, but it is open to the idea if it finds the right company to partner with. “E-commerce is an area of focus for us,” says Bolloré. “But if we don’t find acquisitions to make, we can also build and invest. I talk with my peers and they like to acquire things faster. But I like to build things from scratch.”

At present, Havas is a unified business and famously so. Everything sits under one umbrella. The intention of the Havas ‘Village’ is to give clients a seamless experience by integrating creative, media and PR under one roof. Working with multiple agencies and communications groups can become too complex for clients.

Before Bolloré became CEO of Havas in 2013, the group wasn’t integrating its acquisitions well, he says. When Bolloré took charge, he was shocked at how siloed the organisation was. He says: “The first thing I did was understand from clients the challenges they had working with us. The one thing they had in common was the fact that we were very complex to partner with – this was over 10 years ago. We decided to integrate everything and created the big real estate change by moving everyone under the same roof.”

This was already the case in Dubai, but in London the Group moved from seven different locations to one. It decided to integrate the companies and created a service group – an easy solution for clients to work with. Earlier, clients would meet only people working in creative, media or PR. “We now take an agnostic approach, identify business challenges and solve issues with a holistic approach,” says Bolloré. “It is like the kitchen of a Michelin-starred restaurant. When you visit one, you don’t want to know how everything is cooked together. You want a plain nice meal and to enjoy the moment.”

One of the main challenges during this transition was culture. “We had internal competition,” says Bolloré. “People believed that competition was within the group more than outside. I like to refer to the first meeting like a Game of Thrones meeting – you have to leave your weapons out. However, creating a company culture was rapid and it took us two to three years. They all understood the positive aspects of changing things. It was a long time ago.”

By Jalaja Ramanunni and Austyn Allison

‘‘WE SEE THE EVENT OPERATION DEVELOPING AND IT’S GOING TO BE A BIG PART OF OUR REVENUE IN THE COMING YEARS. KSA IS BECOMING A SIZEABLE OPERATION FOR US.”

It’s that time of the year when graphic designers are asked to add in lanterns, moons, dates and mashrabiyas to existing advertising campaigns and generic brand visuals that have nothing to do with Ramadan. Walking through, the mall you will see these symbols and a ‘Ramadan Kareem’ greeting plastered on almost every window. While the symbols are valid and illustrative representations of the occasion, are they enough to connect with the audience?

PURPOSE IN RAMADAN CAMPAIGNS

Starting with some facts: 82 per cent of shoppers make purchase decisions having purpose in mind, (according to Razorfish research) and they are four times more likely to purchase from a brand that has a strong purpose, says a Zeno group survey. This is why purposeful marketing has generated interest among us marketers. What better time to put it to use than that season when human values are of utmost importance – the month of Ramadan. Many brands take a shortcut and link the campaign to acts of charity. Don’t get

me wrong; supporting noble causes are important and the right thing to do. However, what makes a Ramadan brand campaign meaningful is the concoction of the following two key ingredients:

* A clear and solid role for the brand within the occasion of Ramadan that is linked to the brand’s core values.

* A campaign idea with a genuine intent of doing good.

The combination of these two elements will generate brand love and loyalty.

APPLYING THE STRATEGY OR NOT

It sounds simple, but why do only a limited number of brands apply this strategy? Well, firstly it is not easy. It takes a lot of inward observation and reflection to define a brand’s ‘why’. Even if that’s in place, finding a relevant link between purpose and the occasion itself can be a challenge. Moreover, coming up with a campaign idea that creatively brings the purpose forward and celebrates Ramadan at the same time can turn out to be complex. Secondly, promotional campaigns are easier to implement and might have more of an immediate ROI, which makes them more appealing and therefore they get prioritised over longer-term brand building initiatives.

Imagine what would happen if all Ramadan campaigns served a purpose. Imagine the amount of goodness that would be generated by businesses and enjoyed by shoppers. Not to forget, the immense pleasure and moral reward it would give all those employees working on developing such campaigns. Perhaps it would result in winning some awards, but that is only a result, not the goal itself.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR THE BRANDS?

Coming back to the importance of purpose when it comes to shopping decisions; in front of the shelf (physical or virtual), people will make the ultimate choice based on what is on top of their mind about our brands. If what we represent is what they find meaningful, we earn a space in their carts.

THE LEGO BRAND AND RAMADAN

LEGO takes on its shoulders the responsibility of being a force for learning through play. We work with agency partners who understand our

purpose and create new ways of translating it to local campaigns befitting occasions such as Ramadan.

Many people are surprised to see a toy brand running a Ramadan campaign. That is a normal reaction as we are used to seeing food, telecommunication and automotive brands dominating the scene. But why not toys? Kids start interacting with toys when they are as young as one-and-a-half years old. They spend endless hours playing with them, build worlds and create stories with them. They can also learn to be kind, to respect one another and many other values that perhaps makes it easier for parents to raise decent human beings. During Ramadan, families can come together and spend quality time with each other. That’s where LEGO play finds its role in the occasion. Whether you work for a global or local company – and regardless of your industry – why not be the marketer that comes up with a purpose-based campaign idea that can perhaps even travel outside the boundaries of our GCC region and be used in other global markets where there’s a sizeable audience that celebrates Ramadan?

Let’s do some good.

By Dzila Dik, marketing manager, MEA, LEGO Middle East & Africa

TAKE RAMADAN MARKETING CAMPAIGNS BEYOND DATES AND LANTERNS

Purpose-driven marketing can help generate brand love and loyalty, writes LEGO’s Dzila Dik

‘‘WHEN IT COMES TO SHOPPING DECISIONS, PEOPLE WILL MAKE THE CHOICE BASED ON WHAT IS ON TOP OF THEIR MIND ABOUT OUR BRANDS.”

and offer real value to consumers will win during this special time. Since Ramadan is a time for unique dishes, brands can consider highlighting traditional dishes specific to the holiday, like ‘sambousek’, and merge them with healthier choices, for example, air-fried instead of deep-fried. Another example is homemade bread has become a popular choice for suhoor, a time that brands are currently exploring, but that is still less saturated than iftar, where rich and nutrient-packed food is in high demand.

OPTIMISING RECIPE AND COOKING CONTENT

Food recipes remain at the centre of communication during Ramadan. Yet, brands

BREAKING THE RAMADAN MOULD

meaningful campaign that truly resonates with consumers.

EVOLVING MEDIA CONSUMPTION HABITS

The ever-changing media landscape leading to fragmentation of screens, broken attention, and message overload has influenced TV viewing. The average ratings in KSA and UAE have dropped double digits over the last five years. However, in Ramadan, large audiences across the region are attentive to the content and commercials, making it an ideal opportunity to build brand saliency and memory structures. Ramadan television is a space where quality content and considerable spend is still untouchable.

Online shopping rapidly increases during Ramadan, with 76 per cent of consumers buying more frequently and groceries being the most popular category, emphasising the need for businesses to provide an optimal online shopping experience.

Over the past two years, countless communities have been shaped online and will continue to grow; brands should find ways to be part of the growing online community and keep the relationships they have built with creators online. Moreover, search results for entertainment have risen by 60 per cent compared to the previous year, online gaming has increased by 107 per cent, and podcast listenership has skyrocketed by 92 per cent. This shift in consumer behaviour provides an opportunity for brands to differentiate by tapping into these evolving trends and connect with consumers further.

BUILDING GENUINE CONNECTIONS

Ramadan, a month of spiritual renewal, food, generosity, and compassion, is a pivotal moment for many industries, especially the food and beverage industry. But in a sea of formulaic and oversaturated advertising, how do brands stand out and connect with consumers on a deeper level?

AUTHENTICITY AND CULTURAL SENSITIVITY

One effective way for brands to participate in Ramadan is by aligning their messaging and advertising with the values and themes of the month. For example, promoting healthy and nourishing food options for suhoor and iftar or highlighting products that encourage giving and charitable acts. Brands that can connect with consumers emotionally and show that they understand and appreciate the cultural significance of Ramadan are likely well-received.

EVOLVING FOOD TRENDS

The food choices during Ramadan are evolving, with a trend towards indulgent comfort, elevated desserts and a newfound love for baking. Sustainability is also becoming a priority, with a rise in upcycling leftovers and a growing demand for natural and plant-based products. Brands that can tap into these trends

should find new ways to deliver them to consumers as they want to make delicious but also quick and uncomplicated recipes. Today the appetite for simpler yet indulgent and creative recipes is increasing yearly; it is evident in Google search trends. Saudi women are still passionate about cooking but want to do it in less time, as they also want to indulge in other personal activities. So, they want to watch shorter videos, cook simpler recipes with shorter preparation time, and consume the content on their favourite platforms and preferred formats. We saw brands adapting and innovating on this front by creating brand experiences through a digital kitchen or using influencers and original content creators.

ENGAGING CAMPAIGNS FOR NEW PERSONAS

In the post-Covid world, new audience personas have emerged during Ramadan, such as ‘The Escapist’, ‘The Progress Seeker’ and ‘The Shopper’ (source: ThinkwithGoogle), to name a few. To increase penetration, brands should offer more than just food-related experiences and aim to create well-rounded, engaging campaigns that also focus on personal experiences during Ramadan. By combining food content and content that focuses on an individual’s personal experience during Ramadan, a food brand can create a

It’s important to note that while Ramadan is a time of increased consumer activity, it’s not just about increasing sales but about building genuine connections with consumers and being a positive force in the community. Brands that can strike this balance, such as Vimto, which has become synonymous with Ramadan, will be the ones that come out on top during this momentous occasion.

In conclusion, Ramadan presents a unique opportunity for brands to connect with consumers on an emotional level, and with the rise of AI, brands that take advantage of this technology will be able to reach their target audience more effectively, maximise engagement, and deliver personalised content that resonates. AI-powered chatbots, predictive analytics, and agile content are just a few examples of how brands can harness the power of AI during this critical season.

Let’s challenge ourselves, as marketers, to prove the impact that advertising can have when it aligns with what people are interested in, rather than merely interrupting them.

By Dima Zaytoun, business lead – strategy at Zenith Media

Zenith Media’s Dima Zaytoun covers some of the key ingredients for success in Ramadan, from authenticity to localised messaging

Ramadan: a new frontier

In the MENA region, a full third of marketing budgets is spent on Ramadan alone.

A month unlike any other for families, friends and communities is also a month unlike any other for brands.

This single period of greatest reach and spend is also the final frontier for collective attention. At no other time do we have this much cross-family and cross-community attention. What we do with it and how well, will leave us better equipped to harness not only attention but relevance and resonance for the other 11 months.

Interestingly, the same forces that disrupt attention the rest of the year –fragmentation, social media evolution and technology – can also make Ramadan even more valuable and a new frontier.

COLLECTIVE ATTENTION

Marketers know that the impact of a shared experience or event is profound. Higher ad recall and greater engagement, afterlife and word of mouth are all documented effects.

Ramadan is a powerful shared experience and driver of additional shared moments. Spending time with family and friends, watching TV together or sharing other types of content, engaging in community activities all create gold-mine opportunities for brands.

But this isn’t our parents’ Ramadan; nor that of five years ago. Ramadan 2022 showed that 65 per cent of shoppers or observers spend more time watching video content during Ramadan and Eid. Nearly 60 per cent said they felt more connected

to a brand after seeing Ramadan or Eid content on Facebook and Instagram. More than 70 per cent said it is easier to complete their Ramadan shopping with personalised gift and product suggestions.

Those are only some of the changes. The popularity of self-curated content, emerging social platforms, the ability to better utilise influencers and digitally place brands post-production into TV shows, movies and other content, are all in play this Ramadan.

Brands are up for the challenge. In Ramadan 2022, the number of advertisers on traditional offline and digital platforms grew by 15 per cent each. Are agencies keeping up?

SOCRATIC METHODS

To succeed during Ramadan 2023 and beyond, brands must lean into audience and attention fragmentation, platform evolution and new tech and ask new questions of themselves and their agencies.

Today’s customers are experimenting even beyond TikTok. Are we ready for that? How good is our segmentation, the first cure for fragmentation? I hope this Ramadan will bring us more content that resonates with each demographic and appeals to their specific needs and preferences, plus content attuned to cultural and regional differences.

Do we account for the diversity of Ramadan experiences: the food experience, content consumption experience, spiritual experience and so on? Relevance is the second cure for fragmentation, and the new platforms and tech tools allow us to be more relevant. But do we use them? Post-production product integration is now possible in the region, for example.

Influencer management is a prime example. This Ramadan, we will certainly see increased investment in influencers, but what’s our response? Our clients are responding to Mindshare’s commitment to performance KPIs – that reach, engagement, content will achieve what we promise – to bring more clarity and transparency and improve impact. How many others are pursuing this vs. the one-size-fits-all approach of previous years?

want brands to be present in a way that enhances their spiritual and emotional experience. What they end up getting is often the opposite: More than half of consumers, according to 2022 global research, feel bombarded by advertising during Ramadan; more than 75 per cent feel brands do not connect emotionally with them; and more than half of Muslims wish brands targeted and understood them better.

According to TikTok, instead of following best practices and planning better, brands are 12 per cent less likely to create significant memorability for their ads during this marvellous season. For those who put in the work, however, ad recall was nearly 30 per cent higher.

ENGAGE AND ENTERTAIN

In a sea of Ramadan content, this is how we will thrive: by being relevant, authentic and focused on the future. Let’s listen and respond to what our consumers and clients want and need, and get a head start on tomorrow.

Where TV has been a Ramadan staple for MENA audiences, for example, we can retain its power as a medium while leveraging its potential as a device. As Connected TV’s profile and popularity soars, this will undoubtedly be a rich new growth vein for both brands and advertisers – a platform reinvented to be more dynamic, more versatile and better suited for future collective attention.

By Keram Mazouzi, client leadership, head of CPG vertical, Mindshare UAE

Let’s not trip over ourselves in the race to the gold mine. During Ramadan, people

Ramadan 2023 will tell us a lot about the what the future of Ramadan will look like in the region. What brands are doing now pre-Ramadan, their plans for across the four weeks and beyond reflect how much they have learned and are continuing to learn. This will be the first winter/spring Ramadan post-Covid, which means many more outdoor options and consequently many more creative OOH activations. Let’s use this season as a time to pay attention, to our clients and our consumers, so that we can in turn reap continuous attention.

Ramadan Mubarak!

“In Ramadan 2022, the number of advertisers on traditional offline and digital platforms grew by 15 per cent each. Are agencies keeping up?”

Brands can thrive by being relevant, authentic and focused on the future, writes Mindshare UAE’s Keram Mazouzi

UNPROTECTED: PEAK SEASON RAMADAN ARABIC DRAMAS

enforced, such as sports rights or valuable western releases.

This is understandable, given that the cost of protecting content can eat up more than 100 per cent of a regional platform’s average revenue per user – due to the region’s generally low subscription prices and low advertising cost per thousand (CPM) –creating a cycle that explains why Arabic content production is underfunded as an industry.

With this in mind, did we reach a point where Arabic content is so undervalued to the extent that it’s not even worth protecting?

To find the answer, we joined forces with Vestigit, a Poland-based security company that recently won a research and development grant worth €4m to develop AI-based content

main source of revenues for the pirates come from ad placements.

According to a URL traffic tracking tool, each of these websites in Ramadan receives between 1.2 million and 2.5 million visits: eyeballs that are there specifically to watch those Arabic releases. This translates to approximately 20 million valuable, sound-on, large screen-type ad impressions that could’ve been harboured by legitimate OTT services. Keeping in mind that this is a very conservative calculation measuring only the top 10 websites responsible for less than half of Ramadan piracy traffic – actual figures go well into billions of impressions.

Now that we’ve established that there are enough eyeballs for scale, the next part is to figure out where the traffic is coming from, for CPM values.

Last year, close to 200 brand new Arabic series were released on April 1 for consumption during Ramadan- most of them either 15 or 30 episodes each. The budget for producing and marketing these tradeable video assets collectively was estimated to be around half a billion dollars. The upcoming Ramadan TV season starts around March 23, 2023, and a similar pattern will occur.

The B2C distribution of most of these high value video assets, or what we call musalsalat (series) are controlled by only a few platforms like Shahid, WatchIt!, OSN, TOD and Jawwy. In some instances advertising-based video on demand platforms like Weyyak and Viu, Awaan and ADTV would manage to secure streaming rights to a couple of cool titles that would ultimately make the jobs of their ad sales teams a bit easier.

Last year, more than 80 per cent of these Arabic assets landed on pirate websites, affecting the profitability of the entire Arabic content production ecosystem. To put it in perspective, Kuwaiti sociocultural drama Bibi, for example, was found on almost 9,000 points of illegal distribution –that’s 9,000 websites carrying good-quality episodes that viewers can enjoy from anywhere in the world.

Regional platforms seem to save their antipiracy resources for the assets where strict international copyright clauses are

protection software. The study was about the impact of piracy on Arabic series released during the Ramadan season.

The analysis included tracking the entire list of first-run Arabic series Ramadan releases. The study highlighted the top 10 Arabic pirate websites, which alone were responsible for delivering 40 per cent of the traffic of all illegally consumed peak season releases. What is interesting is that 80 per cent of all the Ramadan titles offered during this period on these websites were leaked from the regional OTT services.

To try and get a realistic estimate of dollar values that these pirates make, we took a closer look at two things: volume and territory. Volume for scalability and territory for CPM values; with the assumption that the

The URL traffic tracker reveals an expected trend: the top three countries contributing to this piracy traffic are the population-dense countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Algeria. The unusual observation is the fact that almost a third of the countries contributing to piracy traffic of Arabic Ramadan drama series are western countries like Germany, the UK and the US - where advertising CPM values are up to 20 times higher. On average, a pirate would make a conservatively calculated $100,000 per title per month.

If Arabic content is in sufficiently high demand abroad, where problems such as credit card penetration, internet bandwidth, and willingness to pay for content aren’t a concern, the demonstrated 30 per cent foreign demand for Arabic content lost to piracy becomes a worrisome atrophy for the Arabic entertainment trade.

The bigger problem isn’t just the million or so dollars that pirates are making from Arabic content illegally consumed abroad. It’s the fact that these eyeballs are significant but aren’t measurable; they can’t be used as evidence for success or for financial projections. They aren’t used to encourage international entities to further invest in acquiring broadcast rights of Arabic content and consequently to be properly valued and traded in international content markets.

By Heba Korayem, content market and distribution - Arabic entertainment, H Consult

Last year, more than 80 per cent of these Arabic assets landed on pirate websites, significantly affecting their profitability, explains H Consult’s Heba Korayem

‘‘DID WE REACH A POINT WHERE ARABIC CONTENT IS UNDERVALUED TO THE EXTENT THAT IT’S NOT WORTH PROTECTING?”

HOW TO KILL YOUR BRAND IN 29 DAYS

The Holy Month of Ramadan is almost upon us. Families across the region and across the world are busy preparing for a month of praying, fasting, feasting and festivity - and so are marketers, adding frenzied finishing touches to their ad campaigns and blockbuster promotions. But in the rush to grab a slice of the massive Ramadan spending surge, many marketing managers and business directors lose sight of a fundamental tenet, perfectly articulated by Peter Drucker: “The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer”. The intense competition in the market forces marketers to prioritise sales above all else, focusing on promotions to win share of wallet in the short run. But are they creating and keeping customers for the long term?

We all know consumer loyalty is not built on pricing and promotion alone, but rather because a brand has successfully created a connection that has resonated with the consumer and nurtured a relationship with them. These connections and relationships are built on beliefs – the consumer believes the story a brand tells about itself, they identify with the image the brand creates around it and they feel that the brand empathises with them and their values.

Ramadan is a perfect reflection of the power of belief, uniting more than a billion Muslims worldwide in a community of faith. For marketers, it should be an opportunity to make an emotional connection with their audiences to build consumer belief in their

brand, which can create sustainable, long-term value.

FORCE FOR GOOD

Ramadan is a time of piety and reflection, when community spirit and harmony are heightened. By connecting with these cultural values, brands can create opportunities to forge close connections and change perceptions. International brands are increasingly striving to be ‘glocal’ in their communication and marketing by allying their global appeal with local cultures.

We had worked on the Sharing Fridges initiative, a group of volunteers who put up fridges outside their homes stocked with food and water that labourers could access during Ramadan. It went viral with thousands of volunteers signing up – a classic case for marketing being a force for good.

Too often, brands opt for easy wins during Ramadan with short-term boosts to sales that tactical communication and offers can bring. However, the Holy Month is the time for brands to communicate their higher purpose. After all, consumers remember how

a brand made them feel far longer than how much they saved on a purchase.

It takes approximately 21 days to build habits that last a lifetime. Over the 29 to 30 days of Ramadan, brands get a golden opportunity to create new consumer habits and lead change. When done well, special edition Ramadan products and designs can succeed in establishing new seasonal habits and behaviours, not limited to consumption. Increasingly, brands are having to get comfortable with taking a stand and championing causes, to reflect and support their customers’values.

‘US’ NOT ‘THEM’

In keeping up with societal tranformations, marketing during Ramadan is changing not just in its manner but in its audience as well. Our region is incredibly diverse, typified by the multicultural UAE. Cultures, nationalities and ethnicities create a diversity that can often be seen as a hurdle to overcome in mass marketing. But diversity is a strength, not a challenge; an opportunity not adversity.

Traditionally, Ramadan advertising campaigns were targeted solely at the region’s Muslims. But as a marketer, why would you exclude potential customers? Regardless of race, nationality or religion, all residents in the region participate in the Ramadan experience, albeit to different degrees. Many non-Muslims have spent much of their lives immersed in Arab culture and share in the joy of Ramadan. The Holy Month is universally respected and adhered to in the region, so it is a time to target ‘us’ not ‘them’.

Without disregarding audience segmentation, brands need to convey messages that are relevant to their specific targeted segments, allowing them to feel a part of the whole and part of a larger community. Therein lies the challenge.

Ramadan is a time to tell your brand story and not merely a time to sell. Ignoring the emotional resonance of the Holy Month is a surefire way to kill brand value in the long run. By investing in brand storytelling, showing commitment to customer values and being more inclusive during Ramadan, brands will be rewarded by creating and keeping customers for life.

By Souheil Arabi, chief operating officer, BPG Group

Brands opt for easy wins with short-term tactics during Ramadan, missing the opportunity to connect with a higher purpose, writes BPG Group’s Souheil Arabi

‘‘CONSUMERS REMEMBER HOW A BRAND MADE THEM FEEL FAR LONGER THAN HOW MUCH THEY SAVED ON A PURCHASE.”

As communities across the globe prepare for a month of togetherness this Ramadan, advertisers and marketers are concurrently looking at how to best reach these communities, without disrupting their experience, and in a way that represents the true essence of the Holy Month. The importance of Ramadan cannot be overstated for brands in the region, and over a third of yearly marketing budgets are being used to advertise during this key moment. But can brands truly connect with the diverse set of communities who observe and celebrate the Holy Month? Can they really belong?

THE PARADOX OF BELONGING

Every brand wants to belong during Ramadan, to join this moment of togetherness and remain at the heart of the conversation, rather than disrupting it. Whether a dairy brand, a bank or a sports retailer, the goal has traditionally been to embed product and brand in a key Ramadan moment – a family moment, an iftar moment, a shopping moment and so on. This has led to a phenomenon that becomes amplified with every passing Ramadan – a phenomenon we like to call ‘the paradox of belonging.’

With everyone trying to belong to a single moment that’s shared by thousands of brands, everyone ends up showing up in the same way. This is what the paradox of belonging is all about. In the quest to belong, brands end up losing their true essence, overshadowed by the superficial scenarios and typical visuals associated with the moment. How many times have you seen a Ramadan ad featuring large family gatherings at an iftar table, colourful lanterns or crescent moons and stars? As a result of the drive to belong, brands can end up lost, drowning in an overcrowded sea of sameness.

BELONGING DIFFERENTLY

So how can brands retain their uniqueness within a shared, overcrowded moment? How can you be part of the moment with everyone, yet remain true to your brand and stand out?

To do so, brands must embrace the multi-faceted nature of the moment – the endless possibilities in which it can be enjoyed, the diverse faces and

voices that bring it to life and the many communities it can be expressed through.

Brands need to remember that the Holy Month tells the story of a special time when people come together, no matter their background, interests, age or life stage. Whether they are virtually watching the cannon firing tradition in Dubai or walking through a bazaar in Cairo, people rejoice in the togetherness, connection and festivity brought about by Ramadan.

In this context, communities engage with content genres that speak to them and to their interests, fuelling the growth of every content category across the board. From entertainment to food, beauty and beyond, every single one of these categories sees a notable increase in consumption during Ramadan compared to an average month.

Therefore, throughout the year, but in Ramadan especially, we see users gathering around communities and subcultures that share unique passions, values, interests and ideas. No matter how mainstream or how niche, there is a community for everyone.

And these communities lend themselves to a great diversity of moments. For example, on #FoodTok, food moments are not only for mom but for the whole family; #Iftar is not always a picture-perfect moment but can instead be an unfiltered, authentic snapshot; and #Entertainment is not just for TV stars, as everyone can be the star of their own video.

It is through tapping into those communities and moments that brands can build differentiated relevance – or, in other words, value.

THE 3 C’S

To understand what this looks like in practice, we need to zero in on the three key C’s – content, creators and communities – that bring differentiated relevance to life.

Content

Brands can belong differently by staying true to their unique voice and image – but re-imagining them through platform-native styles and formats. By marrying brand elements with creative features, popular sounds and special lingo, marketers can craft content that seamlessly blends into users’ edutainment time, while maintaining the spirit of the brand.

BUILDING DIFFERENTIATED RELEVANCE DURING RAMADAN

Creators

By partnering with creators, who bring a unique storytelling ability, authentic voice and intimate knowledge of the latest trends, brands can also belong differently. And in Ramadan, the relatability and authenticity of these characters goes a long way, as users look to them for everything from iftar recipes to unboxing videos to comedy skits.

Communities

When brands invite their audiences to tell their true story during the most communal month of the year, the results are significantly positive. From FoodTok to GamerTok, to everything in between, there isn’t a better time to harness the power of communities and subcultures than Ramadan – the season of togetherness.

And finally, the consumer is at the heart of it all. With the evolution of content and the digital landscape, we now see consumers who actively participate in creating and engaging with brand content that resonates with them.

RAMADAN ON TIKTOK

With its diverse close-knit communities – or ‘Toks’ – and its innovative approach to marketing and advertising that is authentic, real, positive and fun, TikTok has emerged as the platform where brands can belong differently in Ramadan.

In 2022, the average time spent on TikTok surpassed the time spent on any other mobile activity, including gaming, social, video, and messaging, according to research by Ipsos and App Annie. The research also found that TikTok inspired users to shop 1.6x more than planned, with 83 per cent of users saying they discovered something new and found inspiration on the platform. And that inspiration can come in the form of tips and tricks, iftar and suhoor ideas, fashion advice, special deals, and other Ramadan goodness.

THE MAGIC FORMULA

This Ramadan, brands have the chance to write a story of diversity and inclusivity; of sharing joy and participating with the community; of belonging yet standing out. By tapping into the passion of online communities through authentic and engaging content delivered by relatable creators, brands can participate in a shared moment and stand out, anchoring themselves in the relevance of Ramadan while maintaining their unique essence. And in Ramadan 2023, that will be the magic formula to #BelongDifferently.

By Jochen Bischoff, head of consumer business partnerships MENA, global business solutions, TikTok

How can brands retain their uniqueness within a shared, overcrowded moment, writes TikTok’s Jochen Bischoff

There’s a great communications medium that often gets overlooked in the sea of big TVCs and digital hero movies: the reactive holiday post.

I’d like to start this article with a somewhat bitter realisation (don’t worry, there’s light at the end of the holiday tunnel). The realisation is that occasions are no longer special, at least not in the social media sense.

Trending culture has created a wave that basically makes every brand feel like it needs to be present in every single talking point of internet culture. This is not a criticism of our culture, but rather a byproduct of consumers’ decreasing attention spans. This, in turn, has forced us as marketers to be constantly present.

The key in these times of overactivity becomes reliant on a few varying factors that set up a formula for success when creating holiday content. Think of it this way: you might see a lot of Ramadan content, but it’s only a few pieces that stick in your mind. Ones created with wit, timeliness and the right format to cut through and drive your recall.

In these times of hyperactivity, a few different factors come down to a formula for success in creating holiday content. Below is a guide to creating the formula for success for responsive content, written from the perspective of an art director and digital specialist who has executed, failed, succeed and learned from previous holiday experiences.

FIND YOUR MOMENT

It’s easy for today’s marketers to develop FOMO. The mindset of our hyperactive, calendar-driven way of working requires marketers to think along the lines of, “If I’m not part of the moment, I’m nowhere.” While it’s important to show our customers that we’re present in the moments that matter, it’s important to remember that being there for the sake of being there is just as pointless as not responding to begin with. When planning how to respond to or recognise a trend when the opportunity arises, remember your brand spirit and ask yourself how that trend works in the context of your social strategy.

PRE-PLAN

If you think trends are spontaneous and you don’t plan for them, you’re doomed to fail. Unfortunately, we often tend to confuse agility with lack of preparation. The recipe for success for responsive content largely depends on delivering it in a fast way. A combination of pre-planned templates mixed with real-time insights. In the end, you need to be able to flexibly adapt to different trends that occur in real time. That’s not to say you should build walls that limit the way your brand operates. Rather, you should build bridges that allow you to deploy content in a way that doesn’t require us creatives to spend half a day reacting to a trend that could be implemented within minutes.

The best recommendation I can give in relation to Ramadan would be to create thematic templates that can change from time to time with a bandwidth able to cover contents for the entire duration of the month and then be changed over in time for Eid. The increasing presence of plug-and-play templates is becoming key to how brands operate. The last World Cup was an important lesson in this area.

SIMPLIFY

Making a big splash no longer means spending a bucket of money. Holiday content does not have to be in a big production. Consider how you can simplify your communications across social platforms. Add native features to your messaging, such as reminder stickers for moments like Iftar and

THE GUIDE TO REACTIVE HOLIDAY CONTENT

communication tool that works for your brand and develop new ways to build on it year after year. This is how you build both a legacy and a value.

MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE

The fallacy that most marketers fall into is that they need to look at a performance report at the end of the month and reflect on how well it went. In reality, during months like Ramadan, it’s important that the measurement is as constant as the creative output itself. You need to deliver a piece of content, reflect on its performance, and then tweak it as the next piece of content comes to life. This constant drive for improvement allows brands to measure, evaluate, and ensure that well-earned media is being deployed in the right direction step by step.

ENGAGE YOUR AUDIENCES

Suhoor, movie clips about moments of consumption and other conversation tools that make you part of the moment, rather than creating a robust production that may not have the same impact in terms of distribution.

Snackable content is called that for a reason. You are creating a communication tool that makes sense of the consumer’s journey through social media without complicating it.

DO WHAT OTHERS WON’T

During the holiday season, there are always the same general greetings spread by the brands. While it’s important to acknowledge the occasion, you should let your customers know that you understand the cultural significance it has for them. It’s important to add a special feature that will help drive recall and make your content memorable compared to others. There’s a lot to learn here from Snickers and Oreos when it comes to how they use occasional content that retains key brand elements and creates a unique brand feel.

An often forgotten ‘tried and tested’ method of implementation is to introduce a tradition. Find a

Holiday content should not just be informative or awareness-raising. Engagement is an important part of the way to stand out from the crowd. While other brands are informing their audience, you should find a way to get your tribe to create with you. Reels, TikTok, and UGC-driven activations are a powerful tool to create content that captivates while amplifying your message through additional user-generated posts.

LEVERAGE YOUR TOOLS

To add greater insight to your content, use tools such as social listening to track real-time holiday conversation. For more long-term planning you can use tools such as Later.com’s annual events calendar and even your local country’s calendar app in order to come up with ideas based on local events. Using your tech stack to have your ear on the group will empower you to send a message at the right time, with the right content.

In summary, agility, planning and simplicity are the timeless components of effective holiday content. Combined with the right creative and craft approach, this is the fuel brands need to sustain their communications during holidays like Ramadan. So the next time you’re thinking about that next big responsive post on social media, take a step back and remember that it’s no longer size that captures consumers’ eyes. Rather, it’s the right combination of all the little factors mentioned above.

By Giovanni Scopece, art director at FP7 McCann

With Ramadan around the corner, there’s an opportunity to produce memorable campaigns that will be etched in consumers’ memories, says FP7 McCann’s Giovanni Scopece

‘‘IN THE END, YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO FLEXIBLY ADAPT TO DIFFERENT TRENDS THAT OCCUR IN REAL TIME.”

MAKE THIS RAMADAN A TIME FOR CONNECTION, INSPIRATION AND EXPRESSION

year. The platform’s unique combination of features also made it the most used app at any point of the day during Ramadan in Saudi Arabia last year.

Brands must not only identify the ideal place to reach their audiences at scale, but offer immersive and impactful experiences across the entire consumer journey. During Ramadan, we’ve found that consumers turn to the digital world to satisfy three needs in their community: connection, inspiration and expression. These are the territories where brands have the greatest opportunity to create impact.

In this period, consumers tend to lean into social communications platforms for product inspiration and trends whilst filling daytime hours. For instance, 87 per cent of our MENA community say that try-on AR lenses make them more likely to buy an item for a celebration. AR tools are also proven to help brands showcase products, push creative boundaries, drive sales and reduce returns during Ramadan.

The notion of ‘community’ takes on even greater significance during the Holy Month of Ramadan. It’s a period when people truly come together, fuelled by the power of purpose and doing good. It’s also a time when brands hope to create more meaningful connections with their customers. So how do you thrive and effectively engage with communities during a time when consumer behaviours—and indeed their very expectations of brands—change so significantly?

We’ve seen that 2023 is the year that microcommunities and subcultures will dominate the social landscape; both in real life and in the online world. Therefore, a brand’s ability to demonstrate purpose and engage authentically with these communities is more crucial than ever this Ramadan.

To achieve this engagement, it starts by mapping where people are spending their time and what media they’re consuming while there. We know that Ramadan has long been a period when people consume more content on mobile. On Snapchat, for instance, we saw our community in MENA spending over 30 per cent more time enjoying Ramadan shows in 2021 than they did the previous

The key to fostering connections is to authentically be a part of the Ramadan mood. Moments of celebration are more valued than ever as consumers seek light-hearted, genuine experiences rather than feeling pressured to present a perfect version of themselves. Brands have a chance to help consumers mark Ramadan by creating special memories that enhance connections with their real friends and family.

This is something we know a lot about. More than 89 per cent of Snapchatters say that the platform is where they share their most meaningful moments when celebrating. It’s where sincere exchanges between real friends and family are shared, thanks largely to the camera being a powerful tool for visual storytelling. This also makes Snapchat a special platform for brands to design meaningful connections with their audience – connections that are proven to last well beyond Ramadan.

In addition to fostering connections, the most successful brands create a sense of inspiration during the Holy Month. Consumers have shown year-on-year that they seek inspiration for Ramadan celebrations and purchases well in advance of the month beginning. In fact, three out of four clothing and accessory purchases are planned at least a week in advance during the Holy Season. When it comes to luxury goods, this increases exponentially, with 50 per cent of luxury purchases planned one month in advance or longer.

Last but not least, brands should consider helping communities to fulfill a desire for self-expression throughout the month. Whether it is through the camera, chat, maps, stories or Spotlight, we’ve seen brands develop some truly creative campaigns that help people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world and have fun together.

Again, this is where technologies like AR take things to a whole new level. In the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, over 88 per cent of Snapchatters engaged with AR daily during Ramadan in 2020, on average. In our latest studies, nearly all (98 per cent) Snapchatters say that AR makes celebrations better, while 89 per cent say that they make celebrations more memorable and ultimately, shareable.

To sum it all up, brands in the region would do well to not only reassess where their microcommunities are congregating this Ramadan, but how to support their unique desires for connection, inspiration, and expression.

By Jake Thomas, head of UAE market at Snap Inc

A brand’s ability to demonstrate purpose and engage authentically is more crucial than ever this Ramadan says Snap’s Jake Thomas

8

7 per cent of companies increased their investments in data in 2022. The question is: are companies investing in the right things?

Despite investments in data consistently rising for years, only 23 per cent of companies characterise themselves as data-driven.

When it comes to marketing, the gap is simple to understand: most companies do the same thing and have the same type of data to base decisions on, year-on-year. Brand health, customer segmentation, competitor research and maybe some attribution modelling – all of this matters. But here’s the problem: when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

In 2023, the priority should be the diversification of your data investments. To illustrate this, let me tell you about my onboarding.

Earlier this year, I started my journey at Publicis Groupe, and I knew before I even

BE AVENGERS, NOT THE LONE RIDER

joined that there was a big community of Star Wars and Marvel lovers. Even during my recruitment process, I was told that within the leadership team, I was to be Thor. Yes Thor, from Asgard, played by Chris Hemsworth. If you have ever met me, you might wonder why. I certainly do not have anywhere close to the right muscle mass. But Thor is pretty cool, so I won’t question it.

Then I joined and I started my onboarding, which included over 60 induction meetings to get to know the capabilities and the people behind them. This is when I recognised that the Marvel analogy was more than fandom enthusiasm, it had an element of truth.

Imagine a group of people with different superpowers – the power to diagnose, predict, prescribe and some weirder powers (we’ll get to that).

One such superhero has the power of eye tracking; he can identify both online and in the real world where the attention goes. Even more, he can measure the electrical activity in the brain, he can track emotional response, all this to optimise journeys and even investments. Like Batman, this superhero likes his coffee black like the night and drinks dark roast only.

Another one has the finger on the pulse. He knows not only what’s trending, but at the press of a button, he can use artificial intelligence to map out the gaps and identify the white spaces and battlegrounds in the content space. He is more like Batman, not just a lover of finer things like art, but also a collector (not weapons but shoes).

Yet another has a full 360 degree-vision on search. With her partners, she can see how to use it to optimise a web experience, what content to develop to generate organic traffic and traction. She is like a Wonder Woman –always ready for some action, especially if it is wake-surfing and snowboarding.

There is one who can scan digital shelves and identify how to defend against competitors in bidding wars, how to boost organic search rankings and drive growth

and profitability on platforms like Amazon or InstaShop. This commerce superhero is more like Superman, he loves football and can apparently accurately predict victory or losses.

These are just a few out of several thousands of specialists. There are those who can assess data maturity, those who create dashboards that correlate spend to sales, those who know all of Gen Z’s hidden codes on TikTok, those who get brands ready for a cookie-less world.

But all of this would not work without another type of hero. This one can replicate the powers of others. That power is called mimicry in the superhero universe. It allows them to speak everyone’s language. It allows them to engage the right superhero at the right time. It allows them to make the sum bigger than its part.

Essentially, these are the consultants and business leads, the ones who transform superheroes into the Avengers instead of the Lone Rider. They deliver the true Power of One, a seamlessly connected organisation with fluid and modular expertise that unlocks growth for the business at the centre. One such superhero is like Iron Man in nature who loves to build IKEA furniture instead of armour.

So, if you are investing more in data this year – as 93 per cent of companies plan to do according to Forbes – here is a simple piece of advice: don’t just do more of the same. Look at your strategy again and consider how to diversify insights and perspectives to get a more holistic picture of where the opportunities lie.

Or simply, get your very own Avengers. For my part, as the designated Thor of the band, I’d say this; if you are to have a hammer, get one that can fly, blast energy, teleport and even get invisible.

By Jennifer Fischer, chief innovation and growth officer, Publicis Groupe

‘‘WHEN IT COMES TO MARKETING, THE GAP IS SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND: MOST COMPANIES DO THE SAME THING AND HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF DATA TO BASE DECISIONS ON, YEAR-ON-YEAR.’’

If you are investing more in data this year, diversify your insights, writes Publicis Groupe’s Jennifer Fischer

Transforming the airport passenger experience

JCDecaux’s Bertrand Mouraille explains how the global leader in airport advertising leverages data collaboration and disruptive innovations at Dubai International (DXB)

HOW IS DATA CHANGING THE GAME IN THE OOH INDUSTRY?

Data is no more a new topic in the OOH industry. OOH advertising, which was traditionally associated with billboards and posters located strategically to target mass audiences, has considerably evolved in the last decade with the increasing use of data in making ads more targeted. The world of OOH advertising has been moving to a data-driven approach, with media planners and marketers alike putting into action more data-led planning, whilst at the same time being able to demonstrate tangible outcomes.

HOW HAS JCDECAUX RESPONDED TO THE GROWING DEMAND OF DATA IN THE OUT-OF-HOME INDUSTRY?

Anticipating the growing role of data and its importance in the years to come, JCDecaux established a data division at the corporate level, which set a group-wide strategy to exploit the considerable potential of collecting, analysing, modelling, and exploiting data. Today, this data strategy is beneficial to all JCDecaux’s partners: landlords (airports, cities), advertisers as well as marketing and media agencies.

‘JCDecaux Data Solutions’, a portfolio of global and local data-driven solutions, was recently introduced to enable advertisers to maximise the power and ROI of their media investment. This ‘glocal’ data offering, developed by in-house experts, is built around three core pillars - optimise, engage & evaluate, that help advertisers achieve their marketing objectives at every step of the campaign. JCDecaux provides simplicity, agility, transparency and efficiency in executing data-driven OOH and DOOH campaigns.

AS GLOBAL LEADERS IN AIRPORT ADVERTISING, HOW HAS JCDECAUX LEVERAGED DATA TO BRING VALUE TO THE BRANDS PRESENT AT DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT?

Building upon a successful collaboration that began in 2008 with Dubai Airports, JCDecaux has been constantly striving to place Dubai International (DXB) at the forefront of airport advertising. This was further strengthened by a tripartite partnership with Dubai Duty Free to launch the first-of-itskind travel retail offer within the airport environment.

Our strategic partnership with Dubai Airports has allowed us access to a robust data ecosystem. For instance, Dubai Airports knowledge database gives us insight into the audience profile, passenger behaviour and mindset within the premium airport environment, as well as flight information. This enables us to offer brands market intelligence on the audience they wish to target using a data-driven approach.

Integrating rich data with our media in the airport environment can offer effortless, instantaneous updates to meet audience needs. Whether it is destination and/or language-based content, live match-score, or [moderated] social media feeds, this form of contextualised messaging is all

about the brand being engaging and intuitive. A recent campaign by a leading real estate brand in Dubai that displayed live scores of the FIFA World Cup 2022 tournament on advertising screens across key locations at DXB, is by far one of best examples of brands capitalising on real-time buzz and momentum with contextualised messaging. Indeed, a study by JCDecaux, Posterscope & Clear Channel, Moments of Truth, proves that contextually relevant messaging increases advertising effectiveness by +17%.

CAN YOU ELABORATE ON YOUR PARTNERSHIP WITH DUBAI DUTY FREE?

In January 2018, we created the first worldwide tripartite partnership between Dubai Duty-Free, Dubai Airports, and JCDecaux offering a new value proposal to the travel retail market. This unprecedented initiative, based on a gamechanger mindset: sharing-data between key airport stakeholders, has allowed the creation of an integrated travel retail data ecosystem aiming to enhance customer engagement.

As a result of this unparalleled partnership that provides JCDecaux access to Dubai Duty Free’s transactional data, we introduced a new ‘Drive-toStore’ data-driven offer for brands This innovative approach offers them the opportunity to launch their advertising campaigns on screens strategically located along the passenger journey, before and at Dubai Duty Free’s point of sales.

Recent research conducted by JCDecaux showed that shopping at Dubai Duty Free is an integral part of the airport experience for travelers flying through Dubai International, as 87% of respondents visited the duty-free shops during their trips. Dubai Duty-Free also confirmed enjoying a record high in average spend with a +18.6% in 2022 versus 2019.

HOW ARE BRANDS LEVERAGING JCDECAUX DATA SOLUTIONS TO PRODUCE CREATIVE CAMPAIGNS AT DUBAI INTERNATIONAL (DXB)?

To help brands seamlessly take their digital campaigns to the next level, JCDecaux Data Solutions offer advertisers several possibilities. From optimising their advertising visual before the campaign using a ‘creative heatmap’, a solution leveraging on artificial intelligence to estimate the attention performance of a campaign visual; to connect more efficiently and create memorable experiences with their audiences using ‘dynamic content solutions’, and finally, evaluate the impact of their advertising with a tailor-made post-campaign survey.

The unprecedented use of digitisation and new possibilities in data integration have opened doors to creative and contextual executions that transform brands from advertisers into social participants. Today, the possibilities remain endless for brands that work with us to harness the power of data and deliver the right content to the right audience at the right place and time.

By Bertrand Mouraille, Managing Director, JCDecaux Dubai and Northern Emirates

Adefining moment has been reached in the Middle East for the experiences industry. It is a region looking to diversify its economies, with a young dynamic population. Combined with brands – both local and global – willing to be bold and innovative, that makes brand experiences one of the most potent forces for marketing. As brand experiences have evolved from one-off, in-person events to 360-degree engagement platforms supported by integrated new technology, they introduce storytelling and inspiration, rarely matched in other brand communication.

But unlike traditional marketing, measuring brand experiences – and specifically return on investment (ROI) – has always been difficult. It became a little easier during the Covid-19 pandemic; with most experiences moving online, digital metrics such as visitor numbers, cost per conversion and engagement rates could be tracked.

But digital metrics only reveal one side of the story, and it can be challenging to implement them correctly for integrated brand experiences. With 72 per cent of customers reporting they

MEASURING THE ROI ON BRAND EXPERIENCES

prefer experiences to things, there is clearly a need – and opportunity – for a fresh and more considered approach that measures experiences in a way that complements established measurement practice for mass-media, CRM and digital channels. So where do brands start?

ENGAGED MINUTES

The first place is with ‘engaged minutes’. Customers spend more time engaged with a brand experience compared with any other form of marketing and brand activity. Experiences are more layered in their offerings, often with multiple ways to engage, and they also create a personal connection with the consumer – leading to a greater emotional impact.

Engaged minutes can be calculated by multiplying the minutes a consumer spends engaged with an experience (virtual or in person) by the number of consumers partaking in the experience. This results in a metric that is as simple to understand and use as the number of page views, click throughs or reach.

Different experiences can provide different levels of engaged minutes. For example, let’s consider a medium volume and medium dwell time experience: the ground-breaking Visa Masters Of Movement sponsorship experience at the World Cup in Qatar. Thousands of visitors spent around 30 minutes in the whole experience end-to-end, with the most intense period of around 10 minutes playing the connected football experience. Engaged minutes exceeded 500,000.

Then there is a low volume, high dwell time experience – Ford Go Faster. This was an immersive 3+ hour experience, for a smaller volume of guests, but with engaged minutes in excess of 250,000.

Naturally, there will be key moments throughout an event – not all minutes are created equally. It is important to consider these when designing the experience, so a more sophisticated model of engaged minutes can be developed. Brand engagement of this sort can be harnessed for first-party data capture, sales conversion, brand advocacy or all three.

BRAND ENGAGEMENT

There is no ‘one size fits all’ strategy. Brands need a clear vision of what they want to achieve from the experience – be it increased brand awareness, customer engagement or sales. By analysing engagement and behavioural outcomes from numerous experiences using our XPKit platform, we have identified three main outcomes:

Reaching new audiences to expand the customer base

Deepening engagement and increasing advocacy to change brand perception

Deepening engagement and driving commercial returns

TRACK YOUR METRICS

Measuring brand advocacy (using net promoter score), brand funnel metrics and brand image are the most logical and costeffective next steps for measuring brand experience ROI. Despite all being frequently used in marketing, they are not consistently applied to experiential campaigns.

Choose metrics that align with your goals

and track them before, during and after your brand experience. Clients applying this rigour to measuring brand impact effects have found quantifying the results transformational. For example, automotive brands have consistently measured the brand funnel impact across awareness, familiarity and consideration rates for their global exhibition programmes. They found that they outperformed national averages for these metrics in their key markets where those shows took place.

MEASURING BEHAVIOUR

Understanding how people behave and how they interact and engage with a brand experience is essential, and a quantitative aspect must support any qualitative research. As mentioned, digital transformation triggered by the pandemic has seen more virtual and hybrid experiences, making it possible to accurately measure experiences. Key metrics like guest count, dwell time, social shares, content views, lead conversion, and sales conversion can all be tracked.

From a customer experience (CX) perspective, it’s important to measure brand experiences consistently across all customer touch points so that brands can understand how to design experiences for the best emotional engagement. For example, customer rewards and loyalty programmes for supermarkets or coffee shops provide approximately 1 per cent discount, but in return generate increased loyalty to their stores. Linking these programmes to experiences and tickets to live entertainment boosts this further.

With significant international events like the FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the World Expo in Dubai, 2022 was a revolutionary year for the Middle East – with the region expected to carry the strongest investment momentum into 2023. And it’s exciting to see Middle Eastern economies largely embracing the move to becoming experience-led.

But for brands to fully use this experience economy, they must create and implement a unified brand experience measurement framework to support and complement their initiatives, across all touchpoints.

By Christophe Castagnera, head of strategy, EMEA at Imagination

‘‘CUSTOMERS SPEND MORE TIME ENGAGED WITH A BRAND EXPERIENCE COMPARED WITH ANY OTHER FORM OF MARKETING AND BRAND ACTIVITY.’’

There is a need and opportunity for a fresh approach that measures experiences, argues Imagination’s Christophe Castagnera

Synergistic impact in the marketing world

What is the need of the hour for marketers this year, asks Reprise’s Riddhi Dasgupta

Digital media has revolutionised the way humans communicate with each other and with brands. Brands don’t only communicate through traditional media newspaper ads, television ads, radio ads or billboards but also through digital marketing channels such as YouTube, Meta, TikTok and Snapchat. Audiences want to personally interact with brands in real-time and to feel a human connection with the brand itself. Today consumers are much more informed and are more likely to research before making a buying decision. Social media is one such cost-effective way to educate consumers and attract attention. Hence brands today use multiple marketing channels to reach their audience, making it even more challenging to measure the individual impact that marketing has on sales.

Media Mixed Modelling (MMM) paves a comprehensive and statistical way of assessing the impact that a media channel has on business outcomes. As competition continues to increase, brands need to understand what drives sales and market share to remain competitive. MMM provides us with the impact of competitors and the magnitude by which they impact the business. Economic challenges can put pressure on marketing to improve ROI by creating a need for brands to be more cost-effective and efficient in their marketing efforts.

MMM provides marketing teams with recommendations on how they can optimise allocation across media channels. It is compelling marketers to shift towards a more holistic, cross-channel approach to customer engagement and measurement. This means without the reliance on third-party cookies to track user behaviour across different websites and devices, businesses can rely on MMMs to create more personalised, relevant experiences for customers.

MEDIA MIX MODELING (MMM): SOLUS & INTERACTIVE EFFECT

One of the most interesting aspects of performing MMM studies is, that it not only segregates the impact of media channel individually (called main/solus effects) but it is also capable of identifying the synergistic (interactive effects) impact between two or more media channels.

Let’s look at the first component of MMM, which is termed as the ‘main effect’. Main/solus effect: The main effect in MMM refers to the standalone impact of various media channels on the overall performance of a

product or brand. Let’s say we are trying to determine the effect of media on the sales of a new product. After implementing an MMM, we might find that for every $1 spent on social media advertising, sales increase by $5. This means the main effect or standalone effect of social media is positive and significant.

The second component of MMM is ‘interaction effect’ or sometimes also referred to as ‘synergistic effect’. Synergistic effect: Synergistic effect refers to the combined effect of two or more media channels on sales. This means that when different media platforms are used together in a marketing campaign, they can amplify each other’s impact and produce better results than they would individually. If the synergy is positive, then the joint effect of the media channels is leading to additional sales. It is suggested that both type of ads should be run simultaneously to get higher returns.

Here are some examples of how different media channels can have synergistic effect in MMM.

TV and social media: A company runs a TV advertising campaign to promote a new product and launches a social media campaign with the same message. The MMM shows that the combined effect of TV and social media is greater than the sum of its individual effects, as the TV ad generates greater interest and awareness while the social media campaign allows for more engagement and interaction.

Search and display ads: A company runs a search advertising campaign to capture high-intent users who are actively searching for a product and runs a display advertising campaign to build brand awareness and capture users who are not yet actively looking for a purchase. The MMM shows that the combined effect of search and display builds brand recognition and captures users who may convert later.

NEED OF CROSS-CHANNEL MARKETING IN THIS CONNECTED WORLD

Increasing engagement: Consumers today are more connected than ever through social media and interacting online through voice technology. Using multiple channels, you can reach consumers at different times of the day and at different points of the purchasing cycle.

Driving loyalty: As customers engage with a

brand on a more regular basis, the chances of them becoming and ultimately staying loyal to that brand also increases. This is largely due to the consistency in messaging – one of the main features of cross-channel targeting.

Uniform treatment: A cross-channel approach ensures that customers will have the same experience across the board. In turn, this is likely to increase satisfaction and lead to repeat interactions and engagement.

Vitality of MMM: MMM studies are vital for brands in today’s world because they provide a 360-degree understanding of the impact of different marketing strategies on sales. By analysing a range of variables such as price, promotion, advertisements and distribution, MMMs can help brands make data-driven decisions about where to invest their marketing resources to maximise ROI because decoding the true impact is key to unlocking efficiencies and exponential growth.

“Brands today use multiple marketing channels to reach their audience, making it even more challenging to measure the individual impact that marketing has on sales”

By Riddhi Dasgupta, Data Science and Research Director at Reprise

Home of Ramadan Content

This Ramadan offers new opportunities for brands to connect with their audience, writes

Brands in the region know the undeniable impact of Ramadan’s narratives and stories on reach and marketing results. Brands have also witnessed MBC GROUP become home of Ramadan premium content in the past 31 years.

In fact, millions of Arabs from all over the world tune into MBC GROUP channels to watch their favourite stars and celebrities return to the screen in exciting new shows and programmes.

Last year alone, MBC GROUP TV channels recorded an 80.4% individual reach in KSA, while the group’s streaming platform, Shahid, recorded 23 million active users and 54 million plays during the month.

Radio in KSA is also a go-to medium during the month, as 5.4 million listeners tuned into MBC FM and Panorama FM’s Ramadan shows in 2022. Meanwhile, the Group’s social media channels recorded 17.7 billion video views.

MBC GROUP’s premium Arabic content and its ability to integrate brands from all industries into the special season’s stories and narratives have proved to enhance brand favourability, purchase consideration and ad recall.

Third-party brand lift studies on MMS Ramadan campaigns across MBC GROUP channels have found that brand favourability increased for telecom companies by 19%, e-commerce by 22%, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) by 9% and food aggregators by 18%.

Meanwhile, purchase consideration increased by 14% for telecom, 18% for e-commerce, 20% for FMCGs & 19% for food aggregators. As for ad recall, it increased by 80% for telecom, 56% for e-commerce, 69% for FMCGs and 63% for food aggregators.

MBC GROUP’s premium Arabic Ramadan content has shown consistent results year on year in delivering reach and impact for brands and this year is no different, as Ramadan 2023 is set to be the Group’s biggest line-up as yet.

We are going to see big format shows, such as the highly popular Saudi satirical comedy, Tash Ma Tash, which is making a comeback following a 12-year hiatus as Tash 19. Other highly-rated shows returning this year are Seen 2, Hekayat Waa’d, Ramez, Minho Waladna and Sikat Safar, amongst others.

We will also see the comeback of some of the Arab world’s biggest film and TV stars such as Nasser Al Qasabi, Abdullah

Al Sadhan, Habib Al-Habib, Souad Abdullah, Mohamed Ramadan and Huda Hussein. MBC GROUP’s premium Arabic productions air across the company’s TV channels, as well as Shahid streaming platform and various social media channels.

At MMS, we are continuously diversifying our offerings to empower brands to successfully leverage this content to best connect with their audiences, and this year, MMS is working with brands on leveraging Shahid’s expanding Advertising-based Video on Demand (AVOD) offering.

Since Shahid’s relaunch on January 8, 2023, the platform has witnessed immediate growth with a 92% increase in players, 116% increase in its KSA inventory and three times increase in its overall AVOD content (just in one month).

Shahid will continue to expand its inventory so that 86% of its total Shahid content will be on AVOD by the end of the year, and I am happy to say that most of the highly anticipated Ramadan 2023 line-up of MBC GROUP TV channels will also be available on Shahid AVOD, enabling viewers to watch it for free with ad breaks.

This unlocks new unlimited opportunities for brands to connect with their audience through Shahid, the Arab world’s leading streaming platform, during Ramadan.

In addition to the full range of offerings available, across MBC GROUP’s TV channels and Shahid, this year will see exciting new Ramadan shows on Al Arabiya News Network, including the relaunch of Sabah Al Arabiya as Masaa’ Al Arabiya during the duration of the month, as well as various other Ramadan-specific fillers.

The same is true for MBC GROUP’s radio channels’ Panorama FM and MBC FM, which are going to air a number of Ramadan-specific shows catering to audiences in Saudi during the month.

The power of radio in Saudi Arabia is unrivaled and MBC GROUP’s MBC FM and Panorama FM are at the top of it all with a reach of 48% of the population and with a 40% share of audience in KSA.

Radio in Saudi Arabia creates impactful reach and achieves instant top-of-mind recall all while enabling brands to get personal with their audience, with both channels recording an average of three hours of daily listening time and over two million calls annually.

When it comes to social media, in addition to the group’s high reach and presence on its own platforms, which achieved 17.7 billion video views last Ramadan, MMS is also renewing its partnerships with major social media platforms to name a few, to make MBC GROUP’s Ramadan 2023 content available to brands to leverage.

We’ve also enhanced our innovative offerings at MMS and developed various high-quality new formats and flexible brand integration opportunities that creatively push boundaries—presenting brands with a unique opportunity to deliver their messages post-production to engaged audiences as they watch the content they love. The evolution of 3D graphics and technologies has also highly contributed to the introduction of these new formats.

We believe that Ramadan on MBC this year, will offer the biggest opportunities for brands to connect with their audiences yet, due to the the premium Arabic content the group has to offer, which delivers unrivalled reach and impact, Shahid’s unprecedented level of audience and scale and the consistent growing performance we’ve been witnessing.

“Last year alone, MBC GROUP TV channels recorded an 80.4% individual reach in KSA. ”

By Richard Addington, Head of Agency at MMS

MBC Media Solutions’ Richard Addington

As we start another year full of promise, we have Chat GPT as the new hot topic, computers taking over the world and more brands calling for data-informed creativity. There are endless possibilities of how we can go about collecting, analysing, and importantly inspiring creativity with data, yet 95 per cent of people are still more comfortable using Excel tables, some people are still even more comfortable using calculators. But does having access to advanced technology automatically make us all data wizards, or does it just cloud the water even more? Having worked in the data field my entire career, I’m fascinated by the adoption rate of the latest fads, but even more so when companies go back to basics and really dig into what data technologies and mindsets will really help to drive their business forward, and where do they start?

DATA OVERLOADED

So, what will 2023 bring? Here are five things the data has led me to believe.

1 Data is no longer a dirty word among creatives, the left and the right side of the brain are starting to see the benefits of working together. Over the past few years, there have been great examples of data being used creatively. The 2018 Spotify campaign always sticks in my mind, large billboards with simple text such as ‘ Dear person who played ‘Sorry’ 42 times on Valentine’s Day, what did you do?’. People are naturally inquisitive, and numbers presented right can be the basis of a powerful campaign. How much of a talking point would it be if Deliveroo created a campaign around different areas and their favourite takeaways? Who wouldn’t like to know if you live on Acai Avenue or Subway Street? It works both ways, data can help provide insights and inform strategy but being creative with the questions asked from data is just as powerful.

2 We will see a rise in the squad-like approach. Campaigns and activations will be more effective by creating squads of people from each specialism coming together to work on a concept rather than the traditional process flow approach, handoff between strategy, creative, marketing and

measurement, with a wide gap between the strategist and the executioners

3 Have increased digital privacy capabilities put a nail in the coffin for hyperpersonalisation? Users are valuing privacy over user experience, we see exponential growth in anonymous browsing and users are choosing not to share their digital activities with organisations and reducing the ability to target users based on their specific clicks. Is that always a bad thing? As a data professional, I’ve always been in two minds about personalisation – are we clipping the wings of users for wider discovery? Personalisation done well can add incremental dollars to the bottom line, however, many companies spend vast amounts of money and resource trying to get there. Unfortunately the only thing they gain is endless hours in data science resources with a poor measurement strategy in place to be able to measure it works. A fresh approach is welcomed, without the data signals captured, it’s back to being creative about what you really know about your customer and most importantly, how you can use this information to provide your customers with the optimum experience and effectively inform business decision-making.

4 This leads nicely to my next predictiona scaled-down approach to measurement. How many of you have seen line after line of KPIs that describe what a campaign has achieved, an endless number of likes, shares, and comments, without targets and benchmarks. I predict this year we will see more companies reporting less but reporting better. The importance of setting out what success looks like from the start; each metric should have an owner who is accountable for acting if the metric falls short.

5 And finally, I predict the rise of the super analyst. We have seen many companies build vast data teams with hordes of data analysts, data scientists, data product managers, business analysts, digital analysts etc. I predict companies will only succeed in their data journey if they work on embedding the skills within each employee. Let’s see fewer analytics resources being spent building pivot tables and *SELECT ALL* from a database and spend more time with analysts focused on training, asking the right questions and empowering all to think with a data mindset.

The use of data has come a long way, from the abacus to Chat GPT, and can be used in so many ways to inform a creative brief or operating decision. Data should no longer be the afterthought, a tick box exercise, or content for management or client PowerPoint. It should be integral to the business, brand, and creative process to ensure the output is set to achieve the real results clients want to see. It’s great that the spotlight is on data but let’s talk less and do more!

By Louise Blake, chief data officer at VMLY&R MENA

As we start another year full of promise, we have Chat GPT as the new hot topic, computers taking over the world and more brands calling for data-informed creativity, writes VMLY&R MENA’s Louise Blake

‘‘PEOPLE ARE NATURALLY INQUISITIVE, AND NUMBERS PRESENTED RIGHT CAN BE THE BASIS OF A POWERFUL CAMPAIGN.”

Zero-party data

Choueiri Group’s Mathieu Yarak shares his views on the key to building trust and personalisation in the digital ecosystem

By Mathieu Yarak, Group Senior Director – Data & Insights at Choueiri Group

Businesses are increasingly recognising the importance of data in making informed decisions about their target audiences and preferences as the world of digital marketing evolves.

Companies are exploring new methods of data collection, however, with growing concerns about data privacy and ad-blocking software.

Marketing professionals are turning their attention to zero-party data as one solution that is gaining traction. A zero-party data set is information consumers freely and proactively share with brands or any other party using various survey techniques. ‘Zero-party’ means consumers initiate data sharing without being rewarded or incentivised.

The benefits of using zero-party data in digital marketing are immense.

Here are five benefits to implement a zero-party data strategy:

MORE ACCURATE AND RELEVANT DATA DRIVING PRECISION MARKETING

The accuracy and relevance of zero-party data is higher than that of third-party data. Data collected from zero-party sources allows brands to collect precisely the information they need, such as product preferences and purchase intent, and segment users to create better targetable audiences. The result is a higher return on investment and a higher conversion rate since they are able to tailor their messaging and offers to each individual consumer.

POST-THIRD-PARTY COOKIES DEPRECATION

The value of zero-party data has only increased since third-party cookies were deprecated. The third-party cookie has long been the backbone of digital advertising, allowing advertisers to track and target users across the web. With browsers like Safari and Firefox blocking third-party cookies by default, and Google phasing out third-party cookies in Chrome by 2024, the advertising industry faces significant challenges.

The absence of third-party cookies will force advertisers to find alternative ways to track and target users. Hence the importance of zero-party data. Zero-party data offers a privacyfriendly solution that provides greater accuracy and control over ad targeting. In contrast to

third-party data, which is based on assumptions and extrapolations, zero-party data is based on actual consumer behaviour and preferences.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

With a better understanding of their customers, brands are able to create a more personalised and relevant experience that differentiates them from their competition. As a result, customers will be more loyal and ROI will be higher. Additionally, zero-party data can help digital marketers identify new trends and opportunities they might not have identified otherwise, giving them an advantage over their competition.

MORE ETHICAL AND COMPLIANT DATA COLLECTION

Compared to other types of data, zero-party data is more ethical and compliant. As data privacy and protection become more of a priority, businesses are being held to higher standards of transparency and accountability. In recent years, consumers have become more aware of their rights and are demanding more control over their personal information. As a result of collecting zero-party data, brands demonstrate their respect for their customers’ privacy and willingness to interact with them according to their preferences.

DIRECT RELATIONSHIP WITH CUSTOMERS

By using zero-party data, brands can establish a direct relationship with their customers, based on trust and transparency. Providing zero-party data indicates that a consumer is willing to engage with the brand and wants a more personalised experience. A deeper understanding of consumer needs can lead to improved brand loyalty and advocacy.

For more than a year, DMS has been leveraging zero-party data to support partners in executing precision marketing at scale, resulting in heightened efficiency and effectiveness of each served impression; Toyota ‘Al-Futtaim Automotive’ and PepsiCo were among the initial adopters of zero-party data, which led to notable enhancements in their brand metrics.

As a result, zero-party data provides digital marketers with unique insights into the preferences, interests, and behaviours of their customers.

Customers are more likely to stay loyal to brands that proactively ask them about their preferences and interests.

Furthermore, zero-party data provides digital marketers with better targeting, resulting in higher engagement rates, conversion rates and revenue. With advanced analytics techniques, it enables precision marketing at scale.

The ability to collect and analyse zero-party data gives digital marketers a significant competitive advantage. Brands that collect and analyse zero-party data will likely be more successful as customer data becomes more important in digital marketing.

Working in media was always exciting to everyone as innovation was always at the core of advertising. Media experts used to be recognised as the driving force of innovation, but somehow in the last few years this energy has largely faded away. Agencies used to compete against each other to come up with the craziest and most advanced ideas across media, creative and partnerships.

During and post-pandemic, we observed a change in strategy with brands increasingly focused on maximising revenue and ROAS through lower funnel media activations.

With this change in approach, planners started to feel monotonous in their day-to-day work as clients started to avoid or deviate from big ideas that drive awareness and engagement with a community and audience.

But there is still room to innovate within our media planning approach despite the focus on the lower funnel. A media planner can always use their creative thinking skills to provide a new plan leveraging a test-and-learn framework in each new campaign.

The innovation framework can be used in any of the following ways:

Audience: It is a common practice to target or re-target high value audiences who will be more likely to convert online or offline. However, it is recommended to allocate at least 10 per cent of budget to test new audiences. This might be based on demographics, interests or buying behaviour. With the growth of digital ecosystem and increase in 1st and 2nd party data aggregators, we can push advanced data sets to different platforms for activations. You can target your direct competitors’ consumers based on their shopping behaviour or apps they use on their mobiles.

Platforms: Don’t limit yourself to plan and execute campaigns on the wellknown platforms which will generate transactions or allow you to buy on CPA model. By adopting a Data Driven Attribution (DDA) modelling, we started to witness the large impact of platforms used to be considered as upper funnel platforms on direct conversions. An upper funnel platform might be a video, audio or a publisher. There are no limitations on what to test and when to test.

Creative and automation: Being present on a limited number of platforms can’t stop you using different variations of creative and ads. It is recommended to use at least two creatives per target audience and placement in order to better understand the audience reaction towards your messaging and creative approach.

In addition, start using dynamic creative platforms to enable efficiency, scalability and personalisation. DCO platforms unlock personalisation at scale for advertisers, which allows delivering the right message at the right time on the right moment and platform.

The improvement in performance in terms of CPA and conversion rates we keep witnessing justifies the tech fee we need to pay to adopt any DCO approach or framework.

Addressability:

Audience addressability is one of the most interesting and challenging topics in markets which lack the availability of first or second party data.

In many cases, we reach a point where we can’t make our high value audience addressable on digital platforms.

This challenge must encourage you to become more innovative and use your skills to ensure reaching these audiences precisely.

In some cases, onboarding data sets from data aggregators would be the easiest and the most obvious solution to make the audience addressable on digital platforms. However, this might not be feasible in other cases where the audience profiles are granular and complex.

New formats: Always try to integrate a new media format in your media plan. This could be an AR/VR placement on your regular social platforms. Another opportunity might be on enabling AI optimisation features on mid/lower funnel platforms.

In addition, we have started to witness an increase in audience inventory in our region along with new formats on music and audio apps. You are now able to drive

BRINGING THE MAGIC BACK TO MEDIA

Who said we can’t be innovative in media plans asks UM’s Abdelnabi Alaeddine

full funnel metrics by adopting an audio- first strategic approach.

Finally, gaming is the never-ending trend of innovation. There is always room to create engaging ads and experience within the gaming ecosystem, be it inside the game or overlaid on top of your gaming experience.

Media planning will always be an exciting job where it is fuelled with innovation and creative thinking. Innovative media plans drive efficiencies and effectiveness when aligned with the overall marketing objectives for any brand or advertiser.

In fact, innovation within media planning is essential today to differentiate ourselves versus other brands. Audiences are not interacting anymore with ads; they engage with brands giving them an experience.

By Abdelnabi Alaeddine, regional director, planning and digital investment at UM

‘‘MEDIA PLANNING IS AN EXCITING JOB WHERE IT IS FUELLED WITH INNOVATION AND CREATIVE THINKING.’’

The opportunity for data clean rooms

Data clean rooms are the way forward for targeted advertising campaigns, writes MMP’s Walid Ramadan

You would be hard pushed to find a new angle on data right now. It feels as though we have reached a saturation point on how to gather and utilise data in the most efficient way. However, I think there is one area that is worth expanding on, especially from a more privacy-focused lens, and that is data clean rooms (DCRs)

2022 was a big year for this category, which is why the sense is this technology has matured past the ‘testing’ phase and we are now focused on how to leverage it on a larger scale. Early adopters of DCRs tended to be the smaller, more independent players. However that is likely to shift this year with more investment and greater buy-in to its potential.

Before we go deeper into that, let’s take it back to basics for a moment. DCRs essentially allow brands and advertisers to run targeted advertising campaigns in a secure, privacy-focused way through the aggregation of various first-party data. Unlike other data partnerships, DCRs ensure that user-level information is kept private, whilst still providing relevant targeting capabilities for campaigns.

So far, so simple, but the practical application is always less straightforward. Any ‘new’ technology is likely to be met with skepticism or mistrust, which is where we must take the lead to educate and inform on why DCRs are so important to the evolving digital advertising ecosystem.

According to a new report from The IAB, DCRs are now essential for audience insights, measurement and data activation, however most companies are only scratching the surface of what is possible, using this technology largely for privacy controls.

In fact, DCRs are usually paired with other privacy-preserving tech, such as CDPs (customer data platforms) and DMPs (data management platforms), which altogether send annual costs soaring. As such, there is an opportunity here to expand the functionality of clean rooms to help with greater measurement capabilities, such as attribution, return on investment (ROI) / return on ad spend (ROAS) measurement, propensity modeling and predictive analysis.

Businesses are expected to invest 29 per cent more this year to make the most of their

DCRs as growing demand and finding a secure way to share non-sensitive data become the focus. I think this is indicative of where we are as an industry; we understand the possibilities and what’s required to operate DCRs at scale, however there are significant challenges to overcome first.

Investments in infrastructure (initial and ongoing) as well as finding the right talent to continually optimise this technology may prove a stumbling block for the smaller agencies, brands and publishers. There is no sugar coating it; setting up DCRs takes time, resources and money with no quick route to success.

Regionally, we are finding that clients are asking the right questions when it comes to how best to use their data and are open to more solutions, particularly as

we (finally) head towards this cookieless landscape. Our role is to show the importance of clean rooms for targeting effectively and to ease any misgivings about how their data is used.

Ultimately, it is a broader question for the industry to answer, ensuring all data providers make their data compatible and allow advertisers to measure full campaign effectiveness and ROI. It is in everyone’s best interests for industry collaboration to ensure DCR innovation is encouraged and clarify the process for greater adoption.

To that end, DCR specification is coming from the IAB Tech Lab later this quarter to advise on how to define and support interoperable clean room interactions. It cannot come soon enough. In the meantime, industry analysts are keeping an eye on where the walled gardens will go in this space.

Initially, Google’s Ads Data Hub, Amazon Marketing Cloud and Meta’s Advanced Analytics all built their DCRs to serve their own advertising needs. However, small concessions have been made at the back end of last year with both Google and Amazon announcing standalone clean room solutions, but without them their own tech or audience data behind them.

By Walid Ramadan, GM, MMP Experiences

It may seem like a ‘big guys vs little guys’ situation with the heavyweights dictating the terms, but I think the days of closed solutions and limited collaboration are numbered. For the ecosystem to progress and thrive, interconnectivity and accessibility for all is the only option.

As advertisers demand more clarity in the measurement arena, DCRs are going to come up in every discussion, particularly in the battle to adhere to multiple privacy laws and deal with finding the specialist talent (data scientists, in particular) needed to make DCRs a success. Investment in the right tech stack and infrastructure will be crucial.

If the last few years have taught us anything, it is that we cannot predict where technology will take us or where we will end up once external factors finally start to level up. Where I am confident is that clean rooms will be the one constant. I believe that whoever isn’t working on clean rooms will miss the train. All aboard everyone.

“There is no sugar coating it; setting up DCRs takes time, resources and money with no quick route to success.”

Navigating the evolving OOH landscape

Hills Advertising’s Sami Al Mufleh talks to Campaign Middle East about the changing role of data, targeting and evaluation in outdoor campaigns

HOW IMPORTANT IS MEASURABILITY IN OOH TODAY?

Today’s OOH advertising places a greater emphasis on measurability as marketers and agencies need to prove the value of their campaigns and justify their spending. More methods and tools are now available to gauge the success of OOH ads thanks to the advent of digital and data-driven strategies, including audience measurement technology, digital billboards and foot traffic analysis. Advertisers can improve their messaging and targeting to get better outcomes and a higher return on investment by tracking the reach, frequency and engagement of their campaigns.

WHAT MAKES OOH IN THE REGION DIFFERENT FROM THE GLOBAL MARKET?

OOH advertising in the MENA region is unique and differs from the global market in a few key ways:

Cultural and religious factors: The MENA region has a diverse mix of cultures, religions, and languages, which can affect the types of messages and creative approaches that are appropriate for OOH advertising. Advertisers need to be aware of cultural sensitivities and adapt their campaigns accordingly.

Media consumption pattern: Compared to other markets, the MENA area places a greater emphasis on OOH advertising. This is because residents of the region spend more time outside of their homes and engage in more outdoor activities. OOH advertising can therefore be more successful at reaching consumers in the MENA region.

Regulatory environment: Compared to other markets, the MENA region’s regulatory climate for OOH advertising might be more difficult. There are prohibitions on some forms of advertising, as well as location restrictions. To ensure compliance, advertisers must be aware of regional laws and work closely with regional partners.

Overall, the MENA area offers OOH marketers a distinctive mix of opportunities and problems and it necessitates a bespoke strategy that takes into consideration the cultural, governmental and media consumption elements that set it apart from other markets.

HOW HAVE YOUR CLIENTS’ DEMANDS CHANGED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS?

The demands and requirements of customers for outdoor advertising have evolved dramatically over the past few years as a result of a number of factors including technological advancements, changes in consumer behaviour and escalating competition.

Data-driven targeting: Clients are asking for more accurate targeting and evaluation of their outdoor campaigns, using data to guide decisions regarding

the best times and places to post ads as well as to monitor their efficacy.

Integration with digital channels: Clients are looking for more seamless integration of their outdoor campaigns with their digital marketing efforts, using techniques such as geofencing and QR codes to connect with consumers and drive engagement.

Creativity and innovation: With the increasing competition in the outdoor advertising space, clients are looking for more creative and innovative approaches to stand out from the crowd and capture consumers’ attention.

Overall, outdoor advertising clients are seeking more value and impact from their campaigns with a greater emphasis on targeting, integration, creativity and social responsibility. Advertisers need to be agile and responsive to these changing demands to stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving market.

WHAT CHANGES DO YOU FORESEE FOR THE OOH LANDSCAPE THIS YEAR?

There are several changes and trends that are likely to impact the OOH advertising landscape this year.

Digital transformation: The OOH industry is expected to continue its digital transformation with more investment in digital billboards, programmatic buying and data-driven targeting. This will allow advertisers to deliver more relevant and personalised messages to consumers, as well as to measure and optimise campaign performance more effectively.

Increased focus on privacy and data protection: With the growing concerns around privacy and data protection, the OOH industry is likely to face more scrutiny around how it collects and uses consumer data. Advertisers will need to ensure that they are complying with local regulations and best practices in this area. Sustainability and social responsibility: Advertisers are increasingly focused on sustainability and social responsibility, and this trend is expected to continue in the OOH industry. This may include the use of more environmentally friendly materials and practices, as well as a focus on messaging that resonates with consumers around social issues.

Creative revolution: Advertisers will continue to seek new and innovative ways to engage consumers and capture their attention in a crowded market. This may involve the use of new technologies, such as augmented reality and interactive displays, as well as more creative and engaging messaging.

Overall, the OOH landscape is likely to continue to evolve rapidly in response to changing consumer behaviour, technology and societal trends.

Advertisers who stay on top of these changes and adapt their strategies accordingly will be best positioned to succeed in this dynamic and

“The demands and requirements of customers for outdoor advertising have evolved dramatically over the past few years.”

Sami Al Mufleh, CEO, Hills Advertising

THE AGENCY

EDITOR’S NOTE

Welcome to the 2023 edition of our annual Creative and Media Agency Guide. In today’s rapidly evolving business environment, creative and media agencies are playing an essential role in helping organisations build their brands, develop marketing strategies and engage with their target audiences.

Each year the guide gets bigger and bigger as more agencies see the huge value of being included. And the more agencies that take part, the more comprehensive an overview we can provide of the creative and media agency landscape. We start this year with plenty of excitement in the industry from technological innovations such as generative AI. The most well-known is ChatGPT, while Google’s Bard might not be far behind, despite some early scepticism. Advanced AI is proving both a threat and opportunity for the creative sector.

There are headwinds in the form of third-party cookies being phased out by Google and others. The end of tracking via cookies is a huge deal for the digital ad business and the effect has been estimated at costing nearly $700 billion.

But the creative industry is known to be agile and to quickly adapt to changing conditions, and it will again in a cookie-less world. To be fair, the cookie ban has been on the cards for a while and marketers have already been looking at alternatives.

Voluntary first-party cookies, also referred to as zero-party, are one possible alternative and could reshape the marketing landscape as we know it. It seems consumers are fine with sharing some of their browsing activity as long as they are aware of it and are asked beforehand by brands and organisations they trust. The agencies listed in the following 40-plus pages will all face the industry’s challenges and opportunities hand-in-hand with their brand partners.

We hope this Creative and Media Agency Guide is a good starting point to see what agencies are offering in terms of services. There are plenty of new entrants in this year’s guide and you will find their contact details here, along with those of more well-known agencies that have made the Middle East their base. We feature the small, medium and large agencies, and the contacts you need to start discussing potential partnerships.

Among the new entries, Omnicom Media Group (OMG) recently launched an analytics, marketing and cloud technology consultancy TRKKN in the Middle East. Meanwhile Dentsu has also introduced its new creative agency Dentsu Creative into the MENA region, uniting its creative agencies and expanding its entertainment, earned attention and experience capabilities.

Thank you for reading, and we hope you find this guide useful and informative.

Motivate Media Group

Head Office: 34th Floor, Media One Tower, Dubai Media City, Dubai, UAE. Tel: +971 4 427 3000, Fax: +971 4 428 2266, Email: motivate@motivate.ae

Dubai Media City: SD 2-94, 2nd Floor, Building 2, Dubai, UAE. Tel: +971 4 390 3550, Fax: +971 4 390 4845

JUSTIN HARPER Editor

justin.harper@motivate.ae

Main Cover and Inside cover designed by Rain

Abu Dhabi: Motivate Advertising, Marketing & Publishing, PO Box 43072, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Tel: +971 2 677 2005, Fax: +97126573401, Email: motivate-adh@motivate.ae

Saudi arabia: Office 452, Regus Offices, 4th Floor, Al Hamad Tower, King Fahad Road, Al Olaya, PO.Box 12381, Riyadh 6764, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Tel: +966 11 834

3595 / +966 11 834 3596 Fax: +966 11 8343501

London: Motivate Publishing Ltd, Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London NW1 3ER. motivateuk@motivate.ae www.motivatemedia.com

EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer Managing Partner and Group Editor Ian Fairservice Editor Justin Harper

Senior Reporter Jalaja Ramanunni Junior Web Reporter Ishwari Khatu

DESIGN Art Director Clarkwin Cruz Designer Thokchom Remy

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Tel: +971 4 427 3000 Chief Commercial Officer Anthony Milne Publisher Nadeem Ahmed Quraishi (+971 50 6453365)

PRODUCTION General Manager S. Sunil Kumar Production Manager Binu Purandaran

HAYMARKET MEDIA GROUP Chairman Kevin Costello Managing Director Jane Macken

The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review. CampaignMiddleEastincludes material reproduced from the UK Edition (and other editions) of Campaign , which is the copyright of Haymarket. Campaignis a trademark of Haymarket and is used under licence. The views and opinions expressed within this magazine are not necessarily those of Haymarket Magazines Limited or those of its contributors.

CREATIVE AGENCIES

180 MENA

Founded: 2021

General manager: Youssef Chahine youssef.chahine@180mena.com

An award-winning creative agency that sees the world not as it is but as it could be. Known for its ‘180 thinking’, the agency brings fresh perspectives to clients and ideas that sit at the intersection of famous, human, and seamless. Key hubs: Amsterdam, Los Angeles, New York, and MENA.

SERVICES: Brand strategy, advertising and content creation, data and analytics, social media, design, and production.

Accelerate Online

Founded: 2011

Regional Offices: Beirut, Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah

Head of company: Patrick Lahoud

Chief creative: Raya Hilany pl@acceleratemeonline.com www.acceleratemeonline.com

Accelerate Online provides its new age of consumers with digital and integrated marketing solutions. Through incorporating the various aspects of typical agencies, we are able to provide complete and comprehensive approaches to fit your marketing needs, while ensuring a strong brand image across various popular platforms.

SERVICES: Media planning and buying; SEO; strategies; content creation; listening and reporting; analytics and data; production services; web development; influencer marketing; digital designs; animated videos

Accenture Interactive

Founded: 2009

Headquartered: Dubai, with offices in Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Al Khobar, and Doha

Email: middleeast@accenture.com www.accentureinteractive.com

Accenture Interactive is a new kind of partner for a new kind of client. We are designed from the ground up to empower clients to own Experience from start to finish. We believe that a great idea can transform an Experience, and a great Experience can transform lives. We are committed to helping design, build, communicate and run experiences that make peoples’ lives better, more productive, and more meaningful

SERVICES: Consulting, design thinking, user experience, platform solutions and implementation, commerce, creative and communications, brand strategy and governance, digital media

AGA-ADK Advertising and Marketing

Founded: 1997

Offices: Dubai, Beirut, Jeddah, Riyadh

Chairman: Roger Sahyoun info@aga-adk.com aga-adk.com +971 4 445 8383

AGA-ADK is a full-fledged communications agency in the MENA region. Using data to drive creative solutions, the team focuses on creating relevance in communication in a world where individualisation in communication is increasing in importance.

SERVICES: Full marketing communication services, strategic planning, creative design, consumer activation, production, branding and corporate identity, content planning and production

CLIENTS:

KEY

Bank Of Sharjah, Bosch, Siemens, IFFCO, Nokia, P&G Always, Vicks, Toshiba, Hershey’s, Red Bull GmbH, Hansaplast, Tabasco, Dunlop.

Founded: 2018

Founder: Fadi Yaish www.and-us.agency fadi@and-us.agency

TYPE OF AGENCY:

Advertising, Strategy, Technology, Social, Content Production, Design, Branding, Purpose.

WHY WE DO IT:

To give our clients a competitive advantage and help them address their bottom-line challenges and top-line growth objectives simultaneously.

HOW WE DO IT:

We work side-by-side with our clients to solve their business problems or create business opportunities with creativity, technology and design.

WHAT WE DO:

We provide business growth solutions and expert services across the entire customer journey.

WHO WE ARE:

We are an independent creatively-led agency group.

AWARDS WON:

2020 and 2021 Cannes Lions MENA Independent Agency of the Year.

2020 and 2021 One Show MENA Independent Agency of the Year.

2020 and 2021 Dubai Lynx MENA Independent Agency of the Year. Contagious 2021—2022 World’s Best Creative.

Forbes 2021 Most Innovative Companies.

SERVICES:

Business/brand strategy, Market/consumer insights, Creative consulting, Planning, Creative strategy, Business development. Big creative concepts, Integrated campaigns, Brand launch/relaunch, Live events/stunts, Activation/experiences, Promotion, Social/ influencer, Brand partnerships, Culture collaborations.

Branding and design, Physical environments, Packaging design, Tangible products, Designed objects.

Digital products/services, UX/UI, Tech driven creativity, Emerging technologies, Martech.

Film content, Video content, Publishing/printed content, Music/sound content, Branded entertainment.

Sustainable marketing, Diversity/equity/inclusion, Gender equality, Public relations, Corporate communication, Influence.

Founded: 2021

Founder: Fadi Yaish

www.no-one.design

Hello@No-One.Design

TYPE OF AGENCY:

Branding, Design, Brand Strategy, Consulting, Technology strategy and engineering, Positioning.

WHY WE DO IT:

We help brands cut through the noise with design-based strategy, positioning and craft.

HOW WE DO IT:

When you’re No One, the work takes center stage. Exactly where it belongs. We are nothing. Our work is everything.

WHAT WE DO:

We are Specialized in the Branding and Design of everything.

WHO WE ARE:

We are a multi-disciplinary, independently owned Branding and Design studio.

SERVICES:

Brand strategy, Positioning, Branding and design, Physical environments, Packaging design, Tangible products, Designed objects, product and experience design, Environment Design, websites and digital experiences, exhibitions and installations, data visualizations and typefaces, sound and motion.

NO ONE CARES.

WE ARE NOTHING. OUR WORK IS EVERYTHING. WE ARE NO ONE. WWW.NO—ONE.DESIGN

THE ONE TIME AVOIDING A PITCH WILL ACTUALLY MAKE YOU WIN.

PLAY NOW

Founded: 2021

Head of company: Kevin Alderweirldt

Number of staff: 25 employees

www.bureaubeatrice.com

jon@bureaubeatrice.com +971527652197

Bureau Béatrice is a luxury creative technology company that was created on the belief that technology without creativity was irrelevant. Bureau Béatrice is the product of 15 years dedicated to designing luxury creative campaigns and experiences for some of the world’s most desirable brands.

SERVICES OFFERED: Immersive/Interactive Experiential, Brand in hand, AR/VR/XR, Gaming / Digital, Shows & Ceremonies

KEY CLIENTS: Richard Mille, Cartier, Tiffany, KIKO, Roberto Cavalli, Shiseido, Starbucks, Aramco, Pepsi, Terra Solis, Sole DXB, Etihad

AWARDS WON: Effies, Game Design

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

WHAT SETS YOU APART AS A CREATIVE AGENCY?

JON S. MALOY

Jon S. Maloy: It starts by acknowledging that we are more than an agency, we specialise in the development of ideas which bridge the gap between brand identity and current culture. Technology is our means of production, it is used to enhance our creative concepts, not inform them. Finally, we produce the work we sell in-house, allowing us to have complete creative and qualitative control over the output of our deliverables. Our trademark is our quality, which can only be achieved by hiring experts who are driven by a curiosity to push creative boundaries.

HOW DID YOUR INDUSTRY CHANGE IN 2022?

Kevin Alderweireldt: While we are category-agnostic, we tend to work with luxury brands that are generally early adopters of emerging technologies, thereby giving us the chance to flex our creative muscles. Overall, we have witnessed a rise in appetite towards novel interactive

LEADERSHIP PANEL

experiences. There is less of a focus towards traditional engagement channels and a true belief that new forms of brand experiences can live outside of the realm of six second content. From gaming to augmented reality and everything in between, interactive technologies are a must have for brands who want to build genuine and more meaningful consumer connections.

HOW IS THE ROLE OF YOUR AGENCY CHANGING?

Jon S. Maloy: We are a year old, so our role is not so much changing as it is being anchored in a new technology reality. We built Beatrice with the belief that brands needed more; more emotions, more storytelling and more connectivity to where our consumers are spending most of their time and energy. We mirror to the best of our ability the pace of culture and try to create at the speed of it.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FORESEE FOR THIS YEAR?

Kevin Alderweireldt: This year we choose to look beyond the « R » word (yes recession) and put the hammer down. We are constantly growing our roster of clientele and are hungry for new and exciting projects which propel our purpose, to bring together technological experiences fueled by meaningful narratives.

Jon S. Maloy Co-Founder and CCO

Nour Dalle Account Lead

Aula Ourtashi Senior Creative Strategist

Kevin Alderweireldt Co-founder and CEO

Bernardo Moreira Creative Director

Zain Zaidi Operations Lead

Co-founder and CEO

Co-Founder and CCO

KEVIN ALDERWEIRELDT

AKQA

Founded: 2010

Regional Offices: UAE, KSA, Egypt

Managing Director MENA: Bassel Sawy Bassel.Sawy@akqa.com

AKQA is a full-service brand experience design agency. We work in partnership with our clients to articulate a vision, unlock opportunities and solve problems. With this collaborative approach, we are able to deliver effective strategy, creative communications, digital and media services that capture the imagination.

SERVICES: Creative communication; data and media; experience design; technology solutions; CONTENT PRODUCTION; BRAND ACTIVATION

KEY CLIENTS: Toyota, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Louis Vuitton, Visit Saudi, Public Investment Fund, Batelco, Mondelez, Americana Group, RAKBANK

Aló

Founded: 2014

Head of company: Samit Athavale

Headquartered: Dubai, UAE +971 55 555 0197 dimple@teamalo.com

We are a globally independent communication agency, specialising in crafting meaningful brand conversations that are weaved into an engaging customercentric narrative. Simply put, we help your brands to be seen, heard, felt, and double-tapped. By the right people on the right screen.

KEY CLIENTS: Al Futtaim Engineering & Technologies, Healthhub by Al Futtaim, Prime Health, Kawan Foods, MTR, Camelicious, Gulf Drug, UAQ Tourism, UAQ Smart Government amongst other marquee brands in FMCG, banking, healthcare, fashion and F&B sectors

SERVICES: Communication strategy and design, digital and social media marketing, performance marketing, SEO, website and app development, media planning and buying, PR and events, e-commerce marketing, business and digital transformation, automated marketing

Andon Creative Design

Founded: 2013

Regional headquarters: Dubai

Ownership: The Andon Group BVI

Head of company: Brandon Grieve

Chief creatives: Andrew Noddings; Mohammed Barazi www.theandongroup.com

SERVICES: Brand identity; brand evolution; marketing campaigns; product development; product launch and promotion; website UI; UX design; website builds; content creation.

AR More

Founded: 2019

Head of company: Mina Litvinova vera@ar-more.me www.ar-more.me

AR More is an augmented reality creative and production studio specialising in designing engaging AR-driven social media campaigns and developing AR effects for social media platforms. With our “minds” based in Dubai and our “hands” based in Russia and Ukraine, we ensure delivering regionally relevant creative coupled with highest industry-standard technical execution at a competitive price.

SERVICES: Development of AR-driven social media campaigns; design and development of AR filters for Facebook and Instagram in Spark AR; design and development of AR lenses for Snapchat in Lens Studio; design and development of AR effects in TikTok Effector; corporate training

AMC Advertising & Marketing Consultants

Founded: 1988

Heads of company: Pierre Abou Diwan (chairman and CEO); Mark Abou Diwan (managing director) enquiry@amcuae.com www.amcuae.com

We combine innovation, cutting-edge strategy and insightful planning to help our clients navigate the new normal. As an integrated, full-service media buying and planning agency, we are known for our rapid response capabilities. While using multiple data sources to discover the emerging trends and opportunities, our robust media approaches deliver absolute results.

SERVICES: Media planning and buying; integrated communication strategy; integrated analytics; performance-led media solutions; programmatic; campaign ideation; performance and experiential marketing; API integrations; brand activation; data visualization; media relations; public relations

KEY CLIENTS: Bentley Emirates, Mitsubishi, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, Ambulatory Healthcare Services (SEHA), Bawabat Al Sharq Mall

Axis Integrated

Foiunded: 1998

Head of company: Mukhtar Mody mukhtar@axis-ads.com

Axis Integrated, a full-service advertising agency based in Dubai, operates in the Middle East and Africa region with access to all global markets. We have a proven track record of successful campaigns conceptualised and delivered for our reputed blue-chip clientele.

SERVICES: ATL and BTL creative services; media planning and buying; social media and digital marketing; events and activation; production – films, printing and fabrication

B2C Ideas Agency

Founded: 2017

Head of company: Jatin C. Vadgama jatin@b2cideas.com

With more than 25 years of experience in the Middle East, Subcontinent and Far East markets, we can create the most cost-effective solution for your brand to stand out in the marketplace. We also provide in-house design services for clients that need to protect the privacy of their content.

SERVICES: Marketing communications; advertising design for all media; branding and stand design for events; trade shows and mall activations

Baked

Founded: 2019

Headquartered: UK www.bakedcreative.co +44 776 577 7876 hello@bakedcreative.co

An independent creative agency, we bring consumer brands to life through creative strategy, advertising, design, brand development and content creation. Perfect partners as your creative agency of record and a flexible creative resource for individual projects.

SERVICES: Creative strategy, advertising, design, brand development, content creation

KEY CLIENTS: Under Armour, Red Bull, The North Face, ASICS, Timberland

Bates Pan Gulf

Founded: 1980

Heads of company: Avishesha Bhojani (group CEO); Souheil Arabi (president, BPG Kuwait), Ketaki Banga (EVP, BPG Dubai)

www.bpggroup.com

+971 4 506 5555

With offices in Dubai and Kuwait, BPG Group – part of the WPP network – is a unified brand experience agency specialising in delivering omnichannel communications across the GCC.

SERVICES: Advertising; media; PR and social; marketing transformation; customer experience

KEY CLIENTS: MH Alshaya, Boubyan Bank, Swatch Group(Omega/Rado/Tissot), Rivoli Group, HMD Global (Nokia), National Bank of Kuwait, Dubai Parks & Resorts.

Blue Apple Advertising

Founded: 2010

Headquartered: Dubai

Owner: Vishhal JN Anand www.blueappleco.com

Blue Apple is an award-winning integrated advertising, digital and social media agency built on a team of specialist professionals with regional and global experience.

SERVICES: Advertising creative services, brand strategy, integrated communication, logo design and corporate identity, packaging, digital marketing, social media, website, mobile app

KEY CLIENTS: Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City – District One, Dubai Islamic Bank, Eros Electronics, Hitachi, TCL, Michelin, Al Zahra Hospital, McCain

Bond

Founded: 2009 Partner: Anthony Miles ahlan@bond-agency.com

A global brand and experience agency with studios in Dubai, Helsinki, London, Tallinn and San Francisco. We are designers, technologists and storytellers, applying our expertise to build complete brand experiences. We believe in one simple truth: In a complex world, simple wins. Simplicity is the guiding principle that underlies our thinking, approach and work.

SERVICES: Brand strategy; brand identity and design system; launch and brand campaigns; UI design and digital development; branded environments

The Brand Company

Founded: 2017

Regional offices: Egypt, UAE

Head of company: Omar Hikal

Chief creative: Dara Abdel Hadi brandsbuiltbetter@thebrandcompany.co akram@thebrandcompany.co www.thebrandcompany.co

SERVICES: Brand culture assessment and development; brand strategy; customer experience; brand architecture; brand identity creation; creative brand communication development concept

KEY CLIENTS: El Gouna (real estate), El Gouna (destination), Azza Fahmy (luxury jewellery), Desert Rose (hospitality), RAK Media Office (government)

Founded: 2001

Email. enquiries@ddb.ae

Website: www.ddb.ae

Head of the Company: Hubert Boulos

Number of Staff: 180+

Phone number: +9714 4290904

Regional Offices: Dubai, Beirut, Riyadh, Cairo, Casablanca

Ownership: Majority Owned by DDB Europe (Omnicom)

Unexpected Works… isn’t a tagline or a position. It’s a promise.

We have a simple belief — Unexpected Works. It means that the best idea is the one you never saw coming. The thing that catches you so off guard that you can‘t look away. And the only path to genuinely unexpected works is through creativity. Not just what passes for creativity because it answers a brief, looks the part and helps everyone sleep at night. But creativity that is foreign, surprising and interesting enough to cause jaws to drop and sales to soar. It’s having the fresh perspective and raw energy to bring something into the world that no one’s ever seen before. We’re talking about the courage to shake things up and maybe even tear a few things down. And knowing that what most would call the finish line is where the real work starts.

SERVICES OFFERED: Integrated communications, Advertising, Social Digital, Shopper Marketing, Content Production

KEY CLIENTS: Al Safi Danone, Emirates Airlines, RAKBANK, Americana, DFCM, Qatar Expo

AWARDS: #3 Most creative Network in the World (Cannes Lions 2022)

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Firas Medrows Regional ECD

Hubert Boulos CEO Middle East

Ramsey Naja Regional ECD Rasjida Bouharrak Managing Director

Brand New Galaxy

Founded: 2020

Heads of company: Adil Khan (CEO); Zubair Siddiqui (COO) business.mea@brandnewgalaxy.com

A global martech platform purpose built to drive commerce for brands. Headquartered in Warsaw with offices across Europe, MEA and US. BNG delivers E-commerce solutions powered by proprietary transformation tools and datadriven insights underpinned by AI to drive performance. All with a single-minded focus of delivering growth for our clients.

SERVICES: E-commerce and automation solutions; digital and ad tech; social media; creative production; marketing communication consultancy

KEY CLIENTS: Bridgestone, Perfetti Van Melle, Fresh to Home, IFFCO, Black and Decker, Ecolab

Bridge of Minds

Founded: 2016

Heads of company: Sarah Araigy (Dubai); Marina Araigy (Beirut) Sarah@bridgeofminds.com info@bridgeofminds.com

An integrated marketing and communications agency, harmonious with all the major industries in the Lebanese and MENA markets, Bridge of Minds is shaped by a determined team from various backgrounds supporting each other to make impossible things happen. It has a unique holistic and inclusive approach to high-end marketing, communications and branding strategies.

SERVICES: Branding; copywriting; digital growth; PR and events; media buying

KEY CLIENTS: 7 Seas Maritime, Olympia Properties, Estia Developments, Castania, Barista Espresso,Widian, Resense Spa, Bou Melhem Restaurant, Pergola Kits, Salvezza perfumes, Dr Grace Obeid, ZoodMall, Hicart.

Broomstick creative

Founded: 2012

Head of company: Fahad Ali chiara.p@broomstickcreative.com

Broomstick is a creative content and digital innovation agency, headquartered in Dubai with a footprint in the US, South Asia and the Far East. We are specialised in content strategy and creation, social media management, digital development and performance marketing.

SERVICES: Content creation, performance marketing, social media management, web development

BTG

Founded: 2014

Partner: Farha Anwar info@brushtip-me.com

A creative agency with disruption running through its veins. Innovation, technology and human insights combine to bring clients cutting-edge social media, research and strategy, events and so much more. We provide brands with communications that add real value to their offering.

SERVICES: Integrated brand communications, social media management, creative strategy and implementation, experiential exhibitions, immersive technology solutions

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Founded: 1991

Head of company: Christopher Bell

Number of staff: 37 www.facetofaceuae.com

christopher@facetofaceuae.com

+9714 399 0505

2022 proved to be an exceptional year, further reinforcing our position as the region’s most established independent agency.

We became the primary agency for Expo 2020 Dubai, led multiple regional projects for PepsiCo and are now the lead global agency on Parker and Waterman pens producing work for China, Japan, France and the U.S.

Our team is diverse, marrying international experience, regional perspectives, youthful vigour, and the guiding hand of a number of global industry leaders based in New York, Paris and London.

A team that, together, all look to live the agency’s mantra of being “good people creating great work.”

KEY CLIENTS: Bloom Education, Doritos, DP World, Expo City Dubai, Fine Writing Pens of London, LEGOLAND Dubai, Pepsi

SERVICES OFFERED: Big ideas, brilliantly executed, that grow our clients’ business.

Christopher Bell CEO

Mark Sell COO

Founded: 2009 (Previously Isobar MENA)

Head of agency: Ziad Ghorayeb, Managing Director – DENTSU CREATIVE MENA

Number of staff: 78 www.dentsucreative.com + 971 4 447 4996 info.dubai@dentsu.com

DENTSU CREATIVE is Dentsu’s sole global creative network that transforms brands and businesses through the power of Modern Creativity. 2022’s Cannes Lions Agency of the Year, it is made for integration with dentsu’s Media and CXM networks through Horizontal Creativity. 9,000 creatives across the globe are connected to 34,000 media and CX experts to deliver ideas that Create Culture, Shape Society, and Invent the Future.

KEY CLIENTS: Dubai Holding, Papa John’s, Hardee’s, KFC, Honda, EG Bank, Saudi Strategic Management Office, Goody, IHG, Toyota, Public Investment Fund

SERVICES OFFERED: Content Marketing, Influencer Marketing, Social Media, Experience Platforms, Commerce, Digital Products and Innovation, Virtual Experiences, Brand positioning and identity, Experiential

AWARDS WON: 2 x Silver Effies

ZIAD GHORAYEB

Director

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

HOW WILL TECHNOLOGY AFFECT YOUR INDUSTRY IN 2023?

Technology is expected to continue to have a significant impact on the industry. We will see that automation will continue to play a big role allowing for more efficient and cost-effective production processes. The rise of AI and machine learning will increasingly be used to help creatives generate new ideas, generate content, and analyze audience engagement. This can lead to more personalized and targeted creative experiences. Virtual and augmented reality technologies are expected to become more widespread and sophisticated in 2023, offering new ways for creatives to express themselves and engage with audiences.

When asked to define the characteristics of a compelling online experience (in our latest Dentsu CMO Survey), CMOs prioritized delightful interactions that are enhanced by technologies, innovative new interfaces such as gaming and gesture, the seamless integration of

LEADERSHIP PANEL

the brand promise and customer experience and the coming together of craft and experience. It›s clear that technology must enhance ideas, not replace them.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST TRENDS CHANGING YOUR INDUSTRY TODAY?

While adoption of new technologies continues at pace, today’s marketers are acutely conscious of the need to connect technology and creativity, craft and commerce.

Live streaming technologies, virtual product experiences & configurators and social commerce are among the most widely adopted technologies. Virtual brand properties such as avatars, idols and influencers and Web 3.0 technologies are among those mostly likely to be adopted in the coming months and years.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are expected to have a significant impact on the creative industry in the coming years. Creatives are already using AI and ML to automate repetitive tasks and create new and innovative forms of content.

Sara Rabie Brand Experience Strategy Director

Serge Selwan Strategy & Innovation Lead

Elizabeth Stead Client Operations Director

Marize Sami General Manager Egypt

Reem Badawy Business Director

Bassem Ahmed Diab Senior Creative Director

Managing

C2 Communications

Founded: 1989

Headquartered: Dubai

www.c2comms.cx

+971 4 282 7621

SERVICES: Building brand identity, tone of voice and perceived value; conceptualisation and ideation of cross-channel communication strategies; activating brands through experiential and meaningful relationships; channel planning strategies; advanced performance marketing and amplification

Caviar Creative

Founded: 1998

Headquartered: Kuwait

CEO: Haitham Al- Hajji

Chief creative: officer Haitham Al-Hajji www.caviarcreative.com

SERVICES: Telecoms; banks; ministries and government; automotive; entertainment; health; FMCG; finance and investment; non-profit; sports

The Cheek

Founded: 2010

Holding company: Equity Advertising

Headquartered: Dubai

Founder: Shoba Menon (shoba@thecheek.ae; +971 50 645 7018)

Business Head: Pulkit Vasisht (pulkit@thecheek.ae; +971 55 512 9841)

Creative muscle of a network. Dedicated service of a boutique. Human-first brand communication for the digital-first world.

KEY CLIENTS: Suqia – The UAE Water Aid Foundation, Centrepoint, DP World, Banque Misr, Al Ain Farms, Home Box, Panasonic, TPM, KAO, Phillips, GBI, Nutricia, ABM, Midea, Candy

Cheesecake

Founded: 2019 (UAE), 2010 (UK)

Head of company: Philip Wride phil@cheesecakedigital.com

Cheesecake Digital is a specialist gaming agency with more than 20 years of experience. We help brands authentically enter the esports and gaming market. We take pride in taking the time to understand our clients while educating them about gaming and working with them to create “wow” moments that are relevant to the audience.

SERVICES: Strategy, event management, ad campaigns, lifecycle marketing, experiential, creative concept

Founded: 1968

HQ: Dubai

Ownership: 51% IPG, 49% MCN www.fp7mccann.com

+971 4 445 4577

Part of McCann Worldgroup and the flagship agency of MCN, FP7McCann describes itself as the number-one creatively driven integrated marketing company in the MENAT Region. Award-winning regionally and globally, FP7McCann provides fully integrated marketing solutions, advertising and digital services. The agency has been named as the most effective regional agency network for 8 years in a row (2013-2021) and the World’s Number 1 Most Effective Agency as per WARC and Global Effie’s in both 2021 and 2022.

SERVICES: Business Leadership, Integrated Creative Solutions, Integrated Production, Integrated Strategy, Campaign Creation & Activation, Channel Management, Consumer Journey Analysis, Content Creation & Production, Social Strategy, Social Listening, Social Playbook Creation, Content Planning Design/UX, Digital Strategy, Holistic Analytics, Humantech Design Thinking.

AWARDS: WARC Effectiveness Awards: 2021 #1 Agency of the Year Globally, Global Effies; #1 Agency of the Year 2022, MENA Effies: #1 Agency and Network of the Year, 2021 Cannes Lions (7 Awards in 2021), Dubai Lynx: #2 Agency of the Year, 2021, The One Show, The Webby’s, The Clio’s, The Loerries, Caples, Garety Awards, LIA, Epica, NY Festivals, AME Awards, IAB Turkey, WARC Effective 100: #1 Global Agency 2022, WARC Media 100: #1 Agency in MENAT 2021, WARC MENA: #1 Agency in MENA 2021.

KEY CLIENTS: Atlantis, McDonalds, Nestlé, Mastercard, Emirates NBD, Arla, L’Oreal, Dubai Duty Free, Egypt Tourism, GM, Spotify, Aldar Properties, Aldar Retail, Al Rajhi Bank, Babyshop, Reckitt Benckiser, Unilever, Heinz, Adidas, Ooredoo Group, Gillette, Etisalat Egypt, Orange Tunis, flyadeal (Saudia), Homecentre, QIB, Tadawul, Qatar Foundation

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Federico Fanti CCO

Tarek Miknas CEO

Emad Saeed

CFO Anis Zantout Regional Head of Digital

Cheil MEA

Founded: 1973 (globally); 2006 in the region

Head of company: Youngsuk Yoon hello@cheil.com

Cheil MEA is a leading 360-degree advertising agency regionally headquartered in Dubai, and with seven offices across the region. Its dedicated digital business provides full creative development and localisation (across channels such as social media, display and video), as well as e-commerce, CRM, media buying, and UX/UI design and development.

SERVICES: Creative development (both locally produced and global adaptation), social, digital and e-commerce, CRM, media planning and buying, analytics and reporting

KEY CLIENTS: Samsung, Volkswagen, Nespresso, New Balance, Energizer

Comma

Founded: 2018

Head of company: Rawan Al Sharif write@letscomma.com mariam@letscomma.com

We have intensive experience in the field of copywriting that we have gathered from years of working on different types of projects. We believe in the power of words, which is why we aspire to practise and enhance what we do by collaborating with similar agencies around the world.

SERVICES: Creation of a brand tone; translations in English and Arabic; campaign and advertisement content; social media content management; packaging content

Commonwealth McCann

Regional headquarters: Dubai.

Ownership: IPG (The Interpublic Group of companies)

Managing director: Ian Halley

Executive creative director: Andrej Arsenijevic www.cw-mccann.com

SERVICES: Creativity, strategy, account management, social media, digital content creation, production

KEY CLIENT: Chevrolet Arabia

Create Media Group

Founded: 2010

Offices: Dubai, London

Head of company: Tom O on Creative director: Vincent Drevet www.createmedia-group.com

SERVICES: Social media; digital; video production; logo design

KEY CLIENTS: Emirates, Audi, Emirates Academy, Qasr Al Hosn, Expo2020, Cultural Foundation, Redbull, Nespresso, Standard Chartered, Emaar

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Founded: 1976

Head of company: Reham Nader Mufleh

Number of staff: 300+ in the MENA region horizonfcb.com

+971 4 332 3304

reham.mufleh@horizonfcb.com info@horizonfcb.com

Horizon FCB is a creative collective that believes in a Never Finished process, a relentless drive and a passion for growth. This is where the creators, the fighters and the thinkers come together to create the perfect equilibrium of data and ideas to drive creativity that becomes an economic multiplier. Our doors are always open for those who want to change the game.

SERVICES OFFERED: Brand planning & consulting; brand architecture; brand applications; brand guidelines; packaging; data sourcing & strategy; journey mapping/ planning; integrated creative; online/digital creative; content creation; influencers & event management; promotions; commerce strategy & communication; gaming & innovation solutions; experiential & on-ground activations; rapid-pace content production & live shoots; shopper marketing

KEY CLIENTS: VISA, GSK, Centrum, Boeing, Clorox, Dubai South, DHL, Dubai South, Lamb Weston.

Reham Mufleh Managing Director Horizon FCB Dubai & FuelContent

Mazen Jawad CEO, Horizon Holdings

Munther Al Sheyyab Business Development Director, Horizon FCB Dubai

Rodrigo Rodrigues Executive Creative Director, Horizon FCB Dubai

Deloitte Digital

Founded: 2019

Headquartered: UAE (D.studio). present and operating in KSA (Digital Delivery Center) and Jordan (Jordan digital Center).

hudajani@deloitte.com

Digital connects creativity with technology for business, bringing empathy, ideas and experiences into all of our projects. Together across the breadth of our organisation we make an impact that matters for our clients, talent, partners and communities.

SERVICES: Branding and advertising; Holistic marketing communication strategies; Develop strategies for new growth; Build customer engagement from lead to loyalty; Architect the business to work for real people; Define brand purpose and take the lead on ESG; One-stop shop for creativity and technology to create better business futures.

Delphys ME

Founded: 2015

Headquarters: Dubai with offices in Tokyo, Singapore, Bangkok, Beijing, Riyadh and Jeddah. hello@delphysme.com www.delphysme.com

In a rapidly changing world, we believe in creating transformational value for brands through creativity, communication design and data. We embrace strategic thinking, innovation and storytelling to deliver compelling content across all mediums and screens.

SERVICES: Brand strategy, innovation, advertising, branding, design, analytics, brand experience, influencer management, community management, content creation, web design and development, digital marketing

KEY CLIENTS: Toyota, Lexus, Abdul Latif Jameel, Sabic, Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, Rally Dakar and Deezer

Founded: 2005

Do Epic Sh*t

Founded: 2018

Head of company: Ramzi Moutran ramzi@doepic.agency

A virtual, boutique content-creation and production agency with sustainability at its heart, we create ideas with genuine impact through human storytelling, for brands that understand they need to transition to drive growth. Being boutique means we are experienced enough to create epic ideas on a global scale but small enough to ensure you receive the quality time and attention from the world’s top creatives.

SERVICES: Creative (sustainable) strategy; marketing campaigns; branded content; branding; sustainable productions

KEY CLIENTS: el Grocer, Uber, Timberland, Tamkeen.bh, Puma

Dunes Packaging

Founded: 1985

Headquartered: Dubai info@dunes.ae www.dunes.ae

Packaging design specialists offering an integrated range of packaging design and branding solutions. Concept, branding, design, artwork, premedia, prepress, 3D and CGI, photography, mockups and prototypes, e-commerce graphics and technical and press-side support.

Head of company: Dany Naaman, CEO

Number of staff: 80 havasme.com

carlos.nadal@havasme.com (new business)

tanya.kassab@havasme.com (marketing & press)

+971 4 455 6000

We create advertising campaigns that truly make a meaningful difference to businesses, brands and the lives of the people we work with. We have emerged as one of the region’s most creative agencies in the last year, having our work recognized in all major festivals.

A reputation that does not come at the expense of our clients’ objectives - in fact, we’re all about creativity that drives results and effectiveness. We are a talented bunch of people, with great ambitions and a shared goal: to build a global creative powerhouse, based out of the Middle East, delivering work that resonates across the world.

SERVICES: Integrated communications services: creative, strategy, social media, content creation, digital, design and branding

KEY CLIENTS: adidas, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Virgin Mobile, Bel, MG Motors, ACDelco

AWARDS WON: Cannes Lions 1x GP & x6 awards, Cannes Lions #2 Agency MEA; One Show #1 in MEA; D&AD #1 Agency in UAE; Dubai Lynx #2 Agency & 2 Network, Dubai Lynx 2x GP; Adfest Media Agency of the Year & 2x GP; Only agency in the MENA region shortlisted in the Global Effie Best of the Best; WARC MENA Strategy and WARC Awards for Media #1 in MENA; Adweek Media Plan of the Year; Campaign Global AOY #2 Network of the Year MEA; Adstars 1x GP

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Makram Khater General Manager, Lower Gulf

Rami Husseini Managing Director, Saudi Arabia

Joao Medeiros Executive Creative Director

Fabio Silveira General Manager

Karine Barakat General Manager, Havas Egypt

Carlos Nadal Head of Growth

Elevate Agency

Founded: 2019

Headquartered: Palestine

Ownership: Elevate Group contact@elevate.ps

We elevate brands. We make them stand out. We give them a voice of their own.

SERVICES: Marketing consultancy; branding; design; TV production; strategy and planning; research; 360-degree advertising; events management

KEY CLIENTS: ALNayzak, Unicef, Padico Holding, Coffee Lab Palestine, Jamieson Palestine, UNDP Palestine, Crocs Palestine, Australian Representative Office Palestine, Save The Children Palestine

EGG

Founded: January 1, 2000; MEA office since 2016

CEO: Angelique Eriksen,

Country director: Naoile El Azzouzi

Commercial director: Tom Nauw

Regional headquarters/offices: Dubai, UAE tom.nauw@egg-events.com

Founded in early 2000 by Angélique Eriksen, EGG is a 100 per cent independent experiential agency.

Headquartered in Paris, France, EGG has a broad international presence, with operational offices in Geneva, New York, Atlanta, Dubai, Madrid, Riyadh, Florence and Brussels. EGG comprises 160 full-time, multilingual and multinational employees.

SERVICES: Branding, content creation and production, Creative Strategy, Integrated Communication, Strategy

Entourage

Founded: 2009

Headquartered: Dubai

CEO: Mohammed Tayem www.entourageintl.com

+971 4 338 8834

Entourage is an independent live communications agency operating in the MENA region for the past 11 years with offices in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Jordan, along with a main office in New York City.

SERVICES: Corporate events and conferences; creative; digital and social media marketing; PR

KEY CLIENTS: Google, YouTube, Monsha’at SME Authority Saudi Arabia, Deloitte, UAE Prime Minister’s Office, LinkedIn, Ministry of Agriculture - Morocco.

AWARDS: Dubai SME 100; Effie Awards MENA; Dubai Lynx; Middle East Event Awards; Care Awards; Guinness World Records Recognition

Esteem Communications

Founded: 2015

Headquartered: Dubai info@esteem.me

Esteem Communications started its operation as a branding agency. Driven by passion for design, and a desire for being unique and unconventional the Esteem Communications team – who come from a diverse and multinational range of backgrounds – have dreamed up identities for five-star hotels, created blockbusting stands for real estate giants and even advised individual professionals and budding start-ups.

SERVICES: Corporate identity and branding; ATL and BTL communication; social media management; web design

Founded: 2012

Co-founders: Abby Lyons, Kaja

Weller and Jamie Wilks

Number of staff: 90+ www.houseofcomms.com

+971 4 275 4900

talk@houseofcomms.com

A strategic communications agency, we are a fearless group of thinkers focused on ideas, impact and integrity. Our marketing strategies are not bound by channel or discipline; they are fueled by our imagination, driven by data, knowledge and limitless creativity. With offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, and servicing the MENA region and more than 90 staff, we are a multicultural team of experienced and passionate experts who come together to make incredible things happen. We are truly fullservice. The guiding principle of human-to-human communication is at the heart of everything we do. Curated expertise, delivering real impact.

TECH PARTNERS: (Platforms) Tik Tok Creative Partner; Meta Business Partner; Google Premier Partner. (Core technical partnerships) Sitecore Certified Solutions Partner; Umbraco; Ociober

SERVICES: Strategy; advertising; brand; creative; digital; performance marketing; social media; PR; film; web design and build; service design; UX/UI; SEO; PPC

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Abby Lyons Co-founder

Jamie Wilks Co-founder

Kaja Weller Co-founder

Freedom

Founded: 2018

Head of company: Hisham Lahouasnia

Headquartered: Dubai, UAE love@freedom.agency

Freedom is a cross-disciplinary creative studio that puts brands at the heart of the business. With our data and design-driven methodology and multi-faceted collaborative approach, we unearth opportunities that engage audiences and deliver results through creativity.

SERVICES: Brand strategy and development, design, full-service production, content strategy and creation, digital research and strategy.

KEY CLIENTS: Sony PlayStation, Department of Economy and Tourism (Dubai), Chalhoub Group, MBC Group (Shahid), Emirates Group (Dnata Travel), Eyewa, BEDU

FWD-Comms

Founded: 2020

Head of company: Fiona Wishart fiona@fwd-comms.com

FWD-Comms focuses on lifestyle brands, aiming to give the best concept consultancy and communication strategies. We give our clients access to a roster of talented freelancers across the globe to offer their services to our brands, from graphic design to illustration, photography to copywriting, in order to streamline your marketing and digital campaigns.

SERVICES: Brand consultancy, creative campaigns, content creation, media and influencer outreach, copywriting

Grey MENA

Founded: 1917

Head of company: Philippe Berthelot (managing director, Grey Dubai);

ECD, Grey Dubai: Pablo Maldonado infomena@grey.com

Started in 1917 in New York, Grey expanded into Europe in 1960. Over the years, the agency has garnered an enviable reputation for creative excellence based on solid strategic thinking. Clear, simple and compelling ideas have been the driving force behind creating consumer preference. In MENA, Grey was established in 1987. It is ranked amongst the top agency networks offering integrated communication solutions to international, regional and local clients.

SERVICES: Strategy, ideation and deployment across touchpoints

Groupe Rhinos

Founded: 1998

Regional headquarters: Dubai

Managing director: Fahad-Quentin Bahar

Chief creative: Léa Liotta www.groupe-rhinos.com/en

SERVICES: Strategy planning; web and app development and design; graphic design; content creation; internal and external communication; digital marketing; audio-visual production; reward management; events planning

KEY CLIENTS: Life Pharmacy, Emaar, Volkswagen Group, Engie, Lals Group

Hanging Gardens Agency

Founded: 2019

Head of Company: Roger Halaby, CEO www.hanginggardens.agency/ +971 4 578 6270

The Hanging Gardens Agency is an independent marketing communications boutique agency in the now, led by forward-thinking marketers. The agency functions with an insistent focus on consumer behaviour and creative thinking.

SERVICES: Blogger engagements, branding, business and brand design, communications, content creation, content production, creative design, digital gamification, influencer marketing, marketing strategy, photography, social media, storytelling, videography

KEY CLIENTS: Bourjois, Rimmel, Max Factor, Maison Abriza, L’Oréal, Middle East, Fresh Markets, Armetal, Joelle Paris

Human

Founded: 2016

Headquartered: Dubai, UAE

Head of company: Rakesh Kumar

Chief creative: Rakesh Kumar human-film@homeofhuman.com www.human-film.com

SERVICES: Crowdsourcing; big ideas; campaigns; production; idea banks; digital storytelling; tech-led content

KEY CLIENTS: Michelin, ENBD, Al Tayer Group, Titan, Dabur, JLL MENA, Star TV, Mondelez, Ferrero

Ibtikar Advertising Agency

Founded: 2009

Regional headquarters: Damascus

Ownership: CNR Marketing

Head of company: Abou Rommaneh

Chief creative: Dima Homoush info@ibtikar.me ibtikar.me

SERVICES: Corporate identity creation; full advertising campaign development (ATL and BTL); media planning and buying; digital media; public relations; event planning; TVCs

KEY CLIENTS: MTN Syria; Unicef; Park Residence Yaafour; Fly Aman; UNMAS; Aman Holding; Al Hafez Home Appliances; FMFI Bank

The Idea Agency

Founded: 1997

Heads of company: Rita Boustany (managing director); Fady Boustany (executive director) fady.boustany@tia.ae

The Idea Agency is a fully fledged boutique advertising agency offering total marketing solutions.

SERVICES: Creative, public relations, media buying, social media management.

Imagination Middle East

Founded: London, 1968; Middle East office opened 2013

Regional HQ: Dubai

Heads of company: Adel Noueihed, GM Middle East www.imagination.com

SERVICES: Brand experiences; immersive technology; live events; digital platforms; user experience; strategy; dashboards; brand/visual identities

KEY CLIENTS: Royal Dutch Shell, Jaguar Land Rover

Founded: 1971

Head of Company: Dani Richa

Headquartered:  Dubai

www.impactbbdo.com

info@impactbbdo.ae

+971 4 330 4010

Part of the global BBDO network, IMPACT BBDO was established in 1971 and offers comprehensive and integrated marketing communication solutions, covering a wide and prestigious base of global, regional and local clients. Our mission is to create and deliver the world’s most compelling commercial content across all mediums and screens. The three things we care about the most are ‘The Work, The Work, The Work’.

SERVICES: Advertising; brand development; corporate & reputation management; marketing communications; digital marketing; social & content marketing; shopper marketing; event marketing; performance marketing; production; marketing science

KEY CLIENTS: ADCB Group, Adidas, Daman, Department of Economy & Tourism, Etihad, Etisalat, Government Media Office, Google, IFFCO, Jotun, Nakheel, One&Only, PepsiCo, PIF, Reebok, Sadia, Shamal, SAMA

AWARDS: Mad Stars - Global Agency of the Year; Campaign Middle East Agency of the Year - Agency of the Year; Communicate - Agency of the Year; WARC Creative 100 – No.1 agency in EMEA, No. 2 in the world; Cannes Lion’s index – No.1 agency in MENA, global No. 17; World Creative Rankings – No.1 agency in MENA; Immortal Rankings – No.1 agency in MEA; Dubai Lynx – No.1 agency in MENA, 11 Grands Prix; Gerety Awards – No.1 agency in MENA; Campaign Global – Agency of the Year, ME and Africa

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

WHAT SETS US APART AS A CREATIVE AGENCY?

An insatiable hunger for ideas Ideas that act like lighthouses that attract people to the brands and businesses

Ideas that drive the work, the work that works

And we hire for that attitude

For people who feel joy when they create, imagine

Everyone at BBDO are idea creators. 24/7

HOW DID YOUR INDUSTRY CHANGE IN 2022?

The business is chasing change. Constantly chasing Some are chasing technology. Others chasing social, media delivery

Everyone chasing the nano second attention span, short term, speed, AI

As an industry it is forgetting its DNA

Our DNA is crafting ideas that act like magnets that draw people in, build and build so they become unforgettable, unstoppable

LEADERSHIP PANEL

HOW IS THE ROLE OF YOUR AGENCY CHANGING?

Its role is not changing

It is how we deliver what we create that is changing

Delivery that must be more agile, responsive, hyper targeted, fluid, responsive

The change is in processes, productivity, efficiency that support our role

WHAT KEEPS YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT?

Asking Why? Why people do what they do, feel as they do, how culture, society, change impacts our decisions. Big and small. Writing ideas in my mind

Feeling Why not?! Tossing and turning when I imagine the possibilities of what we do and what we can impact so I can’t sleep.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FORESEE FOR THIS YEAR?

That I don’t get engulfed by the everyday and forget why we are all here. As a strategist my job is to keep the beauty of ideas flowing

Chief Strategy Officer, Impact BBDO

JACKIE HUGHES

Samantha Stuart -Palmer Chief Operating Officer Impact BBDO Dubai

Jackie Hughes Chief Strategy Officer Impact BBDO Group MENAP

Dani Richa Group Chairman & CEO BBDO Middle East, Africa and Pakistan

Azeem Afzal Chief Executive Officer Impact BBDO Dubai

Ali Rez Chief Creative Officer Impact BBDO Group MENAP

Marie Claire Maalouf Executive Creative Director Impact BBDO Dubai

Type of agency: Creative Agency

Founded: 1989

Number of staff: 370

Head of agency: Nathalie Gevresse, UAE; Thamer Farsi, KSA; Youssef Naaman, Levant & Qatar; Tarek Latif, Egypt

Email: mena.inquiry@publicisgroupe.com

Phone: +971 4 367 6200

Social handles: @LeoBurnettMEA

Website: www.leoburnett.com

Leo Burnett first opened doors on August 5, 1935 in Chicago, USA with three accounts, and has since expanded to 85 offices in 48 countries with around 10,000 employees. Today, Leo Burnett and its unique ‘Humankind’ philosophy, rooted in the belief that creativity has the power to change the world, has become synonymous with advertising excellence.

Under Publicis Groupe, Leo Burnett’s multiple offices across the MENA region consult an enviable portfolio of global and local clients, served independently as well as in collaboration with multiple sister networks offering PR, media, data, and technology solutions under Publicis’ ‘Power of One’ model.

SERVICES: Marketing Communications, Advertising, Social Media, Digital Media, Branding, Audio-Visual Production, Digital & Social Strategy

KEY CLIENTS: McDonald’s, General Motors, Emirates NBD, Ferrero, Meraas, Omantel, Abu Dhabi Airports, Pepsi, Philip Morris, The Central Bank of the UAE, ADDC, Bank Of Sharjah, The Founder’s Office

AWARDS: MENA Effie: The Most Effective Agency Network of the Year; Jay Chiat: Global Agency of the Year; MENA Effie #34; Dubai Lynx #8; Art Director’s Club #2; Loeries #2; AdFest #2; Cresta #10; Madstars #2; Clio #2; Gerety #4; NYF #1; Jay Chiat #2; Warc #2; One Show #1; The Caples #1; MMA #5

LEADERSHIP PANEL

THE POWER OF ONE

Youssef Naaman CEO, Publicis Communications, Levant & Qatar

Malek Ghorayeb Chief Creative Officer, Levant & Qatar

Thamer Farsi CEO, Publicis Communications, KSA

Mohammed Sehly Executive Creative Director, KSA

Nathalie Gevresse CEO, Publicis Communications, UAE

Kalpesh Patankar Chief Creative Officer, UAE

Tarek Latif Managing Director, Egypt

Infiniti Concepts

Founded: 2015

Head of Company: David Lescarret info@infiniconcepts.com

We have a distinct passion for food, beverage and entertainment that inspires every aspect of our consulting practice. Our passion comes from 15 years of successfully operating, managing and creating within the food and beverage industry. We are driven by results and successes; we will find a way for you.

SERVICES: Hospitality consultancy; concept creation; branding and design; marketing; creative thinking

Innocean Worldwide Middle East & Africa

Founded: 2005; established in Dubai, 2015 Head of company: Kyungyoul (Peter) Lee peter.lee@innocean.com

Innocean Worldwide Middle East & Africa is a 360-degree integrated full-service advertising agency located in Dubai, UAE with more than 30 offices globally. Innocean Worldwide Middle East &Africa aims to become a global leader by creating future value through customised total marketing strategy services. As a global marketing and communications company, Innocean pursues the greatest value through the realisation of innovative communications based on creative thinking and a challenging spirit.

SERVICES: Brand strategy and planning, creative solutions, digital marketing, experiential marketing and activations, media planning and buying

KEY CLIENTS: Hyundai, Genesis and KIA

Inca Tanvir Advertising

Founded: 1976

Chief creative: Rhea Dixit inca@eim.ae www.incatanvir.com

We offer a comprehensive 360-degree integrated scientific marketing communication service across all advertising touch points. Both traditional and digital media, including social media, mobile and web-based. Our creative work has been winning international awards year on year. We offer highly competitive rates for both traditional and digital media campaigns.

SERVICES: Creative and branding services; media planning and buying; mobile and digital marketing solutions; event planning and brand activation; marketing strategy and PR consultancy

KEY CLIENTS: Jashanmal Group, Maaza International, Federal Arabian Agency, ITAN Jewels, DMCC, Jaquar Media East

organized across 57 talent hubs in 32 countries. Media.Monks partners with some of the world’s most innovative companies, top tech brands and up-andcoming DTC and B2B brands, helping them own their data, transform their digital marketing and build customer ecosystems through both custom and enterprise technology solutionenabled experiences.

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Founded: 2001

Head of company: Sir Martin Sorrell, Executive Chairman, S4 Capital

Number of staff: 9100 worldwide, 50 in MENA h ps://media.monks.com/ +971 45149510, +971 529486613 Dubai@mediamonks.com, nelly. saad@mediamonks.com

Media.Monks, the digital-first operating brand of S4Capital plc, connects content, data & digital media and technology services across one global team built from the bo om up. Inspired by connectivity and flexibility of technology APIs, a single-P&L model offers clients seamless access to a 9,100-strong team of multidisciplinary digital talent

SERVICES OFFERED: Digital Strategy, Platforms design and development, Creative content, Content strategy, film production, Social, Experiential and Data & analytics.

KEY CLIENTS: UAE Government Media

Office, NEOM, GMG, Sun and Sand Sports, Dubai World Expo, Mondelez, Cenomi, Ithra, Etihad Airways, SDAIA, Qiddiya, Riot Games, Visit Saudi

TECH PARTNERS: Meta, Google, Adobe, Unreal Engine

AWARDS WON: Campaign Social Media Agency of the Year 2022, Campaign Innovation Partner of the Year EMEA, US and Canada 2021, Webby Awards Digital Production Company of the Year 2022 and 2021, Cannes Lions Top 10 Creative Companies 2022, Eventex Top 500 #1 in 2021

Victor Knaap CEO EMEA, Media.Monks

Sir Martin Sorrell Executive Chairman, S4 Capital

Nelly Saad Managing Director MENA, Media.Monks

Mitch Williams Head of Social MENA, Media.Monks

Hoda El Nazer Head of Film and Content MENA, Media.Monks

Gavin Stradi Creative Director MENA, Media.Monks

JWI

Founded: 2015

Regional headquarters/offices: Dubai

Ownership/holding group: Independent

Head of company: Charli Wright hello@jwi-global.com

SERVICES: Creative advertising, strategy and planning, brand development, experiential events, content marketing

KEY CLIENTS: Ariel, Electrolux Group, Gillette, Sephora, Philips

Katch International

Founded: 2009

Offices: Dubai and London

Ownership: Woollams Public Relation Management

Head of company: Georgina Clair Woollams

Chief creative: Fadi Tayem info@katchthis.com www.katchinternational.com

SERVICES: PR; social media; branding; design; content creation; digital marketing

KEY CLIENTS: Live Nation, Rove Hotels, BASE Dubai, Roya International, Dubai Opera, Suitsupply, Gitex Future Stars, World Art Dubai, The First Group, Hyatt Hotels

Keko Dubai

Founded: 2019

Head of company: Nora Ferneine

Chief creative: Sandy McIntosh nora.ferneine@keko.ae

We’re Keko, a full-service creative agency that specialises in communicating differently to modern affluent consumers. Experts in emotionally charged purchases, our ‘find, influence and sell’ methodology is what sets us apart. This means we can manage entire campaigns – from strategy and creative to media and production – all under one roof.

SERVICES: Branding and corporate identity; strategic planning and positioning; advertising, marketing and digital campaigns; customer experience planning

Latitude

Founded: 1993

Head of company: Paul Turner – managing director – MENA paul@latitudeagency.com www.latitudeagency.com

We believe in ‘creativity without boundaries’. . By understanding and defining your core brand values, we can bring you closer to your customers and further apart from the competition. This strategic foundation inspires our creativity.

SERVICES: Brand strategy, identity, experience and communication;

KEY CLIENTS: Majid Al Futtaim, RAK Hospitality, St Regis Hotels

Leapfrog

Founded : 2005

Offices: UAE and Cairo

CEO: Rob Bannochie robsz@leapfrog.com.eg

An integrated 360-degree creative advertising and marketing agency, we have executed projects across the Middle East, Africa and Europe, allowing our varied array of local and regional clients to launch, re-position and elevate their brands. We create ideas that work.

SERVICES: Advertising and marketing; graphic design; event management; content development; branding

Lightblue

Founded: 2007

Offices: Dubai and Los Angeles

Heads of Company: David Balfour and Craig Borthwick hello@lightblueww.com; joseph.aquilina@lightblueww.com

We are a creative experience agency. Human first, technology-empowered, operating at the forefront of culture. We innovate, inspire curiosity, embrace courage and create opportunities for creative minds to thrive. Proactively living, breathing and driving forward the industries in which we specialise.

SERVICES: Animation, brand strategy, broadcast, content creation, content production, creative, design, digital, events, experiential, film, live brand experience, motion graphics, original IPs, strategic planning, virtual production

KEY CLIENTS: TikTok, Sony PlayStation, Mastercard, MDL, Beast, Burberry, Porsche, Estee Lauder Companies, Sephora, PUMA, Power Horse, Amazon, Julius Baer, Mashreq

Like Digital

Founded: 2011

Offices: London, Dubai

Head of company: Richard Mogendorff

Chief creative: Karl Escritt katrin@like.digital www.like.digital

SERVICES: User experience; digital strategy; digital transformation; e-commerce; CRO; customer experience; user interface design; user-centred design; omni-channel

KEY CLIENTS: Mulberry, Kerzner, Chalhoub, Trinity Group

Liquid

Founded: 2016

CEO: Sachinn J Laala hello@liquidretail.com

Liquid is an independent agency fully dedicated to shopper marketing and e-commerce. We solve business problems at retail by creating ideas that lead to purchase, wherever, whenever. We believe in harnessing the power of retail to build brands and the importance of creating a winning proposition across all commerce.

SERVICES: Retail planning, strategy and consultancy; shopper-based creative, design and activation; store-back content for e-commerce; implementation and maintenance of e-commerce assets; e-commerce marketplace management for 3P

KEY CLIENTS: P&G, Pepsi, Nestle, Nivea

Livingroom Dubai

Founded: 2010

Head of company: Dani Oneisse living@lrdubai.com

We work collaboratively both internally and externally. We are honest and transparent. We are ego-free and entrepreneurial. We are media agnostic but big believers in craft. We look to make our clients famous and transform their businesses.

SERVICES: Brand communications; performance marketing; design; digital across all platforms; experience and activation

KEY CLIENTS: RTA, Americana, Emirates Post, Bahrain EDB, BinSina, Amazon

London Advertising

Founded: 2008

Headquartered: London

CEO: Michael Moszynski

ECD: Alan Jarvie

michael@londonadvertising.com www.londonadvertising.com

M&C Saatchi

Founded:1995 (London); 2012 (GCC)

Headquartered: London, UK

Website: www.mcsaatchi.ae

Contact numbers: +971 2 234 4588 ;+971 4 368 1867

Email: Info.UAE@mcsaatchi.com.

M&C Saatchi is the largest independent advertising network in the world, and the home of ‘Brutal Simplicity of Thought’. With regional offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Beirut and Riyadh, the agency was born out of the need for strategic, brutally effective creativity.

We navigate complex change, to create new opportunities with technology and creativity, and to lead the way forward.

We Navigate, Create and Lead Meaningful Change for our clients and the world. If you need to change things up, contact M&C Saatchi.

SERVICES: Advertising; branding; CRM; consultancy; design; digital; mobile; PR; research; shopper; social and sponsorship.

McCann Health

Founded: 2009

Holding group: IPG/MCN

General manager: Karen Kamel

karen.kamel@mccannhealthcare.ae

WEBSITE: mccannhealth.com

SERVICES: Health and wellness communication for pharmaceutical and consumer brands; public health awareness; promotional communication and medical education targeting patients and healthcare professionals

Medialinks

Founded: 2019

Headquartered: UAE

Head of company: Zeeshan Sajid Amin

Medialinks is a UAE-born dynamic digital agency and media buying powerhouse, helping clients navigate the ever-evolving world of marketing and advertising. From website design, performance campaigns, and social media strategy to targeted ad campaigns and beyond, we›ve got the skills and experience to make your brand shine. Plus, we like to have fun while we work.

SERVICES: Ecommerce websites, mobile performance campaigns, media buying, events, social media strategy and influencers

KEY CLIENTS: PRAN Foods, Emirate Wets Wipes, Cool & Cool, Experience Qatar, Etihad Rail DB

Founded: 2006

Head of company: Mounir Harfouche, Chief Executive Officer mena.mullenlowe.com

+ 9714 4454141 info@mullenlowemena.com

Number of staff:150+

MullenLowe MENA is a Global Creative Boutique Agency whose ambition is to get brands an unfair share of attention. With our challenger mindset, we continue to punch above our weight, by constantly seeking to evolve and challenge ourselves every day to learn something new, meeting the ever-changing world around us. Disruptive creative which goes out of its way to think and act differently.

SERVICES:

Strategy and planning: Marketing Transformation, Brand Strategy, Communications Planning, Digital & Social Strategy, Content Planning & Strategy, Research Management, UX & Consumer Journeys, Data & Analytics

Creative services: TV,Social, Experiential, Shopper Marketing, Print, Brand Identity, Radio, Outdoor, Direct

Digital and social: Web Development, Social Media Community Management, 360 Video, Mobile Apps, Augmented Reality

AWARDS

WON:

Dubai Lynx - 1 Grand Prix, 1 Gold, 4 Silver, 2 Bronze; Clios - 3 Silver, 3 Bronze, Campaign Tech -Winner, New York AME - 1 Silver, Loeries - 1 Bronze, Adstars - 1 Crystal

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Paul Banham Regional Executive Creative Director

Damayanti Purkayastha Head of Strategy

Mounir Harfouche Chief Executive Officer MENA

Matthew Butterworth Managing Director MENA

George Giessen Regional DirectorBrand Strategy

Karim Magdy Head of Social

Memac Ogilvy

Founded: 1984

Head of company: David Fox, CEO, MENA info@memacogilvy.com

Part of Ogilvy Worldwide network, Memac Ogilvy is the most local of international agencies and the most international of local agencies with 11 offices in MENA. Our vision is to be the best platform and partner for growth by combining strategic advisory, creativity, technology and deep expertise across communication disciplines.

SERVICES: Advertising, PR and influence, digital, experience, growth and innovation

Miagui Imagevertising

Founded: 2010

Heads of company: Wellinton Ribeiro (business manager); Cassio Braga (creative director) hello@miagui.cc

Miagui is a Brazilian based multidisciplinary creative production studio specialised in cross-platform content creation. From ideation to execution, we collaborate with brands and agencies around the world to create great ideas for digital life.

SERVICES: Content creation; digital art production (animation, CGI and illustration)

Moonbox

Founded: 2010

Heads of company: Aslam Junais (director of strategy and creative), Shihab SV (director of technology) hello@moonbox.ae

Moonbox is a Dubai-based brand consultancy offering brand strategy, design and media services. We believe brands are born when curiosity meets creativity, emotion converges with reason, and passion embraces purpose. We develop brands that inspire wonder, establish connections and bring transformative impact to life.

KEY CLIENTS: FOCP (Friends of Cancer Patients), Roc N Ramen, Balmer Lawrie UAE, Eluxura, Citizenship Invest, Denovo Jewels, Yo! Sushi, Albaddad International, Tajchem

SERVICES: Brand strategy and content, brand visual identity, brand logo and creatives, market research, video production

MOTAD

Founded: 2018

Parent company: Ambition Group jamil@motad.ae www.motad.ae

Heads of company: Robin Talwar (managing director); Rafat Jamil Siddique (general manager)

MOTAD is a full-service advertising agency offering integrated advertising solutions. At MOTAD, we take up new challenges, deliver best marketing solutions and drive performance. It is thanks to the absolute passion of our young team and the confidence of our clients that we have grown substantially with a diversified portfolio across industries.

SERVICES: Brand strategy; creative design and content development; digital marketing; influencer marketing; production

MPN Social

Founded: 2019

Holding group: Arabian Radio Network

Digital director: Rob Slim

MPN Social (part of ARN) offers comprehensive social media solutions. From bespoke content creation and editing to comprehensive social media strategy, planning and management. Our in-house team comprises video and photography with copywriting, graphic design, motion graphics, and editing, alongside experienced strategists, social media and community managers.

SERVICES: Social media management; content creation; digital strategy; community management

MSL

Founded: 2001

Head of company: Ajit Ramaswami, CEO www.mslgroup.com

MSL Group is the strategic public relations and engagement arm of Publicis Groupe. As a full-service consultancy, inability and employee relations, as well as digital and creative capabilities.

SERVICES: Corporate communications; crisis management; strategic media relations.

KEY CLIENTS: Samsung, Procter & Gamble, du, VFS, Salam Telecom

MVM & Co

Founded: 2015

Head of Company: Morgan Venison hello@mvm-co.com

Born in 2015 out of a love for communications, we spotted a niche in the market. A personal touch was missing. We set out to create a company that would combine all types of communication together. Where quality over quantity and creativity was key.

SERVICES: Public relations; brand consulting; social media management;content creation

Myriad Global Media Middle East

Founded: Abu Dhabi, 2013; London, 1989

Regional headquarters: Abu Dhabi

Head of company: Jennifer Palmer

Chief creatives: Nick Woolard (film); Tawfik Alsayed (graphics) middle.east@myriadglobalmedia.com www.myriadglobalmedia.com

SERVICES: Film; project documentary; energy sector; animation; high-tech; digital content; creative design; virtual reality; augmented reality; e-learning content

Nomads

Founded: 2013

Offices: Dubai, Amsterdam, London, Singapore

Owner: Hans Howarth, founder

Heads of company: Atash Rafeeq (CFO); Scott Maxwell (general manager)

Creative directors: Phil Ramage; Dylan Kidson info.ae@nomadsagency.com www.wearenomads.com

SERVICES: Business and brand design; communication design; experience design

KEY CLIENTS: P&G, Coty, Jotun, Majid Al Futtaim, Under Armour, Air France, KLM, Dubai Holding, Medtronic, Lenovo

Percept Gulf

Founded: 1998

Headquartered: Dubai

Ownership: Percept Limited

Head of company: Bipin Pathak

Chief creative: Sudeep Koshy info@perceptme.com www.perceptme.com

SERVICES: 360-degree brand communication; entertainment; live events and celebrity management; media and IP consultancy and management

KEY CLIENTS: Apparel Group, Haw Par Healthcare, Mazda Oman, Grand Stores, Britannia, Sharp

Petrikor Solutions

Founded: 2017

Head of the company: Saleem El Deek info@petrikorsolutions.com

Petrikor is a young digital agency born in Lebanon and serving the region. We create remarkable digital brand identities, thoughtfully crafted by our passion for all things digital. We improve the way your brand communicates and presents itself online, while gaining competitive advantage in an increasingly digital world.

SERVICES: Social media marketing; search engine marketing; search engine optimisation; branding; web design and development

KEY CLIENTS: Lamb Weston Arabia, City Perfume, Twins Burgers, Perfume Dubai, Mr Meals, Edugate Gateway, The Baking Room

Pimo

Founded: 1985

Head of company: George Slim georges.slim@pimo.com.lb

Pimo is a communication agency that has been building strong resonant brands for 30 years. We have redefined our role and services to answer the true needs of our clients and today’s businesses at large. Our solutions are designed to uncover real insight, create real experiences, and make a real impact, as a definite way to build deep and solid bonds with an increasingly aware and demanding consumer.

SERVICES: ATL/BTL; activations; events; social media.

Praxis Advertising

Founded: 1999

Headquartered: Dubai

Head of Company: Amitabh Swarup www.praxisadvertising.com sahil@praxisadvertising.com

SERVICES: Advertising; design; branding; social media; retail design

Head of company: Bassel Kakish, Groupe CEO, MEA

Number of staff: 3,600 across the region www.publicisgroupe.com mena.inquiry@publicisgroupe. com

Publicis Groupe is the third largest communications group in the world. Founded in Paris in 1926, we are present in more than 100 countries as leaders in marketing, communication, and digital business transformation. At Publicis Groupe, you are connected to our global network, intelligence, tools, clients, brands and 96,000 brilliant minds with expertise in data, technology, media, strategy, creativity and business transformation, all literally at your fingertips. Publicis Groupe is exclusively positioned to help clients unlock growth in the Platform World through the intersection of data, creativity, media and technology.

SERVICES OFFERED: Publicis Groupe is organised across solution hubs which intersect to provide seamless solutions. Publicis Communications is the creative communications division comprising Leo Burnett, Publicis, Saatchi & Saatchi and MSL. Publicis Media harnesses the power of modern media with brands Spark Foundry, Starcom and Zenith. Publicis Sapient is the digital business transform arm. At the core of the Groupe is Epsilon, delivering personalised experiences at scale.

AWARDS WON: Campaign Agency of the Year Awards: Best Integrated Agency of the Year 2022; Best Agency Leader; Best Strategy Leader; Best Creative Leader; Best Woman in Advertising; Best Creative Team, MENA Effies, Dubai Lynx, Loeries, Jay Chiat, LIA Awards, CLIO, AdFest, D&AD, Cresta.Recognised global leader in 2022 by The Forrester WaveTM in: Customer Data Strategy & Activation Services; Global Digital Experiences Services; Global Media Management Services & Global Marketing Services.

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Chief Talent Transformation Officer

Chief Product Officer

Chief Innovation & Growth Officer

Houda Samir Chief Financial Officer

Bassel Kakish Groupe CEO

Bashar Abdulkarim

Tahaab Rais Chief Strategy Officer

Khaled AbouNader

Jennifer Fischer

Prestidge Group – Personal Branding and PR

Founded: 2017

Head of company: Briar Prestidge info@prestidgegroup.com

Prestidge Group is a personal branding, PR and content production agency managing high-profile personal brands for high-net-worth leaders, C-level executives, technology experts, celebrities, and investors.

SERVICES: Personal brand conceptualisation and management, public relations, social media management, content creation, speakers relations, podcast and video production

Punch Design

Founded: 2006

Managing director: Hameed Gani

Creative director: Roger Attlee hello@punchdesign.ae

As a boutique branding and design agency, we offer a unique combination of design, strategic brand thinking and digital expertise – all essential components for your business to thrive.

SERVICES: Branding; graphic design; retail design; interactive design; digital marketing

Radix Media LLC

Founded: 2016

Head of company: Mohan Nambiar

Headquartered: Dubai, UAE info@radixmediamena.com

With a leadership team of the best in the industry across planning, data and insights, strategy, digital and creative content, we put consumers at the heart of our planning and focus on client business growth. We are spirited, ambitious, agile and future-first.

SERVICES: Strategy, communication planning, content strategy and creation, social media management, influencer management and content

KEY CLIENTS: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Landmark Leisure, Nutridor Abevia, American Garden, Seara Chicken, Al Nabooda Automobiles

Rain

Founded: 2011

Head of company: Manoj Ammanath hello@iheartherain.com

Independent in spirit and fearless in thought, Rain brings together a team of experienced professionals. Rain’s focus is on outstanding, media-neutral marketing and communication solutions, while embracing the changing media preferences of the consumer. It is everything you would expect from an advertising agency, without the drama.

SERVICES: Strategy, creative, digital, social media, design

Spark FRH

Founded: 2020

Head of Company: Nathalie Farah hello@sparkfrh.com www.sparkfrh.com

We combine storytelling with the latest digital marketing research to create content that’s infused with creativity and insight. We keep up with the market’s fast-changing best practices as part of our drive to empower clients with unique content that’s crafted with knowledge and purpose-driven research and strategies.

SERVICES: Consultation, content marketing, social media, strategy, research

Science & Sunshine

Founded: 2016

CEO: Nadine Ghossoub hello@sciencesunshine.com sciencesunshine.com

Science & Sunshine is a story-driven, fearlessly creative advertising agency that smells wonderful. We believe passionately in the power of brands, and that all good selling is good story-telling. Our philosophy is ‘always never be boring’, and we try to inject that into our creative product every day.

SERVICES: Integrated advertising, social and digital strategy and analytics, content planning, content creation

KEY CLIENTS: Netflix MENA, Peugeot Middle East, Virgin Mobile UAE

Serviceplan Group Middle East

Founded: 2010

Chief creative officer: Akhilesh Bagri

Heads of company: Rami Hmadeh, Natalie Shardan, Azhar Siddiqui, Frances Bonifacio middle-east@serviceplan.com https://www.serviceplan.ae/en.html

Serviceplan Group M.E. is the 2022 Independent Agency of the Year at Dubai Lynx. The agency is a part of Serviceplan Group International, 2022 Cannes Lion’s Independent Network of the Year, based in Munich. It opened its doors in Dubai in 2010 and has since offered clients integrated services under the ‘House of Communication’ across all agency brands, focusing on the delivery of ubercreative work: Serviceplan, Serviceplan Experience, Mediaplus and House of Gaming.

SERVICES: Fully integrated 360-approach, business and comms strategy, creative development and abm

KEY CLIENTS: BMW Group, Bridgestone Middle East, TECOM Group, Danone Nutrition, CEQUENS, OQ, Bayut-Dubizzle, Abdul Latif Jameel Group, Abbott Diabetes Care, Cardex

Spaceplum

Founded: 2012

Head of company: Bojan Boki Prekovic sonja@spaceplum.com boki@spaceplum.com

Spaceplum is a creative, advertising and video production agency. With an in-house studio and our own cameras and editing equipment, we can offer competitive content and production executions. Services expand into market strategies, marketing, advertising, branding and other communication, analogue, digital, ATL, BTL, fairs and events support, PR and media. As a small, flexible agency supported by extensive associates and a freelance team, we offer high-quality services while keeping our cost competitive.

SERVICES: Video production; content creation; advertising; marketing; fairs and events

Sputnik Floyd

Founded: 2018

Head of company: Patrick Honein info@sputnikfloyd.com

Sputnik Floyd is a full-service, future-oriented marketing agency with offices in Berlin and Dubai. Embracing innovation, from blockchain to AI and AR to web 3.0, our approach combines strategy and creativity with the latest digital and tech trends to deliver engaging communication, measurable results and lasting forward-thinking impressions.

SERVICES: Integrated campaigns, media planning and buying, brand strategy and corporate identity, blockchain, AR and VR gaming and programming

KEY CLIENTS: Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, Ithra by Aramco, Expo City Dubai, SumUp, Fujitsu, Vonq, Yonikorn, CROOWS

Tara Media

Founded: 2020

Head of Company: Mohammad Saeed Harib khalid@taramedia.ae www.taramedia.ae

Tara is a one-stop boutique agency offering marketing and advertising services, including branding, digital platforms services, and many others. Based in Dubai, Tara is the specialised arm of the award-winning Lammtara studio, which has paved the way for a new era in the use of art and media with ground-breaking projects such as the animated Freej series.

SERVICES: IP creation; creative consultations; events and activations; music and video production; licensing and merchandising; marketing and advertising services

TBWA\RAAD

Founded: 2000

Group CEO: Reda Raad

Headquartered: Dubai, UAE romy.abdelnour@tbwaraad.com

TBWA\RAAD is ‘The Disruption’ company. We use creativity to help businesses challenge the status quo and capture an unfair share of the future. We are a disruptive brand experience company that uses trademarked Disruption methodologies to help businesses address their challenges and achieve transformative growth.

SERVICES: Integrated marketing communications, strategic brand management, advertising and content creation, digital, social and mobile, public relations.

KEY CLIENTS: Abu Dhabi Government Media Office (ADGMO), Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), Apple, AWR Rostomani Arabian Automobiles, CNN, Daikin, du, Essence, Henkel, Hilton, Hub71, Injazat, KFC, Max Fashion, Meta, NEOM, Nissan, P&G, PepsiCo, Pfizer, Philips, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC)/Mayo Clinic, Stake, Standard Chartered, UAE Government Media Office.

Team Red Dot

Founded: 2010

Head of Company: Raksha Khimji info@teamreddot.com

We design exceptional creative experiences and offer a gamut of effective solutions that span creative strategy, authentic thumb-stopping social media content creation, sustainable/eco-friendly packaging, and innovative campaign activations to engage your audience. From developing your brand identity to being a TikTok Creative Exchange partner agency, when it comes to creating integrated campaigns that make your audience stop, stare, and share, we are the experts.

SERVICES OFFERED: Branding solutions and brand guidelines, creative campaign strategy and execution, sustainable packaging, social media strategy and community management, short form video content

KEY CLIENTS: Marmum Dairy, Artisan Bakers, Hub71, AVA Trade, Talabat

The Creative 9

Founded: 2014

Head of company: Ms Rola Ghotmeh

Headquartered: Beirut, Lebanon / Dubai, UAE info@thecreative9.com

The Creative 9 is an integrated advertising agency with operations in Beirut and Dubai, servicing clients globally. We believe in the power of creativity and strive to deliver results in unique ways, through a team of versatile thinkers. Proud partners with the most significant names in the industry, our portfolio speaks for itself. We are eternally restless and always seeking new challenges.

SERVICES: Advertising, branding, content creation, 360 campaigns, planning and strategy

KEY CLIENTS: American University in Dubai, Jägermeister, Emirates Hospitals Group , Keyper

Founded: 1973

Head of Agency: Nathalie Gevresse, CEO, Publicis Communications

Number of staff: 85 www.publicis.com

+971 4 367 6200 mena.inquiry@publicisgroupe.com

Today’s brands compete with new technologies, empowered consumers, shifting public attitudes, brand new contenders and much more. Creating leading strategies and powerful ideas that allow our clients’ brands to become unique, irreplaceable, in control and ahead is our purpose. At Publicis, we all share a common ambition: to help our clients and their brands to be and to remain the leaders they want to be, to ‘Lead The Change’. Publicis ME, an integral part of Publicis Worldwide, has a network of 330 offices in more than 110 countries. Publicis ME is a part of Publicis Communications, the creative communications division of Publicis Groupe.

SERVICES: Audio-visual production; brand communication; consumer activation; corporate communications; creative advertising; digital & social strategy; social media; strategic planning;

CLIENTS: Nestlé, Nescafé, Louvre, Pizza Hut, Standard Chartered, House of Pops

AWARDS: Jay Chiat x 2 Gold; Mena Effie x 1 Gold, x 1 Silver; New York Festivals x 1 Merit x 5 Shortlists. LIA x 1 Silver x 1 Bronze x 2 Shortlists. Cannes x 9 Shortlists

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Nathalie Gevresse CEO, Publicis Communications

Rafael Augusto Chief Creative Officer

The Tribe

Founded: 2006

Head of company: Robert Mitchell, CEO

Headquartered: Dubai business@thetribe.com

We are a creative tribe. A digital transformation tribe. A branding tribe. A tribe that wants to make great work, to craft fantastic experiences that delight people and drive business. Combining strategic and creative thinking with tech knowhow. We innovate. We deliver. We solve.

SERVICES: Brandin, campaigns, design, social, ui/ux strategy, design and build

KEY CLIENTS: Abu Dhabi Global Market, ACWA Power, Al Masaood, Dubai Tourism, Environment Agency – Abu Dhab, Goethe Gulf, MBZ Fund, Royal Commission for Makkah and the Holy Sites

Those Social Guys

Founded:2017

Office: Dubai, UAE.

Ownership: Private

Heads of Company: Samuel W. Turner www.thosesocialguys.com hello@thosesocialguys.com sam@thosesocialguys.com

Those Social Guys is a next-generation, social-first creative agency serving all aspects of content creation and distribution. We instigate creativity, bringing production, creative and social into one agency. Our service extends to creative concept development and consulting, ensuring your content is unique and hits the desired audiences and beyond.

KEY CLIENTS: Emirates Palace, Landmark Group, Karafuru NFT, Hilton, Kempinski

SERVICES: Strategy; content; production; social

Tonic International

Founded: 2004

Headquartered: Dubai,

Founders: Arnaud Verchere (head of strategy); Khaled Gadallah (head of Arabic copy) Managing director Jacqui Hewett

ECD: Joao Camacho tonic@tonicinternational.com www.tonicinternational.com

SERVICES: Creative solutions to business problems (strategy, branding, advertising, social media)

KEY CLIENTS: Audi Middle East, Roshan Telecom, Bic, Taaleem, Lift

Virtue Worldwide

Founded: 2006

Head of company: Tarek Khalil, Regional Managing Director

Headquartered: New York with offices in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi tarek.khalil@vice.com

Virtue, the agency powered by VICE Media Group, builds brands from inside culture. A full-service strategic and creative agency with industry-leading expertise, Virtue helps brands find an authentic voice at the epicentre of culture. With a presence in over 17 cities across 13 countries, Virtue is a ‹borderless› agency. VICE Media Group is the largest youth media company in the world and was named the second most awarded creative company at Cannes Lions 2022.

SERVICES: Consultancy, strategy, creative, production, experiential

KEY CLIENTS: NEOM, MBC, Saudi Tourism Authority, Royal Commission of Riyadh City, Sharjah Government, Public Investment Fund, Uptown Jeddah Company, LEAP, and the Ministry of Culture

VMLY&R & VMLY&R COMMERCE

Founded: 2018 (union of VML and Y&R)

Headquartered: Dubai

Head of company: Nick Walsh, CEO www.vmlyr.com

+971 4 450 7500

VMLY&R is the Middle East’s most proficient brand and customer experience agency in the Middle East.

SERVICES: Brand strategy and development; digital and traditional communication; Large scale experiential; retail and brand activations; c

KEY CLIENTS: Coca-Cola, British American Tobacco, SC Johnson, Ford, Yahsat

Watermelon

Founded: 2001

Head of company: Madhu Kuttat info@watermelonme.com

We are a group of people bound by a passion for advertising. We seamlessly blend comprehensive brand knowledge, extensive competitive information and intuitive consumer insight to create targeted and creative communication that works.

SERVICES: Corporate identity development; packaging design; point of sale merchandise; master and artwork adaptations; retouching

KEY CLIENTS: Malabar Gold and Diamonds, 4TS Conferences, Al Yousuf Motors, UAE Enterprises, Logicom, AVEVA

Warriors Truly Fearless

Founded: 2023

Headquartered: Riyadh

Leadership: Walid Soueidi and Fadi Saad www.warriorstrulyfearless.com info@warriorstrulyfearless.com

Warriors Truly Fearless is an independent advertising agency dedicated to delivering bold creative, innovative, smart, and efficient solutions.

SERVICES: Brand and marketing consultancy, brand planning, integrated marketing, corporate communications, content marketing

Watermelon

Year Founded: 2001

Head of Company: Madhu Kuttat info@watermelonme.com

We are a group of people bound by a passion for advertising. We seamlessly blend comprehensive brand knowledge, extensive competitive information and intuitive consumer insight to create targeted and creative communication that works.

KEY CLIENTS: Malabar Gold and Diamonds, 4TS Conferences, Property Finder, UAE Enterprises, Logicom, AVEVA

SERVICES: Corporate identity development, packaging design, point of sale merchandise, master and artwork adaptations, retouching

Xelement

Founded: 2013

Headquartered: Riyadh

Managing partners: Mazin Al Hassan, Noor Al Hassan, Amro Aboonoq info@xelement.co www.xelement.co,

SERVICES: Advertising; marketing; consultancy; creative work

KEY CLIENTS: Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA), Banque Saudi Fransi (BSF), Ejar (Ministry of Housing), QIWA (Takamol Holding), Mawthouq (Saudi Post)

Wunderman Thompson

Founded: 2018 merger

Head of company: Nassib Boueri, CEO MENA

Number of staff: 750+ www.wundermanthompson.com/ dubai@wundermanthompson.com +97144507200

Wunderman Thompson is a growth partner – part agency, part consultancy, part technology company. We inspire growth by applying inspiration everywhere across the consumer journey. Our inspiration is borne of bringing creativity, data and technology together.

SERVICES: Commerce; communications; consulting; CRM; CX; data; health; production; technology; apps

KEY CLIENTS: Microsoft, STC, Dubai Tourism, Jotun, Shell, Unilever, Nestle, GSK, Burger King, Renault, Coca Cola, Vodafone, Johnson & Johnson, Almarai, Zain, PIF, FAB, BAT, HMD Nokia

Yellow Branding Consultancy

Founded: 2017

Head of company: Mamta Varerkar hello@welcometoyellow.com

Yellow is a brand management consultancy based in Dubai Design District, which creates, revitalises and manages brands to drive growth and business change. Yellow is a boutique agency that has successfully launched new, innovative brands like CAFU, and has worked with legacy brands like Barakat and Pan Emirates to revitalise them.

SERVICES: Brand strategy and identity development; communication strategy; advertising campaigns; digital creative campaigns; social media services

KEY CLIENTS: CAFU, Pan Emirates, Beema, Mitsubishi Motors Middle East and Africa, Luma

You Experience

Founded: 2013

Number of staff: 55 Offices: Dubai, Beirut, Cairo www.youexperience.net

Phone: +9714 425 5944

WantResults@youexperience.net

YouExperience is an independent brand communications agency with a fearless spirit and a curious lens that’s constantly training its focus on the cultural zeitgeist, emerging technologies, Gen Z and post-millennials.

SERVICES: Transformational brand strategies; data analytics; cross-media integrated campaigns; digital storytelling; branded activations; shopper marketing; social media management.

KEY CLIENTS: Head & Shoulders, Gillette, Venus, Ariel, Tide, Downy, Oral-B, Kraft

Zia Creative Network

Founded: 2009

Offices: Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Halifax (Canada)

CEO: Waseem Yakdi

Creative directors: Ahmed Alkhatib; Amir Yakdi (film production) info@zianetwork.com www.zianetwork.com; www.ziastudio.com; www.ziaevents.com; www.ziainteractive.com

SERVICES: Advertising and marketing; photography and video production; PR; event management; digital marketing; web design and development

KEY CLIENTS: Dubai Police, Al Tayer Motors – Jaguar Land Rover, Ministry of Interior, Agthia, DP World, DXB Live, Abu Dhabi Retirement Pensions and Benefits Fund, NMDC, La Brioche Restaurants, Meraas, Guiness World Records

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Founded: 1992

Head of Agency: Nathalie Gevresse, CEO, Publicis Communications, Thamer Farsi, CEO, Publicis Communications KSA

Number of staff: 155 www.saatchi.com

+971 4 367 6270 mena.inquiry@publicisgroupe.com

Saatchi & Saatchi has grown from a start-up advertising agency in London in 1970 to a global creative communications company with 114 offices in 67 countries with over 6,500 employees. A part of Publicis Communications, the creative communications division of Publicis Groupe, we are a full service, integrated communications network. We have an unshakeable spirit and unbeatable attitude that Nothing is Impossible, a concept we apply to all our clients and work. We don’t have an ‘approach’ we sell, since approaches come and go. We have a spirit, an ethos, in Nothing Is Impossible. It is more than a phrase. It is the spirit that leads us to create impossible outcomes, that focuses our ambition, audacity, endeavour, and a ton of nerve. It reminds us to take on the impossible ones because we aren’t afraid of a challenge.

SERVICES: Marketing communications; advertising; social media; digital media; branding

KEY CLIENTS: e& / etisalat, Beiersdorf, Cadillac, Visa, Mondelez, Canon, Emirates, RTA, Mahzooz, Merex

AWARDS: Loeries: 1x Grand Prix / 2x Gold / 4x Silver; Effies Mena: 7x Gold / 3x Silver / 6x Bronze; Cresta: 1x Gold / 1x Silver / 4x Bronze; NYF / Ame Awards : 2x Silver / 9x Bronze; LIA: 1x Bronze

Sebastien Boutebel Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi, UAE

Thamer Farsi CEO, Publicis Communications KSA

Nathalie Gevresse CEO, Publicis Communications, UAE

Ramzi Sleiman Head of Saatchi & Saatchi, UAE

Gautam Wadher Executive Creative Director, Saatchi & Satchi, UAE

MEDIA AGENCIES

100heads

Founded: 2000

Managing director Dubai: Manuel Schmidt dubai@1000heads.com

Since the 1000heads Middle East HQ landed in Dubai in 2014, the word-ofmouth agency has been helping a wide portfolio of brands level-up their social game. They are crafted around driven, creative people blended together to provide an alchemy of intelligent insight, imaginative ideas, exceptional implementation and potent impact.

SERVICES: Social media (strategy and content creation); production; ideation; analytics; paid media

CLIENTS: L’Oreal, Dubai Tourism, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, DWTC, Emaar, Al Jalila Childrens Hospital, The Coffee Club, Alshaya

aló

Founded: 2014

Head of company: Samit Athavale

Headquartered: Dubai, UAE akhiraj@teamalo.com

+971 58 635 3821

We are a diverse team of integrated media specialists that work to deliver impact (read quantifiable conversions) through data-powered insights and a robust cross-channel strategy. Our remarkable success is driven by a single-minded focus – to make brand conversations engaging for the consumers and effective for our clients.

SERVICES: SEO audits and planning, media planning, media strategy, media buying, e-commerce strategy, e-commerce marketing

KEY CLIENTS: Prime Health, Al Moosa Medical Center, Al Futtaim Engineering & Technologies, Healthhub by Al Futtaim, Kawan Foods, MTR (AUS and NZ), HMH Group, Rakayez Real Estate, ToyWorld, Camelicious, Gulf Pharmacy

Assembly

Founded: 2004

Head of company: Faisal Dean (managing director MENA), Kinloch Magowan (regional director), Naguib Toihiri (country director KSA) hello-mena@assemblyglobal.com

Global omnichannel media agency designed to help brands find the changes that deliver meaningful growth to their businesses. By pairing people with dataled process and powerful technology capabilities, uniquely positioned Assembly delivers scale and accelerates problem solving.

KEY CLIENTS: Landmark Group, Noon, Etisalat, Mashreq Bank, Azadea Group, Dubai Tourism, Ceer Automotive

SERVICES: Digital strategy, performance marketing, content localisation and SEO, data analytics and measurement, social media, affiliate marketing

Daydreamer

Founded: 2021

Head of company: Christine Abi Assi www.daydreamer.agency christine@daydreamer.agency

We are Daydreamer, a regional media, communications and branding agency, based in Dubai, Kuwait, Jeddah and Beirut, with connections in all Arab markets. We believe in the power of storytelling and the importance of a solid brand identity. Our objective is to assist you in achieving your communication vision, while executing efficient strategies and becoming an extension of your brand.

SERVICES: Public relations; media buying; communications; events; branding

Definition

Founded: 2010 (MENA)

Managing director: Adil Elaouad adil@definitionagency.com

Definition is a multi-award-winning agency combining more than 25 years of strategic public relations, digital media, content production and marketing expertise to create a new force in national and international reputation management. Our team includes former national and international print and broadcast journalists, as well as social media, video and content production experts.

SERVICES: PR and reputation management; media relations; research and insights; social media; crisis and issues management

Dentsu X

Founded: 2018

Head of Company: Ahmad Al Ghaziri, Head of Dentsu X MENA www.dxglobal.com info.dubai@dentsu.com

+971 4 421 8099

Dentsu X focuses on experience and provides integrated and personalised marketing solutions to the clients. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. While marketing seeks order, decisions are made in chaos. So we design experiences to work with, rather than against, human nature. We call this ‘experience beyond exposure’.

SERVICES: People and data; digital; business performance; content and partnership; media strategy; media planning; media buying and investment

KEY CLIENTS: Estee Lauder Companies, Jaguar Land Rover

Du Digital Advertising

Founded: 2016

Director of digital advertising: Pinio Nainggolan advertising@du.ae

Telco-breed digital media company that focuses on delivering telco-data-driven campaigns through various inventories and creative services such as chatbots, rich media and games. We are strong in big data analytics for media consumption and consumer behaviour for your media planning and campaign analysis for digital out-of-home.

SERVICES: Digital marketing management; telco-profile-targeted advertising; taxi infotainment screen advertising; IPTV advertising; chatbot for corporate and brands

DViO Digital

Founded: 2017

Headquartered: India

Founder and CEO: Sowmya Iyer

Chief creative: Somabha Nandi manasi@dviodigital.co www.dviodigital.com

SERVICES: Branding and integrated marketing; social media marketing; growth hacking; media buying and planning; business strategy and consultation; website and app development; start-up incubator; campaign management; website traffic optimisation; blogger and influencer marketing

KEY CLIENTS: Aldo, Call it Spring, Birkenstock, Naturlizer, Oasis Mall, HomeBox Stores, Viva, Manipal University, Amity University, Burjeel Hospital, Thumbay Hospital

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Founded: 2004

Regional offices: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah, Kuwait, Beirut, Casablanca.

Ownership: Horizon Holdings (51% IPG; 49% Rafic Saadeh) HORIZON HOLDINGS management: Rafic Saadeh, Executive Chairman; Mazen Jawad, CEO; Joe Jabbour, CFO.

BPN MENA management: Antonio Boulos, Vice President; Carlos Yeghiazarian, General Manager; Bachir Zeidan, Head of Digital. www.bpnmena.com

+971 4 332 3304

We are an IPG Mediabrands full-service media planning and buying company with a strong network across GCC, MENA and internationally. Data informs everything we do. We use data and technology to extract actionable insights, and create more intelligent media & business solutions to uncover value & unlock full market potential for our clients. Our agile business model delivers highly effective media and communication solutions, and helps clients solve complex business challenges and discover new business opportunities.

SERVICES: Data management, strategy & business planning; media planning & buying; performance marketing – programmatic, social media, and search; ROI measurement and a ribution modeling - MMM & FFM.

Antonio Boulos Vice President

Mazen Jawad CEO Horizon Holdings

Carlos Yeghiazarian General Manager

Bachir Zeidan Head of Digital

Equation Media

Founded: 2013

Offices: Dubai, Beirut, Cairo, Jeddah, and Riyadh. Chairman: Roger Sahyoun info@equation-media.com

+971 4 453 7711

The media planning and buying unit of The Network Communication Group. Equation Media’s services are propelled by consumer insights and data analytics as they use a fusion of first-rate research methods, experience, and analysis to serve clients and help them create meaningful connections with their audiences.

SERVICES: Strategic media planning, integration of online and offline campaigns, social and content planning, media buying, performance marketing

KEY CLIENTS: Bogshani Group, BBAC, Dubai Chambers, Fossil Watches, Armani Exchange Watches, Diesel Watches, Michael Kors Watches, Langnese, Hershey’s, McIllheny Tabasco, Guess Perfumes, Unisynk, Marina Mall Abu Dhabi, Bin Sina Pharmacies, Toshiba, Al Hilal Houri Medical, Sapora

Garage 366

Founded: 2015

Headquartered: Dubai

Head of company: Ahmad Sabra www.garage366.com

Garage 366, is a unique, award-winning marketing and communication agency, which blends innovative design, unrivalled craftsmanship and technological acumen to create impactful emotional experiences.

SERVICES: Full digital solutions; strategic planning; trade buying; ideation; creative development; content creation

KEY CLIENTS: Gulf Marketing Group, Athlocity, Al Fahim Group, Deyaar.

Gamer Agency Middle East

Founded: 2019

Head of Company: Hitesh Uchil info@gameragency.com

www.gameragencyme.com

The Gamer Agency was born from a passion for gaming. Our team has more than 10 years of experience working with the gaming industry in the Middle East. Gamer Agency specialises in influencer marketing, advertising and events.

SERVICES: Digital advertising; influencer marketing; media buying; events; activations

Hearts & Science

Founded: 2016

Head of Company: Rasha Rteil, managing director of Hearts & Science UAE

MENA Staff numbers: 100+ https://www.hearts-science.com/en-ae/ +971 4 457 4570

Hearts & Science is all about growth acceleration, working for clients and brands that need a brave, bold, and agile partner to ‘lead them into the future’. As a data-driven marketing agency, we empower brands with our talent, expertise, imagination, and technology to capitalise on the data they have or need.

SERVICES: Business growth acceleration, digital marketing transformation, performance marketing and integrated media planning and buying, ecommerce, AWARDS: Silver Award for eCommerce Performance, MENA Effies 2022, Media Network of The Year, Dubai Lynx 2020/2021; 3 MENA Effies 2021

KEY CLIENTS: Jaguar Land Rover, Atlantis the Palm and Atlantis the Royal, Americana Food and California Garden, KFC MENA, KFC South Africa, DMCC.

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Founded: 2011

Headquartered: Dubai, with branches in Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Bengaluru, Riyadh, Singapore, Shanghai, and Tirana.

Founder and CEO: Shadi Abdulhadi

Number of staff: 128 www.boopin.com

+971 4 422 5365 info@boopin.com

Driven by innovation and creativity, Boopin is one of the fastest-growing networks in the region, led by a team of more than 100 passionate creators and marketers, each with a desire to tell memorable stories and create exceptional experiences for brands and consumers. Our dedicated channel experts sit as a team, which ensures we not only have a tactical approach toward each channel but also benefit from providing a 360-degree response.

SERVICES: Performance marketing; digital infrastructure, digital transformation and automation; customer data platform facilitation and strategy; dynamic creative; API integrations; web/app design and development; SEO; data visualisation; social content management, production and PR.

KEY CLIENTS: Abu Dhabi Ports Group, ADNEC, Al Masaood Automobiles, Al Dar Education, Department of Culture and Tourism, Emirates Islamic Bank, Emirates Transport, GEMs Education, Government Media Office, IG Group, National Human Rights Institution of the UAE, Shein, Xiaomi Mobiles.

Akshay-Mehta Head of Perfromance Marketing

Shadi Abdulhadi Founder and CEO

Qaiser-Nawaz Creative Director

Zeena-Kurd Head of Social Content & Production

Joy-Hoyek PR Director

Ali-Aboukhreibe Strategy Director

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

RAZMIK KALAIDJIAN

Managing director, Boopin KSA

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST SHIFTS YOUR INDUSTRY WITNESSED IN 2022?

A changing new normal: Dealing with the new normal post pandemic was a rollercoaster, but that ‘new normal’ is constantly shifting. Just looking back 12 months so many things happened (wars, inflation, social, tech/web 3.0), which shows that the so called new normal keeps shifting and its repercussions have a direct impact on people.

E-commerce turmoil: The highs and lows of e-commerce have been a talking point in the past few months. Just by pure consumer observation, the number of times our doorbell rings today with a package delivery has dropped significantly.

WHAT WILL THE MOST NOTABLE CHANGES BE IN 2023?

Short-form video will continue to grow: People’s attention span is dropping and brands must spend more time creating simpler and impactful messages. There is no one formula but being brave and constantly testing will give brands an opportunity to break-through.

First party data will grow in importance: Personalisation is a key area that significantly improves the performance of marketing campaigns driven through first party data that fosters a personalised experience. Doing this at scale is where the opportunity lies.

Role of artificial intelligence (AI): AI defies the conventional way of doing things in every industry, one after the other. The highly intertwined digital/social media is a place where AI will evolve to better manipulate data and provide a better customer experience through predictive analytics and targeting metrics.

HOW IS THE ROLE OF YOUR AGENCY CHANGING?

Fundamentally the business of the agency (referring to agency ecosystem at large) is to help build brands. That fundamental role of agency is not changing but it is evolving to meet the changing nature of how customers engage with brands. In today’s world we build brands with deep understanding of technology, AI and platforms to bring the brand story to life.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FORESEE THIS YEAR AND HOW WILL YOU TACKLE IT?

Attention economy: Getting people’s attention in a world of platforms, brands, publishers all trying to grab eyeballs is a challenge that will continue in 2023. Tackling this goes back to marrying data, platform and creative content to ultimately win in the attention economy.

Continuing opportunities in the metaverse: While many debate about the turn crypto has taken, others continue to explore the opportunities of the metaverse and Web 3.0. One of the major considerations is how to leverage brand recognition and maximise revenue streams. There will be strong competition in the entertainment industry for long term contracts and licensing for the metaverse and Web 3.0 services.

HOW ARE YOUR CLIENTS’ EXPECTATIONS CHANGING?

I would summarise clients’ expectations in three key areas: measurement, talent and creativity.

Measurement: Largely clients are focused on growth as we are. Expectations do change by sector but one example that clearly defines expectations from clients in today’s

viral but rather creativity in using data-based solution, or creativity in using tech that in fact builds client’s business.

WHAT SHOULD CLIENTS DO TO MAKE THE MOST OF THEIR OPPORTUNITIES?

Technology moves fast and so should clients and brands. Brave brands take calculated risks by testing new technology that can disrupt and gives the brand the opportunity to go the extra mile.

IS THERE A BIGGER EMPHASIS ON MEASURABILITY, AND WHY?

By nature, the digital eco-system is measurable, but its beyond just measuring. It is about bringing together holistic marketing and communication programs and being accountable for the output. We are now in an age where need to figure out what we want to achieve and then work it out backwards. From a TV perspective, the launch of the TV meter is going to bring with it a key element that has been missing for the longest time in Saudi, the largest advertising market in the region. It will open debates about how audiences move and result in a recalibration of the Gross Rating Point (GRP) as we know it. Nevertheless, it will be a development to upgrading the measurement environment.

world is the growth of ‘direct-toconsumer’ conversations. As such, clients’ expectations are driven by measurement and accountability across the marketing communication ecosystem.

Talent: we are in a people-business and clients’ expectation around talent is nothing new. However, there is a heightened interest, given the complexity of the business. As such, factors such as finding, retaining, developing and upskilling talent are of dire importance to meet client expectations.

Creativity: the definition of creativity is evolving with the times. what we have noticed with clients is not just the creativity or producing work that goes

“Getting people’s attention in a world of platforms, brands, publishers all trying to grab eyeballs is a challenge that will continue in 2023.”

Founded: 2010

Head of Agency: Ramzy Abouchacra, CEO MENA

Number of staff: 112 www.carat.com

+ 971 4 447 4996

info.dubai@dentsu.com

Most recently named a leader amongst global media agencies by Forrester, Carat is consistently ranked the #1 media agency in the world with over 12,000 experts in over 100 countries. Carat delivers an unparalleled capability to unlock real human understanding to connect people and brands by designing powerful and engaging media experiences.

Carat is a dentsu company. Together we are 40,000 people in five continents, across 24 time zones, pioneering and delivering the most effective brand, media and digital communications solutions. We are privileged to work with some of the most storied and innovative brands in the world.

KEY CLIENTS: Mastercard, Microsite, General Motors, Sadafco, Kering, Kraft Heinz, Burberry, Kellogg’s, Standard Chartered Bank, Meraas, Cafu, Vodafone

SERVICES OFFERED: Consumer Intelligence and Data, Media Strategy, Media Planning, Media Buying & Investment, Performance Marketing & Commerce, Marketing Effectiveness, Partnerships & Innovation

AWARDS WON: (2022) 2 Silver Effie, 1 Bronze Effie, 10 Effie Shortlists, 1 Silver Lynx

LEADERSHIP PANEL

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

RAMZY ABOUCHACRA

HOW WILL TECHNOLOGY AFFECT YOUR INDUSTRY IN 2023?

Technology is opening new opportunities for creativity, targeting and measurement. From the evolution of connected TV advertising and the rise of social commerce, allowing for a much more granular way to target audiences. Increasingly, this is also leading to a need for new attention metrics. Technology is allowing us to move beyond metrics like impressions and viewability towards metrics that measure and analyse how much attention is given to ads across various formats. This has great potential to allow us to create a common metric across channels and placements to plan more effectively.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST TRENDS CHANGING YOUR INDUSTRY TODAY?

The biggest trends changing the industry all fall under the theme of commerce. Media platforms, especially social media and video, are trying to become sales platforms, while commerce sites are building up their media businesses. Apps that might be thought of as single use like messaging apps or even taxi apps are diversifying to try to appeal to more people on more occasions, while brands are trying to make sure they are still able to

speak to consumers and potential consumers effectively while respecting their privacy. Shopping has become an always on state of mind, rather than a conscious activity, giving brands an opportunity to be in people’s homes, devices, and lives in an interactive way and at a speed previously unmatched.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FORESEE FOR YOUR AGENCY THIS YEAR AND HOW ARE YOU TACKLING THEM?

Even in a slowing economy, consumer behaviours in media evolve at pace. Economic uncertainty always brings out creativity in business and media. Previous cycles have launched or boosted radio, TV, and social media, and in the year to come we will likely see the emergence or acceleration of communication channels. This presents just as many challenges as it does opportunities. To overcome them, we will continue to move with agility and invest in the right people, tools and products to keep up with the pace of change.

HOW ARE YOUR CLIENTS’ DEMANDS CHANGING?

There is a growing importance placed on content as it becomes more vital than ever for brands to create relevant messages that resonate with their audiences, and for them to do so in a responsible way. There is also a greater need for cost saving and efficiency, and with that the demand for better measurement of the attention people give to advertising.

Jad Noujeim Group Trading Director, Carat MENA

Julie Larguier Media Director, Carat KSA

Ramzy Abouchacra CEO Carat MENA Adham Roushdy Managing Director, Carat Egypt

Bassem Hoss Performance Lead, Carat UAE

Maya Chams Business Director, Carat UAE

CEO Carat MENA

Iconiction

Founded: 2014

Regional headquarters: Dubai

Founder and CEO: Sebastien Marteau

info@iconiction.com www.iconiction.com

SERVICES: Geo-based mobile advertising; du advertising platforms (SMS marketing, Wi-Fi UAE, Dubai Airport Taxis); Handy smartphones (luxury hotels); Chinese shopper advertising; app downloads/preloads

iProspect

Founded: 2012 www.iprospect.com

+ 971 4 447 4996 info.dubai@dentsu.com

iProspect, a dentsu company, is a global digital-first end-to-end media agency. Its unmatched mix of media strategy and storytelling with digital expertise and audience knowledge defines the new territory of performance-driven brand building. By delivering human-centric solutions, iProspect accelerates growth for the world’s most iconic brands. The iProspect team works across a network of more than 8,000 media and performance specialists spread across 93 global markets.

SERVICES: Audience insights, media and performance strategy, planning and activation, business performance, paid search, organic search, paid social, display

KEY CLIENTS: Dubai Properties, Microsoft, Accor Hotels, BSH, Sheseido, Kering, Puma, Groupe Seb

Incubeta

Founded: 2001; 2022 (MENA)

Regional offices: Dubai, with offices in Riyadh and Jeddah

Managing director MENA: Neal Patel hello-mena@incubeta.com

Incubeta is a digital marketing partner that drives business growth through bespoke Media, Creative, and Technology solutions. Our award-winning approach has resulted in longstanding partnerships with brands in multiple sectors, including retail, travel, finance, entertainment, and more. Our specialist teams find innovative ways to take businesses further, faster.

SERVICES: Creative services including content creation, video production and communication strategy; digital media performance marketing, social media management, SEO, AdTech / martech consulting, global sales partner for Google Marketing Platform

KEY CLIENTS: McDonald›s KSA, Talabat (UAE), Dubai Safari Park, Dubai Digital, Johnson & Johnson, Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts

iMetric Digital

Founded: 2017

Offices: Beirut (HQ), Riyadh

Head of company: Saad Sraj hello@imetric.net www.im etric.net

SERVICES: Digital media planning; media buying; SEO; SEM; social media; paid ads; programmatic; analytics

KEY CLIENTS: King Abdullah Economic City, Cayan Group, Lord of the Wings, Merck, Arco, Chuck E Cheese

Founded: 2000

Head of Company: Tony Wazen, CEO, Digitas

Number of staff: 145 www.digitas.com + 971 4 367 6400 dubai@digitas.com

Digitas is the premier integrated advertising agency within Publicis Groupe, connecting media, creative, data, and technology to deliver modern marketing. For brands, that means we invent and shape new ways for you to connect with people in this increasingly distracted and ad-blocked universe. So, the next time you hear media and creativity in the same conversation, get ready for some exciting possibilities to come.

SERVICES: Brand marketing; media planning & buying; search engine marketing; project management; CRM; technology; performance marketing; data & analysis; transcreation & language services; creative; marketing operations; content; digital business design; brand strategy; market research; SEO; experience design; social

TECH PARTNERS: Facebook, Google, TikTok, Salesforce, Adobe, Sitecore, Microsoft, Eloqua, Oracle

KEY CLIENTS: Haleon, GSK Pharma, McDonald’s, Dubai Tourism, Emaar

AWARDS: Gartner ‘Leader’; WARC ‘Smartest’; Cannes Lions; MENA Effies; Digital MENA Awards; Ad Age; 2020 Best Place to Work Award

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Tony Wazen Chief Executive Officer, Digitas

Bassel Kakish Groupe CEO, Publicis Groupe ME

Amer El Hajj Chief Investment Officer, Publicis Media

Khaled AbouNader Chief Product Officer, Publicis Groupe

Jellyfish

Founded: 2005

Head of company: Shanil Jagatia (MENA managing director) Dubai@jellyfish.com

Jellyfish is a new kind of marketing performance company for the platform world, where success demands a creative, multi-platform mindset. Our One Jellyfish approach helps brands thrive by navigating, connecting, and harnessing the platforms that drive growth. Working within a unique, global operating system and culture, designed for agile collaboration, we give brands a Platform to Perform.

SERVICES: Media; training; analytics; digital transformation; SEO

KEY CLIENTS: Samsung, Google, Alshaya, LG, STC, Disney, Spotify, Uber, L›Oréal

Kreata Global Brand Communications

Founded: 2010

Headquartered: Dubai CEO: Deepan Parameswar info@kreataglobal.com www.kreataglobal.com

SERVICES: Digital advertising; digital marketing; content services; social media marketing; web development; performance advertising; search; ATL; BTL; innovative display solutions

KEY CLIENTS: Clarins Middle East, Lulu Group, Malabar Gold & Diamonds, Yateem Opticians, Quanta Ice cream, Igloo, Tiffany Biscuits, Luxottica Group

Lemon Adverts

Founded: 2008

Head of media: Mohammed Naheemuddin https://lemonhq.io media@lemonadverts.com

Lemon is a business growth catalyst helping established brands and enterprises build meaningful, trustworthy relationships with their customers thru authentic communications and impactful experiences leveraging data, insights, and personalisation you need to execute with confidence and precision.

SERVICES: 360 digital marketing, media strategy, media planning and buying, campaign management, organic search, paid search, social ads, performance marketing and programmatic display

KEY CLIENTS: Abbott Diabetes Care, RSA, Meraas, Oman Oil, Samsung, Damac

Medialinks

Founded: 2019

Headquartered: UAE

Head of company: Zeeshan Sajid Amin

Medialinks is a UAE-born dynamic digital agency and media buying powerhouse, helping clients navigate the ever-evolving world of marketing and advertising. From website design, performance campaigns, and social media strategy to targeted ad campaigns and beyond, we›ve got the skills and experience to make your brand shine. Plus, we like to have fun while we work.

SERVICES: Ecommerce websites, mobile performance campaigns, media buying, events, social media strategy and influencers

KEY CLIENTS: PRAN Foods, Emirate Wets Wipes, Cool & Cool, Experience Qatar, Etihad Rail DB

Founded: 1969

Head of agency: Ashish Sinha, Managing Director APAC & MEA

epsilon.com/apac

+971 4 818 9593

Epsilon is a global advertising and marketing technology company positioned at the centre of Publicis Groupe. Epsilon connects advertisers with consumers to drive performance while respecting and protecting consumer privacy and client data. Epsilon accelerates clients’ ability to harness the power of their first-party data in order to enhance, activate and measure campaigns with confidence. Epsilon believes in an open, privacy-first advertising ecosystem. Over decades, it has built the industry’s most comprehensive identity graph to give brands, agencies and publishers the ability to reach real consumers across all channels and the open web.

SERVICES: Next generation privacy first data driven marketing; integrated ID-driven platform that delivers real 1:1 dialogue with consumers at scale; widely globally awarded loyalty, CDP, omnichannel marketing, clean Rooms technologies

KEY CLIENTS: Deliveroo, Landmark Group, DP World, Walmart, McDonald’s, Marriott, Nespresso, FedEx

AWARDS: Leader, Forrester Wave Customer Data Strategy & Activation Services, 2022; Leader, Forrester Wave Email Marketing Service Providers, 2022; Leader & Strong Performer, Forrester Wave Sell-Side Retail Media Solutions (CitrusAd & Epsilon), 2021; Leader, Forrester Wave Loyalty Solutions, 2021; IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Customer Data Platforms Focused on Data and Marketing Operations Users, 2022; Leader, IDC Marketscape: Worldwide Customer Data Platforms Focused on Data and Marketing Operations Users, 2021; Digiday Technology awards winner, Best partner Clean Room, 2022; Campaign Award CRM & Media 2022

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Rajesh Verma Business Development Director

Paul Wallis Sales Director

Ashish Sinha Managing Director APAC & MEA

Patrick Sim Senior Vice President Sales APAC & MEA

Saira Mehdi Sales Director

Marwan Remman Client Development Director

Mediaplus Middle East

Founded: 2013

Head of Company: Azhar Siddiqui middle-east@serviceplan.com https://www.serviceplan.ae/en.html

Mediaplus is the innovation agency of the digital age. This means that Mediaplus is more than just media; we unite media, digital, data and content. We are the challenger agency that puts the client at the centre of everything we do.

Mediaplus is part of Serviceplan Group Middle East, the 2022 Independent Agency of the Year at Dubai Lynx. Being part of the group allows us to deliver creative work, fully integrated with all other agency brands.

SERVICES: Fully integrated 360-approach, digital, performance and traditional media planning and buying, data analytics and business intelligence, influencer marketing, gaming media

KEY CLIENTS: Redtag, Bayut-Dubizzle, Abbott, Epson, Capri-Sun, OQ, Dabur

Mubashir

Founded: 2015

Head of company: Ali Al Raisi (CEO) info@mubashir.om

Mubashir leads the digital out-of-home and smart retail technology market in Oman, proposing digital solutions that transform communities and businesses and connect them into a sustainable society. Marketers utilise smart digital screens and billboards to connect with their customers through targeted content in real-time.

SERVICES: Digital billboards; video creation; smart retail

Performics

Founded: 2012

Headsof company: Raja Trad (executive chairman, Publicis Groupe MEA)

www.performics.com

Across an expansive global network operating in 57 countries, Performics leverages data, technology and talent to create and convert consumer demand wherever it is expressed –search, social, display, commerce and offline channels. Performics is the performance marketing engine of Publicis Groupe.

SERVICES: Performance media; performance content; planning & insights;

KEY CLIENTS: Hyatt, One & Only, Emirates Islamic Bank, Rolex, Bayer, Abdul Latif Jamil

Precise Communication

Headquartered: Dubai

Number of staff: 40

Founded: 2005

Heads of company: Gopal Aswani and Ashik Hasim info@tobeprecise.com

Precise Communications is a holistic messaging and digital agency offering solutions developed in-house. Our end goal is simple: bring brands, businesses and consumers together through a holistic and precise approach.

SERVICES: Consultancy; development; digital media buying; digital media marketing; media buying; messaging; SEO; SMS & emailer marketing; social; social media

KEY CLIENTS: Etisalat, Kenwood, Delonghi, Mihyar Arabia, University of Wollongong, Transguard, Etisalat, Dubai Municipality, Estee Lauder, Emirates Exchange, Al Tayer

Founded: 2013

Offices: Dubai (HQ), Abu Dhabi and Riyadh

Global alignment: Tribe Global Network

Co-founders: Johnny Khazzoum; Elie Haber info@fusion5me.com, www.fusion5me.com

+971 4 443 1355

Our corporate culture is rooted in the ambition to achieve performance driven success in every project we take on. Our drive to win helps us maintain a perspective of boundless opportunities. This victory mindset is contagious and inspires our team to plan, develop and successfully execute bold ideas on a daily basis.

SERVICES: Media planning and buying; social media; influencer marketing; SEM; programmatic trading; display advertising; mobile and in-app advertising; web analytics; insights; data management; reporting and data visualization; on-ground activation.

AWARDS: MENA Digital Awards: Best use of Digital- Gold (ADNOC Group); Best Automotive Digital Campaign- Bronze (Aston Martin). Best Performance CampaignBronze (Dewa Wetex); Best Integrated Media Campaign- Silver (Dewa Earth Hour); Bronze (Dewa Green Summer)

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Johnny Khazzoum Co-founder

Elie Haber Co-founder

Natale Panella Head of digital

Samran Waheed Head of strategy & planning

Founded: 2023

Head of Company: Eyad Abdul Khalek

Number of Staff: 126

www.essencemediacom.com

MENA@essencemediacom.com

+971 4 449 4750

EssenceMediacom is GroupM’s newest and largest agency, committed to delivering marketing breakthroughs for brands. It has disrupted the old models across media, creative, innovation and analytics to find new opportunities for advertisers and deliver truly integrated media solutions.

Born out of two pioneering agencies, EssenceMediacom fuses Essence’s performance, data, analytics and creative technology DNA with MediaCom’s scaled multichannel audience planning and strategic media expertise. As part of WPP, the world’s largest marketing communications services group, and GroupM, WPP’s consolidated media investment management arm, we have access to the richest data, most robust benchmarks and most advanced capabilities in the market. This helps us provide comprehensive solutions to all marketing challenges.

KEY CLIENTS: Richemont; adidas; Mars; Google; The Coca-Cola Company; Etisalat; NADEC; Playstation; Bayer; Uber;

SERVICES OFFERED: Media Strategy, Buying & Planning, Social, SEO, Mobile, Digital, Research, Analytics & Insights, Ecommerce; Data Leadership, Digital Transformation Consultancy

AWARDS WON:

MediaCom: Adweek - Global Agency of the Year 2022; M&M Global – Global Agency of the Year 2022; Festival of Media – Global Agency of the Year 2022

Essence: Digiday - Most Innovative Agency of the Year 2022; Performance Marketing World - Performance Agency of the Year 2022; The Drum – Most Effective Use: Paid Search 2022

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

ALEX JEVONS

Chief operations officer

HOW WILL TECHNOLOGY AFFECT YOUR INDUSTRY IN 2023?

Technology will continue to redefine our industry, enabling advertisers to create more engaging, relevant and measurable campaings.

AI, Blockchain and Virtual Reality will be the known suspects driving this momentum, but different to this year will be the defragmentation

within disciplines such as mar/adtech, content and data sciences, resulting in intuitive low touch/code deployments becoming increasingly accessible.

We should expect seismic disruption in marketing-ops over the coming months and your best vantage point would be to have a head-start on thinking use cases, as the technology to make it a reality is probably around the corner!

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST TRENDS CHANGING YOUR INDUSTRY TODAY?

We’re now in a completely different communications economy. The pace at which platforms can take off and eyeballs can move is exponentially changing and at speed, whilst the volume of data being produced will triple over the next three years.

The opportunities to connect with consumers through media are growing at a rate that we have to keep up with and our clients are rightly looking at their partners to identify a competitive advantage and a way to breakthrough. This is why EssenceMediacom was created, a new type of agency built for the way the world looks today, and will look tomorrow.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FORSEE FOR YOUR AGENCY THIS YEAR AND HOW ARE YOU TACKLING THEM?

In the “era of uncertainty”, consumers are re-evaluating their spending habits as inflation and cost-of-living bites. Brand marketing budgets are in constant flux, making it an increasingly challenging environment for our

LEADERSHIP PANEL

industry to manage P&Ls.

Couple this with the complexity and speed of evolution of advertising, we have a responsibility to our partners to find solutions to these challenges by providing talent with the necessary skillsets and capabilities.

But this comes at a cost. Whilst specialists will always play an important role within agencies, at EsssenceMediacom we are ensuring all employees “go back to school”, to develop capabilities in key disciplines that make them more well-rounded media practitioners. This not only enhances professional career growth, but ensures we have client teams built around a diverse mix of capabilities ready to develop step-change breakthrough opportunities at key stages of the marketing communications development process.

HOW ARE YOUR CLIENTS’ DEMANDS CHANGING?

Brands today need continuous learning to test and push the limits of benchmarks and ‘norms’, and a structured approach to the discovery of new knowledge; insights to understand new customers, unlocking new communication channels, developing new forms of measurement and building new marketing models.

This is why we have analytics and insight at the heart of our EssenceMediacom Operating System (EMOS). It is integral to our breakthrough planning and helps drive direct and indirect revenues to our clients, by focusing on outputs (ROMI), not inputs.

Burt Reynolds Chief Data & Technology Officer MENA

Eyad Abdul Khalek CEO MENA Abdalla El Abd Chief Client & Transformation Officer MENA

Alex Jevons Chief Operations Officer MENA

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Founded: 2015 (MENA); 2003 (globally)

Number of staff: 545

www.groupm.com

+971 4 873 6700

hicham.auajjar@groupm.com

GroupM is the world’s leading media investment group, responsible for more than $60bn in annual media investment through agencies Mindshare, Wavemaker, EssenceMediacom and mSix&Partners, as well as the outcomes-driven programmatic audience company Xaxis. GroupM’s portfolio includes data and technology (Choreograph), investments and services, all united in vision to shape the next era of media where advertising works better for people. By leveraging all the benefits of scale, the company innovates, differentiates and generates sustained value for our clients wherever they do business.

TECH PARTNERS: Google, Salesforce, Facebook, Amazon, Adobe, Alibaba, Snapchat, Tiktok, Oracle,Tealium, MOAT, DoubleVerify, Tencent

SERVICES: Client services; activation services; media investment; data science; technology development

KEY CLIENTS: Adidas, Etisalat Misr, Ferrero, Huawei, Mars, Mobily, PIF, Richemont, Qatar National Tourism, etc.

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Founded: 2005

Head of company: Houda Tohme, CEO

Number of staff: 80 havasme.com carlos.nadal@havasme.com

+971 4 455 6000

At Havas Media, we invest in media that matters. We understand where to find the most meaningful media using our unique Mx system. We build a Media Experience (Mx) that connects a brand with their target audience – in the context of where they are, through the content they pay attention to. Because we believe that more Meaningful Media can help build more Meaningful Brands.

KEY CLIENTS: du, adidas, Aldar Properties, Bel, British Council, Dolce&Gabbana, FAB, Faces, Hermès, Hyundai & Kia, LG, L’Or

SERVICES: Media strategy, planning & investment (digital & offline), performance media, e-commerce, data & analytics

AWARDS WON: Cannes Lions 1x GP & x6 awards, Cannes Lions #2 Agency MEA; One Show #1 in MEA; D&AD #1 Agency in UAE; Dubai Lynx #2 Agency & 2 Network, Dubai Lynx 2x GP; Adfest Media Agency of the Year & 2x GP; Only agency in the MENA region shortlisted in the Global Effie Best of the Best; WARC MENA Strategy and WARC Awards for Media #1 in MENA; Adweek Media Plan of the Year; Campaign Global AOY #2 Network of the Year MEA; Adstars 1x GP

Rami Husseini Managing Director, Havas Saudi Arabia

Houda Tohme CEO, Havas Media

Makram Khater General Manager, Havas Lower Gulf

Karine Barakat General Manager, Havas Egypt

Carlos Nadal Head of Growth

Fadi Mouawad Regional Head of Trading

Charbel Bou Jawdeh Chief Financial Officer

Nina Hamdan Regional Head of People

Clare Fearon Regional Head of Programmatic

Jihad Hachem Chief Commercial Officer

Hicham Auajjar Chief Products and Services Officer

Founded: 1975

Head of company: Bassem Massoud

Number of staff: 350 initiative.com

+971 4 445 4040 info@initiativemena.com

At Initiative, our mission is to deliver growth for our clients through transformational media delivery. We are a full-service global media agency built to grow brands through culture. The agency’s approach to rapidly interpreting and acting on cultural data signals – Cultural Velocity – creates relevant, long-lasting consumer connections that drive business results. We believe in culture as a quantifiable connector of people, brands and business growth. In a world where channels fragment, culture unifies and propels. We promise to be the best agency partner in the business through business successes and challenges. Most of all, we always champion and love your brands.

SERVICES OFFERED: Digital media strategy & activation; media services; communications planning; interactive; market research; consulting; sports & entertainment; cultural communications; client advice; communications design; social; mobile; partnerships; search; innovation; analytics; branding

TECH PARTNERS: Adjust, Kochava, Appsflyer, Zapier, Oracle, Adobe, GCP (Google), Datorama, Flashtalking

KEY CLIENTS: Amazon, Amazon Prime Video, Miral Destinations, Miral Experiences, Etisalat, LEGO, Americana, Western Union, COTY, IFFCO, Carlsberg

AWARDS: 8 MENA Effies; 30 MMA Smarties; 1 MENA Digital Award; 4 MENA Search Awards; 1 Internationalist; 1 Festival of Media Global

Founded: 2002

Number of staff: 500-600+ in MENA hellouae@omd.com

www.omd.com/mena

+971 4 450 0450

OMD is the world’s largest media network with more than 12,000 people working in over 100 countries. As the world grows with opportunities, the key is reacting to them, by making better decisions, faster – combining innovation, creativity, empathy and evidence to help them move faster, reach further, and take smarter risks every day.

SERVICES: Strategic planning & investment management, performance marketing, data and technology consulting and implementation, analytics and e-commerce transformation/marketplace management.

AWARDS: Media Agency of the Year, Campaign AOY 2022; Media Agency Office of the Year, MENA EFFIES 2022; Media Agency of the Year, MENA Digital Awards, 2022; Global Media Network of the Year, Cannes Lion 2022; Best Performing Global Media Network, RECMA 2021; Global Media Agency of the Year 2019 - 2020, Adweek; Media Agency of the Year 2019, Dubai Lynx; Most Effective Media Agency Office 2018, Best Place to Work 2012-2019, Great Place to Work Institute.

KEY CLIENTS: PepsiCo, Expo City, OSN, Zain, Jumeirah, Apple, Beiersdorf, Clorox, Daimler, INFINITI, Nissan, Lindt, Philips, Formula 1 Saudi, Qatar Creates, Invest Qatar, Investment Development Office, Saudi Arabia Monetary Authority, The Rig, Entertainment Investment Fund, Rabea Tea

LEADERSHIP PANEL

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Lara Arbid Managing Director MENA Bassem Massoud CEO MENA

Fadi Zeidan Regional Business Director, MENA

Nameer Abou Ismail General Manager, KSA

Santadip Roy Regional Director – Digital

Yasmine Hussein Head of Rufus MENA

Tarek Jaffar GM of OMD Egypt

Jihad El Rassi GM of OMD KSA

Saleh Ghazal CEO of OMD MENA

Saleh Agha MD of OMD UAE

Maroun Hassoun Regional GM of OMD Lower Gulf

Reforge Digital

Founded: 2020

Head of company: Lana Baddar

Lana@reforgedigital.com

Reforge Digital is a boutique digital marketing and communications agency. We partner with brands to strategise, implement and shape impactful marketing campaigns. We believe that marketing has the power to connect brands to their purpose by aligning resources, advertising budgets and marketing programmes to deliver business results

SERVICES: Marcomms strategies; performance marketing; content development; B2B account-based marketing; SEO

Radix Media LLC

Founded: 2016

Head of company: Mohan Nambiar

Headquartered: Dubai, UAE info@radixmediamena.com

Our mission is to be a trusted partner in growth for our clients by identifying opportunities and providing best-in-class solutions that deliver maximum efficiency and effectiveness. With a leadership team of the best in the industry across planning, data and insights, strategy, digital and creative content, we put consumers at the heart of our planning and focus on client business growth. We are spirited, ambitious, agile and future-first.

SERVICES: Communication strategy, media planning, social media management and content, SEO, technology partnerships

KEY CLIENTS: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Al Nabooda Automobiles, Al Rawabi, India Gate & Nur Jahan Rice, Dubai Chambers, Arada Retail, Eagle Hills, Landmark Leisure, Nutridor Abevia, American Garden

Sandman Consultancy

Founded: 2014

Headquartered: Dubai

Owner: Brand Sol Media

Head of company: Ajay Mathews ajay.mathews@brand-sol.com aj@sandmanconsultancy.com www.brand-sol.com

SERVICES: Media planning and buying; branding; digital and traditional marketing strategies; packaging; publishing

Sandstorm Digital Worldwide

Founded: 2013

Head of company: Omar Kattan accounts@sandstormdigital.com

We are an award-winning, multilingual performance marketing agency. Our approach is predicated on giving your customers a reason to visit, a reason to purchase, and a reason to return and tell others about their positive brand experience. We are a full-service marketing solution provider and a Google certified partner.

SERVICES: SEO; paid media; PPC; content marketing; digital marketing

KEY CLIENTS: Unilever, National Bonds, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Etisalat, Arada, Dubai Holdings, Abdul Latif Jameel

Founded: 2005

Head of company: Bassem Massoud

Number of staff: 84 www.magnamena.com

+971 4 445 4647

info@magna-global.com

Magna is a full-service agency that provides communication solutions across the MENA region – focusing on the two most important currencies in media today – conversations and engagement. We combine the power of data and technology with creativity and innovation to devise tailor-made business solutions that deliver business results. Our core strength lies in our ability to understand the distinct needs of consumers. With that in mind, we work towards creating effective media strategies, building dynamic media plans and adding value to businesses through optimised media buying. So, what makes Magna so different? It’s a unique combination of

scale and size. We offer our partners undivided attention, complemented by the backing and expertise of our dedicated professionals. Add to this the immense value of research, insights, strategies, constant innovation and the most competitive rates, capitalised through our group’s clout and buying power. That’s the Magna difference.

SERVICES: Communications strategy; digital media strategy & activation; performance media planning and execution (programmatic & biddable media), media planning & buying; search & bid management; social media, mobile & content strategy planning & execution

TECH PARTNERS: Adjust, Kochava, Appsflyer, Zapier, Oracle, Adobe, GCP (Google), Datorama, Flashtalking

KEY CLIENTS: Subway, Dubai Holding Group, Dubai Properties, Meraas, Al Nahdi Pharmacies, twofour54, Baskin Robbins, Banque Saudi Fransi, SACO, Twinings, Commercial Bank of Dubai

AWARDS: 23 MMA Smarties; 3 MENA Search Awards; 13 Effies, 2 Dubai LYNX; 2 The Marketing Society Awards; 1 Cannes Lions, 7 MENA Digital Awards, 1 Festival of Media Global

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Lara Arbid Managing Director MENA

Bassem Massoud CEO MENA

Ali Berjawi General Manager UAE

Jad Barakat Associate Director, Digital

Nameer Abou Ismail: General Manager, KSA

Sini Baby Regional Finance Director

Founded: 1999

Head of company: Lamiya Boumlaki – MENA CEO

Number of staff: 300 www.mindshareworld.com/mena

+971 4 454 7444

lamiya.boumlaki@mindshareworld.com

Mindshare is a global media platform company that accelerates Good Growth for its clients in the age of a new marketing economy. Good Growth is business growth that is enduring and sustainable, whilst also helping to shape society and the world for the better. We accelerate growth for our clients by connecting digital, media, creative and tech, prioritising customer relationships, customer voices and real-time activation underpinned through data to demand a response. We were the first purpose-built company created by WPP and today our 10,000 people operate in 116 offices in 86 countries.

SERVICES: Communication strategy; adtech and martech consultancy; outcomes marketing; e-commerce; research and insights; data solutions and analytics; social media management; content ideation and creation; web 3.0 consultancy; investment management; media planning

KEY CLIENTS: Public Investment Fund, QNTC, QNB, Ferrero, Mobily, Abu Dhabi Media Company, Red Sea Group, General Mills, Rolex, Kuwait Finance House, Alsafi Danone

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

FARIS SIBAI

HOW WILL TECHNOLOGY AFFECT YOUR INDUSTRY IN 2023?

I think we will see technologies collide. Everywhere we look now we see both diversification and convergence, with content platforms adding commerce, commerce platforms adding ads and content. All are vying for new ways to engage and monetize consumers.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST TRENDS CHANGING YOUR INDUSTRY TODAY?

Contextual AI, social robots and twinning. Contextual AI takes a human approach to processing content. It allows AI systems, like chatbots and virtual assistants, to have a real-world interpretation of language, audio, video, and images so they can behave less like traditional computers and more like humans, driving dynamic conversations, providing highly relevant responses, and generating increasingly accurate predictions, ultimately creating a more collaborative partnership between humans and machines. This will give systems, and their controllers, the ability to generate new knowledge, transfer knowledge between contexts, & infer context to problem solve, thus achieving this “human level” of intelligence.

We expect social robots to return this year. Powered by natural language generation models like GPT-3, robots can create new dialogue systems, improving and enriching interactivity. Social robots not only build narratives and rich personalities but also use image generators like Dall-E, enabling robots not only to tell but show dynamic stories.

Digital twin technology is one of the fastestgrowing facets of industry 4.0 and while we’re still at the dawn of digital twin technology, it is growing exponentially. Having a digital twin allows not just product but process owners to plan and manage complex interactions, optimize business outcomes and accelerate performance and innovation for our entire ecosystem.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FORESEE FOR YOUR AGENCY THIS YEAR AND HOW ARE YOU TACKLING THEM?

Organizations are facing an incredibly complex and volatile macro environment. Intelligent digital investments can, for example, be a huge deflationary force and business leaders are already shifting investment focus to technologies that will deliver outcomes faster. Technology will become increasingly central to business success – in fact, 95% of CEOs are already pursuing a digital-first strategy as digital companies deliver revenue growth far faster than non-digital ones. At Mindshare, we are building a new agency model, designed to thrive and not simply survive in these new world economies.

LEADERSHIP PANEL

HOW ARE YOUR CLIENTS’ DEMANDS CHANGING?

Today’s new client brief combines digital, media, creative and tech, holistic customer engagement, real-time responsiveness, simplicity with the capacity to respond to complexity. It must grow the pie for everyone. The onus is on us as agencies to lead, proactively and with clarity and commitment. Our ambition, skillset, drive for success and versatility must match or surpass that of our clients – our partnerships must be true and marked by word and deed.

Faris Sibai MENA Chief Growth Officer

Ghada Nasr Lower Gulf Managing Director

Lamiya Boumlaki MENA CEO

Abdallah Safieddine UAE Managing Director

Hana Khatib Levant Managing Director

Victoria Loesch Managing Partner

Chief Growth Officer Mindshare MENA

Team Red Dot

Founded: 2010

Head of Company: Raksha Khimji info@teamreddot.com

We are a full-service advertising agency specialising in providing bespoke media solutions and integrated brand campaigns that elevate your business. We guarantee campaign amplification through real-time reporting and detailed analysis while maximising reach and optimising your budget. Our regional insights and diverse client portfolio have helped us build an extensive web of media expertise. we help clients build technology first brand platforms and support them with web development, mobile app development, web design and UI/UX design.

SERVICES: Media strategy, media planning and buying (Print, OOH, Radio and Digital); consumer insight and research; data analysis and modelling; mobile marketing.

KEY CLIENTS: Etihad Airways, Careem, Middlesex University, Creative Zone, CarSwitch, Taj Hotels, Dubai Media Office, Tata Group, Indigo Living, Dubai World Trade Centre.

Tonic Media

Founded: 2006

Headquartered: Dubai

Founders: Arnaud Verchere (head of strategy); Khaled Gadallah (head of Arabic copy)

Managing director: Jacqui Hewett tonic@tonicinternational.com tonicinternational.com

SERVICES: Creative solutions to business problems (strategy, display, social, programmatic, offline)

KEY CLIENTS: Zespri, Sky News Arabia, Taaleem, Dubai Properties

Founded: 2006

Head of Company: Luca Allam, CEO of PHD MENA

Number of staff: 300+ in MENA

Info.uae@phdmedia.com

https://www.phdmedia.com/mena/ +971 4 457 4570

Warriors Truly Fearless

Founded: 2023

Headquartered: Riyadh

Leadership: Walid Soueidi and Fadi Saad www.warriorstrulyfearless.com info@warriorstrulyfearless.com

Warriors Truly Fearless is an independent advertising agency dedicated to delivering bold creative, innovative, smart, and efficient solutions. The agency is founded and co-led by Fadi Saad and Walid Soueidi, two heavyweight veterans of the marcoms industry in Saudi Arabia and the MENA. The agency was born from the belief that every brand should be a warrior to attain and maintain leadership in such a complex and fast-moving environment.

SERVICES: Brand and marketing consultancy, brand planning, integrated marketing, corporate communications, content marketing, campaign creation and activation, social, PR, corporate identity and branding, digital marketing and communications, media

Watermelon Communications

Founded: 2001

Head of Company: Madhu Kuttat info@watermelonme.com

Watermelon Communications is a leading integrated marketing and communications agency, headquartered in Dubai, UAE. In April 2018, Watermelon joined with 3AW, a global network of independent full-service communication agencies.

KEY CLIENTS: Hitachi Energy, Conares, Medcare Hospital, Hotpack Packaging Industries LLC, ZOHO, TCL, Waycool, HOTPACK, Lumenore

SERVICES: Media planning and buying (digital and offline), public relations and media outreach activities, influencer and social media advertising, experiential marketing, content creation and production

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Guided by the ethos ‘Make the Leap,’ PHD is renowned for driving disproportionate growth through transformative and creative ideas. PHD is one of the most forwardthinking media agencies by challenging convention and breaking new ground in strategic thinking and planning. Built on a culture of thought leadership, innovation and creativity, it is one of the world’s fastest-growing agency networks. Globally, PHD has more than 6,000 staff, more than 100 offices worldwide, and is part of Omnicom Media Group.

SERVICES: Media planning & buying; strategic planning; data analytics & technology consultants; social & content marketing; SEO; creative services including dynamic creative optimization

AWARDS: The Most Effective Media Agency Office of the Year, MENA Effies 2021; Network of the Year, M&M Global 2020; Best Place to Work 2012-2019, Great Place to Work Institute; The Most Effective Media Agency Office MENA Effies 2019; 1 Cannes Lion 2019; 1 Festival of Media 2019; 7 MENA Effies 2019; 2 Dubai Lynx 2019; Top 5 GPTW list consistently since 2013; Top 3 Most Effective Office MENA Effies 2018; 5 MENA Effies 2018; 7 Dubai Lynx awards 2018; 3 MMA Global Smarties 2018; Festival of Media 2018

KEY CLIENTS: Unilever, Chanel, Saudi Tourism Authority, VW Group, Al Futtaim Group, Abbott, Arla Foods, SC Johnson, HSBC, Al Alali, Nakheel Mall

Peter Bishay GM at PHD Egypt

Luca Allam CEO at PHD MENA

Karen Doumet Managing Director of PHD Arabia

Founded: 1990

Head of company: Srinivas

Devulapalli, senior vice-president

MENA, Publicis Sapient

Number of staff: 200 across MENA; 20,000+ globally www.publicissapient.com

+971 52 630 4012

Publicissapientmena@ publicissapient.com

Publicis Sapient, the digital business transformation business of Publicis Groupe, helps established organisations get to their future, digitally-enabled state, both in the way they work and the way they serve their customers. We help unlock value through a start-up mindset and modern methods, fusing strategy, consulting and customer experience with agile engineering and problem-solving creativity. United by our core values and our purpose of helping people thrive in the brave pursuit of next, our 20,000+ people in 53 offices around the world, we combine experience across technology, data sciences, consulting and customer obsession to accelerate our clients’ businesses through designing the products and services their customers truly value.

SERVICES: Strategy and consulting; customer experience; technology and engineering; enterprise platforms; data and AI; product management

TECH PARTNERS: Microsoft; Adobe; AWS; Google; Sitecore; Salesforce

KEY CLIENTS: Neom, ADNOC, Abu Dhabi Executive Office

AWARDS: 2022 Great Place to Work; Forbes World’s Best Management Consulting Firms; Consulting Magazine Best Firms; MACH Alliance Award; Global Brands Magazine Award; #1 Metaverse Design and Services by Constellation Research

LEADERSHIP PANEL

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Founded: 2000

Head of Agency: Alain Brahamcha, CEO of Spark Foundry ME

Number of staff: 200 regional h ps://www.sparkfoundryww.com/

Spark Foundry is a global media agency brand within Publicis Media, a key division of Publicis Groupe. Spark Foundry’s bold vision harnesses the spirit of a start-up combined with the soul of a powerhouse that melds an entrepreneurial, innovative business approach with the full resources, capabilities and marketplace clout of Publicis Media. With 200 employees across MENA, we leverage the best industry talent to service our clients across the Luxury, Retail, Travel and Tourism, Culture, Banking & FMCG verticals to name a few.  Spark Foundry brings HEAT to brands: Higher Engagement, Affinity, and Transactions.

KEY CLIENTS: LVMH, Abu Dhabi DCT, Mondelez, Almarai, Majid Al Fu aim, Saudi Aramco, Louvre Abu Dhabi.

SERVICES OFFERED: Branded Content / Data and Analytics / E-Commerce / Media Consultancy / Planning and Buying

TECH PARTNERS: Google, Meta, TikTok

AWARDS WON: Gold at Effies 2021 for Almarai KSA, Gold at MMA Smarties 2022 for Almarai KSA, Silver at MENA Effies 2022 for Mondelez

Ala Kanan Chief Financial Officer, Publicis Sapient

Hiba Mojabber Creative DirectorExperience, Publicis Sapient

Srinivas Devulapalli Senior Vice President, MENA, Publicis Sapient

Andrew Wood Head of Product & Delivery, Publicis Sapient

Deepak Aurora Group Vice President, Technology – Delivery Engineering, Publicis Sapient

Mounir Aris Senior Managing Director, Strategy Delivery, Publicis Sapient

Alain Brahamcha CEO, Spark Foundry ME

Bassel Kakish Groupe CEO, Publicis Groupe

Paul Seif General Manager, Spark Foundry KSA

Amer El Hajj Chief Investment Officer, Publicis Media

Nadine Helal General Manager, Spark Foundry Egypt

Khaled AbouNader Chief Product Officer, Publicis Groupe

Founded: 2000

Head of company: Racha Makarem, CEO, Starcom ME

Number of staff: 155 (MENA) starcomww.com

+971 4 367 6400

racha.makarem@starcomww.com

With more than 7,000 employees worldwide and an unmatched global footprint, Starcom provides Human Experiences (HX) at scale, offering a seamless coordination and consistency to clients around the world. We put people at the forefront of everything that we do. Through our proprietary HX approach, we design Human Experiences that close the gap between what people want and what brands need to grow and thrive. We believe that when we combine our deep understanding of people with our unmatched expertise in media, magic happens and experiences get invited in, not filtered out. Starcom is part of Publicis Media, the media solutions division of Publicis Groupe.

SERVICES: Digital & performance marketing solutions; data; CX; CI; media planning/buying; measurement

TECH PARTNERS: Epsilon, Microsoft, Salesforce, Google, META, TikTok, Amazon

KEY CLIENTS: NEOM, Dubai Tourism, P&G, Samsung, McDonald’s, Visa, Stellantis, Puig

AWARDS: 11 MENA Effies 2022 (Lead & Supporting Agency) including 3 Gold, 3 Silver, 3 Bronze; Dubai Lynx #2 Media Agency of the Year

Founded: 2001

Holding group: Middle East Communications Network (MCN) / Interpublic Group (IPG)

Headquartered: Dubai

Number of staff: 450+ +971 4 445 4545

https://www.umww.com/locations/dubai/

UM is part of Mediabrands, the number one media agency group in the region as per RECMA. At UM we are committed to futureproofing our clients’ businesses and their growth for the now and the next. We help our clients triumph by creating meaningful end-to-end experiences for consumers that win hearts in culture, win minds in community and win wallets in commerce.

SERVICES: Consulting; content marketing; data; digital marketing; holistic analytics; influencer management; media buying; media planning; mobile marketing; performance marketing; programmatic; research; search; social; technology solutions

KEY CLIENTS: stc, Emirates, Nespresso, Dyson, Reckitt, Al Shaya Group, FAB, L’Oréal Middle East, Johnson & Johnson, McDonald’s, RAK Bank, Spotify, Sony, Talabat, Vimto, American Garden, Honeywell, Mattel, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, Orange Egypt, Manga, Byblos Bank, Qatar Foundation, Getir, Hayat, IsBank Group, Givaudan, Qatar Islamic Bank, Dubai Duty Free, Exxon Mobil, Palm Hills Developments, Qatar Football Association, Vodafone Qatar

AWARDS: # 1 Media Agency in the MENA region for 5 years in a row and 2nd highest score globally as per RECMA in 2021; Effie MENA 2022 ( 3 Bronze) MMA Smarties Awards 2021 ( Agency of the year, 10 Gold, 6 Silver, 5 Bronze); Effie MENA 2021 (3 Gold, 3 Silver and 3 bronze) 2 MENA Search Awards 2020 (2 Gold) 3 MENA Digital Awards 2019 ( 3 Gold); MMA Smarties Awards 2019 (Agency of the Year, 12 awards)

LEADERSHIP PANEL

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Joyce Hallak General Manager Starcom Levant

Amer El Hajj Chief Investment Officer, Publicis Media

Bassel Kakish Groupe CEO, Publicis Groupe

Racha Makarem CEO Starcom ME

Jad Saab General Manager Starcom KSA

Khaled AbouNader Chief Product Officer, Publics Groupe

Maria Poulton Managing Director, UAE

Hanan Tabsh Managing Director, Lower Gulf

Joe Nicolas CEO, MENAT

James Dutton Regional Digital Director, MENAT

Mohammad Mannaa Managing Director, KSA

Rasha Karim Managing Director, Egypt

Managing Partner, MENA: Chadi Farhat Head office: Dubai (MENA), London (Global)

Talon is a pioneering global independent Out of Home (OOH) media agency focused on delivering strategic, creative, data-driven OOH advertising campaigns.

Talon’s Dubai office, established in 2022, is dedicated to delivering best-in-class Out of Home through a combination of expertise, best practice, creativity, data and proprietary technology.

Your global Out of Home partners, the Talon team in Dubai work to extend campaigns for MENA advertisers globally through the largest independent OOH planning and buying network, covering 100 markets internationally. The team in the UAE serves as a centralized hub connecting over 20+ Talon & partner offices enabling them to plan, buy and execute client campaigns locally, regionally & globally.

Talon’s established reputation in the region ensures we provide best-in-market pricing and exclusive first-to-market product testing.

At Talon, we think outside in more ways than one. We work with clients to maximize their Out of Home campaigns, combining a heady mix of creativity, technology and data to connect with audiences and ensure businesses reap the rewards.

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

REZARTA BYTYCI

Business Development Director, MENA

EFFECTIVE OOH WITH TALON

With the MENA region’s rapidly growing population, urbani zation, and increasing levels of consumerism and growth, there’s never been a better time to invest in Out of Home (OOH).

A highly visible medium, OOH is unskippable and unmissable. An effective channel for advertisers to target a large and diverse audience with the proliferation of new locations being built across MENA significantly increasing OOH reach every year – and DOOH market share predicted to increase by 27% over the next 4 years (Statista).

OOH is proven to build trust and drive results for brands. With people spending more time outside than ever before, an average of 5.1 hours a day in the UAE (YouGov 2020), OOH is an essential marketing tool for brands to reach their target

audiences in Dubai – where Talon MENA is based - the wider MENA region and globally.

Creative OOH campaigns garner worldwide attention and win awards globally, the Airbus Burj Kalifa takeover is one of Talon’s most well-known campaigns generating well over half a million views on social media. The visual impact that OOH can achieve is the essence of the medium itself. Combined with eye-catching creative technologies such as 3D animation and AR, we take OOH to the next level, locally and regionally through our partnership with Grand Visual. We prioritize sharing our global expertise with new strategies, innovative ideas and the latest tech-oriented creative solutions to grow OOH in the region.

With over 100 OOH media owners in MENA, and well over 500 media owners globally, Talon act as an extension to our partner agencies and support advertisers to navigate the complex global landscape. We work with regional clients to gain global OOH exposure through Talon International, as well as supporting global clients to activate locally utilizing our expert knowledge of the MENA OOH landscape built through decades of media industry experience.

At Talon, we manage our client’s investment in OOH to maximize return on investment by leveraging our access to data, proprietary technology, scale and expertise. This enables us

LEADERSHIP PANEL

to deliver outstanding effectiveness and efficiency KPIs for our clients through smart campaign management.

We are a business built on people with big ideas and are on hand to deliver OOH campaigns that are more effective and creative than ever before, utilizing data, strategic planning and best-inclass creative executions. And it all starts with thinking outside.

Rezarta Bytyci Business Development Director

Chadi Farhat Managing Partner, MENA Mansour Wehbe Client Director

Omar Shami Investment Manager

Founded: 2004

Headquartered: Dubai (MENA) and London (Global)

Number of Staff: 92

Website: www.wavemakerglobal.com

Wavemaker is a top 5 global media network. Our roster of products and services has been built with a single aim – to positively provoke growth for clients and our people through our new operation system consisting of 3 speeds of growth.

As part of GroupM and WPP, we are continually developing our offer to deliver growth in a fast-changing consumer world.

Many of our most progressive capabilities are core to clients, including ecommerce, content and precision marketing. Our leading global consultancy has experts to solve any communications challenge, from go-to-market ecommerce strategy to digital transformation.

KEY CLIENTS: Huawei, GIG, Netflix, Perfetti Van Melle, Colgate, Dubai Islamic Bank, Ford, Friesland Campina, Netflix, RTA, MDLBEAST, Honor,Darwish Holding, Edita & DIDI

OFFERINGS INCLUDE: Client Growth & Development, Insight and Communication Strategy, Media Planning and Buying, Effectiveness and ROI.

SERVICES: Data & analytics, ecommerce, precision, product solutions, technology, inventory solutions, search, social, programmatic, content

Founded: 2005

Head of Agency: Firas El Zein, CEO, Zenith ME

Number of staff: 250+ www.zenithmedia.com

+971 4 367 6309

firas.elzein@zenithmedia.com

Zenith is the ROI agency, a position we have proudly held true to since 2005. Over the years, we have evolved our definition of ROI, as it has changed with the evercomplicated communications landscape. Powered by our best-in-class proprietary tools and data, our work spans the full spectrum of media communications, from analytics, data and technology to performance marketing, content and superior trading. Our unique way of thinking inspires growth for leading brands across the region and globally. Zenith is a part of Publicis Media, the media division of Publicis Groupe.

SERVICES: Digital & performance marketing solutions; data; CX; CI; media planning & buying; measurement

TECH PARTNERS: Epsilon, Microsoft, Salesforce, Google, META, TikTok, Amazon, Adobe, Snap

KEY CLIENTS: BMW ME, Nestle ME, Disney, Bel ME, Red Bull, Essity, Luxottica, Tik Tok, Ralph Lauren, Saudia Airlines, Royal Commission of AlUla, Bank Muscat, Oman Tel, Ooredoo

AWARDS: DDubai Lynx: Media Network of the Year; 5x Grand Prix; 5 x Gold; 4 x Bronze. Festival of Media: Cause Campaign Award; 1x Gold; 1x Silver; 2x Bronze. MENA Digital Award: Best Performance Campaign, Best Integrated Media Campaign, Best Use of Video. MENA Effies: 2x Gold;1x Silver

LEADERSHIP PANEL

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Marc Ghosn Regional Managing Director

Marie Abiad Head of Strategy

Vikrant Shetty Head of Content

Julien Trad Head of Client Servicing

Nadine Es-Sinawi Head of Growth

Mariam Raafat Managing Director, Egypt

Nael Halabi General Manager, Zenith KSA & Kuwait

Hedi Hemaya General Manager, Zenith Egypt

Bassel Kakish Groupe CEO, Publicis Groupe ME

Firas El Zein Chief Executive Officer, Zenith ME

Ibrahim Kalash General Manager, Zenith Oman

Amer El Hajj Chief Investment Officer, Publicis Media

MATTER OF FACT

News, views & trends from across the spectrum TO SPEND, OR WHERE

TO SPEND? THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS

TARIQ AL SHARABI

Consumer-facing brands increasingly recognise the value of digital marketing, with the majority allocating a larger share of their marketing budgets towards it. In particular, social media platforms have become a significant avenue for communication professionals, with over a third of respondents in a recent survey dedicating between 26% to 49% of their budgets to social media ads. This trend is expected to continue as most brands plan to increase their marketing spend on popular platforms, such as YouTube and Instagram.

While digital promotions have become increasingly important, it is not without their challenges. Communicators are prioritising automation to streamline their processes and overcome macroeconomic factors, which 50% of respondents cited as the biggest challenge for digital marketing in 2023. In addition, increased competition, maximising e ciency and ROI, producing enough creative content, and measurement and attribution are also major concerns for industry experts.

To address these challenges and improve digital campaign e ectiveness and e ciency, brands are planning to invest more in technology. By recognising the importance of digital promotions and investing in the tools and technologies to support it, brands can stay competitive and meet the evolving needs of their customers.

GAME CHANGER

Roku goes super saiyan

Roku’s partnership with Cox Automotive will allow car companies to track which Roku users are responding to ads. With this data, marketers can make more informed decisions and allocate their resources to campaigns that deliver the best results. That's a win-win!

BREAKING THE NET

The property of a successful campaign

A Dubai villa has sold for $34m after a viral social media campaign. No press event, no pre-launch ceremony, and no VIPs on a long list of invitees. Times are changing, and the race toward digital domination just got faster than ever before, in tandem with the need for clients to start thinking outside the box and embracing the new era.

#NOT

Even Alphabet should google its facts

Alphabet, Google’s parent company, made a costly mistake in a Twitter ad promoting its AI chatbot, Bard, where it gave an incorrect answer. Bard claimed the James Webb Space Telescope took the very first pictures of an exoplanet, which NASA disproved as the first image was taken in 2004 by the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope. Cue in millions of online wagging-finger gifs.

Managing Director of Cicero & Bernay Communication Consultancy

The significant drop in Twitter ad spends

Source: Businesswire.com

How Saudi’s youth will be architects of change

It’s no surprise that with Vision 2030 under way, infrastructure changes are accompanied by cultural shifts, especially amongst youth who are encouraged by what the future holds, or better said, what they will make of the future. Understanding youth culture, their current mindset and behavioural shifts is imperative to understanding the cultural changes that will define society in the future. Our latest study, the State of Arab Youth report, has the potential of forecasting the future of culture – offering valuable and unparalleled insight.

WRITING THE HERITAGE OF TOMORROW

The State of Arab Youth is part of a wider, global initiative from VICE Media Group that surveyed more than 22,600 young people across the world. Our research shows that young people globally can’t avoid feeling worried about the future of the world, the future of their countries and their own future. However, what’s interesting is that young Saudis are the most optimistic group globally. To demonstrate, compared to the 21 per cent of global youth that feels optimistic about the future of the world, 40 per cent of Saudi youth feel confident about a positive future. Furthermore, 53 per cent of young Saudis feel optimistic about the future of their country, while in the rest of the world, only 27 per cent have the same sentiment towards their homeland. This level of hope also manifests in their own lives: 55 per cent of the young population in Saudi see their own future as positive, compared to only 44 per cent globally.

The causes for such differences are many and complex. One reason can be attributed to Saudi Arabia’s social and political context, which ignites a desire in young people to leave their mark. Two-thirds of young Saudis, for example, are confident about the positive change they can make in their country and, subsequently, the world.

Along the research process, we stumbled upon an interesting concept – 'the heritage of

tomorrow'. When we think of heritage, our brain defaults to the past and all that we inherited from our ancestors centuries ago; however, what we tend to forget and that young Saudis don’t, is that heritage evolves as society evolves. Saudi youth are deeply connected to where they come from and refuse to steer away from it. But at the same time, they want to inject this heritage with their own signature, fuelled by the optimism and momentum of today. They are effectively defining the heritage of tomorrow.

The heritage of tomorrow will come about from many different angles. But today, let’s look at how it will come to life through two different passion points.

CHARTING THEIR OWN PATH

The financial health of the Kingdom and other Gulf countries outpaces that of the rest of the world. For instance, one in two young Saudis describe their financial situation as good or excellent, 14 percentage points more than the global average. Compared with the rest of the world, Saudi youth feel closer to financial independence; such ability has yielded happiness that extends beyond bank accounts, unlocking the possibility of a more stable life than previous generations were able to access. They feel encouraged to not only manage their money more comfortably, but also to look into growing it by embracing new ways of investment such as cryptocurrencies and NFTs at a more rapid pace than the rest of the world.

Furthermore, 36 per cent of young Saudis see themselves as ambitious and creative. Consequently, one in three feel emboldened to bring their ideas to life by becoming entrepreneurs. Gone are the days when life’s

biggest aspiration was to work and grow in a reputable company. Young people in the Kingdom are now hungry and eager to chart their own path.

The Kingdom’s heritage of tomorrow will be written by the bold and innovative ideas born from today’s young Saudis that are fuelled by unbridled ambition.

CHAMPIONING LOCAL FASHION DESIGNERS

Fashion plays a vital role in defining young Saudis’ personal identity as 54 per cent recognise that fashion allows them to stand out and showcase their creativity. Even though it is well known that western trends have always dominated the world of fashion and Saudi youth are not alien to them, they do not conform to what such trends dictate. 58 per cent of people love to experiment with fashion and style by combining 'trendy' pieces alongside ones that celebrate their cultural heritage.

Today’s Saudi fashion industry is being defined by up-and-coming designers that are in touch with their heritage but reimagining it through current fashion trends. Among all these new brands, we can find Hindamme created by the Saudi designer Mohammed Khoja, who mixes elements of personal identity and culture with a contemporary format, merging east and west into his designs. Another remarkable example is the brand Not Boring, which created a modernised and genderless version of the traditional Saudi farwa. Here are more local brands and designers that are gaining popularity among Saudi youth, as one in two actively support and buy from them.

Saudi Arabia’s heritage of tomorrow will be defined by the clash of global trends with local heritage championed by local creatives, rewriting the future of Saudi fashion.

Saudi Arabia is a future-focused country that remains rooted in its heritage and driven by an always optimistic and ever-ambitious youth. A young generation emboldened to create the Saudi heritage of tomorrow.

Young Saudis are the most optimistic group globally, finds VICE Media Group’s Alvaro Bretel

Alvaro Bretel, head of strategy MEA at VICE Media Group

‘‘Saudi Arabia’s heritage of tomorrow will be defined by the clash of global trends with local heritage.’’

The way people travel has undergone a profound transformation with the advent of ride-sharing apps. The convenience of summoning a ride with a simple tap on a screen has made it possible and even appealing for many people to forgo public transportation, hail a taxi or live without their own car.

Industry data supports that ride-hailing services have seen significant growth in developing countries, particularly in regions with limited public transportation options and growing middle-class populations. Such growth can be attributed to factors such as convenience, affordability and access for previously underserved populations.

However, not all developing markets are equal and competition in the consumer transport space can be intense, especially where the target audience is price-sensitive. There are also various political and socio-economic topics to consider such as local regulatory barriers, disregulated systems, lack of internet or unreliable coverage.

In the Kingdom’s transport sector, not only are there price sensitivities due to varied consumer spending power, but the nation as a whole is also going through a pivotal transformation under the country’s progressive vision. As a result, this change involves support of government-regulated organisations to develop and implement a standardised framework and supporting infrastructure for both the public and private transport sectors – a benefit to operating here.

Marketing a privately held ride-hailing app in KSA can still be a challenging task, but with the right strategy and business fruition encouragement from national authorities, it is possible to succeed. Here are some tips:

CREATE AWARENESS, FOLLOWED BY A NEED:

First and foremost, strategic planning establishes a positive perception among potential customers but with that comes education.

In an undeveloped market, people may not be familiar with the concept of ride-hailing or do not have the disposable income to use such a service making it difficult to attract users. On the other hand, a competitive market may present established players with a significant customer

Saudi focus

activations that engage the same clientele is beneficial, given today’s experience-focused customers. Targeted social communication such as competitions and aligning with seasonal trends also allows for opportunities to speak to customers.

In the case of ride-hailing, taking young customers into account, not only is competitive pricing a must but aligning with local and global events fosters success.

By Hasan

well-travelled, and therefore familiar with such a concept, creating a need.

However, as the largest country in the GCC region by geographical size and population, there is a large consumer segment that requires an education in advanced mobility.

At Jeeny, we focused on cultivating the ease of use and the default easier way of getting around as well as driver reliability. Whether our communication centred on ease of getting to work, or running errands, ease of mobility is the need.

Circling back to the younger generation, providing competitive dual (driver and passenger) pricing and user-friendly payment methods satisfied their needs.

POWER PARTNERSHIPS AND ONLINE SOCIAL ADVERTISING

Forming alliances with local, synergistic companies and organisations, coupled with digital marketing to target prospective customers is a game-changer.

Once armed with a clear understanding of the target audience, combining forces with brands or

Riding into Saudi Arabia’s new era

Jeeny exercised this notion by tying up with local events such as Comic Con KSA and global engagements such as the recent Qatar World Cup by offering event-specific discount codes which were pushed across our social platforms. Such tie-ups positioned the firm as relatable and approachable but also fostered communication of our value propositions, dual economics and reliability, to attract and retain customers.

By targeting specific demographics through online social platforms, firms increase their visibility and reach a wider audience of potential customers in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

ENGAGING ACTIVATIONS: DIFFERENTIATE AND HAVE FUN

Along with traditional and new marketing strategies, a fun stunt can get target audiences talking, especially when building a business in a developing but also competitive market like KSA.

Simple activations like scavenger hunts, competitions and interactive displays with Instagrammable appeal go a long way. Sometimes, going back to marketing 101 basics helps firms to hook customers with their simplicity and novel cheeky approach.

At Jeeny, we wanted to incorporate this into our business and marketing objectives. As part of our joint driver and customer onboarding push across the Kingdom in late 2022, we launched a mobile office. The activation facilitated the ability to drive (literally) some of our values – ease, and convenience to work on the go, while engaging the wider public. Plus, we also had fun building and designing the mobile office and were able to meet with prospective drivers across the country – a win all around.

As KSA works toward transforming on a global economic, political and social scale, the opportunity to grow Jeeny adjacent to the nation’s development is monumental for any business, regardless of scale. We’re excited about the revolutionary journey across the Kingdom and are working towards an enjoyable, reliable ride experience.

Jeeny’s Hasan Abughosh gives his insight across a ride-hailing app’s marketing

Abughosh, chief marketing officer at Jeeny

Private View

ANDREW THOMAS

Managing director of Nexa

ANANDA SHAKESPEARE

CEO and founder of Shakespeare Communications

ROXY EXTREME CINEMAS: BIG MOVIES DESERVE BIG SCREENS (1)

Cool concept and a bright idea. Especially as they are using Star Wars. But I felt it would be a bit of a challenge for the reader to understand the idea. It might be because I am looking at the ad on a MacBook and not in print, but I could hardly see the iconic references and I am a big fan of all those movies.

HEINZ ARABIA: MR THOMAS HEINZ (2)

Absolutely love this. Instant emotional connection with the fan against his expression and smart usage of creative imagery around framing him in mobile and having social media-friendly images surround the ad. A clever connection between on and offline.

MCDONALD’S: HAPPY REWARDS (3)

This is a real miss. It’s almost as if the team didn’t or don’t know the rules of football. The use of yellow and red cards is negative in the game and associating that negativity with an iconic fun brand is a big no-no for me.

VALU: BLACK FRIDAY (4)

Very cool idea and solid execution. The viewer instantly feels the pain and is reminded throughout the ad. It’s well cast and held my attention for the entire ad. Super hard to make ads fun and engaging, great job.

EBM: SCHOOL GIRLS NEWSCHANNEL TAKEOVER (5)

I felt emotional and inspired by this campaign. It would have been nice to view some of the broadcast, but it was powerful and impactful.

ROXY EXTREME CINEMAS: BIG MOVIES DESERVE BIG SCREENS (1)

To draw attention to Roxy Cinemas Xtreme screen – 28m by over 15m at Dubai Hills Mall, probably the biggest screen in the MENA region-agency MullenLowe came up with an outdoor print campaign. Using iconic images from box office hits and the copy “Big movies deserve bigger screens Xtreme”, it’s a simple, yet impactful concept and certainly has me reaching for my car keys and wallet to live the Xtreme experience.

HEINZ ARABIA: MR THOMAS HEINZ (2)

Heinz Arabia shows that creativity is everything with its guerrilla marketing campaign. The company tracked down a football fan with the name Heinz, sent him to the FIFA World Cup in Doha as a human billboard, wearing a red Heinz T-shirt, and invited the community to #findheinz to win merchandise or up to QR10,000 (AED10,000). The results speak for themselves, with Heinz becoming one of the most searched-for brands.

MCDONALD’S: HAPPY REWARDS (3)

Like many brands, McDonald’s capitalised on the FIFA World Cup. One well-thought-out campaign saw the company encourage football goers to photograph a red or yellow card during a match and draw their fries on them while sharing on Instagram with #WannaGoToMcd. The first hundred individuals to do this got a code to their Insta to redeem for fries. The ‘happiness swap’ ticks all the marketing boxes but lacks the surprise factor of the Heinz strategy.

VALU: BLACK FRIDAY (4)

Valu used situational comedy in its TVC to grab the attention of people avoiding Black Friday sales – with a 30 per cent cashback reward. The advert features a family with their home electronics exploding around them while they vow never to get involved with Black Friday. It’s very relatable. Most people want to avoid sales shopping. But if an appliance needs replacing, the reward is probably all the draw they need. It’s nicely shot, well produced and convincing.

EBM: SCHOOL GIRLS NEWSCHANNEL TAKEOVER (5)

School girls who couldn’t read three years ago read out the news on Pakistani news channels in English and Urdu. It’s a powerful concept, which broadcast to 220 million homes. Advocacy campaigns like this are incredibly important, even if we can’t measure the immediate impact on public sentiment. I’d love to see more campaigns like this rolled out to other countries where the gender gap needs to close.

Roxy Extreme Cinemas

Big movies deserve big screens

Agency: MullenLowe MENA

Heinz Arabia

Mr Thomas Heinz

Agency: FP7 McCann Dubai

Mcdonald’s Happy Rewards

Agency: Studio M (powered by Publicis Groupe)

Valu Black Friday

Agency: Tarek Nour Advertising

Production house: Kay Oh Productions

Director: Amr Haddad

EBM

School girls newschannel takeover

Agencies: Impact BBDO, BBDO Pakistan, Syntax Communications and Msix & Partners

jalaja.ramanunni@motivate.ae @rjalaja

Jalaja Ramanunni

NOT SO BIG TECH

In the past few months, we have witnessed layoffs like never before from the big tech companies. So what does it mean for our region?

After cutting 11,000 jobs last year, Meta is in the news again as it prepares for a fresh round of layoffs. At the beginning of the year, Alphabet, the parent company of Google, laid off 12,000 employees after its pandemic hiring spree. Around the same time, Microsoft announced 10,000 layoffs and Amazon fired more than 18,000 employees. At Twitter, Elon Musk let go of half the staff – about 7,500 employees. And yet, the site is still running smoothly.

It raises the question: how many of us are actually necessary?

The past two years has seen the rise of new technologies –blockchain, metaverse, NFTs and generative AI. The ad and marketing industry is still figuring out how technology can aid us in working smarter. Blockchain found its place in the advertising industry by addressing ad fraud and overcoming complexity in digital advertising.

NFTs created a niche among creators of art, music and other content. Generative AI has taken the world by storm in a short time and it is interesting to see how local brands like Pickl leverage generative AI such as ChatGPT for smarter social media management. And the metaverse – it has changed the narrative of brand strategy and brands are moving fast.

While the metaverse hogs every conversation, technology has a lot more to offer to the world of advertising, marketing and media. It’s time to get your hands dirty with data and measurement. Advertisers now have access to sophisticated measurement tools. We were happy to see industry leaders get their nerd-mode on and talk about the not-so-glamorous side of data in this issue: how not to feel the data-overload, the need to diversify data insights and who needs data clean rooms in a post-cookie world.

Elon Musk let go of half the staff –about 7,500 employees. And yet, the site is still running smoothly. It

With the integration of data and digital marketing strategies, digital is no longer an external arm but a core part of marketing. To reflect this shift, our publication will explore the digital side of the industry in future issues.

Our ‘AdTech powerhouses’ map is the region’s first visual landscape of AdTech players. It is our way of helping you to understand the adtech ecosystem better and create an engaging community. If you missed sharing your details this year, get in touch with us.

And, while you’re at it, let us know how your business is indulging in digital. Tell us about the potential of blockchain in advertising. Do you have an AI avatar in your metaverse? Did ChatGPT make you laugh recently? And even the serious stuff: how is the monopoly of tech giants in the AdTech space affecting everyone in the industry?

Let’s just say we want to be the cookie here. We want to know about you, your challenges, what you read or listen to and how Campaign can play a key role in creating a thriving AdTech community for all of us.

LESSONS FROM THE LADDER

Taking lessons from horses

Writing about leadership can sound a bit cliché. Having recently joined Publicis Groupe, it’s not fair to describe how I got here but much more importantly I’d much rather focus on the why. Before joining, I asked myself a couple of questions: What defines a leader today? Is it a summation of their experiences? Is age a factor? Is it based on one’s tenure within a company or is leadership a meritocratic path? How relevant are the connections one makes to get to the top? Does gender play a role? Most importantly, what defines a good leader and what value can I bring to the table? To me, being a leader is much more than seniority, a title, or a gender profile. It is a mindset. Let me explain this further by going back to my childhood.

I grew up working with horses from a very young age. Horses have strong emotions, largerthan-life personalities and a lot of energy. There is no choice but to team up with them if you want to succeed. Unlocking the true potential of a horse is only possible through earned trust, deep listening, understanding, adapting, and a lot of hard work and commitment. Horses just like humans are highly empathetic and can pick up on emotional cues. If you are stressed and aggressive, they will associate you with negativity but if you are calm, decisive and positive they will associate you with trust, happiness and be loyal forever.

THE MAKINGS OF A GOOD LEADER

In fact, leadership is very similar. Leaders have the unique ability to bring the best out of their talent, motivating them to realise their potential. Their relationships are formed around an unspoken agreement built from trust and understanding. They believe in teamwork and empowerment, not hierarchy and delegation. They can inspire and motivate individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, ambitions, and emotions to collaborate as a team.

VALUABLE LIFE LESSONS

Building a relationship with horses required immense amounts of patience, intuition, and humility. We are fortunate to be a part of an industry that is dynamic and ever-evolving and we need to embrace this change. Humans by nature are creatures of habit and as leaders, we need to encourage a culture that takes risks. The journey may be unclear at times, but it is our role to identify and harness the best traits out of our talent, our partners and our clients to achieve success.

In summary, my time with horses taught me two valuable lessons in life that have shaped the leader I am today. Lead by example and do what you love.

raises the question: how many of us are actually necessary?

Jalaja Ramanunni is a senior reporter at Campaign Middle East

NATHALIE GEVRESSE CEO at Publicis Communications

My door is always open

Greetings. As many of you will know by now, I’m the new editor of Campaign Middle East, a role I’m super excited about, especially given the plans we have for the year ahead and further. Without boring you, my background is in business journalism covering the UK and Asian markets. While I’ve worked for some big names including the BBC, Daily Mail and Financial Times Business, it feels like I’m starting all over again.

I’m new to the region (I recently celebrated one year in Dubai, having lived in Singapore for the previous 12) and new to the advertising and creative sectors. I guess that makes me a ‘newbie’ and an outsider. But I’m learning quickly about both the Middle East and the audience that Campaign serves.

One of the ways I’m doing this is by getting out and about when I can and speaking to key industry figures, agencies and brands about trends and challenges, and generally finding out what’s going on. Campaign’s recent Breakfast Briefing was a great opportunity to speak to some of you, introduce myself and hear your insights.

Some common themes cropped up such as the booming opportunities and work that awaits the industry in Saudi Arabia, generative AI such as ChatGPT and what it means for creatives, and the influence of social media creators (I was told to stop calling them influencers). These are all meaty subjects and I’m keen to hear more views and perspectives on them.

As an outsider, I also come with fresh perspectives on the industry, drawing on my experiences in other sectors and markets. I hope we can have meaningful conversations both in person and across our Campaign platforms as we exchange views and opinions.

In my initial ‘settling-in’ period I have already met some really friendly people in this industry, some super smart ones and those filled with passion for what they do. It’s been a great start for me and I can’t wait for an exciting year ahead for us all.

A VIEW FROM DAVE TROTT

Iget lots of emails from PR companies.

None of these have anything to do with me but they send their mass mailings to everyone, indiscriminately.

So to even understand what they’re saying, I have to decipher the language used.

Like a bad brief, it’s written not for clarity but to impress other marketing people.

Here’s an example, one I just received:

“Times of economic uncertainty naturally put pressure on the high street, increasing the emphasis retailers need to place on winning consumer confidence and trust. Automated marketing is a key driver for engaging consumers, from selfservice kiosks to interactive displays, and it is crucial that retailers utilise this in order for the high street to survive. To attract and retain consumer attention, retailers need content, and they need it regularly across all channels and markets. Leveraging technology powered by a creative automated engine, marketers can have greater control to deliver innovative campaigns across various markets, deploying content more efficiently across localised stores and localised

I did promise not to bore you, but I forgot to mention that I have also worked for a few creative agencies in Asia. A while back, content became king and brands were falling over themselves to create their own content. Enter the Content Strategist. That was me for a while, working on short-term projects for a number of agencies and financial services clients building content hubs and doing content audits. Moving from journalism to comms and creative agencies has always been known as ‘turning to the dark side’ among my peers. But I prefer to think of it as ‘the light side’. My enlightenment is now in full swing. On the topic of social media creators, we are launching a guide on social media influencer marketing and I’d love to hear your views on what we should include, in terms of platforms, people, agencies, etc. While we are at it, we are also keen to understand what we should include in our upcoming Campaign Saudi briefing event taking place in Riyadh in May. Last year’s event was a phenomenal success and we want to build on that momentum again this year by serving up the content, speakers and brands you want to hear from.

JUSTIN HARPER Editor justin.harper@motivate.ae

My door is always open, so to speak, and so is my email –justin.harper@motivate.ae

By the way, please check out our pull-out guide on the agency powerhouses, which was painstakingly created by our editorial team.

Why it’s called a brief

markets. With budgets being tightened, creating powerful and impactful campaigns to engage consumers is more important than ever. It’s time to leave behind legacy ways of asset creation or risk the high street falling further.”

Obviously, I’m turned off by the language but, as a creative director, my job is usually to translate bad briefs into English for junior creatives.

So doing that here, what would this message look like in plain English?

“Times of economic uncertainty naturally put pressure on the high street, increasing the emphasis retailers need to place on winning consumer confidence and trust.”

(Translation: Times are tough)

“Automated marketing is a key driver for engaging consumers, from self-service kiosks to interactive displays, and it is crucial that retailers utilise this in order for the high street to survive.”

(Translation: Technology can help)

“To attract and retain consumer attention, retailers need content, and they need it regularly across all channels and markets.”

(Translation: They need lots of content)

“Leveraging technology powered by a creative automated engine, marketers can have greater control to deliver innovative campaigns across various markets, deploying content more efficiently across localised stores and localised markets.”

(Translation: Chat GPT is the answer)

“With budgets being tightened, creating powerful and impactful campaigns to engage consumers is more important than ever.”

(Translation: It’s cheaper)

“It’s time to leave behind legacy ways of asset creation or risk the high street falling further.”

(Translation: We don’t need humans)

So we see, the whole impenetrable paragraph could have been expressed in six lines.

But we all know why they didn’t do that.

The content, the actual thinking, what’s really being said, is so banal.

Which is why I’ve always found the quality of the thinking is inversely proportional to the complexity of the brief.

Let’s see if we can remember why it was called “a brief” in the first place.

Dave Trott is the author of The Power of Ignorance, Creative Blindness and How to Cure It, Creative Mischief, Predatory Thinking and One Plus One Equals Three

The Spin

For all you foodies out there, here are a couple of marketing ideas that may leave a bad taste in the mouth.

We start with fast food chain McDonalds which perhaps should have thought twice before placing an ad for its new McCrispy sandwich next to a road sign directing people to a nearby crematorium.

And the makers of Marmite may be stretching things a little using the word ‘exclusively’ on a social media campaign for its unusual dish of Truffle Marmite Pizza. ‘Exclusively for those with an acquired taste’, it states.

All you need is a jar of Marmite, a pizza base and a couple of other simple ingredients. But then again, you definitely need an acquired taste to like Marmite, which previously had a marketing slogan of ‘love it or hate it’.

And from food to football. We smiled when we heard news of English team Bolton Wanderers, which has just announced a deal with a local building manufacturer to sponsor its stadium. The company is called Toughsheet.

It means the League One side will be playing at the Toughsheet Community Stadium for the next five years. If fans don’t like it – then toughsheet.

The Spin celebrates what we call miscommunications in the advertising, media and creative industries. If you spot anything noteworthy please email us at campaignme@motivate.ae. And don’t worry, we don’t name our anonymous spotters.

Appointments

Publicis Groupe has appointed JENNIFER FISCHER as its first chief innovation and growth officer.

In this newly created role, Fischer will be responsible for elevating the Groupe’s competitive edge in the market and identifying new pathways for growth. She has spent the last 15 years in the region working with brands such as Apple, IKEA, KFC, Expo 2020, Coca-Cola, NEOM, Nissan and Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Aster DM Healthcare announced the appointment of RAHUL KADAVAKOLU as group chief marketing officer. In this role, Kadavakolu will be leading the overall group brand, marketing,

communications and go to market strategy across the company by aligning closely with the strategic vision of the organisation.

MBC Group appointed CHRISTINA WAYNE as the managing director of MBC Studios. Wayne takes over the role from former managing director, Peter Smith, who is moving on to pursue other ventures. He will remain as an advisor to MBC Group. Wayne was previously the principal creative executive and head of Canada and Australia for Amazon Studios.

UM announced the appointment of ABDELNABI ALAEDDINE as regional director, planning and digital investment, as the network continues its journey to

futureproof clients’ businesses.

Alaeddine will be responsible for overseeing UM’s digital planning best practice and driving client-focused digital investment across the region.

It also announced the promotion of NAYAN JOSHI from associate digital director to digital and innovation director. In his new role, Joshi will be responsible for building strategic insights and opportunities across key innovation territories for clients’ business and marketing efforts, primarily centered around web 3.0, AR/VR, gaming, NFTs and the metaverse.

MOHAMED KABBANI joined Digital Media Services (DMS) as the director of creative strategy. In his new role, Kabbani will lead the charge on innovation and creative thinking to boost client facing strategic direct sales initiatives. His previous professional appointments include Snapchat, where he led creative strategy in MENAT emerging markets and KSA.

Publicis Groupe has appointed NADIM GHRAYEB as business lead for Studio M, a part of Leo Burnett. Ghrayeb has worked both agency and client side for more than 20 years in the region.

NO ONE DOES IT BETTER.