campaign Middle East - June 2023

AUDIO & RADIO GUIDE 2023

Athar – Saudi Festival of Creativity announcement at Campaign’s Saudi event

Athar - Saudi Festival of Creativity, the largest gathering of the creative marketing industry in the Kingdom that recognises and celebrates local creativity, will announce its inaugural edition at the Campaign Saudi Briefing 2023 in Riyadh.

The Athar festival is set to take place from November 13-16, 2023, at the Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC. It is co-organised by Motivate Media Group, the region’s leading multi-platform content producer, and TRACCS, the largest independent and homegrown regional communications consultancy headquartered in Saudi Arabia.

Ian Fairservice, Chairman of Athar Festival and Managing Partner and Group Editor-in-Chief of Motivate Media Group, said: “The Festival will be a dynamic and vibrant meeting place in Saudi Arabia where culture, creativity, talent, and technology will collide. It is a celebration of the power of creativity in an environment that inspires cultural exchange, collaborative innovation, tangible learning, and training and development”.

Mohamed Al Ayed, Vice Chairman of Athar Festival and CEO of TRACCS, added: “Athar Festival is the distinctive platform in Saudi Arabia for the creative marketing community to celebrate the past, challenge the present, and collaboratively shape the future. It will enable and empower a new generation of creative-first Saudi marketers and inspire the sustainable development of the country”.

Athar Festival runs over four days and comprises a two-day festival, two days of training for young talent, and industry awards. It will take place across two content stages and feature a variety of

DHL MESSAGE DELIVERY

and live entertainment. The festival will culminate with the Athar Awards ceremony, which acknowledges and celebrates exceptional creative accomplishments.

Athar - Saudi Festival of Creativity is a platform for industry professionals, aspiring creative talents, and all those with an interest in the future of Saudi Arabia’s creative field to explore cuttingedge ideas, gain valuable insights, and be part of an exciting new community of visionaries and thought leaders.

The festival will run over four days and comprise of a two-day festival, two days of training for young talent, and industry awards. programmes. This includes celebrity and international speakers, 12 professional marketing and communications training academies for young talents under the age of 32, industry roundtables, exclusive C-suite sessions, marketer accelerator programmes, and two young talent competitions. The festival will provide dedicated spaces for companies, ranging from startups to major corporations, to showcase their products and services. Alongside these activations, attendees will be treated to a selection of arts, food, crafts, music

Meta plans new text-based app

Instagram, owned by Meta, is planning to launch a text-based conversation app. It is currently developing a new functionality that enables users to share text-based content. The text posts can contain up to 500 characters with attached links, photos, and videos.

The text-based app will be separate will be an offshoot of Instagram that can be accessed using the same login credentials.

The new app will be designed to be compatible with decentralised social media platforms like Mastodon, an open source Twitter alternative.

DHL, the global logistics and transportation company, has expanded its services beyond package delivery with the launch of a new campaign called DHL Message Delivery, created by Horizon FCB Dubai. The Message Delivery campaign invited people in Dubai to take messages they don’t want to communicate in person, and deliver them at the exact time and date they wanted using the radio. While every message was targeted for one person, it still reached thousands of people through the radio spots.

The upcoming text app aims to compete with Twitter and display a similar user interface with a centralised feed. However, the main element that differentiates the new platform from Twitter and Facebook, is that users can create text-only images; a user’s post containing text will be displayed as an image.

Brownbook magazine returns to the UAE in a brand new format with its Tokyo issue

website, and potentially social media channels, as part of the agreement. Scheduled to be published twice a year, Brownbook will complement Motivate’s magazine division and provide further proof that print is most certainly not dead.

This latest issue will be the 69th from Brownbook, and unveils a new format for readers; one that focuses each issue on a particular city. The 69th issue will be based on Tokyo and features some incredible photography and compelling write-ups from people who have affiliations with the Middle East as well as Japan.

“We welcome you to a new issue of Brownbook. As we return from a hiatus and enter our 16th year of publication, we have chosen a theme that explores the Middle Eastern diaspora in Japan,” write Rashid and Ahmed Bin Shabib in the foreword of the Tokyo issue.

The iconic Brownbook magazine has returned to the UAE with its Tokyo issue.

The new edition is published through a partnership between Motivate Media Group and brothers Ahmed and Rashid bin Shabib. It is in a new format and will publish issues biannually.

The latest issue of Brownbook will be the beginning of a new series documenting how the cultures of the Middle East exist. guide to the Middle East’. Originally launched over ten years ago by brothers Ahmed and Rashid Bin Shabib, Brownbook is dedicated to exploring subjects across the entire region – from the music of Kuwaiti pearl divers to the Iranian diaspora of Los Angeles. It is known for its use of beautiful photography and original artwork with in-depth stories and interviews on architecture, food, travel and other culture.

Brownbook has long been considered to be the essential guide to the contemporary Middle East and North Africa, and is a publication focused on design, travel and other culture.

Brownbook magazine is described as ‘an urban

The partnership will extend beyond print with Motivate Media Group managing the Brownbook

“And we are delighted to have teamed up with our good friends at Motivate Media Group with whom this and future editions will be published”. This new edition delves into the experiences of individuals from both cultures, including artists, architects and fashion designers who have chosen to reside in Tokyo.

The latest issue of Brownbook will be the beginning of a new series of editions documenting how the cultures of the Middle East exist, evolve and integrate around the world. Covering more than 280 pages, it features a series of interviews, areas of Tokyo and architectural wonders such as the Kuwait Embassy and the Shelf-Pod House, where the walls are bookshelves and the bookshelves are crammed with Islamic literature.

NEVER MISS OUT EVER

Deliveroo has introduced a character called Fomo Man into its latest ads, adding a much-needed touch of humour. It uses the concept of Fear of missing out (FOMO) in the campaign. The FOMO man claims to have done it all, seen it all, and has the photographic evidence to prove it. However, there is one experience he has yet to discover – Deliveroo. The ads portray Deliveroo as an experience that even the most accomplished person – the legendary FOMO Man – can still discover.

Agency More

X NETFLIX THE HEIST

Leaning into the world of the Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area franchise, Science & Sunshine created a disruptive integrated campaign for Lay’s to announce new flavours by doing a heist of its own and amplifying it across every touchpoint. The involved stealing all the Lay’s chips off the shelves in a few supermarkets and hijacking Lay’s Arabia’s instagram account. They then dropped a film showing people the backstory of what happened.

Agency Science & Sunshine Production House Film Pudding

Careem starts rolling out the ‘most significant rebrand’ in its history

Careem is rolling out what its Global Head of Brand and Creative calls the “most significant since it was launched 10 years ago”.

Tom Sword and his newly formed in-house agency team have been working on the rebrand for around 12 months, which has almost entirely been handled in-house by the Careem Creative Studio.

“It works for us and allows us to operate at real speed and understand the business. It bridges the gap in execution and creates a community and culture fostered in-house,” he said.

The core green deeply associated with Careem remains, along with the wink, but expanded to ensure it has the breadth to communicate its growing list of categories and services,

When the rebrand was first discussed, the ground-breaking decision was made by Careem’s management to build in-house creative and design capabilities.

“Our first response was to build our own creative muscle. It was a unique trajectory building the creative team that now has such close proximity to the business.”

The rebrand was fuelled by the evolution of Careem as it has moved from a ride-hailing platform to become an ‘everything app’. “We need a brand that supports our new architecture. We want to be able to

help customers navigate across our full portfolio of services under the categories of Go, Eat, Get and Pay”.

“We think of the product as the brand and vice versa. The brand is now set up for storytelling,” he added.

With the new branding now being rolled out , Sword has had a chance to step back and look at the work his team has achieved.

“This is the proudest I have been when I think about this incredible team of 20 people that I consider to be the best creative talent in the region.”

The brand architecture has been designed to support the growing list of services on the app, which now includes cleaning, laundry, ticketing events and dining out .

“The rebrand is being rolled out first on the app, the main touchpoint for customers, and then for the off-line world of delivery riders (known in Careem as captains) – with their uniforms and boxes.

As part of its review, Careem also looked at the materials being used for their uniforms and bags.

PR agency

Action

mourns founder

The international PR industry lost one of its greatest pioneers following the passing of Tony Christodoulou, Founder and Chairman of Action Global Communications recently.

Christodoulou, a larger-thanlife character with a lifelong passion for storytelling, leveraged an unprecedented 35-year partnership with British Airways to expand the Action brand into 40 markets. He established Action as the largest independent agency network in the Middle East, North Africa, southern and eastern Europe during his four-decade tenure at the group’s helm.

After establishing Action’s first UAE presence in Dubai in 1994 following the acquisition of MCS, Christodoulou helped shape the Middle East region’s PR and communications industry.

The new advertising campaign by Al-Futtaim IKEA highlights how children prioritise spending time with their parents over their bedroom. It acknowledges the special bond between parents and their kids in its campaign. It showcases popular children’s products such as the ANTILOP highchair, BOLMEN step stool, and SMÅGÖRA cot, which are among the retailer’s best-selling products and how these products are left unused as kids prefer to stay close to their parents.

Saudi’s food delivery app Hungerstation has introduced a campaign Tip with time to make Saudi Arabia’s roads safer for delivery drivers. The campaign encourages customers to tip with time instead of money when placing orders on the app. When a customer tips with time, the delivery driver receives a notification with the extra time added to their delivery journey. This takes off the pressure from drivers to complete their deliveries quickly, and ensures that the drivers arrive safely and peacefully.

Creative agency Wunderman Thompson KSA Production house Forward ECD Rayyan Aoun

Its new in-house agency team have been working on the rebrand for around 12 months.

Sometimes I forget how intimate radio is. To have someone’s voice in your car, your home, to get to know them. It’s very special. The trust builds too, I hope. It’s a responsibility, to introduce listeners to experts and real-life stories, to answer their questions, to give them a platform.

During Covid-19 I came to realise just how much the medium was needed; more than ever, Dubai Eye became a source of immediate information – there is no media platform quicker for communicating than speaking into a microphone – at a time when there was so much uncertainty.

Not only were we reporting the numbers and guidelines, explaining how life and rules were changing on an hourly basis, but offering a sense of comfort and community too. I am fortunate to broadcast on a medium that reaches so many nationalities, and Dubai Eye and our sister stations in ARN became the trusted source of real time information, on-air, via the ARN News Centre app and on social media to help protect the community, as we were producing thousands of elements of content in multiple languages to reach everyone.

People had very suddenly gone from being around each other in offices, malls and schools, to isolation. Turning on your radio to hear a friendly voice and the latest updates became something of a lifeline. Add in the fact there’s no cost barrier to listening or getting this information, and the number of our listeners boomed.

I host the Afternoons show and am live on-air and online every week day from 2pm to 5pm. It’s a unique job, in that I become an expert in a huge range of topics, even if only temporarily. No two days are the same. I can do a deep dive into a psychological issue, hear unimaginable stories from extraordinary people, assist listeners with legal or health concerns by having an in-demand expert taking their questions on the text line, whether they’re from here in Dubai or speaking to us from anywhere in the world, and chat with both up-and-coming and world-famous chefs.

In truth, it’s connecting the community that makes this role so fulfilling to me. To be able to save someone a trip to the doctor, vet or solicitor, to introduce a listener to someone who has real expertise in an area they need help in (who might not have an available appointment for months), is really meaningful. It’s offering advice and often peace of mind. It’s those ‘I didn’t know that’ and ‘I feel like that too’ moments.

So how do we decide which guests get booked? Well, it’s a tricky one. Because we might have a globally recognised, qualified expert in our studio, if they can’t communicate well, it’s a disaster. If they can’t tell a story, can’t answer questions clearly or get overwhelmed by a microphone and shut down, that can be a very, very long segment, for them and for me. I once had a chef change his entire accent, sweating through his whites, because he was so nervous. Needless to say, we ended the chat early. Let that be a lesson to the PRs reading this.

In short, I hope my show on Dubai Eye is a reflection of what’s happening in the

community – we’re talking about what you’re talking about, from rents to restaurants – but also shining a light on subjects that people may know very little about. I’d love it if everyone listening learns something, and goes home, or calls a friend, saying “You’ll never guess what I heard today”. We’ve had stories of people finding the best doctor for their child after hearing them on the show, of people getting thousands of dirhams paid back to them after sending a text during our free legal clinic. That’s what it’s all about to me.

And I hope I’m able to connect too. I’m all too happy to share my own issues, from health to parenting, to be vulnerable and normalise some of the struggles we all face, often forgetting how many people are listening. After years of working in publishing (pre-internet), articles would be edited, printed and manually circulated.

Now, because I’m live on air and online, it’s immediate and in real time, and I get instant feedback from the audience… something I thrive on and keeps the adrenalin going.

There’s the technical side too, of making sure everything sounds amazing, whether we’re broadcasting from the Dubai Eye studio in Media City or from a pearl farm in the middle of the Arabian Gulf.

When I first started in radio, a much more experienced presenter told me, “Some days you’ll take your headphones off and walk out of the studio on top of the world. Other days you’ll walk away wishing you’d said or done something differently, and it will haunt you”. That’s very true indeed. I learn something every day, sometimes about myself and most often from my guests. I just hope that’s true of the thousands of people tuning in too, because it’s a privilege to spend that time in their company.

LISTEN AND

LEARN

Dubai Eye radio presenter Helen Farmer tells Campaign Middle

East editor Justin Harper the many things she loves about her job

Green Ramadan

Innovating to achieve Sustainable Development Goals

By Marwa Kaabour, Group Head of Marketing and Corporate Communication, Al Masaood

As the world continues to urbanise and the effects of climate change worsen, the need for innovations in line with United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has gained prominence. The business sector has a crucial role in facilitating the transition of other industrial sectors to the low-carbon economy, which is essential for achieving the SDGs and addressing climate change.

To engage and inspire customers to contribute towards SDGs, Al Masaood needed a campaign that could seamlessly create awareness and encourage action. Because of the magnitude of the challenges involved, it was imperative to have a message which would reduce the complexities of SDGs and offer ideas to make a proactive contribution towards achieving these goals.

Ramadan is the ideal time to take a proactive stance and work together to increase the impact of environmental programmes and initiatives. During Ramadan, people are encouraged to focus on spiritual growth and self-improvement, which can extend to taking care of the environment. This can include reducing waste, conserving water and energy, and promoting sustainable practices.

Cue ‘Green Ramadan’ or ‘Ramadan Al Akhdar’, which embraces the essence of positive social impact through sustainable values and practices to accelerate global efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. The campaign aims to

raise awareness about the importance of sustainable practices in agriculture and encourage individuals and businesses to adopt eco-friendly solutions.

Green Ramadan combines innovation and information to present the Al Masaood’s core sustainability values and inspire people to contribute to SDGs. Al Masaood’s Green Ramadan campaign promotes positive social impact through sustainable values and practises to accelerate Sustainable Development Goals whilst staying true to the spirit of Ramadan. The campaign includes four pillars - reducing waste, conserving water, promoting sustainable food consumption and encouraging the use of renewable energy sources.

COVID-19 had driven 115 million people into extreme poverty by 2021. This makes it even more important for us to come together and donate to poverty-fighting charities in alignment with Ramadan’s true spirit to achieve SDG #1 (no poverty).

The world wastes 1.3 billion metric tonnes of food annually, wasting nearly one trillion dollars. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that one billion people go hungry daily. To increase local food production and reduce food waste, sustainable agriculture and water management must be invested in. Promoting local food consumption can also boost sector growth and food security. With some planning, Ramadan can be waste-free, in line with SDG #2 (zero hunger). Planning meals, using reusable containers and utensils, and donating extra food are ways to reduce food waste. Eco-friendly products and energy conservation can also make Ramadan more sustainable.

Driven by population growth, sustainable development in MENA depends on agriculture. Due to severe droughts, crops are dying in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt, raising food prices. To empower farmers and agriculture stakeholders in water-scarce regions to achieve SDG #6 (clean water and sanitation), we must implement policies that support sustainable farming practises, encourage drought-resistant crops, provide financial assistance for farmers to invest in irrigation systems, improve water storage and distribution infrastructure and educate farmers on water conservation.

Finally, renewable energy, such as solar charging systems, can provide clean energy to 790 million people without electricity. Al Masaood Power developed SHAMS+, a UAE-made charging solution for electric vehicles and hybrid marine vessels, to promote sustainability and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Al Masaood Power also has a distribution agreement with Sunstream International to pioneer GCC solar panel solutions. Our strategic alliance shows our commitment to the region’s clean energy transition to accomplish SDG #7 (affordable and clean energy).

Additionally, environmentally friendly technologies contribute significantly to the global energy transition. Al Masaood Power is the sole and officiaww l distributor of mtu technologies in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Rolls-Royce’s MTU focuses on developing sustainable, carbon-neutral solutions for propulsion, drive and power generation.

Al Masaood is committed to leveraging innovation to contribute to solutions for a better tomorrow, and Green Ramadan is a step towards supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals within the context of sustainable practices during Ramadan.

“With so many trends and tools emerging, it’s easy to fall into the rabbit hole of over-place by answering key questions first.”

Brand marketers face several challenges including strained resources, the end of third-party cookies and the need to secure improved campaign performance in a competitive environment. Set against this backdrop, there is a growing interest in adopting approaches to marketing that are less dependent or not at all dependent on cookies. Constrained budgets mean brands need to secure higher ROI in customer acquisition. Artificial Intelligence can be used to craft strategies that beget high-ROI campaigns that are more automated, better targeted, and more impactful.

GENERATIVE AI

Generative AI gives marketers the ability to pico-target audiences with tailored creativebased campaigns based on each customer cohort’s unique profile. Generative AI uses words as the basis to generate imagery and text, and research suggests its set to grow at 20 per cent CAGR until 2027. The marketing generated by this AI is designed to be cohort-specific and self-evolving meaning that it adapts its approach based on the feedback it receives. The AI uses creative feedback and reinforcement models to improve with every action. Generative AI can gain an understanding of what creative assets resonate most with a given cohort based on brand and industry data to produce persona-based recommendations. This means that the AI becomes more effective as time goes on and can ingest the data of the most engaging campaigns to create similar copy and imagery.

Examples of this include generating highly photo-realistic product shoots from simple text prompts and creating 3D backdrops for static campaigns. There has also been significant progress in generative

TRANSFORMING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MARKETER

AI for video, which is expected to become more widely used in the coming years.

One of the many advantages of generative AI is its ability to reduce the strain on internal resources for businesses. AI has the potential both to transform the marketing industry and what it means to be a marketer today. The results of anything produced by a generative AI system are only as good as the prompt that is fed to it by the brand team; be it writer or designer. The more specific and descriptive the parameters of the prompt, the closer the output is bound to be to what the writers or designers wants. In essence, it is the professional who can truly being out the best in the technology.

TARGETING BEYOND COOKIES

With cookies set to be phased out by 2024, companies need to find alternative means of reaching web users with a degree of accuracy and effectiveness that can match the cookie.  In 2023, brands will be focussed on experimenting with new approaches, fine-tuning ones that work, and sharpening their ability to build campaigns using AI. AI can be used to maintain campaign performance and brands can use the data they have accumulated already to train AI to detect patterns and trends. Some brands are turning to first-party data as an alternative to cookies. While this can yield useful results, used on its own, first-party data cannot make up for the 30 per cent decline in advertising effectiveness. There are now no-code AI systems available that work by drawing on large amounts of campaign data to determine what kind of content performs best with an individual or cohort. It can then automatically generate creative assets that the target audience will respond to based on this information. Such systems have the advantage of allowing for cross-platform targeting and optimising performance without walled gardens obstructing a brand’s view.

DECISION-MAKING

AI enables more thought-out, intelligent, and accurate decision-making for marketers. The

capacity for AI to ingest trillions of data points, identify patterns, and show them to marketers will transform how marketing decisions are made. Marketers are going to become more aware of how spending can be saved, reallocated and leveraged to return the best results at the lowest costs. Due to the potential AI has to boost innovation and productivity, enhance strategy, and improve marketing decision-making, brands are under pressure to deploy AI so that they can remain competitive in a fastchanging industry.

More broadly, decision-making, in general, is likely to be changed thanks to AI in the coming year and is already being deployed in sectors such as defence and business management. Artificial Intelligence not only offers marketers the chance to automate their campaigns but also continuously monitors and autonomously takes the most logical decisions leading to high ROIs.These trends will grow in popularity as brands continue to adapt their strategies to meet the unique challenges created by this major shift in the business landscape. For targeting that doesn’t compromise on accuracy, creativity, or impact, the use of AI is the clear way forward.

By Neel Pandya, Chief Executive Officer - APAC & Europe at Pixis

‘‘MARKETERS ARE GOING TO BECOME MORE AWARE OF HOW SPENDING CAN BE SAVED, REALLOCATED AND LEVERAGED’’

Pixis’s Neel Pandya explains three ways AI will continue to transform marketing

Don’t just sit there: AI for advancing industry

We are already seeing AI’s promise and power at work says Mindshare’s Ibrahim Ghazal

Most of us interact with AI every day. From ordering lunch, paying bills online or picking something to watch at the end of a long day, elements of AI, machine learning and other 4th Gen tech is at work around us. If we aren’t seeing as much of that interaction in the advertising industry, that’s on us.

We’ve moved slowly to harness and integrate new tech – which is strange, considering the immense value and possibility AI can deliver for us.

Broadly speaking, it seems many of us in the industry – clients, agencies, brands, practitioners and others – fall into one of three main categories.

At the top of the pyramid are the fewest, those actively engaged in and in hot pursuit of possibilities. At the bottom are the fearful and status-quo’ers, unwilling to risk change and disruption no matter what the benefits. And in the vast middle: The lukewarm, aware of potential nightmares but unwilling to act to chase the one or avoid the other.

At Mindshare, we see ourselves included at the top of the pyramid. We believe AI stands for Advancing (our) Industry – its potential so powerful and yet so accessible that it can open the door to transformations for us individually and for our entire eco-system. That belief is so resolute that it has led to CoPilot, a GroupM Nexus AI solution that drives real business outcomes for digital marketers. On average we see 20 per cent improvements across our digital campaigns when we implement CoPilot.

We’re already seeing AI’s promise and power at work in creative visual and content generation, in consumer engagement, and in process and performance management. Here in the UAE, agencies have begun using AI and machine learning to enhance contextual, programmatic and cognitive advertising, and derive scalable, predictive insights.

The benefits are also evident. For consumers, there’s the ability to continually and rapidly elevate engagement and experience. Talabat’s new AI-powered shopping assistant is a case in point, offering recipes and checking ingredient availability in real time and streamlining the grocery shopping experience. They might be the first ones off the blocks in this space, but they won’t be lonely for long.

For clients and brands, happier customers and competitive advantage are only the beginning. Cost savings, improved servicing times, richer content and more targeted and effective outreach and more are all on offer. Consider Eva, EmiratesNBD’s AI assistant. Love or hate the UX avatar, there’s no doubt it simplifies and speeds up banking transactions.

The low barriers to entry and high rewards is a boon for the region’s SMEs, allowing them to get much more done, and enter more spaces with fewer resources.

fingertips and are only restrained by our lack of action.

If we want to rise from the bottom two tiers of the pyramid, we must take AI and its sister technologies more seriously. We need to move beyond merely scratching the surface. We can make a start by trying out the new technologies for ourselves, hiring our own experts and building our own personalized solutions best suited for our needs and for our brands and clients.

The barriers to entering the AI space are almost laughably low. There is simply no excuse to not try using ChatGPT or Google Bard at the very least, and integrating readily available and free prompts to test its possibilities for yourself and your industry. It’s not ‘Can we afford to invest in AI?’ – it’s that we can’t afford not to.

I believe the integration of AI frees up more of the industry to focus on what we do best – imagine, create, think and adapt. Let’s look at this as an opportunity to become better creative and thoughtful partners for our brands. Let’s move in lockstep with the times. Let’s look on it as a blessing and not a curse.

For digital, the power of AI is radical. AI can help create summaries and topline analysis of media plans, allows us to nail measurement with tag measurement solutions, make our activations much more efficient and giving us better data analysis faster. Smart bidding, and being able to convert more potential customers into new customers, becomes a reality and not a hope.

Data analytics is also zooming ahead thanks to these emerging technologies, giving us an unmatched ability to harness big data. When Google’s Universal Analytics sunsets in July, its successor Google Analytics 4 will allow us to see AI’s potential as a power tool more clearly, from predicting optimal strategies based on historical performance data to providing ever-sharper targeting and segmentation recommendations.

MAKING OUR OWN SUCCESS

We are ultimately the engineers of our own success or our own failure. This is particularly true right now, when we have amazing technological capability at our

Today’s reality is that we cannot thrive without AI, and neither can AI thrive without us. All of us – client, brand, agency and practitioner alike – have an opportunity to thrive with AI and benefit from it.

“We believe AI stands for Advancing (our) Industry – its potential so powerful and yet so accessible ”

By Ibrahim Ghazal – Regional Performance Director – Mindshare MENA

Rhea Chedid , Senior Podcast Manager, Spotify MENA

MENA’S APPETITE FOR LONG PODCASTS

Spotify’s Rhea Chedid tells Jalaja Ramanunni that MENA’s podcast listeners want ‘heavy’ content

In recent years, the podcasting landscape has experienced remarkable growth and engagement in the region. Podcasts have taken the MENA region by storm, capturing the attention of a significant portion of the population.

Rhea Chedid, Senior Podcast Manager at Spotify MENA, sheds light on the remarkable engagement of podcast listeners in this thriving market.

According to Chedid, the MENA market has the highest proportion of ‘heavy’ podcast listeners, with Saudi Arabia leading the pack. A staggering 67 per cent of adults in the country dedicate at least one hour or more of their week to podcast listening. These findings, based on a recent study conducted by YouGov, come as no surprise, considering the exponential growth of podcast hours streamed on Spotify in the MENA markets. In 2022 alone, podcast streaming on the platform skyrocketed by over 190 per cent year-on-year. The figures reflect the region’s voracious appetite for podcasts and highlight the immense potential for content creators and advertisers to tap into this thriving market.

THE RETURN OF LONG-FORM

Long-form interviews and conversations are quite popular in the region, notes Chedid. “Listeners are tuning in for extended periods with podcasts like Finjan, #ABTalks, and The Mo Show. This interest in long-form content goes hand-in-hand with the rise of niche podcasts. There are tons of podcasts that cater to specific audiences and cover topics like mental health, business and selfimprovement,” she shared.

Speaking of self-improvement – it is a prevalent theme in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. “Podcasts like Think with Hessa, Abajorra, and Sawalef are helping listeners become the best versions of themselves. The religion and spirituality genre is also a genre that has found a strong audience across the MENA region”. During Ramadan this year, Spotify’s team noticed that podcasts discussing

topics around religion saw a growth of over 90 per cent in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, before sunset. Two other interesting genres that caught listeners’ attention were philosophy and gaming, Chedid observes. In terms of entertainment, comedy podcasts are popular in Egypt. There is a growing number of podcasts that showcase great audio storytelling, along with infotainment and true crime podcasts.

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

Podcasts as a medium offer a growing potential to connect people and promote cross-cultural exchange and understanding. “MENA audiences are drawn to global podcasts like Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain, The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett, Call Her Daddy, The Joe Rogan Experience, and On Purpose with Jay Shetty. These shows are talent-led and offer in-depth conversations and thoughts on important topics around health, mental health, business, tech and society. These podcasts resonate with listeners in the region because they provide universal and relatable insights,” Chedid said.

THE POWER OF SOUND

Spotify did a study to learn more about music’s impact on listeners’ brains and subconscious. They partnered with research firm Neuro-Insight to create Sonic Science, a study of how different genres of music trigger engagement, emotional intensity and memory.

Spotify’s Sonic Science includes takeaways that can be used by our advertising partners, brands, creative agencies, media agencies and marketers. Chedid adds: “We found that audio can fulfill different emotional needs based on people’s activities. For example, high-tempo music for working out and instrumental tracks for gaming make sense, but we also discovered that people walking alone prefer songs with a high rate of speech. It’s fascinating to see how audio mirrors our lives and helps us fulfill different emotional needs. Our research validated this belief, and we’re excited to share our insights with our partners and create a more engaging audio experience for everyone”.

The idea behind the study is to educate people on the power of audio and leverage it when engaging with their consumers. “It’s our way of sharing this knowledge with our advertising partners, brands, creative agencies, media agencies and marketers so they can engage with consumers in the best way possible. We believe in creating a positive advertising experience that doesn’t disrupt people’s lives”.

Chedid notes that podcasts provide a platform for diverse voices and perspectives. “Whether you’re looking for a laugh, inspiration, or just a great story, there’s a podcast out there waiting for you,” she said.

“Philosophy and gaming are popular genres in the UAE and Saudi Arabia during Ramadan, while comedy podcasts are popular in Egypt”

Power of Sound and Culture

As we explore the audio landscape through the streaming services we use, podcast shows we learn from, and voice assistants we depend on, we are increasingly aware of its profound impact on shaping our identities and the communities we belong to. The cultural significance of music and podcasts has been a driving force behind the rise of digital audio, as it amplifies perspectives and is fueled by the values of the youth. On-demand streaming services have grown rapidly in popularity due to their ease of access and compatibility across devices, making it effortless to consume audio content, which is expected to continue to rise as technology advances and people look for more ways to connect.

Music cultures in the MENA region are flourishing with countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, leaving a mark on the global music scene through events like the Dubai Jazz Festival, Riyadh’s MDL BEAST Festival and El Gouna’s Sandbox Festival. Music promotes social cohesion which unifies people from diverse backgrounds and creates a shared sense of identity and purpose; but it is the demand for localized content that will truly drive the industry forward in the region.

Anghami, the leading music streaming and entertainment company in MENA, houses the largest library of Arabic content and although this makes up less than 1 per cent of the music on the app, it garners 40-50 per cent of the overall streaming volume. It is evident that there is a thirst for homegrown talent and Arabic content creators, which is quickly being acknowledged across multiple industries and sectors.

Public and private companies in the region are on a mission to elevate the music scene, leading to a surge in the number of local artists who are gaining recognition within their communities and beyond. Pepsi, a brand known for its love of music, partnered with Anghami for ‘Sound of Saudi’ - an initiative providing a platform for new musical talents that focuses on mentoring and documenting their development. It was quickly endorsed by the Saudi Arabia Music Commission and an immediate hit amongst users on social media receiving an impressive 22,000 participants with an appetite to showcase their skills. A total of 10 artists across various genres were shortlisted and given the resources needed to support their journey in producing

high-quality original songs along with the opportunity to be part of the brand’s recent and future projects with the likes of Saudi Idol TV performances.

This interest in Arabic content and thriving music cultures can be seen in the listenership trends on Anghami, whereby Arabic Hip-Hop has experienced an 80 per cent YoY growth, making it the 4th most popular genre on Anghami in MENA, followed by international hip-hop. Arabic Indie has surpassed International Indie and gained a 79 per cent YoY growth in the success of homegrown artists such as Mashrou’ Leila and Cairokee. Electronic and Afro are also increasing in popularity with 60 per cent and 147 per cent growth respectively. The diverse range of music genres, reflecting the varied cultural backgrounds and preferences of the region’s population, highlights the significance of inclusivity and the necessity for brands to engage with their audience through native talents. A recent collaboration around International Women’s Day leveraged data insights to better cater to the brand’s audience where a dedicated album featuring four rising female artists in Saudi Arabia was produced covering different genres and artist stories while integrating the brand’s main communication, reaching the top charts in Saudi and strengthening their local identity in the market.

From the cultural significance of music to the rise of content creators, there are several key takeaways that we can draw from these trends. It’s not just about creating music but creating lasting experiences and impressions that stay with the audience. Wegz’s presence at the FIFA World Cup is a perfect example of how music can transcend borders and create shared experiences that bring people together.

Audio is becoming increasingly vital in any marketing plan, as it provides a listening environment that resonates with users and creates a sense of intimacy and connection. Based on the Nelson Share Shift study, adding audio to a TV campaign improves performance by 20 per cent and is more cost effective. The podcast scene in the MENA region is one to watch with a growing number of listeners and a range of new shows covering a variety of topics, podcasts offer an exciting opportunity for brands and creators to engage with their audience on a deeper level. We can expect to see more innovative ways to incorporate audio into our lives, creating new and exciting experiences for listeners across the region.

offer an exciting opportunity for brands audience on a deeper level. We can lives, listeners across the region.

DMS/Anghami’s Monica Boghdadi explains how Local Content Creators are Shaping the Music Culture in MENA

“Companies in the region are on a mission to elevate the music scene, leading to a surge in the number of local artists”

By Monica Boghdadi, Sales Manager at DMS- Anghami UAE

INDUSTRY VIEW

What is your favourite podcast?

Hanting Zhu

Associate Director, Gaming & eSports, Publicis Groupe ME

Game Scoop! By IGN

As the gaming and e-sports lead for Publicis Groupe MENA, I’m lucky to be able to combine my personal passion as a gamer and marketing as a profession. Game Scoop! helps me to stay in touch with what’s happening in gaming, but also its content is close to internet culture and super entertaining as well (gaming is entertainment after all). I find inspiration from different content topics from the podcast and other gaming content I follow, and it helps tremendously to think outside of the box for my personal life as well as work.

Christopher Ghorayeb Creative Director, TBWA\RAAD

Marketing Over Coffee

Out of the many creative-led podcasts, I always tend to circle back to Marketing Over Coffee, a podcast that stands out among the rest due to its conversational format. It offers diverse topics and deep dives into the latest trends and real-world examples that one can use in their marketing campaign. In a way, the podcast covers rare topics that are hard to come across on the internet. Just like going to a store early in the morning to get the freshest produce. So, an ideal morning for me is drinking my favourite espresso while praying for traffic.

Munther Al-Sheyyab Business Development Director, Horizon

FCB Dubai

All In Podcast

Let me tell you about the All In Podcast, a personal favourite of mine. This engaging show delves into crucial global topics, introduces me to breakthrough technologies and keeps me well-informed about the ever-changing world of finance. While it does lean towards American subjects, it’s hard to blame them; after all, America is the epicentre of innovation. This podcast offers a refreshing alternative to mainstream media, with the hosts’ canny ability to challenge each other’s opinions setting it apart. It keeps me up to date with what truly matters but in a non-boring way.

Tamara

Habib

Chief Operating

Officer, Netizency How I Built This

As a self-proclaimed podcast fiend, I’m always on the lookout for the next podcast that’s going to keep me engaged and entertained. One of my favourite podcasts is How I Built This with Guy Raz, where he interviews entrepreneurs from various industries, and digs deep into how they got their start, what challenges they’ve faced and how they’ve had to pivot in times of need. Whether you’re in the entrepreneurial realm or not, there’s many a lesson to be learned about how building a mindset that revolves around grit, adaptability, innovation, and creativity will keep you going in the face of adversity. As a digital marketer, it serves as an inspiration when it comes to the importance of brand storytelling, authenticity and transparency with customers, and how crucial it is to build communities and engage your audiences.

When I want something more comforting and relaxing, I’ll go for a nice true crime podcast. Casefile True Crime is one that I recommend because of the stellar storytelling and meticulously researched cases. It’s not for the faint of heart though so consider yourself warned.

Darshan Jairaj

Integrated Planning Manager, PHD UAE

99% Invisible

The podcast details how so many design elements go unnoticed, despite these being around us every day in use and in plain view. It talks about design, architecture and creativity with everything from the history of the traffic light to the science of sound. It’s entertaining, informative and always provokes me to look at things from a different perspective. The host, Roman Mars, has a great way of making complicated topics easy to understand. Also, vs. other podcasts, the production is much more serious, which adds to the impactful storytelling.

Yogesh Kothari

Business Head, PivotConsult

Data Incubator Podcast

I am currently listening to the Data Incubator Podcast, and it has quickly become my favourite for several compelling reasons. Firstly, it keeps up to date with data science trends, helping in staying ahead of the curve. Secondly, it features a diverse range of guests, including experts and industry leaders, providing an excellent opportunity to learn from the finest in the field. Finally, the podcast’s emphasis on real-world applications is compelling, demonstrating the beneficial and practical influence of data science and analytics.

Sawsan Salameh

Creative Director, Tuesday Communications

Podcast X

As a relatively new listener to podcasts, my preferences tend to shift depending on my mood and the topics covered in each episode. Generally, I find myself drawn to Arabic-language podcasts. Among them, Podcast X stands out for its intellectual exploration of social, cultural, human, and scientific subjects. The Assared podcast takes listeners on captivating journeys through contemporary authors and narratives worldwide. The Harrer podcast compels critical analysis of consumed media content. In the realm of English podcasts, I find Huberman Lab engaging as it discusses science and scientific tools for everyday life in an interesting and accessible manner. These podcasts have enriched my listening experience, providing diverse perspectives and insights.

Sula AlKhedry Programmatic Manager, Assembly Global

How Leaders Lead

I find tremendous value in listening to leadership podcasts, and one podcast that particularly resonates with me is How Leaders Lead. This podcast offers a wealth of insights from seasoned leaders whose experience I can benefit from, all while going about my daily routine. Tuning in allows me to enhance my leadership skills, gain fresh perspectives, and learn effective strategies for success. The interviews with accomplished individuals and inspiring stories provide me with valuable lessons. I appreciate the diverse topics covered, which keep me engaged and motivated. The practical advice and actionable tips shared on the podcast are beneficial to all leaders, no matter the field.

Shanbhag Brand Partner, Rain

The WARC Podcast

If I must pick a podcast connected to our business, my favourite podcast would be, without a doubt, The WARC Podcast. It is a fabulous resource you can tap into whenever you want a refresher on any topic. Recently, The WARC Podcast did a seven-episode series, Planning for Effective Outcomes, discussing various topics such as the importance of getting the creative brief right, the debate on performance vs brand and managing relationships with the creative team to name a few. The series had speakers such as Mark Ritson and Julian Cole, which was pure gold. This podcast is a must-listen for anyone who is in love with our business.

Josie Delfin Head of Hospitality, Comco MEA A

Bit of Optimism

My go-to podcast for a delightful dose of inspiration and wit. Hosted by the brilliant Simon Sinek, this show is a masterclass in infusing positivity into every conversation. I listen to this in the car, especially when my mood is off or I’m a little nervous on my way to a pitch. It’s like a shot of espresso for my mind, leaving me energised and ready to conquer the day. Simon’s podcast provides a refreshing perspective embracing the beauty of our imperfections and shows us how to leverage them to our advantage. The show cleverly illustrates that a person’s quirks, setbacks, and vulnerabilities can be transformed into stepping-stones on the path to greatness.

Hilmarie Hutchison CEO, Matrix PR

TED Talks Daily Podcasts

They are usually short episodes that you can get through in less than 15 minutes. The topics are varied, often address trending issues, and are presented by experts in their field. The diversity of perspectives presented gives me an opportunity to hear opinions and thinking that might be different from my own. Some of the talks are so inspiring and motivating that I have often been moved to make changes in my own thinking or way of life. All-round, a brilliant podcast to listen to.

Chirag Khushalani Creative Strategist at AKQA Business Wars

This one’s for all the business and history buffs. From Gucci vs Louis Vuitton, Marvel vs. DC, to more recently Elon vs Twitter, the Business Wars podcast gives you a dramatised insight into some of the most intense rivalries that have shaped industries and our lives.  Characterised voiceovers of famous leaders, inventors and executives take every listener deeper into what goes on inside the boardrooms and minds of these change-makers. My favourite episodes are the ones about Airbnb vs. NYC. filled with lessons on creating agile business strategies as Airbnb, in its start-up days took on the city’s government and overturned policies that could’ve become its very reason to not exist. A true David vs. Goliath.

Samir

MAKING

AN IMPACT

BBDO has been named as best regional network at the Campaign Agency of the Year Global Awards, writes Justin Harper

The Campaign Agency of the Year Global Awards 2022 have been announced and there were plenty of plaudits for Middle Eastern shops.

For the second year in a row, Impact BBDO won the Middle East and Africa Best Network was Impact BBDO. TBWA/Worldwide took Silver and PR agency ASDA’A BCW won Bronze.

Dani Richa (pictured), Chairman and CEO, of BBDO Middle East, Africa and Pakistan, said: “Receiving this recognition for a second year in a row is really testament to our consistency in always doubling down on The Work, The Work, The Work.

“That and working closely with our partners across the Middle East and Africa region towards one goal of excellence and to see that recognised by such a line-up of impressive global judges is extremely rewarding”.

Sunil John, President – MENA, BCW and Founder of ASDA’A BCW, said: “To be recognised as one of the top three agencies in the ‘Best Network - Middle East & Africa’ category at the Campaign Global Agency of the Year Awards is a resounding endorsement of the role of public relations in shaping the communications industry dynamics today. Competing with advertising and creative firms, we have demonstrated the value that PR delivers through our integrated and digital-first offering.

“This honour further builds on ASDA’A BCW winning the Best Agency – UAE at the Campaign Middle East Agency of the Year Awards, which marked a historic first for any PR firm. I thank the exceptional team at ASDA’A BCW for their commitment to raising the standards of PR in the region, and our clients for inspiring us to be consistently innovative and delivering our best.”

WPP’s Wunderman Thompson scooped three awards: Integrated Agency Global Network and Corporate Communications/ Marketing Team of the Year, while Agency Leader was awarded to Mel Edwards, WT’s Global Chief Executive Officer.

As all the winners celebrate, Campaign is gearing up for another major ceremony with the Campaign Agency of the Year Awards Middle East. This prestigious awards programme is dedicated to recognising the outstanding individuals, teams and agencies across the entire region.

Campaign Agency of the Year Middle East Awards welcomes agencies of all types, big or small, and regardless of

organisational structure. If you’re based in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman, Yemen, Iraq, Bahrain, Lebanon, Kuwait, Qatar, Syria or Egypt, this is your chance to showcase your remarkable accomplishments.

All Agency of the Year awards are judged exclusively by brand marketers, rather than by agencies. This means that by entering an Agency of the Year award scheme, you get your entry in front of senior marketers with a global or pan-regional remit.

To ensure fairness and transparency, the process involves checking performed by PwC as the Global Process Integrity Partner of the UK, US and Global Agency of the Year Awards. PwC looks at Campaign’s processes for entry evaluation, jury selection, jury voting and selection of the final winners of agency awards.

SELECTED WINNERS

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA BEST NETWORK

Gold: Impact BBDO

Silver: TBWA\Worldwide

Bronze: ASDA’A BCW

CREATIVE AGENCY OF THE YEAR

Gold: Special, New Zealand

Silver: Thinkerbell, Australia

Bronze: Howatson+Company, Australia

MEDIA AGENCY OF THE YEAR

Gold: Initiative, Australia

Silver: OMD, New Zealand

Bronze: OMD, UK

CREATIVE AGENCY GLOBAL NETWORK

Gold: Ogilvy

Silver: TBWA\Worldwide

Bronze: VMLY&R

MEDIA AGENCY GLOBAL NETWORK

Gold: UM

Silver: Wavemaker Worldwide

Bronze: PHD

DIGTAL AGENCY GLOBAL NETWORK

Gold: AKQA Group

Silver: VaynerMedia

Bronze: Media.Monks

Find the full list of winners at www.aoyglobalawards.com

ALL COVERED

The Dubai Lynx Student Cover Competition in partnership with Campaign Middle East recognises young creativity in the industry, writes Justin Harper

Designing the front cover of Campaign Middle East is a unique experience but once a year we give young, creative talent the opportunity to do just that. The Dubai Lynx Student Cover Competition is hotly contested and this year was no different.

First place was won by Umerah Vasaiwala of SAE Institute Dubai who sees her artwork on the front cover. Second place went to Liyan Abu Zahra of University of Sharjah, while third place was SAE Institute Dubai’s Mohammed M Mandurah.

The Jury president was Khaled AlShehhi, Executive Director of Marketing and

Communication, at UAE Government Media Office. He said: “We must promote and protect creativity as it’s the crucial determinant of future success. Beyond machines and algorithms, we need talent and human intelligence to give substance to the creative economies we seek to build in our region.

“This talent must be identified, refined, nurtured and catalysed to truly be valuable. Programmes like the Dubai Lynx Student Competition are an essential part of this process. Through it, we can stimulate and reveal the talent that will craft our future economic performance through innovation”.

Other judges were Campaign Middle East

ex-editor Austyn Allison; Joao Medeiros, Executive Creative Director at Havas Middle East; Frances Valerie Bonifacio, Head Of Strategy at Serviceplan Group Middle East and Sarah Berro, Senior Creative Director at VICE.

Dubai Lynx also hosted an integrated competition for young talent. First place went to Wadima Aldhaheri at Zayed University in the UAE. Second place was won by Dana Ariss at the Lebanese American University, Lebanon. Third place was won by Zaina Manegar at the American University of Dubai. The competition was held in partnership with UNstereotype Alliance.

SONIC BRANDING IN THE AGE OF TIKTOK

While visuals and copy have traditionally been the primary focus of marketing efforts, there is a growing recognition of the importance of sound in creating a memorable brand experience. Sonic branding involves using audio elements such as music, jingles and sonic logos to create a unique and recognisable brand identity.

Joe Dickinson, Co-Founder, Managing Partner & CMO at WithFeeling, explained: “Just like a visual logo or colour scheme, a well-crafted sonic brand can set a brand apart from its competitors and create a strong emotional connection with consumers”.

The power of a well-crafted sonic logo lies in its ability to create a strong association with the brand and evoke emotions in consumers. This can be particularly effective in today’s cluttered media landscape, where consumers are constantly bombarded with advertisements and content.

Brands often overlook various audio opportunities that can enhance their brand presence and create a more immersive experience for their consumers. While many brands focus on conventional channels like radio, TV and online advertising, there are numerous untapped avenues where sound can significantly impact. “Some unconventional audio opportunities for brands include apps, payment portals, store background music, experiences such as installations, and product sounds on devices,” added Chris Atkins, Co-Founder, and Managing Director of WithFeeling.

And there’s TikTok. Brands are skillfully harnessing the power of audio by creating distinct music and sound strategies, recognising the platform’s emphasis on sound, and carefully crafting their sonic identities. They take advantage of the platform’s ability to capture users’ attention and its suitability for effective sonic branding and audio advertising.

“Brands on TikTok effectively use audio by developing unique music and sound approaches, understanding the platform’s sound-on nature, and crafting strategic sonic identities. They benefit from the platform’s user-focused attention and suitability for sonic branding and audio advertising,” Atkins said.

WithFeeling played a crucial role in shaping the overall audio strategy for Expo 2020. Atkins tells us about their sonic branding project — Expo 2020 Dubai’s theme song on TikTok, ‘This Is Our Time,’ written and produced by WithFeeling’s Joe Dickinson. “The song’s theme harmonised perfectly with the Expo brand values, which appealed to audiences from multiple cultures, forging an immediate and powerful connection with listeners. To further amplify the engagement, Expo encouraged users to create their renditions of the song or join the flash dance initiative launched by Expo. We created the sonic logo derived from the theme song, which Expo City Dubai still uses. It helped reinforce the Expo brand’s identity and message, making it instantly recognisable to the audience. By leveraging the power of TikTok, Expo 2020 Dubai was able to engage users and increase brand awareness through innovative sonic branding strategies”.

To stay relevant on TikTok, WithFeeling recommends brands to create distinctive sonic logos and embrace interactive approaches that allow users to engage with their sonic identity. “By tailoring the sonic branding strategy to fit the unique nature of TikTok and staying informed about the latest trends, we help our clients effectively engage with users, raise awareness, and enhance their perception through innovative sonic branding and audio advertising strategies,” Atkins said.

In the Middle East, as in many other regions, the awareness of the importance of sound in marketing campaigns is growing.

“The fact that sonic branding agencies like us are busy with projects indicates the increasing demand for their services.

There is significant work being done in sonic branding in Saudi Arabia,” Atkins shared. When working with clients, sonic branding agencies typically follow a process that involves understanding the brand and its unique needs. “Different brands require different approaches to sonic branding, depending on factors such as their industry, target audience and brand personality. For instance, a sports and fitness brand may require a different type of sonic branding than from a government entity.

“The goal is to create a sonic brand that aligns with its identity and resonates with its audience. One of the key aspects is the creation of a sonic logo, which is a short, memorable audio element that represents the brand. Like a visual logo, a sonic one should be simple, distinctive, and instantly recognisable. For example, the “du, du, du du du” tune on the radio is a well-known commercial for a telecom brand. It is a perfect example of a sonic logo that immediately identifies the brand, even without any visuals,” said Atkins.

In addition to traditional marketing channels, the emergence of the metaverse, a virtual reality space where users can interact with digital environments and each other, presents new opportunities for sonic branding. As brands explore ways to create immersive experiences in the metaverse, sound can enhance the user experience.

By Jalaja Ramanunni

Chris Atkins, Co-Founder and Managing Director, along with Joe Dickinson, Co-Founder, Managing Partner & CMO at music agency WithFeeling, discuss this new trend

‘‘THE POWER OF A WELL-CRAFTED SONIC LOGO LIES IN ITS ABILITY TO CREATE A STRONG ASSOCIATION WITH THE BRAND AND EVOKE EMOTIONS IN CONSUMERS’’

Chris Atkins

Joe Dickinson

The world of business is constantly evolving, with companies striving to differentiate themselves from their competitors through adopting innovative strategies. Brand development is a crucial aspect of this effort, as it involves creating and distinguishing a company’s image, products and services from competitors. Development also includes aligning the brand with business objectives, communicating it to target markets and updating or strengthening it as necessary.

Some companies have achieved great success in brand development, like McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, whose brands are instantly recognisable. AD Ports Group, a major logistics, industry and trade facilitator, has joined this elite tier by introducing a new sound to its brand identity.

Over the last decade, AD Ports Group has played a significant role in driving the UAE’s economic growth and diversification, with its reputation for excellence well-established. As a bridge that links Abu Dhabi to the world, the company recognises that in order to expand its brand and cement its position as a leading player in the market, it must constantly adapt and evolve, taking a bold step towards the future.

Khalifa Al Marar, VP-Marketing and Communications, said: “It’s crucial for a sonic brand to reinforce the company’s presence and resonate seamlessly around the world. That is why we are excited to have launched our new sound, which is set to become a strategically valuable asset playing across our global marketing campaigns”.

AD Ports Group recognises the importance of this sensory language. Sonic branding is not a new concept; it has been around for some time, but increasingly, more brands than ever before are developing their own audio palettes for consistency in messaging.

In today’s crowded marketplace, where brands are vying for your attention, a sonic logo can help make a brand stand out from the crowd and enhance its personality. Sonic branding is all about using sound strategically to create a unique and recognisable identity for a brand.

SOUNDS LIKE THE FUTURE OF BRANDING

With the rise of sonic branding, companies can enhance their brand identity, making a more personal and memorable connection with their customers that can translate into increased customer loyalty, repeat business, and even word-of-mouth recommendations.

“As a company that values excellence and progress, we believe that our enhanced brand will help us differentiate ourselves in the market and anticipate this sound will provide a competitive edge,” added Al Marar.

AD Ports Group’s audio brand is simple, memorable and made up of five notes that represent the five business arms or clusters of AD Ports Group; Digital, Economic Cities and Free Zones, Logistics, Maritime and Ports. Each note represents the unique identity of each cluster, while

the melody evokes and ends with a high note. The instrumentation aims to show positivity and progression, while also being rooted in a base note to reflect heritage and trustworthiness.

The Group chose to work with a UAEbased studio to create their custom sound. The process for creating the sound included collaboration with musicians to ensure the sonic logo represented all that encapsulates AD Ports Group – from its solid heritage, to innovation and forward momentum. The challenge was to create sounds that would serve as the identity of AD Ports Group and its five clusters from an audio perspective. The studio started with a simple base and introduced ocean sounds to reflect the AD Ports Group’s core industry.

The first two notes of the sonic logo are more solid, in a representation of the rich-heritage and deep-rooted trust stakeholders have in the AD Ports Group brand. The subsequent three notes are introduced in a slightly faster pace, to evoke the feeling of forward momentum, with the overlaid percussion giving a sense of motion and suggesting how the Group is leading and pushing forward into the future.

Wilbur D’Costa, Executive Producer, Mango Jam Studio, said: “Music can be transformative, it can take you to a different place and give you a different feeling; that’s why it’s so powerful in branding. You can use music to make people associate a sentiment or memory with a brand. [When creating the sound] for us, it was important that the new sonic experience not only felt fresh and exciting, but that we figured out how to embody the five pillars of AD Ports Group from an audio perspective. We feel the sound has all these things that make a sonic not just good, but really good”.

The audio brand will be omnipresent in AD Ports Group’s marketing and communications, and an adaptable, personalised composition can be played during specific times of the year, such as National Day or other international celebrations. The audio brand can be further tailored to fit locally popular styles and genres of music, creating a personal touch that will retain the sound’s worldwide recognition and universal appeal.

‘‘MUSIC CAN BE TRANSFORMATIVE, IT CAN TAKE YOU TO A DIFFERENT PLACE AND GIVE YOU A DIFFERENT FEELING; THAT’S WHY IT’S SO POWERFUL”

A sonic logo can help make a brand stand out from the crowd, as AD Ports Group explains

THIS MONTH’S SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES

Snapchat ponders on monetizing the potential of ‘My AI’

From Twitter setting sail with exclusive perks for subscribers, to Snapchat sharpening its generative AI bot and finding ingenious ways to monetize it, this month's social media voyage promises excitement at every turn. We've curated a succinct list of the most noteworthy updates for you to stay in the loop. Enjoy!

LINKEDIN

Adds new custom CTA buttons

Premium subscribers now have the ability to add a personalized call-to-action button to their profile, directing visitors to a specific URL.

Updates Company Commitments feature

These updates aim to enhance the job listing experience by allowing companies to highlight their culture and values, making it easier to attract job seekers who align with their organization's ethos.

TWITTER

Explores a low-cost verification tier for SMEs Musk confirms a more affordable Verification alternative for SMEs, while the $1,000/month deal remains exclusive to larger organizations.

Requires advertisers to pay for verification to run ads

Twitter puts the squeeze on advertisers, demanding payment for Twitter Blue or Verification for Organizations to keep their ads rolling. It's pay-to-play time on the bird app!

SNAPCHAT

Unveils new ad offerings

These include ‘Spotlight ads’ for targeting users on its TikTok-like tab, and ‘First Story’ to reserve the first video ad that Snapchatters see between friends’ Stories.

Ponders on monetizing the potential of ‘My AI’

The platform is exploring how ‘My AI’ can offer timely information during chats, with sponsored links being tested to connect users with relevant partners in real time.

YOUTUBE

Rolls out ‘Gen Z Music'

The new music ad offering uses AI to identify popular songs among Gen Z users, allowing brands to connect with younger audiences by featuring their ads alongside trendy music clips.

Adds new Shorts ad placements

YouTube is expanding Shorts into Video reach campaigns, using Google AI to serve a combination of ads for improved reach and efficiency.

META

Expands its Reels monetization to more creators

While the criteria and payment details are under wraps, Meta is urging creators to switch to Professional Mode to benefit from the new opportunities opening in its Reels revenue program.

Adds new Reels personalization controls

The new controls will let users choose what they see more or less of, while contextual labels explain why certain Reels appear, making their viewing experience more tailored and enjoyable.

INSTAGRAM

Assists brands in sourcing UGC

The platform is helping brands maximize their product promotion by nudging them to feature user-generated content in their product listings to woo potential buyers.

Adds AR in-app shopping solutions across Reels

Previously limited to Instagram feeds and Stories, these AR ads will grant brands additional avenues to captivate users with immersive AR experiences on Reels.

TIKTOK

Tests its own generative AI avatar creator The new generative AI tool will allow users to create 30 distinct avatars per day when they upload three to ten photos of themselves.

Launches ‘Pulse Premiere’ TikTok's new Pulse Premiere gives advertisers the power to showcase their ads immediately after content from premium publishers, boosting brand recall and awareness.

AUDIO & RADIO GUIDE 2023

Abu Dhabi FM

FREQUENCY: 98.4 FM

WEBSITE: www.adradio.ae/Abu-Dhabi-fm

PARENT COMPANY: Abu Dhabi Media

LANGUAGE : Arabic

BROADCAST LICENCE LESSOR: Abu Dhabi Authorities

FORMAT: Sports, heritage, current affairs

MEDIA REP: Mayed Al Raysi: mayed.alrayssi@admedia.ae

Abu Dhabi Classic FM

FREQUENCY: Abu Dhabi: 91.6; Dubai 87.9; Al Ain 105.2

WEBSITE: www.adradio.ae/classic-fm

PARENT COMPANY: Abu Dhabi Media

MEDIA REP: Mayed Al Raysi: mayed.alrayssi@admedia.ae

LANGUAGE: English

LOCATION OF MAST: Abu Dhabi

FORMAT: Classical music

DEMOGRAPHICS: English-speaking listeners aged 35 onwards

Al Arabiya 99

PARENT COMPANY: ARN

HEAD OFFICE: ARN HQ, Dubai Media City

LANGUAGE: Arabic

REACH: UAE

MEDIA REP: Amiral Farid, ARN Sales Director afarid@arn.ae

WEBSITE: www.99fm.ae

ADDRESS: Al Arabiya 99 Studios, ARN HQ, Dubai Media City

CONTACT NUMBER: 044555888

Al Khaleejiya 100.9

PARENT COMPANY: ARN

HEAD OFFICE: ARN HQ, Dubai Media City

LANGUAGE: Emirati Arabic

REACH: UAE

MEDIA REP: Amiral Farid, ARN Sales Director afarid@arn.ae

WEBSITE: www.1009.ae

ADDRESS: Al Khaleejiya Studios, ARN HQ, Dubai Media City

CONTACT NUMBER: 044555888

Al Oula Radio

FREQUENCY: 107.4

WEBSITE: http://www.aloularadio.ae

AVAILABILITY: Linear in UAE – Mobile app – Streaming through website

MEDIA REP: MEMS (Choueiri Group)

YEAR LAUNCHED: 2014

LANGUAGE: Emirati

PARENT COMPANY: Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center

REACH: UAE (Can be heard worldwide via the mobile app and live web streaming)

FORMAT: Patriotic and traditional radio station that caters Emirati content

LISTENER DEMOGRAPHIC : 69.8% Males and 30.2 % Females (58.9% males and females aged 15 to 34)

LISTENER NUMBERS: Between 90 and 100 Thousands

HIGHEST LISTENERSHIP: Slots 07:00- 11:00 – 14:00 – 18:00

PRIME TIME SHOWS/PRESENTERS: Sabah Al Oula (Salem Mohammad) –Radio Al bayt (Samah Al Abbar) – Lil Shabab Rai (Amal Al Mullah) – Hayyak

Fi Bladi (Shirina Salem)

Beat 97.8

FREQUENCY: 97.8

OWNERSHIP: Fun Asia Network

HEAD QUARTERS: Dallas

MEDIA REP: Sunny Ahuja: +971 55 674 4028 sunny@funasianetwork.com

+971 4 581 7000, www.beat978.com

LANGUAGE: English

Big 106.2

FREQUENCY: 106.2

TAGLINE: The Beat of Bollywood

OWNERSHIP: FunAsia Radio Network

HEAD QUARTERED: Dubai

MEDIA REP: sunny@funasianetwork.com

WEBSITE: Big1062.com

LANGUAGE AND FORMAT: Hindi, Bollywood CHR

FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Big Bang with Sid & Vardaman, Big Life with Zohra, Big Chill with Ujjwal, Big Drive with Mansi

104.8 Channel 4

PARENT COMPANY: Ajman Independent Studio

HEAD OFFICE: Ajman

FOUNDED: 1997

MEDIA REP: Mohammed Jundi, network sales director: +971 4 567 0444; mjundi@ch4.ae

WEBSITE: www.channel4fm.com

LANGUAGE AND FORMAT: English, CHR (Contemporary Hit Radio)

LOCATION OF MAST: Ajman

BROADCAST LICENCE LESSOR: Ajman Government

LISTENERS DEMOGRAPHICS: 18-40 age group

FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Breakfast with JJ & Nimi; Evenings with Eve

City 1016

PARENT COMPANY: ARN

HEAD OFFICE: ARN HQ, Dubai Media City

NUMBER OF STAFF: 24

LANGUAGE: Hindi

REACH: UAE

EMAIL ID: afarid@arn.aeFlagship programmes Subah in the City with Karishma & Parikshit

MEDIA REP: Amiral Farid, ARN Sales Director afarid@arn.ae

WEBSITE: www.city1016.ae

CONTACT NUMBER: 044555888

Club FM 99.6

FREQUENCY: 99.6

WEBSITE: www.clubfm.ae

PARENT COMPANY: Mathrubhumi Printing and Publishing Company

MEDIA REP: srikumar@mpp.co.in

LAUNCHED: June 2016

LANGUAGE: Malyalam

BROADCAST LICENCE LESSOR: Fujairah Media

FORMAT: Entertainment, information, news, songs and creative campaigns

DEMOGRAPHICS: 21-45 years old

Dubai 92

PARENT COMPANY: ARN

HEAD OFFICE: ARN HQ, Dubai Media City

NUMBER OF STAFF: 25

LANGUAGE/FORMAT: English language, playing the biggest hits from the 80’s to now

REACH: UAE

EMAIL ID: afarid@arn.ae

Flagship programmes The Big Breakfast with Jono & Nats

Media rep: Amiral Farid, ARN Sales Director afarid@arn.ae

WEBSITE: www.dubai92.com

CONTACT NUMBER: 044555888

Dubai Eye 103.8

OWNERSHIP / PARENT COMPANY: ARN

HEAD OFFICE: ARN HQ, Dubai Media City

NUMBER OF STAFF: 46

LANGUAGE: English

FORMAT: broadcasting the latest news & information

REACH: UAE

FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: The Business Breakfast with Brandy Scott, Richard Dean & Tom Urquhart

MEDIA REP: Amiral Farid, ARN Sales Director afarid@arn.ae

WEBSITE: www.dubaieye1038.com

CONTACT NUMBER: 044555888

Dubai Quran

FREQUENCY: 91.4

LANGUAGE: Arabic

FORMAT: Religious

Dubai Radio

FREQUENCY: 93.0 in UAE

WEBSITE: http://www.dmi.ae/dubai fm/

AVAILABILITY: Linear in UAE - Streaming through website

PARENT COMPANY: DMI

MEDIA REP: mems@c: 2014

LANGUAGE: Arabic

BROADCAST LICENCE LESSOR: Dubai authorities

REACH: UAE (Can be heard worldwide via live web streaming)

FORMAT: Entertainment, UAE radio station that offers Pan Arab and Khaleeji content and music

LISTENER DEMOGRAPHIC: 52.3% Males and 47.7% Females

LISTENER NUMBERS : 430,000 Per Day

HIGHEST LISTENERSHIP SLOTS: 07:00- 10:00 – 13:00-15:00 –16:00-18:00

PRIME TIME SHOWS/PRESENTERS: Yawmukum Saeed (Ahmad al Ouessi & Salam al Souweidi)

Emarat FM

FREQUENCY: Abu Dhabi 95.8 FM; Al Ain 94.9 FM; Dubai and Sharjah 97.1 FM

WEBSITE: www.adradio.ae/emarat-fm

PARENT COMPANY: Abu Dhabi Media

LANGUAGE: Arabic

FORMAT: Social, Health

MEDIA REP: Mayed Al Raysi: mayed.alrayssi@admedia.ae

Fame FM

FREQUENCY : 99.9 - 99.7- 99.5 FM

PARENT COMPANY: Faddoul Music Enterprise Fame

HEAD OFFICE: Dbaye

NUMBER OF STAFF: 10

WEBSITE: www.famefm.com

LANGUAGE: Arabic / English / French

REACH: Lebanon

MEDIA REP: Interadio SAL

EMAIL ID: info@interadio.com.lb

CONTACT NUMBER: 00961 1 561 639

Flowers 94.7 FM

FREQUENCY: 94.7

WEBSITE: www.flowersfm.com

PARENT COMPANY: Flowers International Group

LANGUAGE: Malayalam and English

BROADCAST LICENCE LESSOR: Dolphin Recording Studios

DEMOGRAPHICS: Men and women; aged 25 to 45

Fujairah FM

FREQUENCY: 92.6

LANGUAGE: Arabic

Gilli FM

FREQUENCY: 106.5

WEBSITE: radiogilli.com

LANGUAGE: Tamil

101.3 Gold FM

PARENT COMPANY: Ajman Independent Studio

HEAD OFFICE: Ajman

FOUNDED: 2010

LANGUAGE: Malayalam

FORMAT: Malayalam Music & Entertainment

LOCATION OF MAST: Ajman

BROADCAST LICENCE LESSOR: Ajman Government

LISTENERS DEMOGRAPHICS: 18-40

MEDIA REP: Mohammed Jundi, network sales director: +971 4 567 0444; mjundi@ch4.ae www.Gold1013fm.com

FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Morning Drive with Samira & Vysakh; Sunset Drive with Meera Nandan

Hala FM

FREQUENCY: 102.7

PARENT COMPANY: Entertainment Network LLC

HEAD OFFICE: Muscat, Oman

NUMBER OF STAFF: 15

YEAR FOUNDED: 2007

WEBSITE: www.halafm.com

LANGUAGE: Arabic

REACH: Oman

MEDIA REP: Arabian Media Company – Oman and Dubai

EMAIL ID: AMC@choueirigroup.com

Get your game on

Ziad Khammar, DMS’ COO, and Wilfrid Obeng, Co-Founder & CTO of Audiomob talk gaming

The gaming industry is booming and rapidly becoming the world’s favourite form of entertainment. Advertisers are eager to tap into this lucrative market, and we at DMS are excited to be at the forefront of this innovation. In a recent interview, Ziad Khammar, DMS’ COO, and Wilfrid Obeng, Co-Founder & CTO of Audiomob announced and discussed their companies’ new partnership and how the collaboration is focused on delivering innovation and accessibility to regional advertisers, enabling them to better tap into this high potential market space.

WHAT WERE THE KEY FACTORS THAT MADE THIS A GOOD FIT FOR AUDIOMOB?

Wilfrid Obeng: MENA is a crucial market with a diverse audience with over 377 million gamers. This made partnering with a company that has a long track record of supporting innovative technology a vital step for us in establishing ourselves in the region. DMS has helped scale monetization of one of the largest music streaming platforms in MENA, Anghami, and we’re confident that they will do the same for us.

WHAT MAKES AUIDOMOB’S AD SOLUTION STAND OUT?

Wilfrid Obeng: In advertising, brand recall and engagement are two of the most important factors for growth. Especially as digital audio revenues are expected to increase by 19.8 per cent (CAGR) in MENA between 2019 and 2024 (PWC). Our patented technology not only ensures that ads are delivered to users without disrupting their experience but that the user’s device is at a certain volume before the ad plays. By partnering with DMS we can offer an even better experience to users and reach a wider audience than current audio mediums.

WHY IS AUDIOMOB A GOOD CHANNEL FOR ADVERTISERS?

Wilfrid Obeng: We’re witnessing a rapid expansion of the MENA game industry. Advertising partners such as DMS and regional government bodies are fully embracing the medium. This is why we partnered with AD Gaming, the region’s leading body driving growth in the game industry, and why we opened an office in Abu Dhabi. As new games and experiences emerge from talented game studios in the region, advertisers will have better opportunities to deliver more relevant ads. Audio is one of the fastest growing ad formats offering advertisers a non-intrusive and highly attentive option to reaching their desired target audience.

WHAT UNIQUE CAPABILITIES DOES THE PARTNERSHIP BRING?

Ziad Khammar: At DMS, one of the most important areas which we look at, especially in our partners is innovation and their long-term vision. Audiomob, led by its co-founders Christian and Wilfrid, delivers both in abundance, with its clear vision and capability to effectively disrupt the mobile gaming space. Consumers are already loving Audiomob’s innovative audio mobile gaming ad format, which makes it a compelling complement to our portfolio and DMS’s overall market-leading audio advertising proposition.

HOW DOES YOUR PARTNERSHIP WITH AUDIOMOB ENABLE YOU TO BETTER TAP INTO THIS MARKET?

Ziad Khammar: Reed Hastings, Netflix’ CEO has stated that they count gaming as a direct entertainment competitor to Netflix. This stamps the arrival of mobile gaming as an everyday routine and core media channel for many consumers. With tens of millions of mobile gamers across the Arab World, Audiomob has created an innovative format that will resonate with both, gamers and advertisers, as it carries the dual benefit of being highly attentive, but less intrusive.

WHAT OPPORTUNITIES DO YOU ANTICIPATE FOR BRANDS IN THE MENA

REGION?

Ziad Khammar: Today’s consumers have spoken, and they are saying that gaming delivers the ideal mix of entertainment, social engagement and connectivity, signaling that it is here to stay. Brands and consumers need to engage in virtual environments but in a way that is native to the environment. With audio advertising having already successfully made inroads and integrated well into podcasting and music apps, Audiomob’s audio format becomes the first of many innovations that will continue to attract brands to invest more in gaming.

By Ziad Khammar, COO at DMS (right) and Wilfrid Obeng, Co-Founder & CTO of Audiomob (left)

“Consumers have spoken, and they are saying that gaming delivers the ideal mix of entertainment, social engagement and connectivity”

Hawa Dijlah FM

OWNERSHIP / PARENT COMPANY: Dijlah TV

HEAD OFFICE: Baghdad

FREQUENCY: 104.1 FM across Iraq but 100.5 FM in Basra

NUMBER OF STAFF: 20

YEAR FOUNDED: 2010

MEDIA REP: DNA - 0097144545454

EMAIL ID: dna@choueirigroup.com

ADDRESS: Media City, Knowledge Village, Choueiri Group Building

P.O.BOX: 21816 - Dubai - U.A.E.

Hit 96.7

PARENT COMPANY: ARN

HEAD OFFICE: ARN HQ, Dubai Media City

REACH: Loud and clear across the UAE

EMAIL ID: afarid@arn.ae

FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: The Big Breakfast Club with Nyla, Arfaz & Jean

MEDIA REP: Amiral Farid, ARN Sales Director afarid@arn.ae

WEBSITE: www.hit967.ae

ADDRESS: Hit 96.7 Studios, ARN HQ, Dubai Media City

CONTACT NUMBER: 044555888

Light FM Lebanon

FREQUENCY: 90.5 FM

PARENT COMPANY: Light FM SAL

HEAD OFFICE: The Cosmopolitan Hotel offices, 1st Floor City Rama, Dekwaneh

NUMBER OF STAFF: 7

FOUNDED: 1989

WEBSITE: www.radiolightfm.com

LANGUAGE: English / French

REACH: Lebanon

LISTENER DEMOGRAPHICS: A/B class, University Graduate, Ages 25-60

MEDIA REP: Interadio SAL

EMAIL ID: info@interadio.com.lb

ADDRESS: Achrafieh, Accaoui, Media Center bldg.

CONTACT NUMBER: 00961 1 561 639

Luv 107.1

FREQUENCY: 107.1

OWNERSHIP: Fun Asia Network.

MEDIA REP: Sunny Ahuja: +971 55 674 4028

sunny@funasianetwork.com

+971 4 581 7000

WEBSITE: luv1071.com

LANGUAGE: English

FORMAT: 80›s, 90’s & Noughties

LISTENERS DEMOGRAPHICS: Male and female 35+

FREQUENCY: 95.9

PARENT COMPANY: Entertainment Network LLC

HEAD OFFICE: Muscat, Oman

NUMBER OF STAFF: 6

YEAR FOUNDED: 2008

WEBSITE: www.hifmradio.com

LANGUAGE: English

REACH: Oman

LISTENERS DEMOGRAPHICS: 15 to 60

FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Morning Show

MEDIA REP: Arabian Media Company – Oman and Dubai

EMAIL ID: AMC@choueirigroup.com

MBC FM

FREQUENCY:

Kadak FM

FREQUENCY: 97.3 FM (Abu Dhabi); 88.8 FM (Dubai); 95.6 FM (Al Ain)

WEBSITE : www.adradio.ae/Kadak-fm

LANGUAGE: Hindi

FORMAT: Latest trends, strong Bollywood connect

MEDIA REP: Jameel Abdul: jameel.abdul@admedia.ae

MBC LOUD FM

FREQUENCY: Riyadh 99.0 FM, Jeddah 94.3 FM , Dammam 88.5 FM

PARENT COMPANY: MBC Group

HEAD OFFICE: Riyadh

FOUNDED: 2023

LANGUAGE/FORMAT: English / CHR

REACH: KSA

BROADCAST LICENSE LESSOR: GCAM

LISTENERS DEMOGRAPHICS: Saudi nationals & expats from ages 15-35

FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: The Daily Wake-Up Show!, American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest, On Air with Ryan Seacrest, Spin City

PARENT COMPANY: MBC Group

HEAD OFFICE: Riyadh

YEAR FOUNDED: 1994

WEBSITE: https://mbcmood.com/

LANGUAGE: Arabic

REACH: KSA

BROADCAST LICENSE LESSOR: GCAM

LISTENER DEMOGRAPHICS: Saudis aged - 15 - 45

FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Sahabkom Saudi, Huna Al Riyadh, Baad Al Muntasaf , Sabahkom Saudi Helo El Kalam, Min Al Riyadh Nohadithkom, Dawrina, Ba3d El Montasaf

MEDIA REP: MBC Media Solutions

WEBSITE: hello@mms.net

ADDRESS: Riyadh, Dubai & Egypt

CONTACT NUMBER: +97143919999

MEDIA REP: MBC Media Solutions

WEBSITE: hello@mms.net

ADDRESS: Riyadh, Dubai & Egypt

Mirchi 1024 FM

PARENT COMPANY: Dolphin Recording Studio LLC

HEAD OFFICE: 1601 & 1602, Al Shafar Tower, Barsha Heights, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

NUMBER OF STAFF: 20

LANGUAGE: Hindi – CHR format

REACH: United Arab Emirates

MEDIA REP: Sadaf Qadri sadaf.qadri@mirchi.ae

Ownership: Abdulla Mohammed Al Murad

Headquartered: Ajman

Radio Stations under network: English (104.8 Channel 4 FM), Arabic (107.8 Al Rabia FM), Malayalam (101.3 Gold FM), Hindi (89.1 Radio 4 FM)

Number of staff: 150+

Year founded: 1997

Website: www.ch4.ae

Contact number: +971 4 567 0444

UAE’s first FM radio network with 4 radio stations, reaching out to more than 4 million daily listeners across English, Arabic, Hindi and Malayalam languages. For over 25 years, apart from offering contemporary trending music and all-round entertainment seven days a week, the Channel 4 Radio Network also enjoys a massive following across social media, App and podcast.

SERVICES: 360-degree client solutions, brand integrations, content and entertainment creation with the best advertising packages on-air and on digital platforms.

RADIO AND BEYOND

growth over time.

Radio has evolved from being the sole medium of entertainment for families to strategically segmenting its audience with the changing times. Unlike many other mediums, radio offers a unique ability for two-way communication and localised programming, therefore connecting with audience instantly in a personalised manner.

Our team utilizes various analytical tools for listener mood mapping at different time slots, precisely selects target groups and enables customized content to make radio a source of wholesome entertainment. We are also committed to expand our reach through digital initiatives.

LEADERSHIP PANEL

The capabilities of radio are expanding expeditiously with the integration of new technologies. Our ‘Radigitalization’ strategy, which places digital integration at the core of radio, has proven successful and we anticipate continued benefits and

Currently, we have over 1.15 million podcast downloads, the highest for any radio station in the UAE. Our Apps bring listeners closer to their favourite RJs with instant messaging, real-time notifications and much more.

With the promising economic growth in the region, particularly UAE, we are confident to foresee bright future for our network and the radio industry as whole.

ADDING WHY RADIO IS STILL A BRANDS’ FIRST PREFERENCE TO ADVERTISE, CHANNEL 4 RADIO NETWORK’S MOHAMMAD JUNDI, NETWORK SALES DIRECTOR, SHARES HIS TAKE ON RADIO’S CURRENT ABILITY TO MULTI-TASK.

Today, radio caters to all brand needs under one roof – on air, on ground and online, making it an obvious choice for brands to target all marketing touchpoints at optimum rates.

Channel 4 Radio Network’s staggering on-air reach of 4 million+

daily listeners, and an equally enticing 8.14 million social media followers are a testimonial of our ever-growing popularity.

Post-pandemic, we have noticed a shift in brands’ preference towards radio as their primary medium of choice for advertising. In 2022-23, over 500 unique brands presented on to Channel 4 Radio Network to spike their brand visibility, with some of the top spending sectors being e-commerce brands, followed by entertainment & leisure, retail, banking and healthcare. Trust shown by the biggest brands reinforces our belief why radio always remain as an unbeatable advertising medium.

Thanks to our radio presenters and support teams, be it programming, sales, operations, marketing, or creative, all promptly adapting to changing market trends helps in offering our clients a ‘one-stop-solution’ for all their marketing needs.

Adapting to client’s changing needs whilst keeping listeners’ entertained and engaged will ultimately make everyone stay tuned!

Naheed Jumani Programming Head of 89.1 Radio 4 FM

Dr. Omer Mohamed Elamin Mohamed General Manager, TV & Radio

Philippe Riachy

Programming Head of 107.8 Al Rabia FM

Vysakh Somarajan

Programming Head of 101.3 Gold FM

Chris Bovaird

Programming Head of 104.8 Channel 4 FM

UPDATING AND ENHANCING WITH THE CHANGING NEEDS OF THE SOUND MEDIUM, CHANNEL 4 RADIO NETWORK’S GROUP CFO - RAVI MUNI SHARES INSIGHTS ON WHY, RADIO IS A MORE POWERFUL TOOL TODAY THAN IT EVER WAS.

Mix FM

FREQUENCY: 104.4 - 104.7 FM

PARENT COMPANY: Societe Nouvelle Mix FM SAL

EAD OFFICE: Achrafieh

NUMBER OF STAFF: 2

YEAR FOUNDED: 1996

WEBSITE: www.mixfm.com.lb

LANGUAGE: English

REACH: Lebanon

LISTENERS DEMOGRAPHICS: Trendy, young, AB class

MEDIA REP: Interadio SAL

ADDRESS: Achrafieh, Accaoui, Media Center bldg.

CONTACT: info@interadio.com.lb; 00961 1 561 639

Montecarlo

FREQUENCY: 95.3

LANGUAGE: Arabic

Noor Dubai FM.

FREQUENCY: 93.9 in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Northern Emirates; 102.9 in Al Ain)

www.dmi.ae/noordubai/

PARENT COMPANY: DMI

MEDIA REP: mems@choueirigroup.com: +971 4 454 5454

LAUNCHED: 2009

LANGUAGE: Arabic

FORMAT: Social, health, sports.

LISTENER DEMOGRAPHICS: 58.4% Males and 41.6% Females (35.7% aged from 25 to 34 and 15.9% from 15-24, 35-44 26.6% and 21.8% 45+).

PRIME TIME SHOWS: Al Bath al Mubasher (Rashed Al Kharji ‘Abou Omar’); Al Salfa Wa Ma Fiha (Ahmed Al Ketbi ); Rouhak Ryiadyia (Kifah Al Kaabi)

Panorama FM

PARENT COMPANY: MBC Group

HEAD OFFICE: Riyadh

YEAR FOUNDED: 2003

WEBSITE: https://mbcmood.com/

LANGUAGE: Arabic

REACH: KSA

LISTENER DEMOGRAPHICS: Saudis and Pan-Arab Residents aged - 15 - 45

FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Ahla Sabah, Swaga Time, Huda Wa Huna, Ahla

Sabah, Panorama Café, Huda wa Huna, Swagga Time, Trend

RATE CARD: contact us at hello@mms.net

MEDIA REP: MBC Media Solutions

ADDRESS: Riyadh, Dubai & Egypt

CONTACT: +97143919999; hello@mms.net

Pearl Radio

FREQUENCY: 102

WEBSITE: www.pearlfm.ae

LANGUAGE: English

FORMAT: Shows for parents and children

Pulse 95 Radio

PARENT COMPANY: Sharjah Broadcasting Authority

HEAD OFFICE: Sharjah

WEBSITE: www.pulse95radio.com

CONTACT: +971 6 501 1355; +971 6 501 1111 , Pulse95@sba.net.ae; info@ pulse95radio.com

LANGUAGE: English

FORMAT: Light talk-radio station with acoustic music covers

Quran Kareem FM

FREQUENCY: Dubai 88.2; Al Ain 88.6; Abu Dhabi 98.1

WEBSITE: www.adradio.ae/Quran-Kareem

LANGUAGE: Arabic

BROADCAST LICENCE LESSOR: Abu Dhabi Authorities

FORMAT: Religious

MEDIA REP: Mayed Al Rayssi mayed.alrayssi@admedia.ae

Radio 1

FREQUENCY: 104.1 (Dubai); 100.5 (Abu Dhabi)

WEBSITE: www.adradio.ae/Radio-1

LANGUAGE: English

BROADCAST LICENCE LESSOR: Abu Dhabi Authorities

FORMAT: Latest trends, music and celebrity news

MEDIA REP: Jameel Abdul: jameel.abdul@admedia.ae

89.1 Radio 4

PARENT COMPANY: Ajman Independent Studio

HEAD OFFICE: Ajman

FOUNDED: 1999

MEDIA REP: Mohammed Jundi, network sales director: +971 4 567 0444; jundi@ch4.ae www.radio4fm.com

LANGUAGE: Hindi

FORMAT: Bollywood music station

LISTENERS DEMOGRAPHICS: 18-40

FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Kickstart with Arpit & Bhairavi; Most Wanted with Abhijeet

107.8 Radio Al Rabia

PARENT COMPANY: Ajman Independent Studio LLC

HEAD OFFICE: Ajman

FOUNDED: 2000

MEDIA REP: Mohammed Jundi, +971 4 567 0444; jundi@ch4.ae

www.alrabiafm.com

LANGUAGE: Arabic

FORMAT: Arabic music & entertainment

LOCATION OF MAST: Ajman

LISTENER DEMOGRAPHICS: 18-40

FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Al Rabia Wal Nas with Abu Rashid; Sabah Al Khaire

Ya Emarat with Rakelle and Jad

Radio Asia 94.7 FM

PARENT COMPANY: Dolphin Recording Studio LLC

HEAD OFFICE: 1601 & 1602, Al Shafar Tower, Barsha Heights, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

NUMBER OF STAFF: 15

YEAR FOUNDED: 1995

LANGUAGE: Malayalam – CHR format

REACH: United Arab Emirates (Internationally available on Radio Asia App)

EMAIL ID: jaya@radioasia.ae

Radio Liban Libre

FREQUENCY: 102.3 - 102.5 – 102.7 FM

PARENT COMPANY: Liban Libre pour la Production & la Diffusion Sal – RLL

HEAD OFFICE: Adonis

NUMBER OF STAFF: 50

FOUNDED: 1978

WEBSITE: www.rll.com.lb

LANGUAGE: Arabic

REACH: Lebanon

LISTENERS DEMOGRAPHICS: All ages, all education

MEDIA REP: Interadio SAL

ADDRESS: Achrafieh, Accaoui, Media Center bldg.

CONTACT NUMBER: 00961 1 561 639; info@interadio.com.lb

Radio Sawa

FREQUENCY: 90.5

LANGUAGE: Arabic

Radio Shoma 93.4

PARENT COMPANY: ARN

HEAD OFFICE: ARN HQ, Dubai Media City

NUMBER OF STAFF: 13

YEAR FOUNDED: 2011

LANGUAGE: Farsi

REACH: UAE

FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Sobh-E-Shoma baa Hannan

MEDIA REP: Amiral Farid, ARN Sales Director afarid@arn.ae

WEBSITE: www.radioshoma934.ae

ADDRESS: Radio Shoma 93.4 Studios, ARN HQ, Dubai Media City

CONTACT: 044555888; afarid@arn.ae

Radio Zain 103.2

PARENT COMPANY: Ajman Independent Studio

WEBSITE: www.radiozainfm.ae

LANGUAGE: Arabic

FORMAT: Golden-era Arabic music

LISTENER DEMOGRAPHICS: Male and female; aged 35+

MEDIA REP: Mohammed Jundi, network sales director: mjundi@ch4.ae; +971 4 567 0444

RAK Arabic

FREQUENCY: 92.2

LANGUAGE : Arabic

RAK Holy Quran

FREQUENCY: 87.6

LANGUAGE: Arabic

FORMAT: Religious

Sharjah Radio

FREQUENCY: 94.4

WEBSITE: sba.net.ae/ar/radio/channel/13

PARENT COMPANY: Sharjah Broadcasting Authority

FORMAT: Arabic

DEMOGRAPHICS: Emiratis and Arab expats

Sharjah Quran

FREQUENCY: 102.7

WEBSITE: sba.net.ae/ar/radio/channel/12

PARENT COMPANY: Sharjah Broadcasting Authority

FORMAT: Arabic

DEMOGRAPHICS: Muslims; Arabs and non-Arabs

Sky News Arabia

FREQUENCY: 90.3

LANGUAGE: Arabic

FORMAT: News

Virgin Radio Lebanon

FREQUENCY: 89.5 FM

PARENT COMPANY: Levant Media Hub SAL

HEAD OFFICE: Zalka, Al Moudir Bldg.

NUMBER OF STAFF: 15

FOUNDED: 2013

WEBSITE: www.virginradiolebanon.com

LANGUAGE: English

REACH: Lebanon

LISTENERS DEMOGRAPHICS: Ages 12 to 40 both genders, English students and educated people.

MEDIA REP: Interadio SAL

EMAIL ID: info@interadio.com.lb

ADDRESS: Achrafieh, Accaoui, Media Center bldg.

CONTACT NUMBER: 00961 1 561 639

Type of establishment: Music Agency

Founded: 2022

Head of agency: Chris Atkins & Joe Dickinson

www.WithFeeling.com

hello@WithFeeling.com

+971 (0)55 148 2259

+971 (0)55 743 0109

At WithFeeling, we specialise in original music composition and strategic sonic branding, creating compelling soundscapes to forge deeper connections between people and organisations. Leveraging a global network of talented composers, we bring unique perspectives to our work. Our award-winning team has crafted memorable sonic identities for some of the world’s biggest brands. Sound, for us, is not just a medium but a vibrant language for storytelling, a powerful tool that triggers emotions and drives business growth. We’re passionate about creating sensory experiences that resonate, using brand voices and innovative sound design to leave a lasting impact.

KEY CLIENTS: Expo City Dubai (Expo 2020 Dubai), Government of Dubai, Google, Tik Tok, Amazon Global, Mohammed Bin Rashid Library, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, Dubai Racing Club, Rovio, Emaar, Emarat, Microsoft, Aramco, Emirates, Game UK, Dyson, AlUla

SERVICES OFFERED: Sonic Branding, Original Music Composition, Sound Design

AWARDS WON: Advertising: Cannes Lions Awards, New York Festival Awards, D&AD Awards, Dubai Lynx Grand Prix Awards. Music: United States (RIAA)

Platinum 1,000,000 Award, Apple Music Chart Position 1 with “This is Our Time”. Radio Documentary: Amnesty International Human Rights Press Award

CHRIS ATKINS

Managing Director

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR BUSINESSES AND MARKETERS TO CONSIDER SONIC BRANDING AS PART OF THEIR OVERALL BRAND STRATEGY?

Understanding the crucial role of sonic branding in a comprehensive brand strategy is paramount for businesses and marketers. Sound has the power to forge emotional connections with audiences, creating a distinctive sonic signature that enhances brand recognition and recall. With the proliferation of audio-visual and voiceactivated platforms, a unique sonic identity can help brands stand out amidst the clamour, offering a multi-dimensional brand experience that transcends the visual. By appealing to a broader range of human senses, sonic branding enables deeper, more immersive engagement with the audience. Therefore, it is not merely an important element but an essential component in today’s dynamic marketing environment.

COULD YOU PROVIDE SOME EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL SONIC BRANDING CAMPAIGNS YOUR COMPANY HANDLED?

At WithFeeling, we have successfully executed numerous sonic branding campaigns. For Expo 2020 Dubai, our team, led by Joe Dickinson, crafted the popular theme song ‘This is Our Time’, as well as a sonic logo and 5,000 minutes of curated soundscapes. For the Dubai Racing Club, we created ‘Dubai Millennium’, a memorable sonic identity that encapsulated the exhilaration of horse

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

racing, local Emirati culture, and the prestige of the Dubai World Cup. Our work for the Mohamed bin Rashid Library involved creating the Sonic Identity ‘Dare To Dream’, mirroring the library’s commitment to literature and Arabic heritage. For the Islamic Arts Biennale in Saudi, we composed ‘Awwal Bait’, a respectful and authentic 10-minute soundtrack that resonated with the attendees.

HOW CAN MARKETERS ENSURE THAT THE SONIC ELEMENTS ALIGN WITH THEIR BRAND’S PERSONALITY?

We begin with an in-depth understanding of the brand’s identity, values, locality, and audience. For instance, taking into account the cultural nuances of the MENA region, striking a harmonious balance between Western and Arabic music styles, creating a sonic identity that genuinely reflects the brand and resonates with its audience. We recognise the importance of consistency across channels and strive to ensure the sonic identity is used continually across all touchpoints. Additionally, we collaborate with a global network of composers, test the sonic elements with the target audience and stakeholders, and integrate the sonic branding with other branding elements to create a cohesive brand experience.

HOW DO YOU MEASURE THE ROI AND EFFECTIVENESS OF A SONIC BRANDING STRATEGY?

Evaluating the ROI and effectiveness of a sonic branding strategy incorporates both quantitative and qualitative metrics. However, two aspects stand out in this evaluation - emotional connection and brand recall. Emotion is a powerful driver in decision-making, and sonic branding capitalises

LEADERSHIP PANEL

on this by forging an emotional bond between the brand and its audience. This emotional connection is invaluable and often tips the scale in favour of a brand during purchasing decisions. Brand recall is another critical measure of sonic branding success. Consistent application of the sonic logo leads to an 88 per cent higher brand recall, signifying the sonic identity’s profound impact.

Though assessing sonic branding’s efficacy involves nuanced metrics like engagement, conversion rates, and brand perception studies, the emotional connection and brand recall remain the most significant indicators. They demonstrate sonic branding’s potential to create a memorable brand experience, while being a cost-effective strategy. At WithFeeling, we continually refine our approach based on these insights, to maximise the effectiveness of our sonic branding strategies.

Joe Dickinson Chief Music Officer

Chris Atkins Managing Director

Chona Gatchalian Head of Production

Safia Al Shehi Advisor

Federica Busa Strategy Lead

Tom Callaghan Writer

Revolutionary, new out-of-home (OOH) advertising medium, powered by innovative technology.

This unique and globally patented Escalator Step Branding Solution that gives brands and unrivaled opportunity to connect with audiences.

Sumer FM

FREQUENCY: 99.9

PARENT COMPANY: Alsumaria TV

HEAD OFFICE: Baghdad

NUMBER OF STAFF: 20

FOUNDED: 2005

CHANNEL WEBSITE: https://www.alsumaria.tv/SumerFm

LANGUAGE: Arabic

LOCATION OF MAST: Iraq

REACH: Iraq

MEDIA REP: DNA - 0097144545454, dna@choueirigroup.com

ADDRESS: Media City, Knowledge Village, Choueiri Group Building

P.O.BOX: 21816 - Dubai - U.A.E.

Tag 91.1

PARENT COMPANY: ARN

HEAD OFFICE: ARN HQ, Dubai Media City

LANGUAGE/FORMAT: Tagalog (Filipino) & English

REACH: UAE

BROADCAST LICENSE LESSOR: Dubai

LISTENERS DEMOGRAPHICS: 600,000 resident Filipinos in the UAE

FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Tag Gising Na with Bluebird and Keri Belle Business details

MEDIA REP: Amiral Farid, ARN Sales Director afarid@arn.ae

WEBSITE: www.tag911.ae

CONTACT: 044555888; afarid@arn.ae

ADDRESS: Tag 91.1 Studios, ARN HQ, Dubai Media City

Talk 100.3

FREQUENCY: 100.3

OWNERSHIP FunAsia Radio Network.

HEAD QUARTERED: Dubai

MEDIA REP: Sunny Ahuja: +971 55 674 4028, sunny@funasianetwork.com, +971 4 581 7000

WEBSITE: talk1003.ae

LANGUAGE: English

FORMAT: Conversation and the Smooth-Music Mix.

LISTENERS DEMOGRAPHICS: Male and female 18- 38

Talk1003.ae

LANGUAGE: Hindi/English

FORMAT: Talk, sport, business

HEADQUARTERED: Dubai

LISTENERS DEMOGRAPHICS: South Asian male and female 18-45

FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES: Talk Breakfast, Talk Wellness, Talk Business, TSB (Talk, Sport & Business) and Live Sporting Action

MEDIA REP: Sunny Ahuja: +971 55 674 4028: sunny@funasianetwork.com

The Creator Sessions Podcast

OWNERSHIP / PARENT COMPANY: Create Group

HEAD OFFICE: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

NUMBER OF STAFF: 200+

FOUNDED: 2018

LANGUAGE/FORMAT: English/ Audio & Video

REACH: UAE, KSA, USA, Pakistan, UK, Egypt, India, Canada & more

EMAIL ID: karishma.abichandani@creategroup.me

Star FM

FREQUENCY: Abu Dhabi 92.4 FM; Al Ain 100.1 FM; Dubai 99.9 FM

WEBSITE: www.adradio.ae/starfm

PARENT COMPANY : Abu Dhabi Media

LANGUAGE: Arabic

FORMAT: Latest updates, music and celebrity news

MEDIA REP: Mayed Al Rayssi mayed.alrayssi@admedia.ae

The Matrix Green Pill Podcast

PARENT COMPANY: Matrix Public Relations

HEAD OFFICE: Dubai

NUMBER OF STAFF: 6

FOUNDED: 2020

LANGUAGE: English

REACH: Global

EMAIL ID: podcast@thematrixgreenpill.com

WEBSITE: https://thematrixgreenpill.com/

89.4 Tamil FM Radio

PARENT COMPANY: Aaren World Media & Advertising

HEAD OFFICE: Dubai

FOUNDED: 2015

CONTACT: contact@tamilfm.fm; bala@tamilfm.fm

LANGUAGE: Tamil

LOCATION OF MAST: Dubai

BROADCAST LICENCE LESSOR: RAK Broadcasting Authority

Virgin Radio 104.4

PARENT COMPANY: ARN

HEAD OFFICE: ARN HQ, Dubai Media City

NUMBER OF STAFF: 21

YEAR FOUNDED: 2008

LANGUAGE/FORMAT: English language playing the biggest hits.

REACH: UAE

EMAIL ID: afarid@arn.ae

CONTACT: Amiral Farid, ARN Sales Director afarid@arn.ae; 044555888

WEBSITE: www.virginradiodubai.com

Virgin Radio Stars

FREQUENCY: 89.7 FM

PARENT COMPANY: Levant Media Hub SAL

HEAD OFFICE: Zalka, Al Moudir Bldg.

NUMBER OF STAFF: 5

FOUNDED: 2019

WEBSITE: www.virginradiolb.com

LANGUAGE: English

LOCATION OF MAST: Jal El Dib, Beit Mery, Ashrafieh

REACH: Lebanon

LISTENERS DEMOGRAPHICS: Ages 35 to 49, English-educated

MEDIA REP: Interadio SAL

ADDRESS: Achrafieh, Accaoui, Media Center bldg.

CONTACT: 00961 1 561 639: info@interadio.com.lb

Zayed FM

FREQUENCY: 97.6

LANGUAGE: Arabic

FORMAT: Religious

not just visually appealing—it’s a fun invitation.’

Ariyadiyah… ‘It’s

Lipton… ‘In tune with Egypt’s advertising recipe for success.’

LEGO… ‘This billboard delivers on everything outdoor advertising should.’ Boon Coffee… ‘These collaborations shine light on lesser-known profiles.’

Heinz… ‘The only thing I dislike about this one is the fact that I didn’t come up with it first.’

Private View

NICOLAS GARCIA

Associate Creative Director, Science & Sunshine

LEGO: BUILDING BRIDGES (1)

Playful. Visually striking. Unmistakably LEGO. This billboard delivers on everything outdoor advertising should — even without the logo. The engagement phase on social media and in-store feel a bit laboured, though. Call me cold-hearted, but I don’t see a couple of colourful blocks printed on a billboard inspiring people to “reach out and renew precious connections with family and friends”.

BOON COFFEE: SPACE BEANS (2)

It’s space. It’s coffee. It’s eye-catching. A simple execution to celebrate the country’s latest achievements in space exploration—and maybe a decent piece for advertising awards—but it’s not really transformative work for a brand. The tagline, “Explore new grounds” has a touch of charm, but the link between coffee and the cosmos is still a nebulous one.

HEINZ: KETCH-UP & DOWN (3)

The only thing I dislike about this one is the fact that I didn’t come up with it first. Simple, clever and on-brand. It’s just one of those ideas that I’d love to have in my book. Too late for me, I guess. I just hope it’s not too late, for whoever came up with this, to get a patent—and make some bucks in royalty deals with these clever double-lid bottles.

ARIYADIYAH: NEWSPAPER COURTS (4)

Not sure if it’s the first time I’ve seen a brand turning urban landscapes into sports arenas, but I do like how they integrated the newspaper’s cover page into the idea. It’s not just visually appealing—it’s a fun invitation for people to connect with the brand, all while tackling a pressing issue in Saudi Arabia. Fair play.

LIPTON: LIP LIP LIP TON (5)

I only know a handful of Arabic words, Habibi, yet I could spot the Egyptian flavour in this ad within seconds. With picturesque characters, cheeky choreography and a catchy branded jingle, it’s in tune with Egypt’s advertising recipe for success. Now, whether that’s a strength, or a missed opportunity to break away from the pack, is a matter of perspective.

LEGO

Title: Building Bridges

Agency: V4Good OOH specialist: Hills Advertising

Boon Coffee

Title: Space Beans

Agency: Grey Dubai

Heinz

Title: Ketch-Up & Down

Agency: FP7 McCann

Ariyadiyah

Title: Newspaper Courts

Agency: SRMG Labs

Lipton

Title: Lip Lip Lip Ton

Agency: DDB

MATTER OF FACT

News, views & trends from across the spectrum

HOW LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS HAVE CHANGED THE GAME

TARIQ AL SHARABI

Managing Director of Cicero & Bernay Communication Consultancy

The surge in the evolution of large language models (LLMs) and the unfolding ‘AI wars’ is nothing short of a time warp, propelling us back to the vibrant tech renaissance of the early 2000s; every day, an innovation is introduced that outclasses the previous one. Such sweeping advancements across various industries require us to surpass the superficial dazzle of novelty towards establishing sustainable operational pipelines that harness the true potential of these AI technologies.

Earlier this month, Google’s I/O announcements o ered a glimpse into some fascinating tech soon to hit the market powered by LLMs, including ‘Duet,’ a Google Workspace plugin to help generate copy and images and analyse data in Sheets faster. We also learned about Project Tailwind, which lets users pick files from their Google Drive to train a private AI model and suggests information based on those files, and Magic Editor, which uses AI to edit images directly from your camera roll.

The rapid introduction of new technologies is truly staggering. It is undeniable that LLMs are not just a passing trend but are here to stay, potentially disrupting industries in a manner comparable to the transformative impact of the internet in the late 90s. Given these advancements, it's more crucial than ever to consider their deep impact on our communication.

GAME CHANGER

Singing tunes around ChatGPT

No longer restrained by the 2021 knowledge cut-o of ChatGPT, Bard, Microsoft’s take on LLMs, took a giant leap forward and can directly draw information from the internet — an eagerly awaited capability since the rise to prominence of ChatGPT.

BREAKING THE NET

I see Coke, Alexa

Coca-Cola Middle East’s innovative ‘I see Coke’ campaign empowered Saudi viewers to interact with their Alexa devices. Upon spotting a Coke on TV and reporting it to Alexa, they received discount codes via email alongside Alexa’s witty responses.

#NOT ‘Biden’ farewell to common sense

Earlier in May, The Daily Show’s mock-campaign video for Joe Biden unexpectedly went viral. Many viewers, mistaking the satirical content for an o cial campaign video, rallied in support. This underscores AI’s potential to blur reality and further cements the need for content verification and integrity.

Making marketers uncomfortable

Irecently did an interview with American advertising guru Bob Hoffman. For those of you who don’t know him, he’s got some pretty controversial views on the industry, particularly online advertising. He’s the author of Amazon best-selling books Advertising For Skeptics and ADSCAM and regularly writes his The Ad Contrarian newsletter. I’m always drawn to controversial figures and mavericks, whether they are on the sports field, politics or the business world. Think Roy Keane and Donald Trump.

Bob is definitely controversial and challenges the advertising industry to take a good look at itself and some of the tactics it uses. When I asked him why he’s named ‘chief aggravation officer’ at the Type A Group agency he works for, he replied: “My job is to make marketers uncomfortable - in colloquial terms, to aggravate them. As a writer, my only value resides in my ability to help people see things differently. If I am restating ideas and opinions that are widely held, I am not providing value”.

He goes on: “In marketing today, there is a stultified aristocracy of traditional marketers. They have invented a series of dreadful clichés that they drag out to explain every situation. My job is to undermine them”. Challenging the norms and the way things are done is always refreshing, but often leads to conflict. But conflict causes changes, as they say.

This was probably the least controversial part of my interview with Bob. Hoffman has strong views on what he calls “totalitarian marketing” - in which the marketing industry knows everything about us. “They know where we go, what we do, who we speak to, and what we say. They can infer who our friends are, what our interests are, what our political leanings are, and where we are at any moment”.

Many of us have grown increasingly concerned about being tracked online, myself included. Governments are taking action over tracking and what personal data is collected by technology companies. And of

JENNIFER FISCHER

ME&T

Listen to the article’s playlist for the full experience:

Collective Soul – Shine

Edie Brickell – Good times

Jean-Jacques Goldman – C’est ta chance

East 17 – It’s alright

Marvin Gaye – Sunny Morcheeba – Enjoy the ride

Rose – La Liste

course Google is in the process of scrapping third-party cookies. Hoffman doesn’t beat around the bush. “Tracking is simply a pleasanter word for spying. Most people have no idea of the extent to which their activities are being catalogued. Even people within our industry are mostly ignorant of the hidden hand of surveillance that pervades the online advertising eco-system”.

JUSTIN HARPER Editor justin.harper@motivate.ae

He quoted a report presented to the British Parliament stating that by the time an average child in Europe is 13-years-old, the adtech industry has 72 million data points on that child. That’s a staggering figure and of course something regulators should be looking into. Hoffman is right to point the finger at how we have let this happen.

He’s also very concerned about ad fraud and the accuracy of online advertising measurements and spending. “Online advertising technology was supposed to provide us with near perfect data on who we were reaching, where we were reaching them, and what it was costing. Twenty-five years later we find that the extent of uncertainty about what is happening with our advertising money online is staggering”.

You may disagree with him, but he definitely makes you think about a whole host of things from what actually constitutes a ‘view’ to banner blindness to the effectiveness of programmatic advertising. My head is still spinning after our rapid-fire interview.

99 things that make me feel hopeful about the industry

The coffee. Walking meetings. Useful meetings (yes, like unicorns they do exist). Brave clients. Sharp briefs. The rise of empathetic leaders. Introverts working with extroverts. Or rather… extroverts working with introverts. Asking great questions. A sharp pencil. Reading a beautifully crafted copy. The ‘I wish we had done that’ moment. The competitive spirit. Ideas. Innovative ideas. Exchanging Ideas. When collaboration makes ideas better. Well-rounded strategic minds. Creative leaders that are both brilliant and respectful people. Interns who pitch TikTok ideas on their first day. Social hacks. Content shot on a phone. Passionate social media executives. How paid media finances journalism. How paid media finances entertainment. Effective search strategies. Loyalty programmes. Content. A beautifully produced film. New media opportunities. A wellconceived dashboard. Analytics. Data. Insights. Data falling in

love with insights. Telling a data-infused story. A truly local insight. Trend spotting. Our ‘cool’ attitude. Pretty offices. Wearing sneakers. A CEO-DJ. Weird green gooey drinks that are good for you. Chocolate (i.e. my drawer when it’s filled with chocolate). Working from the office. Working from home. Working from Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (that’s in Wales). Finding balance. Having a talent team, rather than a human resources team only. True diversity. The death of the boys’ club. Leaders without a giant stinky ego. Leaders who don’t get territorial. Self-awareness. Decent people. Caring people. Passionate people. Smart people. Colleagues who take the stairs with you to do your steps. Clients who partner. Clients who challenge. Clients who discuss hard questions. Great account people. Marketing leaders who join agencies. Agency folks who join tech and consultancies. Working with e-sports athletes.

Virtual influencers. Microinfluencers. Creators. Motion designers. Designers. Form and function. Storytelling. Being paid to tell stories. A witty headline. Experiential ideas. Generative AI. Optimising the carbon footprint of a media plan. Purposeful brand ideas. Purposeful brand behaviours. Media executives who are creative. Creative leaders who are strategic. Leaders who elevate others. Psychological safety. Fashionable colleagues. Colleagues who come to the office in pajamas and flipflops. A self-deprecating joke. Listening. A good debate. Brainstorms that work. When someone you loved working with years ago gets a cool new job. An Emirati getting Person of the Year at Lynx. An internship programme for retirees. When an ad makes people smile. Or laugh. Or cry. A kind smile. Constantly learning new things. The teaching hospital mindset. Watch one, do one, teach one. Seeing your work come to life on Sheikh Zayed Road. Never feeling bored.

Chief of Innovation & Growth, Publicis Groupe

The Spin

This month’s Spin is a food and drinks special, because we definitely love eating and drinking at Campaign Middle East. When we are not enjoying a tasty meal with friends and family, we can often be found at an ‘important’ lunch or coffee meeting around Media City.

We start with Burger King, that fast food favourite alongside McDonald’s and Starbucks. On first sight, it looks like someone has forgotten to put the all-important word ‘Burger’ on one its outlets in the UK. Quite a blunder for a burger chain, but we have seen worse. In

fact, it wasn’t an advertising fail as this was the intention – to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III. We are sure once all the pomp and ceremony was over, the Burger made its way back onto the sign. Otherwise that would be a Whopper of an error.

Moving swiftly on, we have to admit that we often slip into grammar snobbery at Campaign Middle East, frequently correcting poor English in the written word and vocally. But surely anybody would be left slightly perturbed at how you can mis-spell a three letter word like ice. I know we should

chill out but it sends a cold chill down our spines.

And if it’s not grammar, it’s basic maths that boils our blood. Like this ad for a six pack deal. Nice pun but perhaps you should count the number of bottles first before rubbing your hands at your clever marketing. No-one will be raising a glass at that one sadly.

And finally, why be should we be Smarties when we can be Dumbies instead? With all our pointless social media scrolling these days, it’s only a matter of time.

Appointments

Maddict, a mobile marketing platform and location data technology, has appointed STEVEN SIDAWI as its new Chief Operating Officer in Dubai, UAE.

Sidawi has more than 15 years of experience working in various areas, including media partners, data and analytics, digital technologies and customer experience, across agencies such as Publicis, UM and Choueiri Group.

Augustus Misr has appointed SHADY MAZHAR as its Managing Director.

Augustus Misr was launched in 2021 and serves as the Egypt arm of Augustus Media. In his new role, Mazhar will oversee and

manage assets for Lovin Cairo and Smashi TV. He will be responsible for company’s strategy and growth. Mazhar comes with more than 15 years of experience in broadcasting, music events, and business development in Egypt’s media industry.

Creative agency Leo Burnett Dubai has appointed MUHAMMAD ALI as its Executive Creative Director. In this role, Ali will be responsible for leading and overseeing the creative output and growth across the Leo Burnett Dubai portfolio. Ali brings with him more than 15 years of experience in the industry, having previously held the position of Executive Creative Director at Keko Dubai and Senior Creative Director at Momentum Worldwide.

Alo has announced the promotion of AKHIRAJ SENGUPTA to the role of Head of Client Servicing and Digital Marketing. Sengupta previously held the role of Head of Digital Marketing and Planning. He has been leading the digital marketing in the company for almost four years.

Alo also announced the appointment of SANJAY BHATIA as the Business Growth Director, based in the UAE. As a part of the leadership team, Bhatia will be responsible for overseeing and growing a global portfolio of clients, understanding their business objectives and aiding in

achieving their business goals. Bhatia comes with more than 25 years of industry experience, managing a portfolio of regional and international clients including names such as P&G, Boeing, Unilever, Mondelez and more.

Serviceplan Middle East has appointed RAWIDA SAADÉ MAKSOUDIAN as Client Servicing Director. Maksoudian has more than 15 years of experience in brand management. Born and raised in Dubai, she holds expertise in advertising, shopper marketing, and digital media. Her portfolio includes working with brands such as Kraft, Arla Foods, Unilever, P&G, Mondelez International, Johnson & Johnson and more.

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