Twitter launches Small Business Planner app

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Twitter has announced the launch of its Small Business Planner mobile app to help small and medium-sized businesses with their Twitter marketing activities. Coinciding the release with the run up to the holiday season, the free app will offer tactical guidance for businesses in North America, the UK and Ireland, and is available across iOS and Android devices.

In a blog post, the Small Business Content Team for Twitter highlighted the offerings of the app, which include:

  • A daily calendar themed around four main topics – Tweet suggestions, Twitter Ads strategies, information on Twitter tools and exclusive events
  • The ability to add relevant topics to your own agenda which syncs with your personal device calendar, allowing you to keep track of Twitter alongside all other marketing activities
  • Access to additional resources such as research, success stories, blog articles and ebooks directly within the app

Sherry Tenorio moves on from Arabian Woman

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Sherry Tenorio is moving on from her position as Senior Editor of Arabian Woman magazine. With publication of the magazine to be put on hold, Sherry will now be involved with a host of publications, taking on the role of Editor-in-Chief for Post magazine, a newly-launched lifestyle magazine dedicated to the diplomatic community in the UAE and Qatar, where she will oversee the editorial management of the publication. In addition to this, Sherry will take charge of luxury lifestyle and fashion title, Velvet magazine as the Resident Editor for fashion and beauty, and will contribute relevant content. Finally, as Co-Founder and Editor of online fashion and lifestyle portal, La Moda Dubai, Sherry will continue to be involved in editorial planning, writing, styling shoots and marketing.

“I’ve learned so much from my stint at Arabian Woman,” says Sherry. “I met a lot of amazing people, went to different and beautiful places, and experienced new things – I’m very grateful for having had the privilege of working for the magazine. But as they say, life goes on. It’s time for me to face new challenges and grow further; I’m terrified but excited to witness what happens next! I’m sure I will embrace the challenge and do well at Post, Velvet and La Moda.”

Microsoft fires global ad sales team

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Tech giant Microsoft has laid off its global advertising sales team. The layoffs within the the Microsoft Advertising division are the result of the 18,000 proposed job cuts announced this summer, and are expected to affect staff members across the US, UK and other global offices, charged with selling advertising space across Microsoft’s MSN, Bing, Xbox, Outlook, Skype and Windows 8 properties. The executive team of Microsoft’s advertising division remains in place.

In the attempt to streamline the business towards profitability, the division is restructuring around more senior members of staff, focused on selling advertising solutions across its entire portfolio – stated above – rather than having large and separate sales teams for the different properties. In keeping with this restructure, former Advertising Senior Director of Strategy for global accounts and agencies, Bruno Fiorentini Jr., has been promoted to the Head of Microsoft Advertising’s global accounts and agencies team. Additionally, Microsoft Advertising has promoted Stephen Kim to lead the Microsoft Advertising worldwide marketing organisation. Previously General Manager of Microsoft Advertising’s global creative solutions team, Stephen will be responsible for driving worldwide trade marketing and consumer audience marketing for Microsoft Advertising.

The closure of Microsoft Advertising has been under speculation for some time, as the company had only a 2.45 percent share of the global display advertising market last year. The market is currently dominated by Google, which had a 31.92 percent share, with Facebook claiming 5.82 percent.

Heather McDonald joins Linktia

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Heather McDonald has joined content production group Linktia as Partner and Business Development Manager. Having been in Dubai since 2008, Heather has worked with Alchemy Films, first as a Producer and most recently as General Manager. In her new role, Heather will oversee Linktia’s business development, with a focus on building long term relationships with new and existing clients.

“Having worked as the General Manager for Alchemy Films for the past six years, the transition to Linktia provides a fantastic career growth opportunity,” says Heather. “Linktia is a group of market leading companies and dynamic individuals, with brands including Alchemy Films, Aperto Middle East, arabianEye, Bareface, Corbis, Magnet and The Studio. To work with such an interesting range of industries and promote brands like these is a thrilling position to be in!”

Lindsay Judge joins Gulf News Magazines

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Lindsay Judge has joined Gulf News Magazines as Group Fashion Editor. Lindsay was most recently with ITP Publishing where she was Fashion and Beauty Editor for Ahlan!, looking after all fashion and beauty content both online and in print. In her new role, Lindsay will oversee the fashion content for Gulf News Magazines, including Aquarius, alpha., Friday and Watch Time, as well as supplements.

“It’s great to be working with so many exciting titles,” says Lindsay. “I’m really looking forward to having the opportunity to work across such a broad spectrum of magazines.”

Surena Chande joins La Femme

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Surena Chande has been appointed as the new Digital Content Writer for La Femme magazine’s online platform. Remaining with the Pinpoint Media Group team, Surena moves across from Good Taste magazine where she was a Writer for the past year, overseeing the content and production for style and home as well as contributing to the events, travel and food sections. In her new position, Surena will produce fresh and exciting content for the La Femme website, in addition to managing La Femme’s social media pages.

“Digital journalism has been a path that I have been eager to pursue since university,” says Surena. “So I’m very excited to embark on this new journey with a magazine brand as respected as La Femme.”

Yahoo restructure reaches Dubai office

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As part of Yahoo’s global efforts to ‘streamline operations’, a number of workforce reductions were implemented within its Dubai office last week, although the exact number is yet to be confirmed.

With the closure of operations in Cairo approximately one year ago, Yahoo continues to downsize it presence in the region. This latest report of restructure follows on from Yahoo’s announcement earlier this month of its plans to close its office in Amman, Jordan, by the end of 2014. While Yahoo Maktoob’s operations will now be supported from regional offices in Dubai and other locations, Yahoo’s Dubai office – which first opened in 2010 – appears to be the last remaining outpost for Yahoo in the Middle East.