Tom Hardstaff joins UM MENA

Tom Hardstaff has joined the UM team as Regional Strategy Director. Having moved over from Mediacom in the UK, Tom has worked on international brands such as Volkswagen, TUI, Kenwood and DeLonghi. In his new position, Tom’s main responsibility is to support the Coke team with strategic direction, ensuring the brand’s continued innovative growth in the MENA region. Tom’s current focus is the development and implementation of the MENA Coke workshops, which will be pulling together the local markets to align vital output and drive the brand forward.

“The challenges Coca Cola face in the MENA region differs to that of other international markets,” says Tom. “But, with an innovative agency approach to our strategic direction, we have the opportunity to deliver remarkable, engaging consumer campaigns and ultimately reposition Coke as the number one drinks brand in the region.”

The Cash Collective launches app with Apple

Online lifestyle magazine, The Cash Collective, has celebrated its first birthday with the launch of an app, now available in the Apple App Store. Launched in partnership with MediaQuest’s digital division MEmob, the app – also called The Cash Collective – allows readers to download the magazine for free onto mobile devices.

“I’m beyond excited to announce The Cash Collective app,” says Shannon Wylie, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Cash Collective. “In what may be the most exciting news for the magazine this year, we are now available in the Apple App Store. The new interactive platform, which has been months in the making and so worth the wait, now allows you to access The Cash Collective issue by issue, simply by downloading the app. We’ve launched the app with issue seven, so enjoy the read and future issues will be available soon!”

Ti22 Films to launch online entertainment channel

A new interactive online channel – Dubai ON Demand – is set to launch on YouTube in early 2015, bringing together some of Dubai’s most well known presenters and personalities. Produced by Ti22 Films, Dubai ON Demand will upload short clips ranging from health and fitness, to make-up, celebrity gossip and sports.

The faces of Dubai ON Demand will include: fashion designer Tamara Al Gabbani; food author, presenter and entrepreneur Dalia Dogmoch; TV presenter Aishwarya Ajit Gordon; British TV presenter, MC and actor Layne Redman; ‘comedy juggernaut’ Nitin Mirani; celebrity correspondent Dina Butti; TV presenter and radio broadcaster Tom Urqhart; founding presenter and writer of ‘Out and About’ Punam Verma and director and producer Faraz Jayed.

“I knew that the industry was moving towards digital and had been following trends in the US; seeing the shift through my company Ti22 Films, I reached out to a group of personalities in the region, many of whom I had worked with before while executive producing at Dubai One,” says Reim El Houni, Executive Producer and Managing Director, Ti22 Films. “Each person saw the vision I was trying to create for the channel and joined the team to create for the channel and develop Dubai ON Demand. The vision is to create an English online platform that becomes the must-watch channel for expats in Dubai and the UAE. Dubai ON Demand will be very interactive, encouraging viewers to record and send in relevant clips to be used as content for different segments. Our goal is to build a community who, gradually through their engagement, will start to experience the activities we are filming alongside us. The timing for this project is perfect, as it comes at a time when Dubai One has shifted its strategy towards acquisition and ended local production – we are ready to fill that gap and cater to that audience.”

DPP Motion launches MEA and Asia video library

Dubai-based DPP Motion has become the first stock library to specialise in footage exclusively from the emerging markets of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, offering content to production companies, broadcasters, advertising agencies and other media. Featuring 4K footage, aerials and time lapses, the DPP Motion video library has been built by a team of locally-based video producers, and provides up-to-date creative and editorial footage depicting vibrant and dynamic life from places often undocumented by other video libraries, including the UAE, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Georgia, India, Malaysia, Namibia, Vietnam, Madagascar and China. Stock video can be instantly and securely purchased online at DPP Motion’s website, and is powered by Amazon’s latest cloud technology (AWS).

“With globalisation, the world is getting smaller and historical and geographical borders are becoming increasingly insignificant,” says Dalia Penzik, Managing Director, DPP Motion. “However, very little video content exists in any real breadth or depth from these areas. There are many countries that are ideal locations for today’s media uses – whether for advertising, feature films, editorial use, corporate videos or e-publishing – but a large number are difficult to access due to challenging terrain, bureaucratic access issues or security concerns. We are making this high quality material readily available, as well as offering a simple online payment system. Our team comprises professional video producers with extensive, first-hand experience of the regions we cover, so we can assure that the footage we are offering accurately depicts current content that can be used for either editorial or commercial purposes. The library was built following in-depth research on the latest business demands and trends of the markets we aim to serve, so we really understand the needs of production companies, broadcasters, advertising agencies and other media makers.”