Campaign 26th April 2020

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A M OT I VAT E P U B L I C AT I O N

April 26, 2020

A E D 25 / U S D 7/S R 25

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FACES TO WATCH 2020 SPECIAL INSIDE

THE CAMPAIGN TV GUIDE 2020 The essential planning and strategy directory of regional stations

Africa and the Middle East’s biggest creative festival makes entries free The Loeries, Africa and the Middle East’s most prestigious accolade for the brand communication industry, will be free for all entrants in 2020, in support of helping our industry post the challenges of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges across society including the brand communication industry, which is an essential part of society. The Loeries wants to ensure the industry is always supported, and even more so in these challenging times. The Loeries has decided to continue supporting, recognising and celebrating creative minds and brilliance across Africa and the Middle East, especially in a time when they need it most.

Creativity, now more than ever, has the power to be an anchor during these times. Everyone everywhere is talking about COVID-19, but what will the new face of our work-life, industry and world look like after this crisis. There is a need for greater, functional insights on how we all move forward beyond COVID. This is why the Loeries has invited its partners and thought leaders to share their insights, tips and advice in a first-of-its-kind Loeries series – #BeyondCOVID.

Visit loeries.com to join the conversation, share your insights and enter your impactful work. #CreateChange

April 26, 2020

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Virtuzone partners with Dentsu Aegis to launch Stand Together, a free marketplace to support SMEs As a CSR initiative, company formation specialist Virtuzone has launched standtogether.ae, a listings site to support the UAE’s SME community. Built with the pro-bono support of Dentsu Aegis brands Isobar and Merkle, the marketplace platform is designed to allow local businesses to offer unique, timesensitive deals, as well as providing information to business owners on how to navigate their companies through the current crisis.

Stand Together UAE seeks to help any UAE-based business raise immediate revenue, maintain its orderbook and thus keep supporting its workforce. Long-term it will provide free leads and, through collective data mining, leverage partnerships within the SME community. The free marketplace will provide unique offers to the consumer from a range of businesses from accounting and apparel to construction, entertainment, legal advice, website development and digital demand generation. To register their offers free of charge, SMEs need only provide a valid UAE trade licence number.

Geoff Rapp, co-founder of Virtuzone, said: “At Virtuzone, we set up and renew hundreds of businesses every month, so when we started to see the negative impact of

Free platform: Stand Together will help business raise revenue, maintain their order books and keep supporting their workforces

coronavirus on our customers we really wanted to find ways to support them in every way possible. Initially, it was through reduced prices on our services, but we felt there were other ways we could support too. That’s when we came up with the idea of Stand Together UAE. Virtuzone chairman and co-

founder Neil Petch said: “Stand Together UAE echoes the words of Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum imploring the UAE to stand together.

The government has announced a tremendous raft of support plans for SMEs, so we wish to add to the likes of mortage and credit card holidays, which buy invaluable time, by

allowing immediate incremental revenue generation. It is this public-private partnership that will get the UAE through this and allow our country to come out positioned as global leaders in providing a supportive ecosystem to all startups, who, after all, fuel the green shoots of all economic recoveries.”

Performance to see Covid boost

HONDA UAE UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN #STAYHOME How is it possible to create a car commercial when it’s impossible to go outside due to lockdowns? Honda UAE, together with Memac Ogilvy Dubai, found a way to craft an ad doing everything from home (written, directed, edited and watched), relating it back to #StayHome and using the Honda Civic. But not a regular Civic. For its new commercial, Trading Enterprises Honda used a to-scale miniature car. The camera shots managed to fool the eye so that at all times you feel like you are watching a real car commercial.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) surveyed nearly 30 leaders of agencies’ and clients’ marketing teams between April 6-12.

The findings suggest an immediate downturn, with 48 per cent saying they have already seen up to 30 per cent budget cuts in April and 20 per cent saying they have paused all ads until further notice.

There were still 38 per cent saying they had yet to make decisions on Ramadan budgets, while 51 per cent are unsure about the direction of second-half budgets, suggesting a high proportion of marketers are in ‘wait-and-see’ mode.

Winners in the second half are expected to be in performance media, with 59 per cent of respondents suggesting they would increase performance media budgets.

77 per cent say Covid-19 will have more impact on marketing budgets than the 2008/9 financial crisis.

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April 26, 2020

Dubai Lynx and Cannes Lions festivals cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic The 2020 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and the Dubai Lynx have both been cancelled. On April 3, Ascential, the company that owns Cannes Lions, announced that the festival and awards would not take place this year. The announcement came two weeks after the festival was postponed to October as part of previously announced contingency plans made with French authorities in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.

On April 8, Dubai Lynx – which is a partnership between Ascential and Campaign Middle East’s publisher, Motivate Media Group – announced that the Dubai-based Festival of Creativity will no longer take place in September 2020 as planned. The next Festival will now be held from 7-10 March 2021. Due to the pandemic, it too had been first moved later in the year, from its original dates in March.

In a statement, Dubai Lynx said: “The impact of coronavirus continues to be felt both globally and across the MENA region. Health and economic concerns are now determining the priorities of societies and businesses across the world. Our customers and partners in the MENA creative marketing and media industries are facing unparalleled challenges and the need to protect companies and people, and to support consumers, is

Digital experience: Cannes Lions will run Lions Live throughout June

their priority during this challenging time. Our difficult decision follows in-depth consultations with our partners and customers in response to the unprecedented global situation. We therefore felt it important to remove uncertainty and provide clarity to our community around the running of the Dubai Lynx Awards and Festival.”

To give the global advertising industry its creative fix, though,

Cannes Lions has announced Lions Live, a digital education, inspiration and networking experience that will run throughout June under the theme ‘Creativity Matters’. Activity will build to a peak during the original dates of Cannes Lions, June 22-26.

Meanwhile The Loeries, the Johannesburg-based awards show due to take place in September, announced it will be free for all entrants in 2020.

New agency launches in UAE An independent full-service communications consultancy, Leap Communications, has opened its doors in the UAE with an aim to disrupt the communications market and a progressive approach to mental health. The new agency says it will “focus on harnessing the power of the latest cutting-edge technology such as AI and the power of a healthy creative team to demonstrate how clients can achieve dramatic results”.

It is headed up by managing director Kareem Farid, a former broadcast journalist, who said: “As digital natives, we understand the value traditional media brings, but we believe in communicating our client’s message regardless of the platform we use.”

Headquartered in Dubai but covering MENA, Leap has a focus on the mental health and wellbeing of its team, with the agency implementing a 37-hour working week. Three hours per week will be mandatory for employees to use to “feed their soul, mind and heart”. In those three hours the team will need to practise one hour for any physical activity, another hour for any new activity to stimulate the brain, and the final hour will be assigned to undertaking a mindful activity to feed the soul.

NISSAN ODE TO EMPTY ROADS

WEBEDIA DEEZER

Nissan’s priority has always been to develop mobility technology that allows people to drive smarter, encouraging everyone to take the wheel and enjoy an innovative and unparalleled driving experience. But in times like these, with the Covid-19 pandemic taking the world by storm and completely changing our global environment, the brand has decided it is more important to stay home and be safe. That’s the objective of Nissan Middle East’s latest campaign, Ode to Empty Roads. The film reveals a powerful message of solidarity, support and hope. It is certainly unprecedented for an automotive brand to tell people not to drive.

Webedia Arabia partnered with global music streaming service Deezer to raise awareness of the platform in Saudi Arabia. The UTURN team created a series of hyper-local native videos and Snapchat stories based on real-life scenarios, making the content relatable to a young Saudi audience. The collaboration, which leveraged UTURN’s 2 million followers on Snapchat, increased awareness for Deezer in the kingdom, making this campaign a successful case study for Snapchat.

Agency TBWA/Raad CCO Walid Kannan ECD Bruno Bomediano ACD & copwriter Alex Pineda Motion designer & editor Lucas Pimenta Head of copy Simon Raffaghello

April 26, 2020

Adil Khan leaves Saatchi & Saatchi CEO role, hands leadership to Ramzi Sleiman

From left: Kamil Dimachkie, COO of Publicis Communications; Raja Trad; Ramzi Sleiman; Adil Khan

Adil Khan, CEO at Publicis Groupe MEA’s Saatchi and Saatchi Middle East, is departing to pursue other interests after leading the agency for close to a decade.

“It is with mixed sentiment that I announce the departure of Adil Khan, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, almost 10 years after he started leading the agency,” said Raja Trad, executive chairman at Publicis

Groupe MEA. “As a seasoned ad-man, Adil led Saatchi & Saatchi to become the market force it is today.

Under his steady leadership, the rich creative culture and strong reputation of Saatchi & Saatchi is testament to Adil’s drive and dedication for the creative process and end product. He will be sorely missed by his team, colleagues, management and clients, and we

wish him the best of luck.”

Ramzi Sleiman, regional growth director of Publicis Communications MEA, has been appointed to the position of regional managing director, Saatchi & Saatchi.

“I want to say a big thank you to everybody for the memories and the opportunity to make real impact within the UAE’s advertising realm,” said Khan.

Geometry boosts leadership team Geometry Global, WPP’s creative commerce agency, has promoted regional managing director Nick Walsh to MENA CEO and has announced the appointment of Safwan El Roufai to lead its experiential offering as executive vice-president for MENA. “This is a really proud moment for Geometry,” said Claus Adams, regional CEO, EMEA, of Walsh’s appointment. “Nick has proven his exceptional talent year after year. His efforts have led to both agency and client expansion as we penetrated new markets within MENA with new service offerings and embedding technology deeper within the agency. Under his leadership, MENA has won over 150 awards by finding new opportunities within the commerce space to deliver growth for clients.”

Walsh said of El Roufai: “We’re incredibly excited to have Safwan join the Geometry team to spearhead our experiential capabilities. He is a true pioneer in the events industry, with a proven track record delivering some of the biggest and best brand and governmental live experiences in the region. Even in the current climate we see a constant demand for experiences, and Safwan will significantly augment our offering, to deliver truly immersive, engaging experiences.”

Motivate Media Group Head Office: 34th Floor, Media One Tower, Dubai Media City, Dubai, UAE. Tel: +971 4 427 3000, Email: motivate@motivate.ae Dubai Media City: Motivate Publishing FZ LLC, Office 508, 5th Floor, Building 8, Dubai, UAE. Tel: +971 4 390 3550, Fax: +971 4 390 4845 Abu Dhabi: Motivate Advertising, Marketing & Publishing, PO Box 43072, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Tel: +971 2 677 2005, Fax: +971 2 677 0124, Email: motivate-adh@motivate.ae 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 Austyn Allison DESIGN Art Director Clarkwin Cruz Junior Designer Thokchom Remy ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Tel: +971 4 427 3000 Chief Commercial Officer Anthony Milne Group Sales Manager Nadeem Ahmed Quraishi (+971 50 6453365) Group Marketing Manager Anusha Azees

VOLKSWAGEN THE JOURNEY Volkswagen, alongside its dedicated social media agency, Socialize, has launched its latest digital video series, The Journey. The series aims to combat the inauthentic portrayal of success online, by revealing “the truth behind the road to greatness”, told through a series of candid interviews with esteemed company owners in Dubai.

Creative agency Socialize Senior account director Ailidh Smylie Account manager Rhia Samuel Senior copywriter Peter Mazloumian Senior interactive designer Nour Mohammad Director Ekta Saran DOP Robert Babekuhl Production house Abstracts Studios Executive producer Ashwin Menon

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PRODUCTION General Manager S. Sunil Kumar Assistant 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. Campaign Middle East includes material reproduced from the UK Edition (and other editions) of Campaign, which is the copyright of Haymarket. Campaign is 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.

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April 26, 2020

MATTER OF FACT

News, views & trends from across the spectrum

NOW IS THE FUTURE

A New World Journey Disruption, re-evaluation, and adaptability are the clear themes of 2020, and the creative reconfigurations of our businesses and the mindful shift in work-life balance are where our focus currently is. Given the global crisis we are all experiencing, companies and our government are focusing on improving the process, developing further flexibility in communicating and creative problem-solving.

Looking ahead to see the possibilities and challenge the boundaries are the essence of what we need to do. This moment is not about fear but about potential and hope. It is a time that asks us to reflect on our relationships, values and internal dialogues, but also to appreciate how deeply connected we are to each other on a global scale – a reminder of how we all share a common understanding.

These concepts may cause a sense of discomfort, as is the case through all transitional phases; however, with the right perspective and dedication, meaningful changes will take place.

Ahmad Itani is a passionate educator and entrepreneur who is the founder and CEO of public relations consultancy Cicero & Bernay.

AED 1.5 billion

Online registration

The value of the stimulus package put in place by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum that includes fee reductions on taxes and bills

Drivers in Dubai are now able to register or renew their car registrations online

Internet for free Du and Etisalat are providing free internet to households in Dubai and Sharjah with no internet plans for students to be able to study online during the quarantine

Virtual Shopping The Dubai Mall is partnering with Noon to deliver store items to customers in light of the current situation, a service that will certainly persist

#WeGotThisDubai Dirham Stretcher, an online community support group, is running a campaign, #WeGotThisDubai #WeSupportSmallBusinesses, whereby small businesses that were affected as a result of the outbreak can offer special deals to members of the site

GAME CHANGER Shop and walk

Amazon Go launched two years ago to much fanfare for allowing customers to scan their apps as they entered, pick out the items they want, and just walk out, while having their accounts automatically charged without the need to checkout. Amazon is now seeking to integrate the technology in third-party stores.

B R E A K I N G T HE NE T Cabinet - 19

The UAE held its first remote cabinet meeting, in a move to encourage the nation to practise social distancing. Not only are remote meetings among the key measures taken by the UAE government to contain the spread of Covid-19, but they also represent a progressive look at the future of the corporate world.

#N OT Damned if you do, damned if you don’t

With 800 million users and an abundance of content, TikTok has allegedly been selective with who it promotes, hiding or limiting a content creator’s reach if it deems their face to be unattractive or their body shape disproportionate. The motive was to prevent online bullying, but isn’t limiting reach an act of bullying as well?

TV GUIDE 2020

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

April 26, 2020

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Al Aan TV

www.alaan.tv LAUNCHED: 2006 BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: Arabic MEDIA REP: In-house: startups@alaan.tv; +971 4 427 7895 REACH: Pan-Arab AVAILABLE: Arabsat, Nilesat, Du TV (IPTV), Etisalat FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Nujoum Bila Hudoud; Al Yawm; Studio Al Aan, Noon; Hatha Yawmi; Mawedna Shabab

Aaj Tak

www.aajtak.intoday.in PARENT COMPANY: Living Media LAUNCHED: 1999 BASED: India LANGUAGE: Hindi REACH: MENA AVAILABILITY: Du, Etisalat, OSN, Ooredoo MEDIA REP: IAS Media: +971 4 447 5760 DEMOGRAPHICS: India’s leading general Hindi News channel, devoted to providing the latest news to its viewers. Expat Indians (aged 18-55) living in the UAE FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Dustak, Khabardar, Halla Bol, Vishesh

Abu Dhabi Sports

www.adsports.ae PARENT COMPANY: Abu Dhabi Media FOUNDED: 1969 BASED: Abu Dhabi LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: Pan Arab Abu Dhabi Sports channels, also known as Al Riyadiya, is Abu Dhabi Media’s popular broadcaster of local and international sports in the region, featuring three free-to-air channels (1, 2 and Extra) and four subscription-based high-definition sports channels (3, 4, 5 and 6).

The channels have the exclusive rights to air popular international sports events in the MENA region according to the highest international quality and standards, leveraging state-of-the-art technology. Abu Dhabi Sports plays a leading role in promoting local sports events and initiatives by broadcasting major championships, and has created a specialised training programme for Emirati graduates to attract local talent and help produce a generation of highly qualified sports media specialists who are recognised throughout the sports media industry.

Abu Dhabi TV

www.abudhabitv.ae PARENT COMPANY: Abu Dhabi Media FOUNDED: 2008 BASED: Abu Dhabi LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: Worldwide Abu Dhabi TV is one of Abu Dhabi Media’s leading television channels and a hub for local productions specialised in promoting the capital’s latest events and conferences. The channel showcases a diverse selection of programmes and series that suit all interests, including drama, comedy, entertainment, religious shows, competitions, news and reality television. It contributes greatly to the realisation of Abu Dhabi Vision 2030 with cultural, educational and entertaining content for viewers of all ages in the UAE and the region.

Al Arabiya

www.alarabiya.net PARENT COMPANY: Middle East Broadcasting Center LAUNCHED: 2003 BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: MENA (free-to-air) , Worldwide (cable) AVAILABILITY: Arabsat, Nilesat, OSN, beIN, Etisalat, Du MEDIA REP: AMS: +971 4 454 5454; ams@choueirigroup.com VIEWERSHIP: 5.7 million (GCC adults 15+) DEMOGRAPHICS: 74 per cent male; 81 per cent aged over 25 FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Closing Bell, Main News Bulletin, Tafaolcom RAMADAN SPECIALS FOR 2020: 25 Questions from Tafaolcom; Min Al Haramain; Wa Rattal Al Quran GENRE: News

Al Ekhbariya

www.sba.sa PARENT COMPANY: Saudi Broadcast Authority BASED: KSA YEAR FOUNDED: 2004 LANGUAGE: Arabic GENRE: News REACH: Worldwide AVAILABILITY: OSN, Arabsat, Nilesat, Etisalat, Hotbird, Asia-sat, Galaxy 19, Hipasat, UHF, Du, YouTube, terrestrial broadcast, YouTube.

MEDIA REP: Saudi Media Company; sales@saudimedia.sa; +971 4 425 4285 VIEWERSHIP: 865,000 (Saudis 15+) DEMOGRAPHICS: Saudi; 70 per cent males; 61 per cent 35+ FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Al Raseed; Huna AlRiyadh; Tabaa Mushahed; AlMuntasef

Al Emarat

www.emarattv.ae PARENT COMPANY: Abu Dhabi Media FOUNDED: 2000 BASED: Abu Dhabi LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: Pan-Arab Al Emarat channel serves as the United Arab Emirates’ official channel.

Through a wide variety of programmes that appeal to viewers of all ages in the UAE, Al Emarat encourages community support, family enrichment and the development of national talent in the media industry. Al Emarat is dedicated to the five pillars set forth by the UAE government through commissioning, producing and broadcasting content that highlights the governmental, environmental, social and economic developments in the nation, in line with the UAE’s Vision 2021.

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April 26, 2020

Al Hadath

www.alhadath.net PARENT COMPANY: Middle East Broadcasting Center LAUNCHED: 2014 BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: MENA AVAILABLE: Arabsat, Nilesat, Etisalat, Du MEDIA REP: AMS: +971 4 454 5454; ams@choueirigroup.com VIEWERSHIP: 1.4 million (GCC Arab Adults 15+) DEMOGRAPHICS: 72 per cent males; 84 per cent older than 25 GENRE: News

ARY Digital

www.arydigital.tv PARENT COMPANY: ARY Group LAUNCHED: 2000 BASED: Pakistan LANGUAGE: Urdu REACH: MENA AVAILABILITY: Du, Etisalat, OSN, Ooredoo MEDIA REP: IAS Media: +971 4 447 5760 DEMOGRAPHICS: The network caters to the needs of South Asians, particularly the Pakistani diaspora. It brings quality family entertainment to its viewers. 15-44 yrs; Pakistani expats living in the UAE FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Jeeto Pakistan, Meri Nanhi Pari, Pukaar, Noor Ul Ain, Salaam Emirates

Asianet Middle East PARENT COMPANY: STAR India (subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: Malayalam MEDIA REP: Anjali Desai: Anjali.Desai@startv.com; Thomas Johnny: Thomas.Johnny@startv.com; +971 4 391 2333 GENRE: Malayalam general entertainment Channel featuring the best of series, movies, reality shows and locally created content

B4U Aflam

www.b4uaflam.com PARENT COMPANY: B4U Network BASED: Dubai, UAE YEAR FOUNDED: 2013 LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: MENA AVAILABLE: Free-to-air channel is available on Nilesat across all the leading networks: STC, Mobily, OSN, Du, Etislat MEDIA REP: B4U Network, MENA: +971 4 431 1892 VIEWERSHIP: 900,000+ daily Arab viewers aged 15+ in KSA DEMOGRAPHICS: Arabs B4U Aflam is a part of B4U Network and has been successfully entertaining its Arab viewers with unlimited Bollywood content. All Bollywood movies are dubbed or subtitled into Arabic, reaching out to Arab viewers across the MENA region, with a focus on Saudi Arabia.

FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Imraaw A Aftakher – Junior Chef 2020 RAMADAN SPECIALS: Prayer timings, fasting tips and Ramadan stars’ greetings

B4U Plus www.b4uplus.com PARENT COMPANY: B4U Network BASED: Dubai, UAE FOUNDED: 2013 LANGUAGE: Hindi REACH: MENA AVAILABLE: Free-to-air channel available on Nilesat across leading networks: Du, Etislat, OSN MEDIA REP: B4U Network, MENA: +971 4 431 1892 VIEWERSHIP: More than 500,000 daily Asian viewers aged 15+ in the UAE market DEMOGRAPHICS: South Asian B4U Plus brings you the finest customised Indian home entertainment content for Middle East audiences in addition to the best of Bollywood movies. The channel is one of the first free-to-air general entertainment channels to target South Asian audiences, keeping them connected to their home through the world of Bollywood.

FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Achievers’ Kitchen- Taste of Tradition Diwali ke Zaike 2020 RAMADAN SPECIALS: Ramadan cooking shows, series, prayer timings, fasting tips and Ramadan stars’ greetings

BBC World News bbcglobalnews.com PARENT COMPANY: BBC HEADQUARTERED: London NUMBER OF STAFF: 20,000 (whole of BBC) FOUNDED: 1995 LANGUAGE: English REACH: More than 200 countries and territories globally, including the Middle East AVAILABILITY: Cablevision, Omantel, Vodafone, E-Vision VIEWERSHIP: 465 million households, 3 million hotel rooms, 180 cruise ships, 53 airlines, including 13 distributing the channel live in-flight DEMOGRAPHICS: Affluent millennials, high-net-worth individuals, highly educated with a global perspective FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: HARDtalk; Impact; Live With Lucy Hockings; Talking Business with Aaron Heslehurst; Newsday; Our World; Sport Today; Click; The Travel Show; Talking Movies MEDIA REP: Ali Taher, vice-president, advertising & partnership sales MENA, Turkey and Mediterranean: +971 4 367 8090; +971 55 8014 000

April 26, 2020

LEADERSHIP PANEL

euronews.com PARENT COMPANY: Euronews SA HEAD OFFICE: Lyon, France NUMBER OF STAFF: 650 FOUNDED: 1993 BASED: France LANGUAGE: 9 TV editions (English, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish) and 12 web editions (English, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, Arabic and Persian) REACH: 160 countries worldwide AVAILABLE: More than 1,000 operators worldwide. In the Middle East: Ooredoo, Etisalat, BeIn, Horizon tv, My-HD Euronews is the number one international news channel in Europe. Its mission is to empower people to form their own opinions.

Euronews is unapologetically impartial and seeks to offer a diversity of viewpoints. Euronews is “All Views”. Euronews is broadcast 24/7 and boasts 12 distinct language editions.

Euronews delivers impartial news trusted by audiences across the world, available in 400 million homes across 160 countries, including 67 per cent of households in the European Union. It reaches 141 million people every month.

Inspire Middle East is Euronews’ flagship programme dedicated to the Middle East and broadcast every Friday at 9.45pm UAE time.

VIEWERSHIP: 141 million people every month (TV + Digital – GWI Q4 2019) DEMOGRAPHICS: Premium affluent business leaders, decision makers and frequent travellers (IPSOS Affluent Europe 2019) FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Inspire Middles East, Postcards, Focus, Business Line, Explore MEDIA REP: Christian Kachacha, international sales director Middle East: christian.kachacha@euronews.com; +971 4 431 3302; +971 50 7143 436 GENRE: World news from a European perspective and programmes covering topics like science, climate, business, current affairs, travel and culture

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

CAROLYN GIBSON

Chief revenue officer, Euronews

W

hat have advertisers been asking for since last year?

More and more advertisers want creative content adapted for and targeted towards specific audiences. As the most watched international news channel in

Europe (daily TV reach, Global Web Index Q4, 2019), with 12 distinct language editions across TV and digital, advertisers know that we are the best placed to provide a tailor-made offering.

We have developed solutions enabling our clients to curate their message and build relationships with diverse audiences across multiple markets. We do so through sponsorship and branded content solutions combined with audience targeting, which aligns to a diverse array of content from culture, technology and business to innovation, sustainability, lifestyle and travel, using our in-house agency Embrace to develop storytelling that works for audiences in 12 languages and with a unique perspective.

What changes have you noticed in viewer habits?

One trend that had been emerging before the pandemic hit the world has been amplified since. In this time of uncertainty, trusted and established media brands are relied upon more than ever. The digital consumption of news has of course continued to grow and the growth of social media as a news source provides a huge opportunity for trusted news brands to develop new audiences. At Euronews, we have a successful social media

newsroom: #THECUBE, and our latest show “Culture Clash” for Facebook Watch showcases the stories dominating the conversation in Europe and is attracting new audiences on our platforms. We are also seeing a strong uptake for more in-depth curated content via newsletters, with very high engagement rates from new services like our daily Covid-19 briefing.

What has the short-term effect of the Covid-19 pandemic been on TV viewing?

Unsurprisingly news brands like Euronews are seeing a huge increase in their audiences. 67 per cent of people are watching more news but are also increasingly cautious about fake news. The demand for reliable news sources has resulted in platforms upgrading their news offer for consumers. Even though we are already distributed in nearly 400 million homes worldwide, Euronews has added more than 22 million homes in the last two weeks alone as TV platform operators seek to satisfy the increased demand.

Interestingly, news bulletins on TV are still the most trusted news source during the current crisis at 44 per cent, vs social media at 11 per cent (source: Global Web Index, Coronavirus Survey, March 2020). Euronews’ digital

CAROLYN GIBSON Chief Revenue Officer, Euronews

CHRISTIAN KACHACHA International Sales Director Middle East

reach is today at an all-time high with unique users up by 62 per cent in March versus February.

Overall, unique visitors grew threefold in 5 months (Nov 2019-March 2020).

How do you anticipate that will change as the situation continues, and then eases?

We are living in unprecedented times, which are having an undeniable impact on many industries, including of course on the media industry. Whilst audiences are at an all-time high, it is clearly a time of uncertainty for advertisers. It’s interesting to note that an important portion of people believe that brands should continue to advertise as usual at the present time (37 per cent, according to the survey I already mentioned), but should focus their messaging on important audiences priorities like giving comfort, offering acts of kindness, delivering virtual services and experiences and relieving stress. We are also starting to observe a growing trend towards personalisation: advertisers seeking to develop different approaches to brand management with more initiatives led by local teams focusing on a more tailored and curated approach. Euronews is uniquely placed to support brands on this journey.

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April 26, 2020

CNBC Arabia

Drama

PARENT COMPANY: Middle East Business News HEAD OFFICE: Dubai, UAE YEAR FOUNDED: 2003 AVAILABLE: Free-to-air in Nilesat and Arabsat CNBC Arabia is the Arab World’s preeminent and first 24-hour Arabic-language financial and business information channel, presenting in-depth and up-to-the-minute coverage of regional and international affairs from an Arab economic perspective. CNBC Arabia brings real-time information to the most influential, powerful and affluent audience in the Middle East and Northern Africa.

Building on the most comprehensive economic and financial news-gathering infrastructure, with the best journalists in the region, CNBC Arabia presents relevant coverage of regional and international business events – engaging audiences with information to act on.

www.addrama.ae PARENT COMPANY: Abu Dhabi Media FOUNDED: 2010 BASED: Abu Dhabi LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: Pan-Arab Drama, launched in 2010 as part of Abu Dhabi Media’s television network, broadcasts the best and latest Arab dramas series in addition to other international series dubbed into Arabic. The channel enjoys popularity across the Middle East as it prominently features programmes produced and filmed in the UAE and the Arabian Gulf, with some of the region’s best-known actors and most loved characters.

As the first business channel to deliver live regional market data in the Middle East through its signature ticker, comprehensive and analytical reporting, with credible and informed anchors, CNBC Arabia enables investors to make quick and informed decisions in a dynamic and changing environment. With bureaus in major MENA regions, CNBC Arabia is supported by the global newsgathering resources of CNBC.

Dubai One

Colors Rishtey Asia asia.colorsrishtey.com PARENT COMPANY: Viacom 18 Media HEAD OFFICE: Mumbai (regional office in Dubai) NUMBER OF STAFF: 8 in Dubai office FOUNDED: 2015 (Middle East and Africa) BASED: India LANGUAGE: Hindi REACH: UAE, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, Afghanistan and most of MEA region AVAILABLE: Elife TV, du, Ooredoo, YuppTV, Zarnigar, Oqaab HD+, Azam TV, Mauritius Telecom, multiple cable operators in East Africa MEDIA REP: Debkumar.Dasgupta@indiacast.com; +971 4 367 9890 GENRE: Fiction shows and blockbuster movies with only one break

Colors TV www.colorstv.com/mena PARENT COMPANY: Viacom 18 Media HEAD OFFICE: Mumbai (regional office in Dubai) NUMBER OF STAFF: 8 in Dubai office FOUNDED: 2010 in Middle East; 2012 in Africa BASED: India LANGUAGE: Hindi REACH: UAE and GCC countries, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, Angola, Mozambique, Afghanistan and MEA AVAILABLE: Elife TV, du, Ooredoo, YuppTV, Zarnigar, Oqaab HD+, Azam TV, Mauritius Telecom, multiple cable operators in East Africa MEDIA REP: Debkumar.Dasgupta@indiacast.com; +971 4 367 9890 GENRE: Fiction and reality shows produced in India, and a few shows produced locally in the UAE

www.dmi.ae PARENT COMPANY: Dubai Media Incorporated LAUNCHED: 2004 BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: English (Arabic subtitles) REACH: Australia, North America and the rest of Asia AVAILABLE: Arabsat, Nilesat, Etisalat, Du MEDIA REP: MEMS: +971 4 454 5454; mems@choueirigroup.com VIEWERSHIP: 836,000 (GCC Adults 15+) DEMOGRAPHICS: 64 per cent females; 74 per cent aged 15-40 FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Astronauts; Dubai Cruise; Mental Samurai GENRE: Western and Arabic entertainment

Dubai Racing

www.dmi.ae PARENT COMPANY: Dubai Media Incorporated LAUNCHED: 2008 BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: GCC, Middle East and Africa, Europe, USA AVAILABLE: Arabsat, Nilesat, Etisalat, DU MEDIA REP: MEMS: +971 4 454 5454; mems@choueirigroup.com VIEWERSHIP: 46,000 (GCC Adults 15+) DEMOGRAPHICS: 100 per cent males, 100 per cent above 25 years old FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Horse and Camel Racing (Dubai World Cup host broadcaster) GENRE: Sports

Dubai Sports

www.dmi.ae PARENT COMPANY: Dubai Media Incorporated LAUNCHED: 1998 BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: GCC AVAILABLE: Arabsat, Nilesat, Etisalat, Du MEDIA REP: MEMS: +971 4 454 5454; mems@choueirigroup.com VIEWERSHIP: 67,000 (GCC Adults 15+) DEMOGRAPHICS: 99 per cent males, 85 per cent aged 20-40 FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Dubai Tennis ATP 500; UAE Football League; International Golf Tournament GENRE: Sports

PARTNER CONTENT

April 26, 2020

Transforming MENA brands through effective advertising

I

n today’s economic uncertainty, there’s a rising concern that marketers are focusing far too much attention on short-term gains, rather than driving brand growth.

Now, more than ever, brands are facing the challenge of attracting their consumers’ attention in such a fragmented media environment. We’re also noticing that poor marketing decisions are not only wasting budgets, time and resources, but are potentially alienating customers.

The good news? WARC, Choueiri Group and Kantar have collaborated on the very first MENA version of the ‘Anatomy of Effectiveness’ – a guide to help marketers create greater impact for their clients. This report highlights the key considerations to ensure ad budgets deliver a return, one of those being an optimum media mix, where TV is found to play a crucial role.

Here are some key considerations:

INVEST FOR GROWTH

In order to achieve growth, there are several questions to ask before starting to build a media strategy: Are you investing enough?

If you want to grow your market share, the key is to over invest. Investing in excess share of voice (ESOV), defined as SOV above the business’s market share, will likely lead to long-term sales growth.

Are your objectives realistic?

When setting marketing objectives, it’s important to consider the size of the brand and the size of the market. This will help you set measurable goals that are both realistic and attainable.

Are you maximising your effectiveness?

It is important not to confuse efficiency for effectiveness. Do not to prioritise ROI ratios above the total financial impact of the campaign.

BALANCE YOUR SPEND

Smart marketing means making every penny count. Which is why it’s important to set the right budget framework so you can spend strategically across multiple channels and campaigns.

Strike the balance between brand and sales Research-based evidence from Les Binet and Peter Field suggests a rule of thumb for effective investment: 60 per cent for long-term

The overwhelming consequence of the shift to digital has led to a shift in shorter-term thinking.”

Karsten Janckowski, GM Marketing & PR, Infiniti Middle East brand-building, and 40 per cent for short-term sales activation.

Balance digital and offline media spend Different communication techniques offer diverse opportunities for reaching new customers and interactivity with existing audiences, so it’s important to balance your digital and offline media spend.

Measure for the short and long-term Marketing variables are too often measured within the short-term due to the relative ease of determining changes in the market when the influences are fresh. However, the right KPI framework should focus on brandbuilding and sales generation metrics.

PLAN FOR REACH

When it comes to reaching customers, marketing can be a brand’s best friend or its worst enemy.

Across MENA, we’re noticing that TV builds a strong customer-brand relationship, specifically in a market rooted in trust and respect.

Consumption has grown significantly over the past decade and a lot of this growth complemented TV rather than replaced it. Multi-screening has become a key driver of MENA’s media landscape today.”

Shadi Kandil, MCN MediaBrands, Middle East Make sure reach is effective For successful marketing, you have to quantify, measure and analyse your choices and results. By setting clear objectives, aligning the channel with the creative strategy and allocating the right budget, you will be able to use market reach effectively.

Use the unmatched reach of TV TV in MENA enjoys a high reach of 89 per cent, with 3h:45m of average daily TV viewing. This, combined with the large Arabic-speaking population of 400 million, presents huge potential for TV to provide effectiveness at scale.

Tailor reach to drive profit The ‘Profit Ability’ UK study reports that TV drives the most profit because its scale and popularity enable it to deliver efficient profit return at high volumes of spend. Currently, TV accounts for 54 per cent of advertising spend among Ebiquity’s database, yet it is responsible for 71 per cent of total advertising-generated profit.

Build a robust integration model TV has been proven to enhance the effectiveness of digital media. While multimedia campaigns have been in play for some time, the impact that media synergies create is highly underleveraged.

In fact, 40 per cent of campaign impact comes from media synergies (vs. 25 per cent global average), with TV being the backbone (according to Kantar MENA Database).

In addition, brands should be both distinctive and creative in their marketing attempts. Content should be localised for the MENA region and deliver a brand message that is relevant, emotional and compelling.

Brands need to seek to reap the rewards from creativity, and having a short-term focus can undermine the long-term brand-building potential of creative communications.

TV has always been the most effective form of advertising to win the hearts and minds of the consumer. As the current pandemic boosts TV viewership, it’s time for advertisers to rethink their media planning for our ‘New Normal’ and build loyalty and brand love among audiences. After all, love is earned when times are tough.”

Youmna Borghol, Chief Data Officer, Choueiri Group

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April 26, 2020

Dubai TV

FOX Rewayat

www.dmi.ae PARENT COMPANY: Dubai Media Incorporated LAUNCHED: 2004 BSAED: UAE LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: GCC, Middle East and Africa, Europe, USA, Asia, Australia AVAILABLE: Arabsat, Nilesat, Etisalat, Du MEDIA REP: MEMS: +971 4 454 5454; mems@choueirigroup.com VIEWERSHIP: 2.4 million (GCC Adults 15+) DEMOGRAPHICS: 53 per cent female, 72 per cent aged 15-40 FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Astronauts; Dubai Cruise; Mental Samurai RAMADAN SPECIALS FOR 2020: 100 Wesh (Nelly Karim); Erat Dehab (Yousra); Sukar Ziyada (Nadia Al Jundi & Nabila Oubeid) GENRE: General entertainment

foxrewayat.foxarabia.tv PARENT COMPANY: 21st Century Fox LAUNCHED: 2018 BASED: United States LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: MENA AVAILABILITY: Etisalat MEDIA REP: IAS Media: +971 4 4475760 DEMOGRAPHICS: Primarily women; 18-49; Arab locals & Arab expats.

Emotional, values-driven, social, curious

FOX Family Movies foxfamilyhd.foxarabia.tv PARENT COMPANY: 21st Century Fox LAUNCHED: 2010 BASED: United States LANGUAGE: English with Arabic subtitles REACH: MENA AVAILABILITY: Etisalat, BeIN, Ooredoo, Cable Vision, My HD MEDIA REP: IAS Media: +971 4 447 5760 VIEWERSHIP DEMOGRAPHICS: 100 per cent true family movies; safe for children and fun for the whole family

FOX Life foxlife.foxarabia.tv PARENT COMPANY: 21st Century Fox LAUNCHED: 2004 BASED: United States LANGUAGE: English with Arabic subtitles REACH: MENA AVAILABILITY: Etisalat MEDIA REP: IAS Media: +971 4 447 5760 DEMOGRAPHICS: Female-skewed; 15-49 yrs FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: The Taste S1 & 2, Jamie’s Quick & Easy Food, Real Girl’s Kitchen, Home Team

FOX Movies foxmovieshd.foxarabia.tv PARENT COMPANY: 21st Century Fox LAUNCHED: 2008 BASED: United States LANGUAGE: English with Arabic subtitles REACH: MENA AVAILABILITY: Du, Etisalat, BeIN, And Ooredoo MEDIA REP: IAS Media: +971 4 447 5760 DEMOGRAPHICS: Men & women; 15-49 yrs.; destination for the entire family FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Blockbusters from TCF, Sony, Intalia, Paramount and Lionsgate

FXHD fxhd.foxarabia.tv PARENT COMPANY: 21st Century Fox LAUNCHED: 2006 BASED: United States LANGUAGE: English with Arabic subtitles REACH: MENA AVAILABILITY: Etisalat, BeIN, Ooredoo, Cable Vision, My HD MEDIA REP: IAS Media: +971 4 4475760 VIEWERSHIP DEMOGRAPHICS: Men; 15-54 yrs FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: American Horror Story, Sons of Anarchy

History Channel www.history.com PARENT COMPANY: A&E Networks LAUNCH: 1995 BASED: USA LANGUAGE: English REACH: MENA MEDIA REP: IAS Media: +971 4 447 5760 DEMOGRAPHICS: Avid travellers and those who enjoy culture and travel FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Vikings, The Curse of Oak Island, Alone

Hum Masala (Masala TV) www.masala.tv PARENT COMPANY: Hum Network Limited Pakistan LAUNCHED: November 2006 BASED: Dubai LANGUAGE: Urdu REACH: Algeria Bahrain, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen AVAILABLE: Etisalat, OSN MEDIA REPRESENTATIVE: M. Saad Qazi: +971 50 361 5642; saad.qazi@hum.tv VIEWERSHIP: More than 500,000 households and 2 million individuals

April 26, 2020

15

Hum MENA

Hum Sitaray

Hum News

www.humsitaray.tv PARENT COMPANY: Hum Network Limited Pakistan LAUNCHED: December 2013 BASED: Dubai LANGUAGE: Urdu REACH: Algeria Bahrain, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen AVAILABLE: Etisalat MEDIA REPRESENTATIVE: M. Saad Qazi: +971 50 361 5642; saad.qazi@hum.tv VIEWERSHIP: More than 300,000 households and 1.2 million individuals FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Babul Ki Sahaliyan, Chirriyon Ka Chamba, Dooriyan

www.hum.tv/hum-mena PARENT COMPANY: Hum Network Limited Pakistan LAUNCHED: July 2014 BASED: Dubai LANGUAGE: Urdu GEOGRAPHICAL REACH: Algeria Bahrain, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen AVAILABILITY: Etisalat, Du, OSN, Ooredoo MEDIA REPRESENTATIVE: M. Saad Qazi: +971 50 361 5642; saad.qazi@hum.tv VIEWERSHIP: More than 500,000 households and 2 million individuals

www.humnews.pk PARENT COMPANY: Hum Network Limited Pakistan LAUNCHING: May 2018 BASED: Dubai LANGUAGE: Urdu REACH: Algeria Bahrain, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen AVAILABLE: Etisalat, Du, OSN MEDIA REPRESENTATIVE: M. Saad Qazi: +971 50 361 5642; saad.qazi@hum.tv

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

WALID YARED Chief Marketing Officer, Choueiri Group

W

hat have advertisers been asking for since last year?

Brands are steadily moving away from spot buys and trading to adopt holistic 360-degree business solutions, which enable them to truly connect with their consumers. We are also witnessing an increasing appreciation for data-centric approaches, which are raising the bar for the value proposition in advertising. These factors have given way to a host of technological tools and innovations such as TV attribution, brand lift studies and multi-touch attribution, amongst others. Brand custodians are also seeking better means and avenues for measurement across all platforms.

What changes have you noticed in viewer habits?

The behavioural shifts of TV viewers themselves have altered how broadcasters, media representatives and agencies are helping brands to connect with their consumers. While people

are still choosing to watch video content, they are no longer loyal to any specific platform. At the broadcasters’ level, the biggest challenge is to understand how this new ecosystem has evolved to match the users’ expectations for a seamless journey. Television content is increasingly being consumed on mobile devices, while users are learning about new shows from social media. Audiences are accessing video content via traditional TV sets, smart TVs, computers, tablets and smartphones, and sometimes all at once.

What has the short-term effect of the Covid-19 pandemic been on TV viewing?

Having closely monitored the impact of the Covid-19 situation on television advertising, we can see sharp rises in reach and in time spent. Furthermore, daytime viewing has consistently grown across all time segments, with people staying in more. The increases in the viewership of news channels comes as no

surprise, but there’s also a sizable rise in the consumption of entertainment content, as well as health programmes across TV channels and VOD platforms. The success of specific initiatives such as MBC Group’s “#Stay-at-home” campaign speaks volumes.

In the UAE, leading broadcaster DMI has also registered similar growth patterns across its various channels.

How do you anticipate viewing will change as the situation develops?

We believe the ongoing situation will lead to further increases in TV viewership and an increasing appetite for premium entertainment content. At the same time, the credibility and quality of the content will continue to determine who stays ahead of the game. In the aftermath, once the situation begins to ease, the winners will be those who have cemented their place as brand-safe platforms that deserve to win the hearts and minds of audiences.

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April 26, 2020

KSA Sports 1, KSA Sports 2, KSA Sports +1 and KSA Sports +2

www.sba.sa PARENT COMPANY: Saudi Broadcast Authority BASED: KSA YEAR FOUNDED: 2002 LANGUAGE: Arabic GENRE: Sports REACH: Worldwide AVAILABILITY: OSN, Arabsat, Nilesat, Etisalat, Hotbird, Asia-sat, Galaxy 19, Hispasat, UHF, Du, YouTube, terrestrial broadcast, YouTube MEDIA REP: Saudi Media Company; sales@saudimedia.sa; +971 4 425 4285 VIEWERSHIP: 1.75+ million (Saudis 15+) DEMOGRAPHICS: MENA; 94 per cent male; 76 per cent 15-44 yrs FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: MBS Saudi Pro League; Saudi King’s Cup; Saudi Super Cup; Diwaniyah.

Majid TV

PARENT COMPANY: Abu Dhabi Media FOUNDED: 2015 BASED: Abu Dhabi LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: Pan-Arab Majid TV was established in 2015 with the task of not only continuing the Majid legacy, but also extending the appeal and benefits to its target audience that stretched far beyond a weekly print edition, riding on the success and legacy of the famous Majid Magazine, which has been providing entertainment to the region’s children for 37 years. The shows’ purpose is aligned with the culture and ethos of the local community of the UAE and of the Gulf. The channel seeks to engage children in a fun and entertaining way, so they may enjoy their time watching home-grown productions, cartoons and characters that represent their environment and society.

Manorama News

www.manoramanews.com PARENT COMPANY: Malayala Manorama Group LAUNCHED: 2006 BASED: India LANGUAGE: Hindi REACH: MENA AVAILABILITY: Du, Etisalat, STC, Mobily, Oredoo MEDIA REP: IAS Media: +971 4 447 5760 DEMOGRAPHICS: A Malayalam news channel for the majority South Indian population living in the UAE FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Counter Point, Parayathe Vayya

MBC Action www.mbc.net PARENT COMPANY: Middle East Broadcasting Center LAUNCHED: 2007 BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: English (with Arabic subtitles) and Arabic REACH: MENA AVAILABLE: Arabsat, Nilesat, OSN, YouTube, Etisalat, Du MEDIA REP: AMS +971 4 454 5454; ams@choueirigroup.com VIEWERSHIP: 3.5 million (GCC adults 15+) DEMOGRAPHICS: 74 per cent male; 77 per cent aged 15-40 FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Driven; Maak Khabar; Formula 1 GENRE: Western entertainment

MBC Bollywood www.mbc.net PARENT COMPANY: Middle East Broadcasting Company LAUNCHED: 2013 BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: Arabic dubbed; Indian languages REACH: MENA AVAILABLE: Arabsat, Nilesat, beIN, Etisalat, Du, YouTube, OSN MEDIA REP: Arabian Media Services +971 4 454 5454; ams@choueirigroup.com VIEWERSHIP: 2.3 million (GCC adults 15+) DEMOGRAPHICS: 60 per cent female; 75 per cent aged 15-40 GENRE: Bollywood

MBC Drama www.mbc.net PARENT COMPANY: Middle East Broadcasting Center LAUNCHED: 2010 BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: MENA AVAILABLE: Arabsat, Nilesat, OSN, YouTube, Etisalat, Du MEDIA REP: AMS +971 4 454 5454; ams@choueirigroup.com VIEWERSHIP: 3.7 million (GCC adults 15+) DEMOGRAPHICS: 54 per cent female; 69 per cent aged 15-40 RAMADAN SPECIALS FOR 2020: Haya wa banatoha; Haramlek 2; Forsa Tanya; Al Ekhteyar GENRE: Arabic series

MBC Iraq Mazhavil Manorama

www.mazhavilmanorama.com PARENT COMPANY: Malayala Manorama Group LAUNCHED: 2011 BASED: India LANGUAGE: Malayalam REACH: Middle East and North Africa AVAILABILITY: Du, Etisalat, STC, Mobily MEDIA REP: IAS Media: +971 4 447 5760 DEMOGRAPHICS: A Malayalam general entertainment television channel for the majority South Indian population (aged 15-44) living in the UAE FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Ningallkum Aakam Kodeeshwaran, Super 4, Udan Panam, Thakarppan Comedy, Sthreepadham

www.mbc.net PARENT COMPANY: Middle East Broadcasting Center LAUNCHED: 2019 BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: Arabic (mainly Iraqi, but also Syrian and Egyptian) REACH: MENA AVAILABLE: Arabsat, Nilesat, OSN, YouTube, Etisalat, Du MEDIA REP: AMS +971 4 454 5454; ams@choueirigroup.com FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Aelati Tarbah; Hadeeth Baghdad; The Voice RAMADAN SPECIALS FOR 2020: 1+1; Valentino; Ighlib Al Sakka; Bayna Ahlana GENRE: General entertainment

April 26, 2020

MBC Max

MBC3

www.mbc.net PARENT COMPANY: Middle East Broadcasting Center DATE LAUNCHED: 2008 BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: English (Arabic Subtitled) REACH: MENA AVAILABLE: Arabsat, Nilesat, OSN, YouTube, Etisalat, Du MEDIA REP: AMS +971 4 454 5454; ams@choueirigroup.com VIEWERSHIP: 830,000 (GCC adults 15+) DEMOGRAPHICS: 55 per cent male; 84 per cent aged 15-40 GENRE: Western movies

www.mbc3.net PARENT COMPANY: Middle East Broadcasting Center LAUNCHED: 2004 BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: Arabic & English REACH: MENA, USA and Europe AVAILABLE: ArabSat, NileSat, Etisalat, Du, MBC3HD and Gobx MEDIA REP: AMA +971 4 454 5454; ams@choueirigroup.com VIEWERSHIP: 4.7 million DEMOGRAPHICS: GCC Arab kids aged 3 to 14 FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Tassali; Spongebob; Paw Patrol; Ladybug; Captain Tsubasa RAMADAN SPECIALS FOR 2020: Tassali GENRE: Children’s programmes

MBC 1 www.mbc.net PARENT COMPANY: Middle East Broadcasting Center LAUNCHED: 1991 BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: MENA AVAILABLE: Arabsat, Nilesat, Etisalat, Du, Shahid.com, YouTube MEDIA REP: AMS +971 4 454 5454; ams@choueirigroup.com VIEWERSHIP: 10.9 million (GCC adults 15+) DEMOGRAPHICS: 53 per cent female; 79 per cent aged 15-44 FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: The Voice; The Voice Kids; Top Chef; Sada Al Malaeb; Morning Show; Laffat Al Mamlaka; Wein Al Hein RAMADAN SPECIALS FOR 2020: Makhraj 7, Valentino, Ureem, Ramez, The Prince, Om Haroun GENRE: General entertainment

MBC2 www.mbc.net PARENT COMPANY: Middle East Broadcasting Center LAUNCHED: 2003 BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: English (Arabic subtitled) REACH: MENA AVAILABLE: Arabsat, Nilesat, OSN, YouTube, Etisalat, Du MEDIA REP: AMS +971 4 454 5454; ams@choueirigroup.com VIEWERSHIP: 5.7 million (GCC adults 15+) DEMOGRAPHICS: 71 per cent male; 80 per cent aged 15-40 GENRE: Western movies

MBC4 www.mbc.net PARENT COMPANY: Middle East Broadcasting Center LAUNCHED: 2005 BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: Arabic, English (Arabic subtitled) REACH: MENA AVAILABLE: Arabsat, Nilesat, OSN, YouTube, Etisalat, Du MEDIA REP: AMS +971 4 454 5454; ams@choueirigroup.com VIEWERSHIP: 3.5 million (GCC adults 15+) DEMOGRAPHICS: 62 per cent female; 76 per cent aged 15-40 FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Arabs Got Talent; Beirut Bride; Trending; RAMADAN SPECIALS FOR 2020: Trending Ramadan Edition GENRE: Arabic/Western entertainment

MTV India PARENT COMPANY: Viacom 18 Media HEAD OFFICE: Mumbai (regional headquarters in Dubai) NUMBER OF STAFF: Eight in Dubai Office FOUNDED: 2012 in Middle East BASED: India LANGUAGE: Hindi & English REACH: UAE and GCC countries, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, Afghanistan; MEA AVAILABLE: Elife TV, du, YuppTV, Oqaab HD+, Zuku TV, Azam TV, Mauritius Telecom, Canal+, Parabole and multiple cable operators MEDIA REP: Debkumar.Dasgupta@indiacast.com; +971 4 3679 890 GENRE: Music, reality shows and youth culture programming

National Geographic Abu Dhabi PARENT COMPANY: Fox Networks Group Middle East in partnership with Abu Dhabi Media HEAD OFFICE: UAE NUMBER OF STAFF: 20 FOUNDED: 2009 BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: MENA AVAILABLE: Nilesat, Arabsat GENRE: Factual programming

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April 26, 2020

News 18 PARENT COMPANY: Network 18 Group HEAD OFFICE: Noida, India (MEA HQ in Dubai) NUMBER OF STAFF: Eight in Dubai Office FOUNDED: 2014 in Middle East BASED: India LANGUAGE: English REACH: UAE and MEA AVAILABLE: Elife TV, Du, YuppTV MEDIA REP: Debkumar Dasgupta: Debkumar.Dasgupta@indiacast.com; +971 4 367 9890 GENRE: News

Noor Dubai

www.dmi.ae PARENT COMPANY: Dubai Media Incorporated LAUNCHED: 2009 BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: GCC AVAILABLE: Arabsat, Nilesat, Etisalat, Du MEDIA REP: MEMS: +971 4 454 5454; mems@choueirigroup.com VIEWERSHIP: 17,000 (GCC adults 15+) GENRE: General, cultural

Rotana Cinema

PARENT COMPANY: Rotana Media Group LAUNCHED: 2005 BASED: Egypt LANGUAGE: (Egyptian) Arabic REACH: GCC, MENA, Europe, USA AVAILABILITY: Arabsat, Nilesat GENRE: Arabic movies

Rotana Classic

PARENT COMPANY: Rotana Media Group LAUNCHED: 2005 BASED: Egypt LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: GCC, MENA, Europe, USA AVAILABILITY: Arabsat, Nilesat GENRE: Classic movies, plays, concerts

Rotana Comedy

PARENT COMPANY: Rotana Media Group LAUNCHED: 2020 BASED: Egypt LANGUAGE: (Egyptian) Arabic REACH: GCC, MENA (soon in Europe, USA) AVAILABILITY: Arabsat GENRE: Comedy movies, plays, series, candid camera

Rotana Khalijia

PARENT COMPANY: Rotana Media Group LAUNCHED: 2005 BASED: Saudi Arabia LANGUAGE: (Saudi) Arabic REACH: GCC, MENA, Europe, USA AVAILABILITY: Arabsat, Nilesat GENRE: General entertainment, social talk shows

Rotana Kids

PARENT COMPANY: Rotana Media Group LAUNCHED: 2020 BASED: Egypt LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: GCC, MENA, Europe, USA AVAILABILITY: Yahlive GENRE: Arabic cartoons

Sama Dubai www.dmi.ae PARENT COMPANY: Dubai Media Incorporated LAUNCHED: 2005 BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: GCC, Middle East and Africa AVAILABLE: Arabsat, Nilesat, Etisalat, Du MEDIA REP: MEMS: +971 4 454 5454; mems@choueirigroup.com VIEWERSHIP: 276,000 (GCC adults 15+) DEMOGRAPHICS: 55 per cent male, 60 per cent aged 15-40 FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Kabil lil Nikash; 12/8; Kharitat Al Mal RAMADAN SPECIALS FOR 2020: Shaabiyat cartoons GENRE: General entertainment

Saudi TV www.sba.sa PARENT COMPANY: Saudi Broadcast Authority BASED: KSA YEAR FOUNDED: 1965 LANGUAGE: Arabic GENRE: General entertainment REACH: Worldwide AVAILABILITY: OSN, Du, terrestrial broadcast, Arabsat, Nilesat, Etisalat, Hotbird, Asia-sat, Galaxy 19, Hispasat, UHF, Shashatcom.sa, YouTube DEMOGRAPHICS: MENA 56 per cent males, 55 per cent 35+ yrs FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: News; live prayers; Tam; Sabah AlSaudia; Kafo; Lahza.

MEDIA REP: Saudi Media Company; sales@saudimedia.sa; +971 4 425 4285 VIEWERSHIP: 2.37+ million (Saudis 15+) 2019 RAMADAN SPECIALS: Ya Telefisioni, Bidoun Filter S2; Rihla Ela AlDakhel; Fatwa; Maa AlQuran

April 26, 2020

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SBC

Sony Mix

www.sba.sa www.shashatcom.sa PARENT COMPANY: Saudi Broadcast Authority BASED: KSA YEAR FOUNDED: 2018 LANGUAGE: Arabic GENRE: General entertainment REACH: Worldwide AVAILABILITY: OSN, Arabsat, Nilesat, Etisalat, Hotbird, Asia-sat, Galaxy 19, Hispasat, UHF, Du, Shashatcom.sa, YouTube DEMOGRAPHICS: Saudis; 53 per cent female; 55 per cent 15-34 yrs MEDIA REP: Saudi Media Company; sales@saudimedia.sa; +971 4 425 4285 VIEWERSHIP: 1.8+ million (Saudis 15+) FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Dawod Al-Sheryan Show; Jawayiz AlSaudia; AlWaqt AlAsli; The Desert; Najem AlSaudia 2019 RAMADAN SPECIALS: Don’t Say it Bring It; Hallitna Halah S2; Ikhtirak; Balani Zamaani; Yala Nsooq; Ana Andi Nass; Walad AlGhalabah; Jawayiz AlSaudia Ramadan Edition

www.sonymix.tv PARENT COMPANY: Sony Pictures Networks India Pvt. Ltd. LAUNCHED: 2011 BASED: India LANGUAGE: Hindi GEOGRAPHICAL REACH: MENA AVAILABILITY: Du & Etisalat MEDIA REP: IAS Media: +971 4 447 5760 DEMOGRAPHICS: A Dedicated Indian Hindi music channel for Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and all other Hindi speaking expats living in the UAE FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Studio Fresh, Mix Solos, Superstar Junction and Pop Shop

Sony Entertainment Television (SET Asia) www.setindia.com PARENT COMPANY: Sony Pictures Networks India LAUNCHED: 1995 BASED: India LANGUAGE: Hindi geographical REACH: MENA AVAILABILITY: Du & Etisalat MEDIA REP: IAS Media: +971 4 447 5760 VIEWERSHIP: 5 million+ viewers on the network in UAE DEMOGRAPHICS: General entertainment channel for Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and all other Hindi-speaking expats living in the UAE FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Kaun Banega Crorepati, Indian Idol, Super Dancer, The Kapil Sharma Show, India;s Best Dancer, Weekend Out RAMADAN SPECIALS: Flavors of Ramadan – Asia’s biggest Ramadan cookery show

Sony Max www.sonymax.tv PARENT COMPANY: Sony Pictures Networks India LAUNCHED: 1999 BASED: India LANGUAGE: Hindi GEOGRAPHICAL REACH: MENA AVAILABILITY: Du & Etisalat REP: IAS Media: +971 4 447 5760 VIEWERSHIP: 5 million+ viewers on the network in UAE DEMOGRAPHICS: Hindi movies blockbuster channel for Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and all other Hindi-speaking expats living in the UAE FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Sunday Blockbuster, Friday Talkies, Maha Movies

Sony SAB www.sabtv.com PARENT COMPANY: Sony Pictures Networks India LAUNCHED: 1999 BASED: India LANGUAGE: Hindi GEOGRAPHICAL REACH: MENA AVAILABILITY: Du and Etisalat MEDIA REP: IAS Media: +971 4 447 5760 VIEWERSHIP: 5 million+ viewers on the network in UAE DEMOGRAPHICS: Family-oriented comedy channel for Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and all other Hindi speaking expats living in the UAE FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Tenali Rama, Bhakharwadi, Maddam Sir, Tarek Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah

STAR Bharat startv.com PARENT COMPANY: STAR India (subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) HEAD OFFICE: Dubai BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: Hindi MEDIA REP: Anjali Desai Anjali.Desai@startv.com; Thomas Johnny Thomas.Johnny@startv.com; +971 4 391 2333 GENRE: Series, movies and locally created content

STAR Gold Startv.com PARENT COMPANY: STAR India (subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) HEAD OFFICE: Dubai BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: Hindi REACH: Middle East, Africa, Indian Ocean, APAC MEDIA REP: Anjali Desai Anjali.Desai@startv.com; Thomas Johnny Thomas.Johnny@startv.com; +971 4 391 2333 GENRE: World’s favourite Bollywood movie channel featuring the biggest blockbusters and the biggest stars

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April 26, 2020

STAR Plus Startv.com PARENT COMPANY: STAR India (subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) HEAD OFFICE: Media City, Dubai BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: Hindi REACH: The Middle East and Africa MEDIA REP: Anjali Desai Anjali.Desai@startv.com; Thomas Johnny Thomas.Johnny@startv.com; +971 4 391 2333 GENRE: Hindi general entertainment channel featuring the best of series, movies, reality shows and locally created content

STAR Vijay Startv.com PARENT COMPANY: STAR India (subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) HEAD OFFICE: Dubai BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: Tamil REACH: The Middle East, Africa and APAC MEDIA REP: Anjali Desai Anjali.Desai@startv.com; Thomas Johnny Thomas.Johnny@startv.com; +971 4 391 2333 GENRE: Tamil general entertainment channel featuring the best of series, movies, reality shows and locally created content

Star World HD PARENT COMPANY: Disney HEAD OFFICE: UAE NUMBER OF STAFF: 20 FOUNDED: 2010 BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: English with Arabic subtitles REACH: MENA AVAILABLE: OSN, ELife, du, jawwy Ooredoo and Bein GENRE: Drama, comedy and unscripted shows and dramas

TEN Cricket PARENT: Sony Pictures Networks India LAUNCHED: 2010 BASED: India LANGUAGE: Hindi REACH: MENA AVAILABLE: Du & Etisalat MEDIA REP: IAS Media: +971 4 447 5760 TEN Cricket is a 24-hour sports channel dedicated to cricket.

It provides exclusive sporting action including international cricket from Pakistan, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, Dubai Sports City, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

12-55 yrs. Primarily India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Australia, England and other cricket-loving countries.

Thikrayat www.sba.sa PARENT COMPANY: Saudi Broadcast Authority BASED: KSA YEAR FOUNDED: 2020 LANGUAGE: Arabic GENRE: General entertainment; nostalgia REACH: Worldwide AVAILABILITY: OSN, Arabsat, Nilesat, Yahsat, Etisalat, Hotbird, Asia-sat, Galaxy 19, Hipasat, UHF, Du, YouTube, Terrestrial broadcast, Jawwi TV MEDIA REP: Saudi Media Company; sales@saudimedia.sa; +971 4 425 4285 VIEWERSHIP: 865,000 (Saudis 15+) DEMOGRAPHICS: Saudi; Gulf FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Crystal Maze (1990-1993), Grendizer (1975-1977), Tash Ma Tash (1999), Hourouf (1988), Iftah Ya Simsom (1979-1989)

Times NOW

www.timesnownews.com PARENT COMPANY: The Times Group LAUNCHED: 2006 BASED: India LANGUAGE: Hindi REACH: MENA AVAILABILE: Du, Etisalat, OSN, Ooredoo MEDIA REP: IAS Media: +971 4 447 5760 DEMOGRAPHICS: India’s most watched general English news channel, devoted to providing pure and relevant news to its viewers around the clock. Expat Indians (aged 18-55) living in the UAE FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: The News Hour, India Upfront, Frankly Speaking, Arabian Indian Czars

Toyor Al Jannah

www.moshahid.com PARENT COMPANY: Toyor Al Jannah LAUNCHED: 2008 BASED: Jordan LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: Pan-Arab AVAILABILITY: Free-to-air and across all platforms MEDIA REP: IAS Media: +971 4 447 5760 DEMOGRAPHICS: Toyor Al Jannah is an Arabic kids’ channel.

The channel produces content which is aligned with the requirements of the local Arab population.

FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Kanz (Potential Stars), Mam Qalet (Mum Tells), The Little Painter, Bait Al Haj

Wanassah

www.mbc.net PARENT COMPANY: Middle East Broadcasting Center LAUNCHED: 2007 BASED: UAE LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: MENA and West Africa AVAILABLE: Shahid, Arabsat, Nilesat, beIN, etisalat, Du, YouTube MEDIA REP: AMS +971 4 454 5454; ams@choueirigroup.com GENRE: Music

April 26, 2020

Yas

www.yastv.ae PARENT COMPANY: Abu Dhabi Media FOUNDED: 2015 BASED: Abu Dhabi LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: Pan-Arab Yas is the UAE’s primary Emirati sports channel, which specialises in traditional sports such as horse and camel racing, marine sports and falconry. The channel’s name stems from the UAE’s Bani Yas tribe, from which the Al Nahyan and Al Maktoum families originate.

Yas Sports Channel targets Emirati sports enthusiasts with a passion for camel racing and falconry by broadcasting their favourite traditional competitions and shows. It simultaneously attracts a large audience of competition enthusiasts with an interest in equestrian and marine sports, allowing them to further integrate with the Emirati community.

Zee Aflam www.zeeaflam.com PARENT COMPANY: Zee Entertainment Middle East NUMBER OF STAFF: 100 FOUNDED: 2008 BASED: Dubai LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: Middle East and North African countries including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt & Morocco AVAILABLE: NileSat, OSN, e-life, Du, STC, Mobily, Etisalat and more Zee Aflam is the First free-to-air Bollywood movie channel packaged in Arabic for the Arab audience in the Middle East & North Africa, “connecting Arabs to Bollywood”. It was the first entertainment bridge to link the Arab world with Bollywood; Zee Aflam offers the latest and straight-from-theatre movie premieres, in addition to a great selection of Turkish movie premieres, all dubbed in Arabic, as well as some of the best and exclusive awards shows and TV programmes that keep its viewers close to their favorite stars.

VIEWERSHIP: More than 60 million viewers across MENA MEDIA REP: ATL Media (ATL Media exclusively represents Zee channels): Medhat Houalla: +971 4 426 4100

Zee Cinema Zee Cinema is a Hindi movie channel known to create magic with the best and highest numbers of movies on Indian television. It also plays host for the biggest Bollywood blockbuster movie premiers and talk shows VIEWERSHIP: 6 million DEMOGRAPHICS: South Asians in UAE, KSA, Oman, Bahrain, GCC, Kuwait, Africa, Singapore, Afghanistan, Pakistan RAMADAN SPECIALS FOR 2020: Starry Nights Season 2, Movie premieres of Gold and Badla GENRE: Movies; Bollywood chat shows; Zee Cine Awards MEDIA REP: ATL Media (ATL Media exclusively represents Zee channels): Medhat Houalla: +971 4 426 4100

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Zee Alwan PARENT COMPANY: Zee Entertainment Middle East NUMBER OF STAFF: 100 FOUNDED: September 2012 BASED: Dubai LANGUAGE: Arabic REACH: Middle East and North African countries including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt & Morocco AVAILABLE: NileSat, OSN, e-life, Du, STC, Mobily, Etisalat and more Zee Alwan is an Arabic free-to-air general entertainment channel reaching out to more than 60 million viewers across MENA and offering a variety of the best handpicked content for the Arab viewers. From the best, largest and exclusive Indian premieres, Turkish drama and international programmes dubbed in Arabic to exclusive Arabic programmes and drama series, airing for the first time and only on Zee Alwan.

VIEWERSHIP: More than 60 million viewers across MENA FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Saturday Night Live Bil Arabi, Awalem Khafiya, Al Haramlek, Makanak Fe Al Qalb Howa Al Qalb Kolo, Al Hob Al Aama RAMADAN SPECIALS 2020: Aayez Atgawez, Baytak Wa Matbakhak, Al Haramlek, Psycho, Qubool 2, MEDIA REP: ATL Media (ATL Media exclusively represents Zee channels): Medhat Houalla: +971 4 426 4100

Zee Keralam Zee Keralam stands for progressive content that will bring together generations of Malayalis through endearing stories of ordinary people challenging circumstances and crafting an extraordinary destiny. The channel offers a variety of fiction and non-fiction shows.

VIEWERSHIP: 6 million VIEWER DEMOGRAPHICS: South Asians in UAE, KSA, Oman, Bahrain, GCC, Kuwait, Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Dance Keralam Dance; Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Keralam; Sathya Enna Penkutty, Neeyum Njanum, Sumangali Bhava RAMADAN SPECIALS FOR 2020: Dance Keralam Dance MEDIA REP: ATL Media (ATL Media exclusively represents Zee channels): Medhat Houalla: +971 4 426 4100

Zee TV The Flagship channel of Zee Entertainment, Zee TV is the highest rated TV channel targeting South Asians. The channel offers a mix of fiction and non-fiction shows including shows made locally.

VIEWERSHIP: 6 million DEMOGRAPHICS: South Asians in UAE, KSA, Oman, Bahrain, GCC, Kuwait, North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Dance India Dance; Sa Re Ga Ma Pa; Kumkum Bhagya; Kundali Bhagya; Qurbaan Hua; The Cook Book; Zee Connect; Zee Rishtey Awards RAMADAN SPECIALS FOR 2020: Karle Tu Bhi Mohabbat; Kehne Ko Humsafar; Baarish; The Cook Book Season 2 MEDIA REP: ATL Media (ATL Media exclusively represents Zee channels): Medhat Houalla: +971 4 426 4100

PARTNER CONTENT

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April 26, 2020

How KFC is managing through the crisis A

s the Covid-19 pandemic has taken the whole world by storm, brands have had to react with lightning speed.

Quick-service restaurant brand KFC is no exception.

With its outlets throughout the Middle East, and much of the rest of the world, closed to take-away and dine-in customers, KFC needed to remind and encourage consumers that they can order safely and efficiently online.

KFC quickly launched a new contactless delivery service to cater to emerging social distancing practices and ensure its consumers felt comfortable ordering. The brand sent out a heartfelt message to stay home and stay safe. To make sure KFC stays in the hearts and minds of consumers until it can open its doors again and welcome everyone back to its restaurants, it used the advanced targeting abilities of Facebook’s Dynamic Ads tools.

SAFETY FIRST

As soon as the threat of coronavirus began to emerge in the Middle East, KFC quickly leveraged its global KFC network, gaining learnings on best practices and implementing a range of even more stringent hygiene and safety practices, one of which was a new contactless delivery service.

Even before social distancing became the norm, KFC made the decision to introduce contactless delivery to make sure that consumers felt 100 per cent confident and comfortable when ordering. The contactless delivery system totally eliminates the need for person-to-person contact between the delivery driver and the consumer, meaning customers can enjoy their food secure in the knowledge that they’re helping themselves and their communities stay safe.

Once the food is prepared at the restaurant, the bag is sealed with a tamper-proof sticker and the next person to open that bag is the customer, without exception. KFC’s drivers also ensure the food is never left on the floor when it’s delivered – it’s always placed on a sanitised surface. If none is available, drivers use the delivery bag, which is sanitised before and after each and every delivery. KFC describes its team members as being ‘manic’ about hygiene. It has dedicated sanitisation staff who clean every surface

in the restaurant every 30 minutes, and all team members wash their hands at least every 15 minutes.

When the chain first started offering its contactless service it found many consumers did not understand what it was all about. It can feel a little impersonal to have your food left for you when you’re used to personal interaction. But as soon as people realised why KFC was implementing the procedure, the response was overwhelmingly positive. KFC says clear communication is key: tell people what to expect and, more importantly, why you’re doing it. If you focus on building trust you will be rewarded.

SPREADING THE WORD

To help mitigate the impact of store closures, KFC took a data-driven approach to reaching consumers and encouraging them to order online. Working with its media agency Hearts & Science, it leveraged Facebook’s Dynamic Ads solution to personalise creative based on each customer’s interests and profile. Messaging was delivered based on signals pertaining to users’ behaviour on KFC’s website. This helped people get what they wanted and increased the efficiency of KFC’s e-commerce investment by decreasing the brand’s cost per order by 88 per cent – a significant saving for the brand.

The campaign used a funnel approach to target people.

Its first layer targeted young adults and young families. It was broad enough to create volume but narrow enough to be highly relevant. The second layer used retargeting to engage anyone who viewed or clicked on KFC’s ads. The campaign also used automatic placements on Facebook and Instagram to generate optimum results at the lowest average cost.

In the Middle East, food delivery sales already exceeded traditional in-store sales before the Covid-19 lockdown. KFC’s combination of Dynamic Ads and innovative creative has the added benefits of growing the delivery business stream and encouraging customers to order online rather than over the phone, which has traditionally been a more popular channel but one with higher operating costs.

PARTNER CONTENT

April 26, 2020

KFC’s contactless delivery ensures customers feel 100 per cent confident and comfortable

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Ozge Zoralioglu, chief marketing officer, YUM! Brands / KFC MENA Turkey & Pakistan “We have always been a natural part of people’s lives, a tasty treat when the craving strikes or for those small moments of joy that just need to be celebrated.

When Covid-19 hit and our consumers were suddenly faced with uncertainty and fear, we had to act fast. Within the space of a few days we launched our new contactless delivery service, a method of delivery that eliminates the need for human contact when ordering. This way our customers could still access their favourite KFC food just as easily as before, safe in the knowledge that they were keeping themselves and their loved ones safe.”

Anna Germanos, Head of CPG & Retail MENA at Facebook “Restricted mobility and closure of restaurants have put unprecedented pressure on offline sales. In times of crisis, agility is the name of the game, and KFC is a brilliant example on how businesses can swiftly adopt new measures to digitise themselves and ensure continuity. By virtue of the platform’s powerful reach, formats, signals and targeting capabilities, KFC’s campaign has boosted not only media KPIs but, more importantly, online sales. As the shift to online is accelerating, understanding the ingredients of successful online activations is imperative, and KFC had the perfect recipe!”

KFC’s use of Dynamic Ads reduced the brand’s cost per order by 88 per cent Austyn Allison, editor of Campaign Middle East “KFC’s creative provides entertainment and innovation while giving KFC customers back some of the human interaction they might miss while they are cooped up at home. And the brand’s embrace of technology such as Dynamic Ads means it is moving into more sophisticated e-commerce strategy. This sort of targeting has mainly been used by traditional e-commerce retailers in the region, and it is interesting to see QSRs starting to capitalise on the technology.

I suspect many others will soon follow KFC’s lead, as our new circumstances encourage innovation.”

To see this Pick of the Quarter campaign, check out: www.campaignme.com/pickofthequarter

FACES TO WATCH 2020

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April 26, 2020

CAMPAIGN ’S EDITOR AUSTYN ALLISON INTRODUCES THE INDUSTRY’S LEADERS OF THE FUTURE CREATIVE P25

PR

P32

MEDIA P38

DIGITAL P45

A

s the world is in crisis and we pine for what we used to have (offices, colleagues, clients, jobs…) it’s a relief to spend some time with this year’s Faces to Watch. The 30-and-unders on the pages that follow are the talented generation that will soon be leading the industry in whatever direction it takes post-pandemic.

To add even more optimism into the mix, 2020 has offered up a bumper crop of talent. I’m proud to introduce you to more than 150 of the agency leaders of tomorrow. They are grouped roughly into four categories: creative, PR, media and digital. These silos crumble more each year, though. Which is one reason digital has the most listings. All aspects of digital, from programmatic ad tech to social media management, are everywhere. Digital skills have long become a must across the board, and it is no surprise that it is a younger generation of digital natives that is leading the charge.

We’ve got so many Faces to Watch listed that we can only give you a taster of their talent in print. In most cases we have published the endorsements by the managers who nominated each person. In the coming days, my colleagues and I will be uploading each of our Faces’ profiles to our website, campaignme.com. Here you can find their career paths, their side hustles, their dream jobs and more. Of course, under lockdown there’s a strong chance you’ll be reading this on ISSUU or our website before you’re back in the office to get your physical copy of the magazine. So once you’ve seen who you know among these listings, and marvelled at the wealth of talent that we work with, delve deeper and see what makes them tick.

This is one of my favourite issues of the year. Partly because it gives many people their first mention in an industry magazine. And partly because it primes the rest of us for seeing these names a lot more in the future. As one nominating manager says, this may be the first time a person has been in Campaign but it won’t be the last. If previous years’ Faces to Watch are anything to go by, we will be reading a lot more about these people in years to come.

Later in the year we plan to look at Faces to Watch from the client side, to complement the agency profiles in this issue.

In the meantime, read on. Be impressed, inspired and humbled. These people represent the future of our industry.

CREATIVE FACES TO WATCH

CARINE ABOU JAOUDE, 25 Senior graphic designer, FP7 McCann Dubai

April 26, 2020

Jon Marchant, managing director, FP7 McCann Dubai: Carine is the answer to the question: What do you get when you combine passion, discipline, craft, positivity and a love for status quo-challenging ideas?

With clients such as Etisalat, Yas Island, Azizi, Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company and Subway under her belt, this young lady is a fearless thinker, thoughtful designer and a talented creator.

She modernised ADNIC’s corporate identity and social content, overhauled Azizi’s visual language, added a playful spark to Subway’s Sub Rolls, competed as a Young Lion, and helped crack daring ideas for Red Bull, ADNIC and Yas. Carine is more than a designer, she’s a force. And she loves puns.

CATHERINE ASSEILY, 26

CREATIVE FACES TO WATCH

Strategic planner, Geometry

Elias W. Bassil head of strategy, MENA: Catherine is one of the most socially uncomfortable people I’ve met. And although some might see that as a shortcoming, it is actually her biggest gift, because her daily challenge is a continuous quest of figuring out people – why they do certain things, talk in a certain way, buy certain products and feel certain emotions. It is how she copes with the world, first – and brands can benefit from her unique world view. She stood out since day one when she proactively developed a global tool for the network that became a cultural repertoire of insights and cultural tensions.

The ‘Book of Tensions’ is her masterpiece, born out of her intricate observations and highly skilled research methodologies.

TALA ARAKJI, 30

Senior strategy manager, FP7 McCann Dubai

Tahaab Rais, regional head of strategy & Truth Central, FP7 McCann MENAT: Tala has a heart of gold. And she’s a winner; winning clients’ affection, agency colleagues’ trust, pitches and awards. She is a pillar for me and for her colleagues, blossoming into one of our key leaders, at a young age, in a short time; through her commitment, passion and hunger.

Representing at Young Lynx in 2019, she won Gold. She was integral to our efforts in 2018-2019 in winning for her brands at Effies and selflessly helping out with any support her colleagues needed on their entries. Across new business successes, Tala stands out for her strategic ability and personality.

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CHARLI BALL, 29

Managing director, JWI DXB Natasha Kadoura, senior account manager, JWI DXB: Charli is a true leader, ambitious yet thoughtful, who has grown JWI DXB from the ground up with passion for the industry, drive to succeed and genuine care for her clients and team.

She has built a reputable portfolio of clients in just five years because of exceptional work, but also based on the personality of the agency, which she shaped to be imaginative, collaborative and trustworthy. Charli puts her whole heart into everything she does – she is a mentor to team members, a collaborative partner to clients and a creative thinker with a bright future in the industry.

POOJA BHATIA, 24

Copywriter, Team Red Dot Urooj Husain, client services director, Team Red Dot: Pooja brings immense value to our social and creative departments as she is not only a creative writer but also an agile thinker.

As a content writer on the social team, she is able to switch and manage multiple clients and categories with an incredible turnaround time, which is essential to meet the real-time demands of our clients. Apart from this, she is extremely zealous towards new business and has helped us win and retain multiple businesses such as Fairmont Riyadh and Cigna Middle East.

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CREATIVE FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

INAAN BUDHIRAJA, 23

XAVIER DELL, 25

Prabhakar Iyer, strategy director, FP7 McCann Dubai: Inaan joined FP7 McCann in Dubai as an intern with an exceptional academic business background. What he brings to strategy is a commercial viewpoint driven by data, economics and commerce; a rigour rarely seen these days. He has impressed in his thinking and in his personality on brands like Nestle, Honeywell and Emirates NBD. Along with his love for the field, he also brings in a love for design thinking to the strategy department.

Plus, he has helped with all the administration, including selfless late nights in winning Effies.

And all those reasons make him a face to watch.

Sam Turner, managing director, Those Social Guys: This person should be considered for your list for their amazing levels of skills and work ethic. Xavier has gone from a hobbyist filmmaker to one of the most in-demand content creators in the country, creating content for brands such as IHG Hotels, Lamborghini, Aujan Coca-Cola, Yas Mall and GEMS. I believe he has a unique mix of filmmaking talent and an understanding of the psychology and makeup of social media users that means his creations never fail to hit the mark. He is truly one of the keys to our success in the industry.

Junior strategist, FP7 McCann Dubai

Head of content, Those Social Guys

NINOSHKA CARDOZ, 24 Art director, Rain Creative

Manoj Ammanath, Rain Creative: Extremely talented and determined to succeed in the advertising industry, she works across brands and briefs and in a short span of time has brought some really interesting thinking into our game.

MALAK ELNAHAS, 25

SARAH GUESSOUM, 29

Career path: Cairo, Egypt, the beautiful chaos. This is where I started my career as an intern. With no doubt, the city built a strong advertising persona in me. After all, advertising is in its DNA (there is a famous bridge in Cairo of 20.5km; there is a billboard every 1 meter).

Fast-forward five years and I am now an account manager at FP7/McCann, where I manage two of the biggest FMCG brands in the region along with a great team. Great brands, great team, great agency. #Blessed.

Bruno Bomediano, ECD, TBWA/Raad: In the eight months that Sarah, a Young Lion and Cannes Winner, has been a senior art director on the du account, she has developed a slew of campaigns and platforms that will strategically and creatively unify previously sporadic tactical offerings under cohesive and disruptive umbrella concepts. After only three months, she was singled out and selected to attend TBWA’s ‘Makers’ regional pitch idea generation session in Cairo, and developed an innovation initiative, the Zero Straw (a potentially life-saving early-warning system for diabetics).

Account manager, FP7 McCann

Senior art director, TBWA/Raad

SALEH EL GHATIT, 29

Associate creative director, Science & Sunshine Ash Chagla, executive creative director, Science & Sunshine: Saleh is a walking idea box packed full of exciting, fun and irreverent sparks of genius, and just the right amount of crazy.

He’s also a natural leader who is passionate about film and colourful socks.

Aside from being a rising star in our agency who has created some of our best campaigns, he has the best sock collection, hands down.

CREATIVE FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

KATHERINE HO, 29 Interactive designer, Wunderman Thompson

PETER HALIM, 26

Pablo Maldonado, ECD, Wunderman Thompson: Kat is a multidisciplinary designer and creative thinker. She is involved with creative projects and is always ready to jump into new, exciting projects even if it involves long hours, blood, sweat and tears.

Copywriter, Wunderman Thompson

ISHAR KAR, 29

Mohamed Fouad, ECD, Wunderman Thompson: Peter has shown many prevailing qualities over the course of his time at JWT, but I’d highlight his persistency. Peter is eager to learn, a student of the industry, constantly trying to evolve and further hone his skills, and that is a rare breed to find. This led to multiple successful campaigns over the course of 15 months and he quickly became our resident all-purpose copywriter. His studies in the art of performance have earned him a favourable position among many of our clients, as they constantly ask for Peter to deliver the right emotion in any given copy.

Senior copywriter, Classic Partnership Alok Gadkar, ECD & MD, Classic Partnership: Since Ishar joined the Classic Partnership, he has managed to effectively answer a variety of briefs for new business pitches and our existing clients., doing so with a level of professionalism and creativity that blurs the lines between mainline and digital advertising. At first, Ishar may seem like one of the quiet ones, but once he got into the groove of things it has been a breath of fresh air. I can’t wait to see the work we produce in the near future and see his star shine brighter.

CLINTO JAGAN, 29 Creative designer, Essentially Precise

DIANA HAMMOUD, 22

Marcom executive, C2 Communications Career path: Being a fresh graduate in communication and information studies with a focus in filmmaking, I started off working on quite a few freelancing jobs – from photography to video production and editing – until I decided to expand my skills in communication and venture to the digital realm. Although it was something new and challenging, I was eager to pursue my new-found career with C2 as a marketing executive, working with some of the most recognisable brands in the world like Maserati and General Mills. Since joining C2, I have been involved in many digital campaigns and projects in product branding.

Vivek Kukreti, division head, social media, Essentially Precise: Clinto is nothing short of a battery that does not run out of juice. We work on numerous projects together and are constantly on tight deadlines, especially with clients like Al Foah and three of their brands.

However, all Clinto needs is a clear brief, a computer, his music, a karak chai… and voila!

KARL HITTI, 29

Creative channel planner, Wunderman Thompson Tarek Haddad, Wunderman Thompson: Karl’s divergent background grants him a unique perspective needed to occupy such a transversal role across the agency. In just over a year and a half, he’s led on and secured several noteworthy businesses – to name but a few: Zomato Gold, Yousef Abdul Latif & Sons Agriculture, Roche Pharma and Adir Insurance.

Additionally, he’s helped clients (Spinney’s and SARA Group) carve new paths for their digital communication, successfully supported sister offices on key clients (such as Zain), and developed internal processes to streamline an approach towards content marketing and creation.

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CREATIVE FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

LEOMERISH GALE LEYCO, 24 Art director, Merkle

Cristiano Tonnarelli, executive creative director, Merkle MENA: After chatting with Leo for five minutes you see she understands a lot. She is hungry, full of energy and empathic. Despite her age, she is extremely strategically focused, sharp, insightful and brave. I wish I had been like her when I was her age. Since she joined, Leo has shown her ability to merge conceptualisation and design. Thanks to her fashion touch, I can see her sitting in any creative department in Milan, Paris, London or New York, with the same self-confidence.

MARIEM KEST, 25

STEVEN KHOURY, 26

Fouad Juez, senior producer, Apco Dubai: Mariem Kest is a senior interactive content creator at Apco Worldwide.

She specialises in videography, photography and video editing, using multiple software platforms. She has managed multimedia and storytelling campaigns for clients and events including the Pope’s visit to Abu Dhabi, World Government Summit, Dubai Airshow and UAE Innovation Month. Mariem successfully obtained the Digital Marketing Certificate from the Digital Marketing Institute. As a result, this allowed her to further develop her communication skills. In 2019, Mariem integrated into digital and social media by managing social media platforms for renowned clients in the UAE, looking after their full social media portfolios from content creation to community management and events coverage.

Nadine Ghossoub, CEO, Science & Sunshine: Steven is a passionate and ambitious adman. He is one of those suits that clients love because he is aggressive about brand building, and that creatives love because he fights for great ideas as much as they do. He looks after some of the agency’s biggest accounts and is heavily involved with new business development too.

Senior interactive content creator, Apco Dubai

Account manager, Science & Sunshine

OMER MEDANI, 24

Bilingual copywriter, Merkle Stephen Johnson, content lead, Merkle: Omer is young yet wise beyond his age. Growing up in conflict in Sudan, then traveling around and working in the Gulf and Asia, he has seen a lot. Meaningful human experiences are the main things that create the difference between a great copywriter and an average one. His humbleness will bring him very far. He works for the main clients in the agency and often provides inspiring solutions to any kind of problem by writing with flair. His ideas always add value to any brief and value to the people they are targeted towards.

STEPHANIE KOYESS, 29

Senior art director, FP7 McCann Raphael Nassoura, FP7 McCann: Stephanie is a rare mix of maturity, experience and business sense, balanced with bold thinking, artistic courage and creative integrity.

In a remarkably short amount of time, she’s managed to earn client trust across key accounts like Yas Theme Parks and Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company. She was also an important conceptual and visual contributor to high-profile pitches like Porsche and Red Bull, along with award-winning work like Summer Says Yas. Stephanie’s collaborative approach makes her a great team member and a true leader in the making. If the future of advertising is female, Stephanie is definitely living proof.

CREATIVE FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

SALIM MROUEH, 30

Senior account manager, FP7 McCann Nadine Kazan, group account director, FP7 McCann: A team player in the true sense, Salim has a knack for getting people to work harmoniously together. He thinks strategically from both a business and creative perspective and always ensures the work delivered is best-in-class. He is always keen to contribute to new business, with a track record of straight wins over the past two years for the pitches he supported on.

REBECCA ANN MENEZES, 22 Copywriter, Rain Creative

Career highlights: Growing up, my parents always called me out for telling tales. I guess advertising is the outlet I used to turn those tales into stories. So more than highlights, I’ve got a few moments that I hold close: The day I went from intern to employee. Going live with the Volkswagen Father’s Day campaign – one of our first proactive pieces, and I got to parade it on my Instagram stories going, “Hey, I wrote that.” My first successful client meeting – I had my heart in my mouth the entire time but the “we love it” was worth it. When my CD said he knew I could handle (some) things on my own.

MUNIRA RAMPURAWALA, 26 DALIA NASSER, 29

Social media manager, PHD Lebanon

SENKA MUSIC, 28

Creative lead, Geometry Safwan El Roufai, executive vicepresident, MENA, Geometry: Senka joined the experiential industry three years ago. Coming from a graphic design background, she had little exposure to how design translates into spatial experiences.

Yet she had the creative ambition and curiosity that were key for her to embark on her experiential transformative journey.

Since then she has grown exponentially in her design approach and multifaceted skills. Senka lead the creative team when working with the UAE Youth Office, and helped translate its initiative to hyperengaging experiences. The projects team of the Youth Office praised Senka’s work on multiple occasions, citing her forward thinking and agility. Senka is one of a new breed of creatives that has a very promising future ahead.

Nawal Nasreddine, head of creative services at PHD: Since day one, Dalia has always shown a proactive attitude, looking at improving processes and always suggesting new approaches internally and externally. She has been involved in several client pitches and has helped elevate the work on existing businesses. Dalia has improved team and project management threefold in the last year.

Copywriter, Rain Creative

Career path: Six years ago, I started at a social media agency in Mumbai.

After lots of coffee and crumpled paper balls, I hopped from account executive to senior content creator. But I chase change, so before I got comfortable I tried my hand at the creative scene in Dubai and joined a start-up digital agency. As if that wasn’t change enough, two years later I ended up interviewing for a creative position at a full-time advertising agency and boom. Now they call me a copywriter. The journey with Rain Creative has been absolutely crazy so far. I’ve unlearned and learned, and continue to be inspired by the people around me.

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CREATIVE FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

DANA OWIES, 23

Storytelling executive, Apco Myriam Mansour, senior account manager, Apco Worldwide: Dana Owies is a storytelling executive at Apco Worldwide. She always delivers clients’ visions through creativity by creating content in various mediums, such as text-on-screen, corporate videos, wrap-up videos and documentaries. Her unique skills, fresh and youthful ideas were highly appreciated in different projects during the biggest events in the UAE, such as World Government Summit, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and The Pope’s visit. This enabled her to further integrate herself in digital campaign thinking and execution with campaigns that won prestigious awards across the region.

JOE RUSSEL, 28 Head of content, John Brown Media

Seif Kandil, business director, John Brown Media: At a very young age, Joe leads one of the highest impact brands in the John Brown portfolio of clients, Emirates. He leads an overseas team of five people that produces three key content projects for Emirates and, unlike the common digital content that has a short life span, all three projects are print, which makes errors far less forgivable. He sees the process from initiation through to production, achieving growth for both the client’s business and the company.

ANNA SADYKOVA, 25 Strategist, FP7 McCann Dubai

Mario Morby, head of planning, FP7 McCann Dubai: Anna started her agency life as a creative before joining strategy. This means that she’s that rare hybrid planner that can blend both disciplines, making her an inspiring creative strategist.

She’s one of our homegrown talents and a future leader.

Her work ethic is top-notch, her commitment is unmatched and her knowledge, coupled with her passion for the field, is fantastic for someone so young. Her drive and efforts have been crucial to a number of our award wins as well as new business wins. She’s loyal to the agency and to her team and is a fantastic team player.

MALAVIKA RAVI, 29 Copywriter, FP7 McCann

Muhammad Ali, FP7 McCann: Great writers are hard to come by; great writers with a great attitude and work ethic are harder to come by; writers who tick those boxes and happen to be brilliant thinkers are… unicorns.

‘Micky’ is one of those unicorns.

With experience in journalism, blogging and wicked wordplay, Malavika is a multi-talented wordsmith who brings wit, charm, style and humour to every post, EDM, stunt or film for clients including Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company, Azizi and Yas Theme Parks. As a conceptualiser, Micky is a thoughtful, compassionate, strategic thinker who focuses on problem solving and data-driven insights. Advertising better start believing in unicorns.

SABINE SAADE, 21

Account executive, Horizon FCB Reham Mufleh, general manager, Horizon FCB Dubai: Over the course of almost a year, Sabine has taken great initiative in gaining the trust of her clients. This tough task, to say the least, has proved her vigour in making clients feel safe and heard. She has proved dedication and passion, characteristics greatly valued in the world of advertising. Sabine is adapting to the fast-paced nature of the industry, and is a fast learner in understanding insights, which is a valuable piece of real estate within advertising. Her support is crucial in strengthening all projects, and her ability to take ideas to greater heights shines as bright as her future.

NOUR SAMRA, 27

Senior graphic designer, OMG Egypt Tarek Jaffar, general manager, OMG Egypt: Nour is one of the stars in our creative department. She has a great sense of taste, and the work she produces for our clients is nothing short of outstanding. What makes Nour special is her continued striving to learn new skills in the creative world. She started by working on basic static images, then started to grow her skills to more animated work and other skills as well. Her perseverance in a world that has a lot of subjectivity is something that we absolutely love and respect in her. She knows how to take in a client’s feedback and reply with a beautiful piece of work.

CREATIVE FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

LINDA AL SHAMI, 25

Creative content creator, Apco Dubai

MUSTAPHA SENDOS, 26

Visual experience artist, Apco Dubai Mustafa Al Arab, director, Apco Dubai: Mustapha Sendos is a senior account executive at Apco Worldwide’s Dubai office. Sendos has had a passion for creativity starting from a young age.

Following his graduation nine years ago, he pursued design, working with a range of agencies in Lebanon. He is also a freelancer in professional photography, which – coupled with the invaluable experience gained through working in a variety of studios – has made him the designer he is today. Besides his design skills for social media platforms, Mustapha is capable of creating innovative designs for websites, mobile apps and other digital experiences with the end user in mind.

Bedoor Khalil, associate director, Apco Dubai: Linda Al Shami is a senior account executive at Apco Worldwide in Dubai. She started her career working exclusively in graphic designing, and evolved within a couple of years to a creative content creator, responsible for account management and capable of creating content, doing community management and creating all the visual assets. In 2019, Linda became a Certified Digital Marketing Professional after acquiring her certification from the Digital Marketing Institute. Linda loves new challenges and fusing good design with a user-friendly experience that is engaging and forward-thinking. She prides herself on being able to deliver on services such as branding, printing and digital design. Her creativity and understanding of the digital landscape makes her an asset for Apco Worldwide’s team, and a partner of choice for all work related to creative campaigns and ideation.

SAMUEL TURNER, 28

Managing director, Those Social Guys

AMIR YAKDI, 30

Creative director, film production, Zia Creative Network Waseem Yakdi, CEO, Zia Creative Network: Amir Yakdi is Zia Creative Network’s creative director responsible for creating and implementing concepts for still, motion and film projects. He consistently brings great ideas while being open to anything that makes those ideas better. He has the ability to inspire, motivate and challenge his department.

Due to his charisma and work ethic, our clients – including Dubai Police, Ministry of Interior, Jaguar and Land Rover – usually seek Amir’s extended involvement in every project. From creating the concept to understanding and executing the client’s vision, Amir is proficient in everything he does.

FATIMA YEHIA, 29 Senior art director, Isobar

Asmaa Yehia, senior creative director, Isobar MENA: Fatima is a senior art director, with a prospect for growth and promotions in the biggest digital advertising agency in Egypt and one of the strongest networks in the region. Fatima has experience in two of the biggest advertising agencies in Egypt: FP7 and JWT. Since she joined Isobar three years ago, she’s been combining her knowledge of both worlds, offline and digital advertising, to produce outstanding work, manifested in her contribution to the award-winning campaign (it won two Silvers at the Effies) for Close Up, Don’t Let Her Fly Away.

Xavier Dell, co-founder and head of production/ content at Those Social Guys: I strongly believe that Sam should be considered for your list for multiple reasons, but most notably for his incredibly motivating work ethic, his passion to succeed and the immense confidence he gives to those who work with him. A veteran of the industry garnering experience from various companies, he has attained a great wealth of knowledge and technical skills not just in social and creative media, but in leadership, people management, risk-taking and even in the field with photography and videography. He’s carried this across to contribute to building a strong foundation for a reputable and respectable social media agency. His dedication and commitment to making sure the company creates tidal waves in the industry are only a couple of reasons people should be looking out for him.

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PR FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

RAWAND AL QADI, 29

Account manager, PR, financial and professional services, Hill+Knowlton Strategies Jennifer Kedissa, regional director, finance and professional services, Hill+Knowlton Strategies MENA: Rawand has an almost unbelievably well-rounded set of skills, ranging from press office management, copywriting and executive positioning to media relations and Arabic translation. Since joining H+K in 2018, she has been fully seconded to a financial sector client and made herself absolutely indispensable. Rawand energetically, gracefully and capably navigates any work-related challenge by drawing upon her intricate sector expertise and her supercharged skillset. She’s the beating heart of the team and certainly also one of our masterminds. It’s fantastic to see her thrive and evolve as a role model for more junior colleagues.

OMAR BATTERJEE, 26

HANADIE BOU ABBOUD, 23

PR FACES TO WATCH

Account manager, Hill+Knowlton Strategies

Senior account executive, Bridge of Minds

Stephen Reid, managing director, sports, entertainment and culture , Hill+Knowlton Strategies METIA: Omar is the future of communications. Someone who thinks data and digital first to deliver work that has a real purpose, supporting some of the biggest moments in the history of sport and entertainment – from the first mixed concert to the first heavyweight boxing match.

An energetic Saudi, Omar is self-motivated and curious to look at what is really happening in the world today and how this relates to the kingdom. Well read, connected and ambitious, he sees endless potential to support the country’s transformation, not for the sake of PR but for the Saudi people. He believes in the good that Saudi Arabia can play but is mindful that every step forward is questioned, criticised or misunderstood.

Undeterred, he has welcomed the hardest of newswire and broadcast journalists to Saudi at the toughest of times as he knows it is better to communicate than be silent.

Sarah Araigy, COO, Bridge of Minds: Hanadie is a remarkably brave young woman who contributes greatly to the agency and the growth of the clients.

Her productivity and efficiency and willingness to achieve more saw her promoted from a junior account executive after only one year. At the age of 23, Hanadie is a key person in the PR team, who leads strategy implementation and operations of events across Lebanon and the region.

ALVEENA ABID, 30

Engagement consultant, Katch Tricia Jimenea, engagement director, Katch: Since joining the company, Alveena has built and maintained a diverse portfolio of key accounts ranging from fashion to lifestyle, F&B, hospitality, edutainment, entertainment and finance. She has demonstrated key skills in managing client expectations, as well as devising and executing PR campaigns to make events such as Russell Peters and BTS Riyadh in association with Live Nation, BRIDE Dubai and Abu Dhabi, VOD Dubai International Jewellery Show, and GIRLGAMER the most exciting and anticipated events in the region’s calendar. With her proactive approach, Alveena grabs every opportunity to strengthen relationships with clients and media to further support her team.

PR FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

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RACHEL CHANG, 30

Associate, Brunswick Dubai

BRICE ADLER, 29

Jade Mamarbachi, partner, Brunswick Dubai: Rachel advises some of the region’s largest organisations on communicating around major issues, milestones and campaigns. In her time with Brunswick, she has supported on a major listing, coordinated communications response in real-time to fast-moving cyberattacks, and planned multi-year campaigns with a mix of clever thinking, strategy and tactical outreach. She has demonstrated her value as a standout Brunswick colleague: resourceful, resilient and calm under pressure. Rachel has also been a strong advocate for our cybersecurity practice in the region, by both educating colleagues internally and supporting clients with their cyber crisis communications preparation.

Senior account director, Apco Dubai Rishi Talwalker, Apco Worldwide: Brice never ceases to amaze me. A serial networker, focused on his strengths and always invested in Apco’s interests, he is a great colleague to work alongside. Brice has the right mix of sheer tenacity and a sense of humour that gets him (and others around him) through the toughest of days. I am sure that he is on track to become one of the communication industry’s leaders in the upcoming years.

SARAH ABDELBARY, 25

Account director, Brunswick Group Jeehan Dahman Balfaqaih, partner – head of Brunswick Dubai: In five years, and still at only 25 years old, Sarah has become a trusted advisor, managing multiple large clients across the Gulf.

Sarah has a strong grasp of the GCC’s unique culture and understands the intricacies of the financial and business worlds. She is diligent, curious, thoughtful and a self-starter. These traits, mixed with exceptional writing skills in Arabic and English, and a natural talent to forge relationships with media and clients alike, put her on the path to become the youngest partner ever at Brunswick in the Gulf.

ZIAD ASHKAR, 26

Senior account executive, Gambit Communications

OMAR SHEREEN AHMAD, 28 Senior account manager, Apco KSA

Liam Clarke, MD Saudi Arabia at Apco Worldwide: Throughout his Apco tenure, Omar has supported our engagement with the Royal Commission for AlUla with creative ideas and strategic engagement. He is adept at producing English and Arabic content, and has managed a number of high-profile media relations efforts for the client. These included the planning and execution of a communications campaign around the reintroduction of the Arabian leopard in northwest Saudi Arabia, and the birth of two cubs. The campaign generated more than 9 million impressions and about 2 million views on social media.

Jamal Al Mawed, founder and managing director, Gambit Communications: Ziad is one of those annoyingly quick-witted people with a vibrant personality and infectious enthusiasm, which makes him popular with clients, media and influencers. He is a great problem-solver, has a fantastic ‘make it happen’ attitude and is very technologically competent so he always has a technique or app that can make us more efficient. He’s sociable and well-connected too – I feel like he could easily be a ruthless Hollywood agent but he’s too nice for that. He still won’t reveal how he managed to get the @Ziad Instagram handle.

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PR FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

SWETA FERNANDES, 22

Account executive, GolinMENA Anit Kurian, group director, GolinMENA: Sweta joined us in early 2019 for her first job in PR after a stint in journalism. Since then, she has taken to her role like a natural. She has honed her writing skills during her time as a journalist, and uses her story-telling instincts to identify, pitch and secure stories and angles that feature multiple perspectives. Her clients love working with her, and the wider team appreciate her willingness to share information and expertise where and when needed. She has an interesting career trajectory ahead of her, and the determination and attitude to make the most of it.

TASNIM HIJAZI, 29

Senior account manager, Apco Worldwide Dubai Bahjat Homsi, director, Apco Worldwide Dubai: Tasnim’s meticulous character, attention to details and can-do attitude are what got her where she is now. In a span of a couple of years in PR, she became capable of leading on and managing big and strategic events not just in the UAE but also regionally. Tasnim is not afraid to venture into new projects and take on big assignments. She is smart, resourceful and calm under pressure, traits that make working with her such a pleasant experience.

MALAIKA FERNANDES, 27 Account manager, Golin MENA

SAFA YAKOOB, 27

Account manager, Apco Dubai

DIANA ESTUPINAN, 28

Senior consultant, Instinctiff George Allen, associate partner, Instinctiff: From the day she joined, Diana’s impact has been immense. Within nine months we were delighted to promote her to senior consultant, and she has since taken charge of the financial services and capital markets practice. What stands out is her focus on results, and first-class advice to clients. Diana can be relied upon in high-pressure situations, from IPOs to shareholder activism. Clients know they can rely on her to deliver, and the team know the support and knowledge she provides will put them on the path to growth. Diana is a mentor with wisdom beyond her years.

Venkat Iyer, senior account director, Apco Dubai: Safa joined Apco Worldwide as a senior account executive in October 2018. Ever since, she has a been a great value addition to the team and some of our key client relationships. Safa’s skills and strong media relations have immensely benefited the team and the other practice groups within Apco. Safa is always ready to take up new and challenging tasks – and her proactive attitude and work on Cigna, Gulftainer and Barco has been highly commended. The hits and successes achieved on these clients are testimony to some good work by Safa.

Venicia Vessoaker, director, Golin MENA: Malaika joined GolinMENA in April 2018 and has consistently demonstrated professionalism and creativity in her work with a calm and poised demeanour. She is a clear strategic thinker, who has a good understanding of her clients’ long-term brand and campaign strategy. Malaika has spearheaded global campaigns, resulting in awards three times in a row. Through successfully created and executed communication strategies, Malaika has contributed to revenue growth in new markets and winning more projects with increased scope.

She continues to push the envelope, and is an invaluable asset to Golin MENA.

PR FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

KARIM ISMAIL, 24

Senior account executive, Apco Worldwide Abu Dhabi Muhannad Al Badri, managing director, Apco Abu Dhabi: It is with great pleasure that I nominate Karim Ismail for Campaign’s Faces to Watch 2020. In addition to performing his job at an exemplary level, Karim demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to his company community, as well as to the general public, taking it upon himself to provide exceptional support towards his client (the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science, UAERP). He quickly discerns their individual needs and moves efficiently to provide key information, recommendations and direction. Karim demonstrates the ability to create and implement a vision for his team. He is a visible leader as a pioneer of change, motivates employees and team members and has a tangible track record to show it. He showed outstanding efforts during the WETEX Exhibition and World Energy Congress Event and maintained his role in media relations and hosting interviews with the local media in the UAE, as well as stakeholder engagements.

ISSAM HAKIM, 23 Account executive, Bridge of Minds

RADWA EL TAWEEL, 26 Account director, Brunswick

Heather Salmond, partner, head of Brunswick Abu Dhabi: Radwa is a communications star – highly ambitious, motivated, committed to clients and growth, and an inspiring human being. Her leadership skills, combined with her tremendous work ethic, make her an invaluable asset to our team. Radwa has earned the trust and the respect of her colleagues and clients for her accountability, high-quality work and dedication.

Among other high-profile initiatives, she has played a significant role in driving a fully integrated creative communications campaign for Abu Dhabi’s accelerator programme, Ghadan 21, generating an impressive Emirate-wide impact.

Radwa is on a fast track to success with Brunswick – she has a great attitude, leads by example and sets a high bar. Radwa is an integral part of Brunswick’s future journey and will continue to make a tremendous impact on our industry.

Marina and Sarah Araigy, managing director and chief operations officer, Bridge of Minds: Issam has been an essential element in the delivery and success the team has achieved since he joined Bridge of Minds almost two years ago. Issam has created and successfully executed local and regional communication strategies for his clients, taking them to the next level.

Additionally, he was an integral part of the core communications team managing high-level events across Lebanon.

AHMAD JARRAR, 25

Senior account executive, Asda’a BCW Nedal Al Asaad, senior vice-president, head of public affairs, Asda’a BCW: In a short span, Ahmad gained the trust of his clients, and built strong relationships, which helped maintain a successful partnership. A versatile communicator, he adopts Asda’a BCW’s evidence-based and bespoke approaches that meet the needs of governmental and corporate clients. He is adaptable, committed and has proven competencies in providing advisory services based on informed insights. He gains these from his proactive outlook towards understanding the market trends. He is an active team player, and I see strong potential in him to be a leading voice in the communications industry.

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PR FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

RASHMI JEETENDRA, 27

DANA ORAIBI, 24

Rishi Talwalker, Apco Worldwide: Rashmi shows great potential. She is always doing more to be better informed and more knowledgeable on her client sectors and on issues related to the industry. She extends herself well beyond her comfort zone to take on new challenges and to learn more. She shows entrepreneurial grit, complemented by her sense of composure in every situation. She has a sense of ownership, which is refreshing for young professionals across the sector. Her overall commitment to excellence also makes her an asset on my team.

Claire Jane Lawson, associate director, Impact Porter Novelli, Impact BBDO: Since we started working with OSN in November, Dana has tackled every challenge with passion and enthusiasm. Her recent success includes navigating how to promote a film when the Red Sea Film Festival, where it was due to debut, got cancelled. Working with the film’s talent, she managed to secure numerous written interviews with the director in high-profile publications. Dana is always keeping abreast of industry and media updates to share best practice with the entire agency to help make sure we constantly keep our finger on the (ever-changing) pulse. She has a bright future in comms ahead of her.

Senior account manager, Apco Worldwide Dubai

Senior account executive, Impact Porter Novelli

IMAAN JOOMA, 26 Senior account executive, Apco Dubai

INJEEL MOTI, 29

Managing director, Catch Communications Career path: Set up communications consultancy at the age of 27 in December 2017; saw consistent growth over the past two years in clients, revenues and team size; serviced 39 clients across both long-term contracts and short-term projects and launches, 60 per cent (17 clients) of which were retained and re-engaged with the agency for other projects in 2020; nominated for two years in a row under regional PRCA MENA awards (categories included Rising Star of 2019, Best Media Relations Campaign 2019 and Small Consultancy of the Year 2020); spearheaded award wins for clients including The Face Shop, Cosmopolitan Beauty Awards 2020, Time out Abu Dhabi 2019 for Wild and The Moon and Fact Dining 2020 for Wild & The Moon.

Sharon Alvares, senior account director, Apco Dubai: Imaan is a communications professional with more than four and a half years’ experience in public relations. Over the past one and a half years at Apco Worldwide she has been a core part of the public relations and media relations team for some of Apco’s key clients. Time and time again, Imaan has demonstrated her dedication to learn and absorb as much as possible from her peers and is always willing to immerse herself in new and challenging tasks.

She has anticipated client needs and taken on full responsibility for independent projects: namely, Companies for Good and Africa Fashion Week Middle East. She may be quiet, but she is a powerhouse when it comes to delivering results and always ensures that her deliverables are of a high standard.

Imaan has also proven to be a key member of the editorial team, lending her support to some of the UAE’s key events including the World Government Summit, First Global Dubai and GITEX Technology Week.

HADEEL MANSOUR, 26 Account manager, Markettiers

Cheryl King, managing director, Markettiers MENA: When Hadeel joined two years ago, she had zero broadcast and PR experience, but she was hungry to learn and wanted to prove herself. Since then, Hadeel constantly impresses with her ability to learn quickly, lead on large-scale campaigns and find solutions to any challenge she’s faced with. I’ll always remember Hadeel liaising with senior police officials during our NYE fireworks live streaming, when we needed to get back to base to edit a package for news, and she convinced them to open up a road especially for us. She’s incredibly passionate; I’m so proud of her.

PR FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

RAGHAD ELASSI, 24

Senior account executive, Toh PR Jonathan Ivan-Duke, head of corporate, Toh PR: Raghad is an integral part of the team, taking on responsibilities and challenges that benefit our company as well as our clients. There are some particularly strong examples of where she has gone above and beyond her role to really demonstrate her skillset and determination.

For Airbnb’s launch in Arabic, she personally took media out to showcase the ‘Experience’ service line of the Airbnb platform. This involved hosting media on tours of Old Dubai, and provided those who attended with a far greater understanding of Airbnb. Another stand-out aspect of Raghad’s professional conduct is her willingness to come up with fresh creative ideas, such as identifying story angles based on complex research reports for Savills. She works seamlessly in both English and Arabic, and above her professional competencies she is a thoroughly kind and helpful team player.

MIRNA TAMIMI, 23

Account manager, Gambit Communications

BIANCA RILEY, 28

Jamal Al Mawed, founder and managing director, Gambit Communications: I have never met a PR practitioner so accomplished this early in her career. Mirna is already the lead handler of our biggest client despite being the youngest person in the agency, and can name the editorial team at any publication across the region off the top of her head. As someone fully bilingual who was raised in Riyadh and studied in Sharjah, she is such a great representation of the young, locally developed talent in the region. She also brings a much-needed Gen Z vibe – she uses public transport instead of driving, streams music instead of buying it, loves Saudi Snapchat and is addicted to online shopping.

Sophie Simpson, MD and Founder of Atteline: Bianca’s support is invaluable; she helps oversee the company’s business operations, liaises with stakeholders, drives strategic company growth and is accountable for the overall performance of the clients and teams. Bianca has brought in eight business leads, two of which have converted to a paying client of over AED52,000 within the nine months she’s been with Atteline. Bianca is much more than the above; she is a leader and one to watch. Her self-awareness, generosity, approachability, humility and authenticity are emotional qualities that cannot be taught. She is one who leads herself, the team and the company to success.

Account director, Atteline

SARA AL QAROUT, 23 Senior account executive, Apco Dubai

Ali Yaseen, account director, Apco Worldwide: Sara was a driving force for the huge success of our work with the Public Authority for Disabled Affairs in Kuwait. The campaigns we developed won multiple awards from MEPRA and PRCA Digital. Despite her young age, Sara was the main lead on the account, and she managed the client relationship and guided the work and the collaboration with our back office. Her proactivity is what got her to work on this account. She voluntarily took the decision to move to Kuwait for three months to lead on this account. Sara managed to gain the trust of the client and got multiple paid extensions to develop follow-up campaigns.

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MEDIA FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

VANESSA ABI FARIS, 24

Performance executive, OMD UAE

HAIK BOGHOSSIAN, 29

Media manager, Publicis Media

MEDIA FACES TO WATCH

Abeer Lizzaik, associate business director, Publicis Media: Working with Haik for the past two years has been an exciting journey of progression and success. From a hard-core operational role to a well-rounded strategic thinker, Haik has proven that with the right attitude and mindset a person will only progress and help the business move forward.

His commitment to delivering the best quality service to his clients was visible as he helped them succeed in direct ROI on their toughest real-estate products. To me, watching Haik lead on his brands and team is an absolute pleasure.

RAYA TANNOUS, 28

Manager, strategic marketing investments, OMD UAE Saleh Agha, business unit director, and Jessica Machalani, director, OMD UAE: In today’s complex and data-flooded world, it is important to keep things simple and useful for brands while making sure that integration is seamless and flawless, which is where Raya has thrived. She joined OMD in Lebanon in 2013 and moved to Dubai in 2014, growing from an executive planner to a manager in strategic marketing investments on one of OMD’s top global accounts, Apple. Raya is committed to delivering high-quality work and has a deep understanding and passion for the brand.

She adapts fast and acts as a brand guardian, working across disciplines, markets and time zones while successfully managing a long list of partners and stakeholders.

Career path: As an economics graduate venturing into media, I started my career with OMD at the core office in Beirut, to later transition and join the Dubai team. Working on an array of clients across different verticals, mainly automotive giant Nissan and Azadea Group’s retail and F&B brands, I have focused on strategic and data-driven solutions to deliver successful results for my clients. I’ve had the opportunity to be part of great projects, from launching e-commerce for fashion brands such as Massimo Dutti to award-winning work on Nissan that has received recognition internally through OMD awards (Client Satisfaction & Advancing Client Creativity 2018) as well as the 2019 Global Twitter Innovators Award that took place in NYC.

ALI JAMMAL, 30

Manager, strategic media investments, Hearts & Science Career path: I was a 2011 graduate in business management from the Lebanese American University of Beirut. Then I left for Congo to operate a detergent soap factory for three years. However, I got an opportunity to work in one of the leading power supply companies in West Africa, so moved to Lagos for another two years. I had to leave the country due to the Ebola outbreak, and this is when I landed in where I now call my second home, Dubai. I never expected to be in media, but the first job role I came across was as an integrated media business developer with a local company, where I was introduced to the real corporate world. Two years later I was fortunate enough to get a Job offer in Hearts & Science. During my threeyear journey with Hearts & Science, I’ve been recognised by the global and local KFC team for the efforts we have put in to surpass regional sales targets.

Another achievement is being acknowledged by our group CFO for ensuring the smooth financial flow of our company.

TAMARA AMHAZ, 23

Media planning executive, BPG Max

Omar Othman, director – planning, BPG Max: When you find someone with a high sense of responsibility, proactive, motivated and with a great level of ownership, you grab these qualities with both hands. This is our case with Tamara. Despite joining our agency right after her graduation, Tamara has been able to digest the dynamics of the industry and the market at a fast pace, deploying her passion towards consumer psychology to recommend the best to our clients.

Tamara was able to position herself as a strong support system to our client servicing team across regional and multinational brands and to show growth in the business.

MEDIA FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

RYAN FLETCHER, 28

ZAK DHIBA, 26

Mazher Abidi, strategy director, Initiative: Ryan is one of the most technically gifted digital specialists we’ve had at the agency, and arguably in the region. His analytical and scientific approach is something clients have bought into in a huge way, and it’s no surprise to see the impact he’s had on our business in such a short time. His skills and experience will be a perfect fit for the future demands of clients, given the challenging and changing times that lie ahead, and we’re all hugely excited to see the what Ryan delivers over the next 12 months and beyond.

Nikita Airan, Radix: With the right attitude and a great sense of humour, Zak has become an integral part of the team in a short span of time. His insights on the digital behaviour of Arab audiences, especially Gen Z, have been very helpful across the floor. He understands the clients’ campaigns as well as business needs, which has helped him achieve set KPIs and gain client confidence. He certainly has a great future in our industry.

Digital director, Initiative

Account executive, Radix

JOUD BOKSMATI, 29

Senior media manager, Spark Foundry MENA (Dubai office)

MELISSA COUPAR, 28

Senior planning executive, PHD UAE Cirine Mazloum, planning director, PHD: Melissa joined when we onboarded a new and large-scale client and she quickly and smoothly took control of the operation to launch a global campaign in 53 markets. Using her analytical skills, she worked closely across functions to put together a reporting framework for a complex digital operation, and she played an instrumental role in putting an optimisation and benchmarking system in place to deliver a successful campaign.

With a high level of persistence, dedication and passion, Melissa is a face to watch in 2020.

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Wesam Ayyash, media director, Spark Foundry MENA: Working with Joud for the past four years is like being on a TV show – specifically, The Office. We always seem to find ourselves the craziest of situations and are able to turn them into an adventure that is worthy of TV. I have witnessed Joud take on a range of challenges – from development of creative media innovations that have transformed our strategies into pieces of art to his recent success in transforming the Louvre Abu Dhabi site into a full-fledged performance platform with the help of his magnificent team. His mind is a wonderland and we are blessed to have him with us to enjoy the ride.

SALLY ADIB, 29

Digital manager, Carat Saudi Arabia Ahmad Haider, managing director, Dentsu Aegis Network KSA: Sally was (and still is) one of the few females who confidently ventured into the world of digital media in Saudi Arabia early on. She seamlessly combines her local knowledge with DAN’s global exposure and expertise to equip our clients with solutions that are backed by real-life insights. In a recent semi-medical product launch for one of our clients, Sally was able to employ her medical studies in strategising a campaign that combined delicate content marketing and product integration with the usual media channel selection. A campaign that triggered product sales and awareness levels beyond the client’s projected forecast.

ANTHONY BOU AKEL, 29

Senior performance executive, Performics MENA Feras Hamtini, client solutions and strategy lead, Performics: Since the day Anthony joined Performics, he’s been proving his ability to learn and develop his media knowledge in performance marketing. His right attitude to keep learning from every single opportunity made him the go-to person when it comes to driving great improvements in any account he handles. His dedication and self-organisation skills set him up for an accelerated growth, and his always-on learning mindset created the perfect example of a future veteran who will have a strong experience in all digital fronts.

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MEDIA FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

MULHAM HAYEK, 29

Digital media buyer, Apco Dubai Imad Lahad, senior director, head of APCO AI Comms Lab: Mulham is a paid media lead who has been working with the digital team for more than two years. He has successfully managed more than 100 digital campaigns and has been working with our clients across the MENA region to provide the best advertising solutions by recommending 360-degree approaches so they can reach their desired audiences across all channels. Mulham’s skills are not just limited to paid media; he has been working with the analytics team and client servicing to support the teams during events with social media coverage and post-event reports. He has contributed to many award-winning campaigns with his integrated communications skills and expertise.

LAMA HADDAD, 26

SAURABH GANDHI, 27

Media manager, Spark Foundry MENA (Dubai office)

Senior executive, programmatic, PHD UAE

Daniel Shepherd, head of strategy and specialised services, PHD: Saurabh is an entrepreneurial self-starter with a great understanding of data-led performance planning. At PHD he has initiated an affiliates programme that revolutionised results for Mashreq’s digital bank NEO, demonstrated ROI to unlock programmatic budget across his clients, including Toyota, and played a key role in training the wider support team. A natural media man, and charming with it.

HALA HMEIDAN, 24

Performance media executive, Magna Santadip Roy, regional head of digital: As a performance media professional, Hala over-delivers on performance. At the age of 24, she has contributed significantly towards the growth of our business, and you don’t see that very often. The way she optimised our campaigns has led us to scale existing clients’ businesses across digital channels such as biddable display and search. Across our biggest markets, KSA and UAE, it has been remarkable. She has improved sales conversion rates almost 10-fold by instilling thorough precision marketing tactics, and her work has a clear contribution towards making Magna the fastest growing agency in MENA. She thoroughly deserves recognition for this.

FIRAS HARIZ, 26

Media executive, Magna Lara Arbid, deputy GM, Magna: Firas reminds us of how we all started our careers in media many, many years ago. He is the first one in the office, the last one out, making sure he’s on top of everything on his to-do list. He has the curiosity needed to keep challenging the status quo; he is creative by nature and always finds new ways to do the same old mundane things, elevating the spirit of the team and promoting an ongoing learning environment. He has taken on a lot of challenges in the past year and accepts anything we put him up to. We highly count on him and see a lot of potential that is just waiting to explode.

Amine Abou Ajram, business lead, Spark Foundry MENA: Lama is an exceptional talent who has accomplished so much in her career, very quickly, despite her young age.

People-centric and passionate, with a can-do attitude and an eagerness for client service, Lama has been able to establish herself as an authority in media, becoming a master of her craft, winning her clients’ admiration and trust and – more importantly – gaining the respect and appreciation of her colleagues. She consistently stands out in her performance reviews, is voted by her clients as a key contributor to their business in agency appraisals, and has been on a career fast track since the day she joined the business. We couldn’t be prouder of Lama. She absolutely deserves to be recognised as one of the industry’s faces to watch in 2020.

RAWAN HILAL, 25

Senior planning executive, Hearts & Science Aisha Ali, senior director – planning, Hearts & Science: Rawan is an extremely confident and switchedon person who has been a delight to work with and a fantastic addition to the team. Her agility to learn and adapt sets her apart as she can grasp multiple facets affecting our clients’ overall business, and her solutionsdriven approach supports in orchestrating a data-driven marketing strategy representing the essence of Hearts & Science.

MEDIA FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

ANASTASIA GUSHCHINA, 26 Senior digital media planner, Initiative

ALIAA ABDELSALAM, 26

Manager, strategic marketing investments, OMD UAE Karan Kukreja, general manager, OMD UAE: Her passion, strategic agility and positivity are profoundly valued by her clients and peers. She also takes the main seat in driving success and productivity for her clients. Her warm and welcoming attitude makes her an invaluable addition to any team.

Raffoul Mattar, UAE MD, Initiative: Anastasia has become one of the most crucial members of our team at Initiative in a very short space of time.

She’s worked on a number of our key clients during her time at the agency, in highly demanding and fast-moving industries.

It’s her adaptable nature that has meant she is always ready to support, ready to learn quickly and ready to step up to any challenge we give her, and that is why she’s truly one of the faces to watch in our industry today.

FARAH IBRAHIM, 28 Media manager, UM

Shreya Parker, media director: Farah has been working on the Johnson & Johnson account for over a year.

In such a short time frame she has managed to become the glue of the Skin Health vertical, managing the biggest beauty and health brands in the region: Johnson’s Adult, Neutrogena and Listerine. Farah is a marketer before she is a media expert and puts the consumer at the heart of planning. She demonstrated this consumer-centric thinking for the biggest beauty launch of Anti-Bacterial, which has seen a positive growth in market share in just two months. In light of Covid-19, she has also been keen to jump on media opportunities that showcase true agility and her mindset of ‘the next normal’.

MAY TOLA-VOSS, 28

Senior commercial manager, Lovin Dubai & Lovin Saudi, Augustus

DANIELLE MAKAREM, 23

Executive, planning, OMD UAE Saleh Agha, business unit director, OMD: No matter the task, no matter the challenge, Danielle always comes through brilliantly. Her can-do attitude has made her an indispensable part not only of her team but also of her client teams. She rose to the challenge of changing roles within the agency and has adapted almost seamlessly through dedication, adaptability and a wonderful spirit

MEHAK IFTIKHAR, 29

Associate media manager, Initiative Bijal Pathak, business director: Mehak is one of the most talented and determined people I’ve ever had the pleasure of managing. Her laser-like client focus, attention to detail and understanding of media and consumers have helped her achieve all the success she has to date and will no doubt deliver even more in the future. Mehak is also a wonderful mother to a beautiful son (who, like his mother, is a very popular member of Initiative’s family) and despite the challenges that brings she has never accepted delivering anything less than her very high standards. We’re proud to have Mehak at Initiative and look forward to her continued success.

Richard Fitzgerald, CEO & founder, Augustus: May joined the company at the end of 2018 from Bayut.

Always calm and composed, he has expanded our offering across F&B, and continued to negotiable long-term agreements with hotels and trading deals with agencies. May understands the combination between traditional marketing and new media platforms as well as the importance of always delivering the desired return on investment. He has excelled and is now managing the commercial team on Lovin Dubai. It is his development to being a leader within the organisation, someone the rest of the team look up to, that is why he has a bright future in the industry.

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MEDIA FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

ABDULRAHMAN HUSSEIN, 30 Media manager, Publicis Media

Abeer Lizzaik, associate business director, Publicis Media: Abdulrahman is a real character on my team. With his passion to work and high speed in delivering I have to admit that he has become the core player on the MAF team. He has managed to become the go-to person for all crisis management and supplier-relationship skills. This year Abdulrahman (known as Abood) has committed to his strong relationship skills with both clients and suppliers to deliver the best into the business, which was highly applied in his contribution to launch Majid Al Futtaiam’s reward programme, SHARE.

AHMED KHALED, 27

Senior integrated executive, OMD Egypt Tarek Jaffar, general manager, OMD Egypt: Ahmed Khaled is one of the fastest learners in the agency. During his three years in OMD, he has grown tremendously. He has shown a great passion for the digital space and has earned numerous certificates to set himself up at an early stage as an outstanding hybrid planner. All clients fall in love with Ahmed has he deals with them with a great sense of passion beyond the typical client-agency model. Be it in the office or out of it, Ahmed is always on the lookout for the latest trend his clients can capitalise on. A future great in the making.

NAJI YOUNES, 30 Media manager, OMD UAE

NORA AL MASHARI, 25

Farah Moumneh, general manager, and Ibrahim Zantout, director, strategic marketing investments, OMD UAE: Naji has been instrumental in leading the day-to-day operations for PespiCo at OMD. He has been given an increased level of responsibility over the years, with the change in dynamics, and has shown unmatched operational ownership while overlooking the GCC Planning of PepsiCo. He brings great value not only from a strategic perspective but also as a facilitator in bringing together all the different pillars for PepsiCo, whether they are content, e-commerce, performance or on-ground.

Social media executive, OMD Riyadh

Ibrahim Jabri, head of digital KSA, OMD: Nora is one of our most dedicated young and promising talents here in KSA. She truly is of a unique calibre, whereby she brings deep local insights and culture to her team and clients, yet her work is up to global standards.

She is an asset for any brand looking to uplift its social media presence.

Nora is also passionate about social awareness and building sustainable communities via social media. It would be very interesting to see her grow in that capacity and shape our industry.

TEJASWI MISHRA, 26

Planning manager, BPG Max Career path: I have been in the industry for seven enriching years. I started my career with an agency , then with a tech company, before I moved to BPG Max Dubai. I have worked with one of the fastest and biggest startups in India, Goibibo & Zoomcar, who are known to be ahead of the curve, and learned to maximise ROI. BPG Max has moulded me as a holistic planner, where communication is the purpose and media the tool.

MEDIA FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

SHAM MALEH, ‘YOUNGER THAN 30’

KATIA MAAROUF, 28

Senior media manager, MediaCom MENA

Media manager, UM

Yves Massaad, client managing director, MediaCom: Sham is one of MediaCom’s rising stars. She joined MediaCom as a fresh grad six years ago, and through her passion and dedication moved up the ranks to become a senior media manager. Her unique people skills have also allowed her to create a close bond with her clients. Sham has worked on telecom and automotive clients where she excelled, and today she looks after Cartier, the number one maison in the world. Working on Richemont’s Cartier requires a special set of skills where you need to have a perfect balance between science and art.

ANKITA KAPOOR, 29 Integrated media planner, Carat UAE

MICHAEL KHLEIF, 28 Media planner, PHD UAE

Stephanie Medledge, planning director, PHD: Michael is a great asset to the team; he is highly trusted by his clients and is always ready to go the extra mile for them. Michael’s extensive knowledge gives him the ability to optimise key strategies to the core. He always has a great positive attitude with the team and is already ready to share support when needed. Whether it’s working on new business strategies, pitching in on other accounts outside his portfolio or simply answering technical questions, Michael is always there with an upbeat smile.

Ramzy Abouchacra, CEO, Carat MENA: Ankita is a shining member of the team, helping to navigate one of our key clients, Microsoft, through a shift in strategic approach to deliver one of the our most successful campaigns to date. More recently, in response to current challenges, Ankita has worked collaboratively with the client and multiple publishers to support businesses and connect their employees remotely through the power of Microsoft’s collaboration tool, Teams. Her agile approach and strong relationships with both the client and publishers have ensured the campaign landed at a critical time to support and educate businesses.

SADIE SMITH, 26

Senior social media executive, Katch

Benjamin Kershaw, chief operating officer, Katch: Sadie has successfully worked on strategies and led campaigns for some of our key accounts including Dubai World Trade Centre. We’re particularly impressed by her proactive approach and her agility when handling dynamic events that require both creativity and decisionmaking skills on the ground. She is also a team player, being able to assist with training new joiners and working alongside different departments within the company seamlessly on integrated accounts. She’s not afraid of challenges and exploring new fields brought about by our diverse client portfolio, and has shown us on several occasions her ability to manage high-stress situations. Through all these, she ensures we deliver outstanding results to our clients that result in business retention and in general boosts to morale across Katch as a whole. She is a real pleasure to work with and all-round great employee.

Lea Koyess, media director, UM: Passionate about data, Katia always strives to come up with the right strategies and recommendations to drive business results. As a media manager handling a wide portfolio of brands under the L’Oreal account, she has worked very closely on key successful launches in the past year, be it on hair care through Elvive Dream Long, or face care through L’Oreal Paris Hydra Genius. Coupling data and innovation and implementing an audience-first approach translated into positive results not only in media but also for the business. Through dedication and eagerness to learn, Katia always keeps abreast of the latest media trends and insights

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MEDIA FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

VANESSA MOUSSAN, 29

SOHA OSSMAN, 27 Media manager, Starcom MENA (Egypt office)

Dina Abdel Azim, associate business director, Starcom MENA: Soha joined Starcom last September as a manager to work on one of the biggest clients, Mondelez.

In many ways, it is worth mentioning that Soha in only six months has managed to exceed expectations managing across the whole account during a very difficult and challenging time.

With the departure of almost half the team, she has managed to handle hard situations with remarkable patience and positivity. Her maturity and dedication are quite impressive. With very limited resources during the most active season for Mondelez’s account, ensuring smooth operations and managing client expectations has put us back on track.

Associate business director, Starcom MENA (Lebanon office)

Joyce Hallak, GM, Starcom Levant: In the past two years, Vanessa has moved to become the first fully hybrid manager at Publicis Media Levant, championing the digital transformation of her clients through new innovations and solid executions. She has managed to grow her clients’ digital revenues to reach 40 per cent in a traditional market. A super proactive person, she is always looking at expanding her capabilities and adding value to her clients to positively affect their business results.

MIRIKA SHAH, 23

Planning executive, Hearts & Science Nadim Karam, senior director, planning, Hearts & Science: Mirika is a self-driven natural, bringing all the skills and expertise that are required to succeed in our industry. She is both analytical and creative. But more importantly, her positive can-do attitude makes her a joy to work with.

Both internally within the team, and with all the clients that she works with. Nominating Mirika here was an easy decision, as I am confident of the bright future that is ahead of her in our industry.

ROBA OMAR, 27

Senior media executive, Starcom MENA (Egypt office) Ahd Talaat, associate business director, Starcom MENA: Roba is one of our key assets with her positive attitude, passion and eagerness, which make her stand out. She is among the most loved and cherished by her clients, teammates and partners. She is always keen on driving business results and has contributed to all businesses she has worked on, from FMCGs to real estate and one of Egypt’s biggest telecoms operators. She has transformed business for her clients, driving business results and leading on awardworthy projects.

ALIQUE OHANIAN, 30

HANINE ISMAIL, 29

Seema Radhakrishnan, head of planning, Initiative: Alique is one of the few true hybrid planners who exist in the media industry today. She is the remarkable blend of a planner, a strategist and an implementer. Hence, she always looks for strong insights, innovative routes and smart approaches for all the projects she works on. She is a rising star at Initiative and is quickly becoming one of our go-to people at the agency.

Farhad Miah, business lead, Starcom MENA: In the entire time Hanine has been with us at Starcom, she has consistently proven herself to be a leading industry talent. With precision focus and genuine passion for the work that she does, Hanine has a unique ability to combine science and art, forever ensuring her team are able to deliver consumer-centric creative ideas that remain aligned to her clients’ business goals. A destined future industry leader, Hanine has a very bright future ahead of her.

Associate media director, Initiative

Senior media manager, Starcom MENA

DIGITAL FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

AHMED IBRAHIM, 25

JAN JAMIL, 28

Obaydah Al Namer, associate account director, Apco Abu Dhabi: If I could summarise in one word who Ahmed is as a colleague, a friend and more generically an employee, I’d chose the word ‘dedication’. For the past two and a bit years, Ahmed has continued to show various forms of dedication to his craft. Being a graduate of a non-media major, he has gone above and beyond to showcase his creativity, understanding, commitment and perseverance to accomplish each and every milestone throughout his career. From late, late nights to super early mornings (sometimes even before the sun rose), Ahmed has always been there, a reliable, dependable and committed employee. Taking challenging requests head-on, managing rather difficult clients, creating innovative and original campaigns, liaising between team members to deliver a stellar product, managing an on-ground team at large scale events… the list goes on.

Rupert young, senior partner, Brunswick Gulf: Everyone associates digital with consumer communications.

However, there is an important avenue for digital in the corporate space. It is a niche field with few practitioners. This is where Jan operates, leads and stands out. Jan has contributed to the success of major client campaigns, including advising ADCB on its three-way bank merger. Jan also hosts Brunswick College workshops and presentations to ensure clients and friends of the firm are in the know about the latest developments in the industry. For example, Jan launched our global ‘Connected Leadership’ programme here in the Gulf in 2019, hosting a series of events, including one in collaboration with Workplace by Facebook. Jan has been a key player in training our team and strengthening the team’s digital capabilities. Overall, Jan has successfully implemented our global goal of integrating and embedding digital in everything we do.

Account manager, Apco Abu Dhabi

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Associate, digital, Brunswick

ANKUSH AHUJA, 30

DIGITAL FACES TO WATCH

Senior manager, Performics MENA Stacy Fisher, head of digital transformation & innovation, Publicis Groupe MENA: Even though Ankush has been in Dubai less than a year, he made an immediate impact upon joining the team. He brings rich experience from our San Francisco office, working across global accounts, and a strong eagerness to drive clients towards excellence within digital. Aside from his ability to sell our proprietary products and approach, Ankush demonstrates an extreme passion to continue learning and evolving. His courteous and energetic attitude encourages those around him to create a dynamic environment. I believe Ankush will excel in the coming years and influence many clients in this region based on his mature market expertise.

MONA EL MEKAWY, 26 Account manager, Apco Worldwide

Abier Kadom, executive assistant to president, MENA, Apco Dubai: Mona is experienced in managing the digital presence of major local and federal government entities in the UAE. While at Apco Worldwide, her expertise and skillset in digital media enabled her to grow the fan-base and engagement of governmental social media accounts in record time. Mona has contributed to the success of covering strategic events in the UAE, such as the historical Papal visit in 2019.

Besides her work in digital media, Mona is knowledgeable in storytelling and creative work, as she is capable of conceptualising and implementing campaign concepts. Recently, Mona started learning about PR and media relations by supporting Apco Worldwide’s on-ground media relations team in covering strategic events in the UAE and the region.

UMAR ACHRAF, 27

Senior account manager, Socialize Aurelien Fonteneau, group account director, Socialize: Beyond his excellent client servicing skills, Umar is a keen strategist and perfectly embodies the socially-led creative agency positioning of Socialize. And it pays off.

Umar’s hunger for creative excellence, coupled with his strong attention to detail, has helped fortify business relationships with Sony MEA and Expo 2020 Volunteers, and has generated a 15-20 per cent growth on his portfolio in 2019 (which also includes Garameesh, Spotify and Singapore Tourism). Umar is one of the rising stars not only in the agency, but within the region.

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DIGITAL FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

TAMARA AL MASRI, 28

NIJA ARORA, 28

Tyler Yeom, associate director – brand campaign, Cheil: Tamara is shaping the future of the new agency model, combining exceptional account service skills and account planning capabilities. Her unique ability to strategically plan and execute complex integrated campaigns has navigated the agency through award-winning campaigns in the MENA region. Since joining Cheil in 2019, Tamara has played a key role in expanding the agency business across the region, handling key clients ranging from the UAE to KSA. The future of the agency depends on talents like her.

Ebru Tuygun, regional marketing and communications director, Accenture Middle East: Nija has been a part of the Accenture family for only a short while, but she’s brought freshness in all her campaigns to date. Nija is curious and can’t rest till she finds an answer. Her projects bring to life Accenture’s innovation agenda. Recently, she project-managed a launch campaign for Accenture’s Dubai Tourism Innovation Hub – developing multiple assets and activating across channels. She developed creatives and content for Dubai Lynx, and is currently working on a regional launch plan for Accenture Ventures.

Senior account executive, Cheil

Marketing campaigns lead, Accenture Middle East

NELLY AL-FAYED, 26 Senior social media manager, Netizency

Michael Maksoudian, managing partner, Netizency: Nelly has been a superstar from day one. She constantly exceeds clients’ expectations and has been delivering quality work day-in-day-out.

She has a great relationship with all her team members and is always ready to help on any assignment.

DALIA BADDAR, 27

LANA BILANI, 26

Jamal Al Mawed, founder and managing director, Gambit Communications: Dalia has a quality I like to call ‘visual creativity’, which means she knows how to create attractive visuals whether that’s through design, photography, artwork or animation. That makes her a huge asset in digital because social media is first and foremost a visual medium. She always goes over and above and has explored everything from wadis, mountains and deserts to warehouses and graffitied parking lots to find original backdrops for social media shoots. She even proactively took on the initiative of designing the layout and decoration of our new office, the Gambit HQ, and for some curious reason she’s a talented embroiderer.

Tamara Habib, business director, Netizency: Lana is absolutely driven and motivated, and that’s what makes working with her so rewarding. She is quick, creative and has the strongest sense of ownership. She never settles for average, and every client that she has ever worked with always praises her dedication and passion.

It seems that no challenge is too big for Lana and that’s why she is given the responsibilities of handling our biggest clients and projects. And she does it all with a sense of humour that makes her an office favourite.

Account manager, Gambit Communications

Senior social media manager, Netizency

RHIA SAMUEL, 28 Senior account manager, Socialize

Ailidh Smylie, head of strategy: Rhia is an extremely diligent, enthusiastic and inspiring member of our team. She leads some of our largest accounts (including VW Middle East and General Mills) with clear strategic direction, building strong relationships as she carves out success for our clients and, in turn, Socialize. Rhia has actively contributed to a large proportion of our agency revenue, increasing her portfolio spend by more than 20 per cent in 2019.

DIGITAL FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

NASSIR ETOUT, 28 Senior account manager, Apco Worldwide

ELIE CHAMMAS, 22

Digital executive, Fusion5 Fusion5 management: Elie has been a great addition to the digital team, with key characteristics that define him, such as his dedication to work, campaign ownership nand his multitasking skills in a demanding industry.

Even though he joined the media industry right after his graduation, he was able within a short period to manage biddable media campaigns for key clients within his portfolio and support proposals and pitches. Elie’s commitment to offer clients the best media solutions led him to obtain multiple Google certifications within his first month.

SARAH EL KHATIB, 25

Social media executive, OMD UAE Khaled Akbik, director, social media, OMD UAE: Sarah is a rising superstar within the social team. She started her career with us at CORE in Beirut working on the MAF account, proved herself to be highly valuable and was brought in to Dubai to look after MAF’s biggest retail asset, Mall of the Emirates. Since then, she has positioned herself as an indispensable asset to both the team and client. She is regularly consulted by the client on everything social, including strategy, content and best practices. She has been put in charge of overseeing video shoots with high-calibre macro influencers (a project she initiated, nurtured and managed entirely on her own). She’s shown high levels of commitment, ownership and professionalism throughout her tenure with us.

Definitely a Face to Watch in 2020 and beyond.

Muhannad Al Badri, managing director, Apco Abu Dhabi: Nassir joined Apco Worldwide as an intern in 2016, where he has begun his journey by assisting on a variety of Apco clients, specifically in the sustainability, technology, hospitality, education and real estate sectors. Since Nassir joined Apco Worldwide, his most notable achievements have been the immense digital support he had during Masdar’s Solar Impulse landing, one of the UAE’s most crowning sustainability achievements. Before the official merger of Khalifa University, he handled Masdar Institute’s (a smallsized university’s) account and topped huge universities in terms of engagement (33 per cent) and followers (thousands) organically, followed by winning a global pitch competition at Apco for the most creative idea..

Now he is able to cope in creating communication strategies, handling client requests, writing press releases, policies, website content, and making communication plans and, to top it all off, creating new biz pitches for new business.

SCOTT CAMPBELL, 24

Digital and content consultant, Apco Worldwide Bahrain Jolyon Kimble, General Manager, Apco Worldwide Bahrain: There are lots of people who understand digital but there are fewer who can complement a high level of technical digital skill with a strong news sense, tight writing skills and well-developed understanding of the PR craft. Scott’s background in journalism and curiosity about wider current affairs help him bring an extra dimension to client service. He spent his university years in newsrooms and this means he has accelerated experience – recently he has broken down the key performance statistics of a client’s social channels in order to shape a new digital strategy, and invigorated a new, standalone content unit.

OMAIR ISS’YID, 26

Senior account manager, Apco Dubai Nael Abdelaziz, director – government relations and strategic communication, Apco Dubai: Omair has been an integral part of the Apco digital team for more than three years, and he has eight years of overall experience. He has successfully managed social media for corporate accounts and transitioned to work across different functions such as digital analytics, paid media and media relations, demonstrating his dedication and strategic capabilities. Apart from delivering the best scientific insights, Omair has been supporting the new business teams with campaigns, creative recommendations and best practices. His work within the analytics team led him to win the PRCA 2019 award for best use of measurement in a campaign.

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DIGITAL FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

ALIASGAR GULSHAN, 25

Senior account executive, Hill+Knowlton Strategies Michael Korjen, head of technology practice, MENA, Hill+Knowlton Strategies: Aliasgar joined H+K in 2018 and from the first candidate interview we saw great potential in him. With maturity beyond his years, Aliasgar won the trust of his clients and colleagues to hold positions of leadership higher than his title gives him credit for. Whether that is leading new business proposals, managing highly complex and large accounts or mentoring teams on the latest trends in digital, Aliasgar has proven he is a rising star of our industry.

MARIAM HASSANIEN, 26

Senior social executive, OMD Egypt

ANISHA GUPTA, 27

Senior account executive, Xaxis

Tarek Jaffar, general manager, OMD Egypt: Mariam is one of our agency’s unsung heroes. She’s is always about the work, work, work but she does this in a composed and calm manner. Mariam is loved by any client she has handled simply because she does not treat them as a client; she is always the concerned consultant looking at how she can always make things better for them in the social space. Her work on McDonald’s Egypt in the past year is a true testament to how she has grown and why she is one to watch out for in the future when it comes to social.

Nisha Patel, head of Xaxis: Since Anisha joined the Xaxis team I have seen not only her technical skills but also her confidence go from strength to strength. Her uncanny ability to quickly adopt new technologies and understand how to apply them to our business and the growth of our clients’ businesses has been admirable. Despite being the youngest in our team, she has proven herself to be a strategic thinker with strong business acumen. She is not afraid to ask for support but has also learned that her opinion is valuable in the tech space. She will, no doubt, be a future leader in our business.

JOANNA EL GHORAYED, 22

Account executive, Wunderman Thompson Career path: Being part of a highly dynamic and fast-paced industry, I have been handed the responsibility of managing one of my company’s tier-one clients since day one. My career path had (and still has) a very fast learning curve, which feeds my passion and motivation to keep going every day. Early on in my career, I received numerous recognitions from management around my project management and client relationship skills.

MARK HAWA, 29

Manager, digital media, OMD Riyadh Jihad El Rassi, business unit director, OMD Riyadh: I have known Mark for almost a year and a half. I am impressed with his productivity and attitude. He takes full ownership of all his duties and responsibilities and has proved to be a great player. Mark is always eager to learn more and educate himself. He plays a major role in each campaign or pitch he is involved with – from a strategic, planning and implementation perspective. On a personal level, he always builds a strong connection with clients and colleagues. He is a rising star within the agency and we expect a bright future for him.

HAZAR KAMAL, 30 Senior executive, social media, OMD UAE

Career path: I started my career at OMD in 2015 managing the food and beverage social media accounts for Azadea Group, and from 2017 to date I have been handling their fashion and accessories accounts. They have more than 15 retail brands spread across nine markets in the region, and I have been given the opportunity to lead on content and campaign strategies. The integration between disciplines has played a crucial role in my growth by understanding the planning and performance side of the business internally and by dealing with the franchisors of the brands globally to work on localising and customising our messages for this region.

DIGITAL FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

SIDDARTH BABANI, 25

Marcom consultant, C2 Communications Career path: A passion for the automotive industry led me to securing an internship at the regional office of a global automotive brand. Learning what goes on at the regional level was eye-opening and challenging. Soon after, I took over marketing and events for a restaurant.

Events like Ripe Market were fulfilling. Building a relationship with customers and seeing that smile on their face after the first bite, there’s nothing quite like it (except seeing them return the following week).

Following that, curiosity about the field of digital marketing led me to C2 Native, where I work on automotive, healthcare and F&B brands.

RAZAN AL HUSSEIN, 29

Performance manager, Performics MENA Hatem Jarad, performance business director, Performics: Razan has been a great addition to the team. Her energy and dedication to keep delivering best-in-class work for her clients always made her input key to any performance discussion and decision. Razan has been leading Hyatt’s global performance activities, She has been able to improve results for her clients and drive growth by improving the day-to-day operations, optimise processes and deliver tailored strategies alongside her team.

SENNA HAZEM, 28 Account manager, Cheil

Career path: I started my career by getting a phone call to work at a PR agency, Apco Worldwide, while I was a marketing student… and I thought, why not? That decision was the start of my journey in the advertising industry. Two years later I moved to Cheil as a social media executive. I was a one-man team at the time, working on content creation, community management and client servicing. Two years later I took the opportunity to step into the role of a digital account manager after I spent a year fine tuning my digital skills and knowledge.

SARAH ABDOUSH, 27

Creative content creator, Apco Worldwide Ahmed Sendos, creative director, Apco Dubai: Sarah Abdoush is a senior account executive at Apco Worldwide, based in the Dubai office. Besides having a keen eye for creating clean and innovative designs, Sarah is capable of creating content for social media channels that is engaging, innovative and creative. She is responsible for the development of campaign ideas for digital platforms that have proved to be thoughtprovoking and outside the box. Besides digital communication and design, Sarah has shown a great appetite for traditional communication by contributing to the company’s media relations efforts at major events in the region such as the World Government Summit, Arab Hope Makers and the Arab Reading Challenge.

SELDA DIMA AL NAZER, 26

Account manager, Apco Worldwide Huda Ismail, group account director Apco Dubai: Since starting her journey in Apco Worldwide as an intern in 2017, Selda has conceptualised and developed creative and engaging campaigns across industries and sectors in various sectors such as F&B, real estate, education, tech, science, media, manufacturing, design, non-profit work, government and sustainability. Her involvement in mega events for two consecutive years (Gitex, Step Conference, Dubai Design District [D3, where she worked on Dubai Design Week 2017], Fashion Forward 2017, Sole DXB and Kids Fashion Fair 2018) resulted in creating solid brand awareness and a bigger footprint for clients. Selda today is the social media lead for Tecom Group’s 12 business communities, providing tangible digital communication solutions to help attract more companies and employees to join the vibrant communities.

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DIGITAL FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

GINA MAAYEH, 28

Account manager, social media, OMD UAE

ELIO KHOURY, 26

Regional sales manager, Gamned Yves-Michel Gabay, regional MD, Gamned: Elio joined Gamned MEA on July 2019 as sales manager. He has been instrumental in improving the sales department of this young subsidiary of our international group. He brought his experience of the Dubai and Middle East market and has been able to generate a good flow of new business during the past nine months (a 20 per cent increase in a decreasing market). Coming from the traditional media supplier industry, Elio has been able to enhance his knowledge to embrace programmatic digital advertising and to pass on his learnings and convince advertisers to adopt this new way of delivering their messages to their target audience. To reach this point, Elio demonstrated excellent learning skills and a high capacity for explaining the benefits in elaborating high-performing digital plans. Thanks to Elio we have been able to expand the visibility of Gamned in Dubai’s competitive digital advertising market.

RUCHI KANSAL, 25 Data strategist, Cheil

Aakriti Goel, strategy & data director, Cheil: Ruchi joined us as a young, curious, fearless intern, and has since grown to become a data strategy powerhouse. She took on the task of turning data, often misconstrued as dull and mundane, into beautiful insights and stories. Her innate desire to find solutions, combined with her can-do attitude, has made her the trusted go-to for the many data tools the agency and clients rely on. While it’s the first time she has been featured in a magazine, it most definitely will not be her last.

Career highlights: Recently shortlisted as a candidate in the 2020 Dubai Lynx See it Be It female leadership programme. I’ve been in the industry for eight years, leading more than 20 local and regional brands across a wide portfolio (including aviation, FMCG, banking, telecoms, retail, government entities, automotive and more). Displaying social expertise by regularly hosting client and agency workshops. Awarded as the Most Improved Presenter in an OMD training course (yes, I watch a lot of Ted Talks).

Recognised for contributing the caption in the win of RJ Trump ads – winner of Grand Prix Dubai Lynx 2017, Cannes Lion Bronze winner (with a previous agency).

KHULOUD KHALID, 30

Account manager, Apco Wordwide Andrea Dsouza, senior account manager, Apco Dubai: Khuloud joined Apco Worldwide in 2019 as an account manager. Throughout her journey, Khuloud has worked on major social media and digital campaigns including strategy, content creation, community management and influencers. In four months Khuloud was able to work on global and regional projects.

Thanks for her innovative thinking she was able to accomplish them successfully. Her first project was with the MEP – KSA Expo 2020 Dubai, and she also supported on the UNESCO campaign, where Saudi Arabia won membership to UNESCO’s executive board.

Now she is working on the G20 engagement groups U20 and C20. On a personal level, Khuloud owns an online chocolate business.

She makes unique chocolate sculptures and showcases her work on Instagram. She delivers to three cities across the kingdom.

This has helped her understand the digital audience and their needs.

MUHAMMAD UMER KHAN, 29

Social media specialist, Zia Creative Network Charlotte Obando, director of communication and marketing, Zia Creative Network: Umer Khan is a social media specialist at Zia Creative Network, responsible for planning, implementing and monitoring our clients’ social media strategies in order to increase brand awareness, improve marketing efforts and increase sales. Over the past 10 months, he has done so for clients such as Al Tayer Motors Jaguar, Al Tayer Motors Land Rover, National Marine Dredging Company, Sharjah Charity Association and United Gulf Properties. Umer is a remarkable employee, surely a huge asset to our department, and is so deserving of this recognition.

NADEZHDA LUKYANOVA, 24 Campaign manager & digital media consultant, Reach MENA

Mazen Hallaway, founder, Reach MENA: In 2018 Nadia joined Reach MENA Digital. She operates on another level from most people – her speed of thought and ability to crunch through to a campaign’s challenges and translate it into a workable effective strategy are mind-blowing. She’s powerfully curious about everything digital. Nadia has gone through intensive travel advertising campaign management and operations training at Travel Audience Amadeus’s Berlin HQ and translated that into actionable smart campaign management and optimisation tactics, helping local and regional brands harness the power of travel data to get efficient incremental clients. She has a great brain and an awesome energy.

DIGITAL FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

PRAVEEN SEKAR, 29

Manager, performance, OMD UAE

AILSA SACHDEV, 28

Senior account executive, digital, Edelman

Terry Mo, director, performance, OMD UAE: Praveen is a digital chameleon who has made quick transitions throughout his career, from operations to programmatic and digital media. Every step of the way, he has impressed everyone with his ability not only to learn new skillsets, but also to adapt and combine these with his existing skillsets to become a truly well-rounded digital media specialist. He has successfully showcased this on every client he has worked across, from consultancy on challenging e-commerce brands to bringing life to FMCG brands across digital media.

Praveen combines amazing attitude with amazing aptitude, and his clients benefit from his broad expertise.

Ken De Pauw, head of digital, Edelman: Ailsa, since joining the digital team at Edelman, has made an invaluable impact.

She is always there to help and comes with creative ideas at the ready. Her passion for the industry has led her to always be on the lookout for opportunities and new ways to engage, whether it be a rap for KFC, an influencer campaign or how to raise awareness and make a technology B2B company exciting. Recently she has been instrumental in monitoring daily coronavirus news and providing proactive ideas to help our clients move from on--ground events to digital activations.

SHIVANI KULSHRESTHA, 25 Creative strategist, Socialize

Akanksha Goel, managing director at Socialize: Shivani joined us in 2016 as a bright-eyed intern who wasn’t afraid to voice her opinions and work hard. Her impact was immediate. She helped launch FrontRow, the agency’s proprietary influencer platform, later that year, and has flourished ever since, elevating projects with strategic intent, creative vision and incredible insights.

Today, as a founding member of our strategy department, she embodies everything we’d want the new generation of creative strategists to be. We have only started to scratch the surface of her potential and are excited to watch her grow into the bold future leader we know she will be.

JALAL HASSOUN, 30

Social media account manager, Merkle

HAYA JAOUNI, 25

Senior account executive, Wunderman Thompson

Victor Madueno, commercial director, Merkle MENA: Jalal has been pushing the boundaries of what brands can do on the social media landscape over the past five years, achieving great results on his current clients. With Pringles he has beaten all FMCG industry and MENA market KPIs, achieving a 20 per cent sales increase with little or no other ATL/BTL than the usual in-store advertising. Also, he has been driving brands including Hardee’s, Etisalat and RSA Insurance on their social media journeys, transforming the way they think and act on social and digital.

Career path: I started my career in the media industry four years ago as an intern, not knowing where it would take me or that I would one day be part of a team like this that works day and night to brainstorm, conceptualise and produce amazing content. Working with Wunderman has changed the way I work and pushed my limits further than I imagined. In only one year I can say I grew faster than I ever anticipated, and I am so grateful to everyone who contributed to this growth.

FELIPE LEON, 29

Performance and programmatic director, UM Jad Chababi, general manager UAE, UM: With the rise in importance of performance media, and our promise to clients to further drive their ROI, Felipe has showcased unique capabilities in driving the fast-growing UM performance and programmatic business (for a wide spectrum of industries including consumer packaged goods, banking and retail), further accelerating growth and shifting mindset from short-term to full-funnel approach. He has also been key in building our offshored team in Beirut, and has developed a best-in-class ways-ofworking model allowing teams and clients in different markets to work seamlessly with his teams remotely. Felipe is now leading the digital marketing transformation roadmap that has been designed across all key clients.

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DIGITAL FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

PRITHVI SHETTY, 25

MUHAMMAD OMER, 28

Performance executive, Wavemaker MENA

Chester Scott, precision director, Wavemaker MENA: Prithvi is a rising talent in our performance team and has proven expertise across the full biddable ecosystem. He is an innovator who goes the extra mile for his colleagues and clients. He has shown his capability to deliver outstanding results on multiple campaigns, but notably his work on the Huawei Watch GT2 campaign saw the watch sell out online in both the UAE and KSA within hours. Huawei is a fast-paced business that is going through huge growth in the region.

Prithvi has stepped up to the mark, adapted quickly and become an integral part of a high-functioning team.

AYA KASHMOULEH, 29

Senior account manager, Apco Worldwide

Pascale Youssef, senior associate director, Apco Dubai: Aya Kashmouleh joined Apco Worldwide in 2015 as an intern, and grew to become a senior account manager over a few years. Throughout her journey at Apco, Aya has worked on major social media and digital campaigns including strategy, content creation, community management and events coverage. The majority of the projects Aya worked on had a regional and global mandate, and she was able to complete them successfully thanks to her innovative thinking. These projects included working on DIFC, LinkedIn, AlUla in Saudi Arabia, Expo2020 Saudi and Tecom Group. On a personal level, Aya is a creative content creator specialised in blogging about travel and lifestyle. Her fanbase of more than 60,000 followers allows her to understand what consumers in the digital space like, and gives her an edge in creating shareable content.

SANJANA SADEESH, 26 Marcom consultant, C2 Communications

Career path: I have come from starting out as a production manager and media enthusiast to exploring the world of marcoms with C2 Native since 2017. I have curated social content, and developed and implemented multiple marketing strategies to optimise sales and increase returning customer numbers for high-level brands in FMCG, automotive, service industries and B2B events. I was leading marcom consultant on the campaign that was recognised as the most effective marketing campaign of the year 2019 at the RetailME Awards.

Business intelligence manager, Publicis Media MENA Pia Riachi, Publicis Media MENA: Ever since he joined Publicis Media, Muhammad Omer has relentlessly been a driving force for innovation and consistently delivers on some of the most complex data engineering and business intelligence solutions. His seemingly innate curiosity to better understand the media ecosystem, combined with his eagerness to grow as a true data scientist, has led him to bring about impactful change in the organisation. More recently, Omer has been applying his machine learning skills in order to craft solutions that helped extrapolate significant value out of clients’ data.

Muhammad Omer is ready to make some noise in the data science space.

Remember the name.

SHENAAZ SAIBULLA, 25

Social media senior account manager, Merkle Rudy Banholzer, managing director, Merkle MENA: Over the three years I have worked with her, Shenaaz has demonstrated her passion, focus for detail and, most of all, dedication to her clients and their business.

Awards are always secondary – first is the business results – and in the majority of the cases that is not recognised enough. The most important aspect is no client wants to let her go. She has won Employee of the Month at Merkle more than anyone else. Her results-driven approach and simplification of processes have made her the perfect account manager.

She has driven small brands and turned them into the most valuable in their industries, such as Visit Saudi, Pioneer and Dolby.

ZAID SWEIDAN, 30 Digital marketer, Boopin

Career path: Growing up I always had a passion for marketing. At the age of 18, my brother and I started Echo Advertising in Palestine. Initially, we started by doing community management for small clients and throughout the years grew to managing social, media, and OOH advertising for top local Palestinian companies. I always understood the importance of media as it is a platform to increase a company’s value through creative measures. Echo being a two-man show, I understood the full spectrum of advertising from digital to prints. Ultimately, I pursed marketing as a bachelor’s degree to accumulate more knowledge and gain a better understanding of media-related tools to grow my capabilities and eventually increase value to my clients. Working at Boopin fuelled my passion and knowledge by providing me with the experience of working at an international agency and working with top-tier clients from various sectors across the region.

DIGITAL FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

MOHAMMED OMAIR, 26

SARINE KROGHLIAN, 24

PPC Specialist, Boopin

TAAG executive, Publicis Media MENA Jade El Hajjar, senior executive, TAAG, Publicis Media MENA: Sarine has an exceptional character, is a knowledge addict and a problem solver, always thinking outside the box and is known to attract others through her positivity. When Sarine joined Publicis Media, she was an incredibly quick learner and was able to fully handle her client with minimal support and has earned the respect of her direct and indirect teams. Sarine’s problem-solving skills are not limited to her scope only; her desire to always learn further has pushed her to help other departments with their own issues. When big automation projects were thrown her way, even without prior knowledge, she was quick to learn the required skills and pushed to apply the different solutions. To sum it up, Sarine has proven that there’s no issue without a solution; you just need the right mindset and an efficient action plan.

RAYMOND SEROPIAN, 27 Copywriter, Mirum

Nicolas Geahchan, Mirum: Raymond is an ambitious copywriter who dared to make a move to a fully digital agency in tumultuous times for the advertising industry in the world and the region. Since then he has managed to adapt and perform well within the digital ecosystem, expanding his writing skills to new areas in which he has excelled in record time. Raymond became a valuable asset to Mirum and its clients. He’s driven by excellence and is constantly trying to up his game by learning new skills and improving his creative capabilities.

He’s an out-of-the-box creative, courageous enough to constantly challenge what he knows and a very pleasant colleague to work with. He is the kind of young talent we need more of in our ever-changing environment.

YARA SAAD, 26

Lead performance marketing, Performics MENA Amer Fouladgar, head of global distributed delivery, Performics MENA: Yara Saad has been the driving force behind the performance of her wide portfolio of clients. Yara is leading search and social operations for KSA, Kuwait and the Levant.

She is considered as a main point of reference for her clients and her peers due to her out-of-the-box thinking and advanced technical expertise. She is known for constantly pushing the implementation of digital solutions to solve her clients’ problems and grow their digital footprint.

ALA SHASHAA, 27

Data analytics manager, Netizency Fadi Khater, founder and managing partner, Netizency: Ala’s key strength is her entrepreneurial spirit. She has a drive to get things done and is willing to go the distance to do so. She is extremely resourceful and will make sure that she self-educates and leaves no stone unturned before seeking help. She is able to analyse findings, identify trends and make recommendations across all industries by giving her full commitment and attention to the task at hand.

Ramzi Haddad, managing director, Boopin: Mohammed is good at looking at the numbers and analysing the statistics to improve the campaign performance, which involves continuous testing, updating negative keyword lists, whitelisting strong performance sources, checking in with clients and creating reports.

Career path: I started my digital journey with no relevant background. I studied digital marketing from YouTube. I joined Digitalready in 2015, where I was tasked to assist my seniors with keywords, captions, etc. Then I was promoted to digital marketing executive, when I began to handle to digital campaigns for SMEs. Fast forward to two years later, and I came to Dubai in 2017,. I started working in-house for a company in the construction and landscape industry, where I handled social and digital marketing. In May 2019, I joined Boopin as a PPC specialist, where I have had the pleasure of handling a number of brands within varied industries including automotive, real estate, healthcare, education and more, and helping them grow their digital results.

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DIGITAL FACES TO WATCH

April 26, 2020

ANDREA TAN, 25

INSIYA SAHANA, 26 Strategy and business head, DViO Digital

Sowmya Iyer, founder and CEO, DViO Digital: Insiya Sahana is arguably the finest talent we have in the world of digital marketing today. At 25 years of age, she is blessed with the traits and skills so critical for any aspiring professional to process to be able to make a difference to the brands and people managed and climb the corporate ladder to a leadership position. These are her positive attitude to taking on challenges, keenness to learn, ability to quickly adapt and find solutions, good interpersonal skills and exceptional presentation ability. Her achievements include building the digital presence of fashion brands of the Apparel Group, including their flagship brand Aldo. She has harnessed the creative and tech talent effectively to create some of the finest campaigns across sectors. And she has driven the new business efforts of DViO Digital, making it one of the fastest growing digital marketing companies in the region.

Senior executive, performance, OMD UAE

Terry Mo, director, performance, OMD UAE: Andi is an integral part of the team, responsible for all performance media for Infiniti with a rare combination of marketing smarts and technical expertise. With this, she has successfully managed biddable media all through the purchase journey through a market-leading always-on performance approach, first-party data strategy and integration with the client’s DMP and CRM. She is also a dedicated and well-respected member of the team, always quick to support others where needed and quick to share a crazy anecdote and a laugh otherwise.

SARA SOBH, 26

Senior performance manager, team leader, Group M Hicham Auajjar, managing director, Keyade Middle East: Sara joined us four years ago as a junior performance executive and has grown to senior performance manager since.

She demonstrated strong leadership skills very early, which led her to manage a team successfully within the agency. Sara is a fighter and a detail-oriented professional. She makes it a point to master technical projects she is involved in and is always eager to learn more. Best of all, she has developed strong business acumen and has elevated herself to a consultant: she is capable of translating her clients’ business needs and objectives into well-articulated performance campaigns.

PRASANNA VENKAT, 27

Senior digital specialist, Team Red Dot Irfan Mirza, head of digital, Team Red Dot: A software engineer, an animator and a self-learner, Prasanna started dabbling in Google and Facebook marketing through sheer curiosity and turned it into a career.

Since he joined Team Red Dot, he has made consistent efforts to increase campaign efficiency through the use of diverse optimisation techniques and has been lauded by all our clients and internal management on delivering improved ROI. His most striking trait is his ability to take risks that pay off. He always tries multiple alternatives when hitting any roadblock and is a strong decision maker.

WAEL ZEIDAN, 30

Senior business director, Teads MENA Julien Cavailles, regional commercial director, Teads MENA: Wael is a remarkable professional, driven by exceptional engagement and commitment to the tasks he sets for himself. Joining Teads in 2017, he has delivered a major contribution in building Saudi operations. His constructive approach to business and results-oriented mindset allowed him to evolve from business manager to senior business director, leading our KSA offices, in three years. He is now playing a key role in tutoring our new joiners. Set aside the quality performance, and he is a constantly enthusiastic team member you enjoy evolving around.

NABEELAH BIJAPUR, 30 Data scientist, GroupM

Daniel Vaczi, head of data & technology, GroupM: Since the time Nabeelah joined the team, the focus has not just been on analytics and reporting but also on introducing processes that change the way teams work together and communicate. To deliver and automate at scale for one of our clients, the processes and tools she introduced ensured not only data integrity but also collaboration between teams that were previously working in silos. Bridging the disparity in data sources and individuals has gone a long way in contributing to overall success and efficiencies.

April 26, 2020

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Fear and messaging in Adland

L

ike many people, I saw lockdown as being an opportunity to better myself with all the time freed up from my social calendar. I was going to devour those novels I’ve been meaning to read, develop my cooking abilities and learn to code.

So far I have binged on The Sopranos, made soggy banana bread and learned to turn myself into a potato on Zoom. Turns out it’s quite easy to get distracted when there’s a pandemic raging.

To say we are in a state of flux would be an understatement. The world is changing for individuals, the economy and whole countries, let alone our industry. One way we can track these changes is through those corporate emails we have all been getting. First there was “Your safety is our top concern,” and then “and the safety of our staff” was hastily added. Next came the “We’re still here for you” mails, followed by videos made from stock footage of empty streets and voice-overs about being in it together, and the world only taking a break. Then brands started churning out tributes to frontline medical “Heroes”. And so on. Each swathe of messaging is pretty homogenous, and many wider corporate responses are similar too: from the introduction of webinars to a rush into e-commerce.

We are only recently starting to see true creativity emerge from the crisis.

Take a look at the Honda ad on page 3, for example. And check out the ads Colman Sheil from Liquid shared on our website about how brands such as Burger King, Guinness and Ikea sent stay-home messages early on.

By and large, creativity has been timid and slow to emerge. It’s like

marketers are scared. And of course they are scared. Scared of being seen as opportunistic, scared of missing a subtle shift in zeitgeist, scared of doing the wrong thing. And that’s just professionally. Most of us are scared in real life too. Scared for our health, our families, our jobs. Scared of change.

Covid-19 puts those ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’ platitudes in their place. Cliches like that were born of a Editor time when the world wasn’t facing an austyn.allison@motivate.ae existential crisis. @maustyn The regional and global industry, along with the rest of humanity, is only starting to come out of a state of shock. Necessity comes first, and then creativity, and it will be interesting to see how long we take to get our heads around what has happened, is happening and will continue to happen.

This issue of Campaign is dominated by two timely features. Firstly, while media are suffering and spend is down across the board, we are at least watching more television. Our TV Guide will help brands choose where to invest. It’s also our Faces to Watch issue. Turn to page 24 to meet the young talent that will put the industry back in its feet when the fear is behind us.

AUSTYN ALLISON

Advertising has been self-isolating for years W

A VIEW FROM

DAVE TROTT Dave Trott is the author of Creative Mischief, Predatory Thinking and One Plus One Equals Three

hy does everyone feel the need to do endless preambles, never getting to the point?

Take YouTube for instance.

The title “The 10 Biggest Mistakes in History” looks interesting, so I click on it. This takes me to a fullcolour visual, illustrating: “The 10 Biggest Mistakes in History”. I click on that and it goes to a title sequence, complete with music, announcing: “The” – “10” – “Biggest” – “Mistakes” – “In” – “History” massive drumroll, mix through to announcer, head and shoulders. He slowly begins: “History is a record of the past, both good and bad, great achievements and great mistakes…” This goes on for several minutes until we get anywhere near the actual list of: “The 10 Biggest Mistakes in History”.

I’ve had four introductions, by which time I’ve usually turned off.

Why do I need four stages of people telling me what they’re going to be telling me?

Just get to the point, don’t keep giving me introductions – all they do is waste my time and get in the way.

Which is exactly how we do advertising: we waste time, and money, and get in the way.

Take the coronavirus pandemic.

Years ago, the government was expecting a bird flu pandemic. It briefed us on a campaign to run

wherever the public gathered, so one of the main places would be the London Underground (it handles up to 5 million passenger journeys a day). In a pandemic, you don’t want beautifully crafted Cannes awardwinning ads – you want answers, fast.

Get to the point, make it simple, make it memorable.

1) Don’t sneeze over other people, make sure you’ve got a tissue – CATCH IT. 2) The germs live 24 hours on the tissue so don’t keep it in your pocket or bag – BIN IT. 3) The germs live on your hands, so wash them as soon as you can – KILL IT. And that was the line: CATCH IT. BIN IT. KILL IT. The client wasn’t thrilled; their response was: “Why must everything you do be so Bish – Bash – Bosh?”

I said: “Isn’t it funny how that expression caught on?”

Swine flu was the next pandemic scare to come along. The government wanted a more conventional approach to the advertising, so it ran a large photo of a man sneezing, with body copy underneath.

This seemed pointless to me: if we have a pandemic, it will be on every news programme and in every newspaper. Everyone will know about it, all you’re doing is wasting

your money on a picture of someone sneezing, telling them what they already know. Think of the context: all the media will be wall-to-wall pandemic coverage, 24/7.

That’s the equivalent of billions of pounds of advertising.

The budget for the anti-swine flu posters was less than £10m.

It’s hard enough to make it visible against that blizzard of media.

Why would you waste a penny of your budget telling people what they already know?

And it was proved right: in the second round they had to make the picture smaller and print CATCH IT. BIN IT. KILL IT in large letters underneath.

But it seems this time they’ve learned their lesson. There’s no need for a picture of a man sneezing.

Everyone knows what’s going on, get to the point.

At the time of writing, the UK government has a simple instruction: Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.

It’s not going to win any awards at Cannes, but it works with ordinary people.

And that’s the lesson: just think of the context; our ads don’t run in limbo. People want an answer, they don’t need endless restating of the problem.

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April 26, 2020

Arwa… ‘Simple, neat and straight to the point.’ (DA)

Bahrain EDB… ‘Mission accomplished.’ (PM)

Sedar… ‘The embodiment of what we call wallpaper advertising.’ (DA)

Fiftyfifty… ‘Nice insight but the work is poor and weak.’ (DA)

STC… ‘At times I thought I was watching a Michael Moore documentary.’ (PM)

April 26, 2020

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Private View DANY AZZI Executive creative director FP7 Riyadh

ARWA (1) A fresh and funny approach in a category where communication primarily focuses either on taste, quality or lifestyle. Although it is a literal translation of the USP using one of the basic creative techniques (exaggerated product benefit), the overall playful approach and lighthearted scripts made these films amusing to watch.

Simple, neat and straight to the point.

BAHRAIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD (2) Creatively speaking, there is nothing to it. However, it is a different and more engaging way to lead traffic to the website and tell the audience what the benefits are of investing in Bahrain.

SEDAR (3) The creative business solution they are providing – “customise your space instantly” – offers nothing new or different. In fact, a lot of brands are already promoting similar services, communicated in more creative and compelling ways, as opposed to a simple demo video highlighting the steps to follow. As for the visuals, they are the embodiment of what we call wallpaper advertising.

FIFTYFIFTY (4) While watching the case film, I got the feeling that the whole campaign didn’t happen for real. Instead, it was staged only to document the case film, but I hope I’m wrong. Regardless, it is an interesting subject with a nice insight but the work is poor and weak. The whole creative approach is undercooked and the various campaign touch points are misconnected. The campaign lacked a clear call to action (a pledge to take, a petition to sign, a law to change) where people’s engagement could have led to something meaningful, beyond being exposed to the ads.

The most important question is: How did the creative work help solve the problem and close the gender gap?

The answer is also missing. I believe this campaign would have been much more interesting if the creative work had been well thought out, ticking all the boxes in the process.

STC (5) A well-written piece, insightful, beautifully shot and directed. It grabs your attention from the first few seconds until the very end, although personally I believe it is a bit long. The purpose of the film (in my opinion) is to announce the rebranding of Viva Kuwait and Bahrain, and to further communicate STC’s new brand identity. If so, I would have given more time in my storyline and script to this specific point instead of limiting it only to a few seconds at the end. All in all, a good demonstration of how content is king.

PABLO MALDONADO Executive creative director Wunderman MENA

ARWA DELIGHT: BBQ (1) The first lesson every creative should learn from Day 1 is to create ideas – or campaigns, in this case – that answer the brief directly and without any spin, but that can still be pieces worthy of featuring in one’s portfolio. This BBQ video is proof of this notion. Introducing a light beverage that can make you feel light, even creatively speaking.

BAHRAIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD: PRODUCED IN BAHRAIN (2) I didn’t know Dettol is produced in Bahrain. Now I do.

No, seriously, I think this is a good example of how, using something as small as a simple social media post, you can be smart and deliver a message effectively. These are times for fast, tactical reactions on minimal budget.

Mission accomplished.

SEDAR GLOBAL: YOUR SPACE YOUR ART (3) Your Space Your Art is a bigger concept in itself than its final execution, which is 100 per cent visual. So, aesthetically speaking, although I found the proposal modern, trendy and fun, it didn’t drive me crazy. All in all, a well-packaged project.

FIFTYFIFTY: CLOSE THE GAP (4) This is a good idea that is undoubtedly relevant to the region, as it revolves around the Arabic language and its script. I find it especially pertinent that it endeavours to close the gap between genders. But what attracts me the most is that it’s an idea that seeks to educate consumers on gender inequality at large – something similar to what we did at Wunderman Dubai this year with one of our ideas for International Women’s Day. STC: TWIST OF FATE (5) I liked this, although it felt a little long and drawn out; maybe it could have been shorter. However, it’s an interesting idea that demonstrates how to effectually merge real data with compelling storytelling. I don’t think many people knew the story, which makes its approach even more significant. Meticulous craft and convincing acting add to its humorous delivery. At times, I thought I was watching a Michael Moore documentary.

Arwa

Title: BBQ Agency: And Us Production: Good People Cairo

Bahrain Economic Development Board Title: Produced in Bahrain Agency: Apco Worldwide

Sedar Global

Title: Your space your art Creative, direction and production: Wired/Mariam Fahmi Digital agency: People of the Internet

Fiftyfifty

Title: Close the Gap Agency: Impact BBDO Dubai

STC

Title: Twist of Fate Agency: JWT KSA

58

April 26, 2020

The Spin There’s no denying that the Covid-19 pandemic has raised the world’s appreciation of healthcare professionals and other essential workers, and they should be celebrated. The Spin is less convinced that those workers should have to pay to be celebrated. While we know all media outlets have to make money, we’re sceptical about the local broadcaster that is producing “a fly-on-the-wall short documentary about essential jobs and real-time heroes working during a pandemic” and offering it up to PR companies with a price tag of AED45,000 per one-minute episode. Not that we’d ever use the word “opportunistic”, of course.

A lot of brands have been sending out video messages during the current crisis. And we try to showcase some of them in our Work section. That’s why you’d send them to Campaign – to showcase your creative creds, since we are a magazine that covers the advertising and marketing industry, right? So when we got an email from “Abu Dhabi’s premium leisure and entertainment hub” announcing that it had launched a video called, predictably, #InThisTogether, we asked for the creative credits. The reply from the PR agency was: “Unfortunately the requested information are [sic] confidential and we can’t disclose it.” So no showcase for that one.

Kryptoszene.de, 45% of all British consumers consider buying an electric car.” Before singing the praises of Tesla, the release explained that “the perceived air improvement that resulted from the temporary lockdown has increased interest in electric vehicles”. That’s the first thing The Spin thought about under lockdown too.

Never let it be said that the marketing industry doesn’t take on board that mantra about turning a crisis into an opportunity. The Spin received an email from a German PR agency specialising in cryptocurrencies (no, we don’t know either), which told us: “The corona crisis has had a significant impact on consumer preferences: According to a new infographic by

In the February 9 issue of Campaign, we published a paragraph in The Spin that mentioned the local pharmaceutical company GulfDrug, along with a photograph, without their authorisation. The statements made by us were incorrect and are hereby retracted. We apologise for any misunderstanding and regret any harm it may have caused.

CAMPAIGN DIARY

Marketing Mania

Loeries Creative Week

November 11-12 Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai

August 31 to September 5 Johannesburg, South Africa

There is a new kid on the block that promises to rock your world. Marketing Mania, a creative and digital festival, is coming to Dubai this November. It promises more than 10,000 marketing, design, advertising, social and creative professionals under one roof , with competitions, activations, demo zones, performances, live art and training as well as high-profile speakers.

For more than 40 years, the Loeries has been recognising, rewarding, inspiring and fostering creativity across Africa and the Middle East. It’s more than an award. It’s about doing something. Something big. Something you believe in.

Something that makes a real difference. Challenging the world. Changing it – from bitter to better, less trending and more mending. Flipping the likes and fixing the dislikes. It’s about making work that doesn’t count views, it changes them.

And in 2020, entries are now free.The xtended entry deadline: is 15 June.

For more details: marketingmaniashow.com

More details at Loeries.com

THE HOME OF STORYTELLING IN THE MIDDLE EAST

“MY BEST FRIEND IS A PERSON WHO WILL GIVE ME A BOOK I HAVE NOT READ” ABRAHAM LINCOLN