Instagram celebrates five-year anniversary

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Instagram celebrated it’s five year anniversary this week in Dubai, with a projection on the Burj Al Arab. Amy Cole, Brand Development Lead, EMEA and Instagram’s sixth employee, came to the Emirate to take part in the company’s 12th Worldwide InstaMeet. The celebrations follow Instagram’s recent announcement that it will make advertising available to more businesses, allowing marketers in the MENA region to share ads with Instagram’s community of 400 million members worldwide.

“People are communicating visually and using images to experience the world around them, and this is incredibly true in the UAE and Middle East,” says Amy. “With the high smartphone penetration in the region, these devices in our pockets have caused a shift in communication, from words to images. With 80 million photos posted to Instagram every day, if something is happening, it’s likely being captured on Instagram.”

Jonathan Labin, Head of Facebook, MENA, adds “People come to Instagram to experience the world through images, find inspiration and connect through shared passions. This backdrop sets Instagram up to be a powerful mobile advertising platform for businesses and marketers globally. Our launch partners have already inspired people with their creative storytelling, and we’re excited to see what else brands in the Middle East and North Africa will bring to the community.”

 

The Creative Design Conference 2015

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Team TMN sit down with Douglas Okasaki, Secretary and Treasurer for the Society for News Design – and Senior Designer for Gulf News – to find out more about the 2015 Creative Design Conference, to be held in Dubai on October 23 – 25, 2015. 

Tell us a bit about The Creative Design Conference 2015?
The Creative Design Conference is a masterclass in design possibilities available to the publishing industry. It’s an opportunity for professionals and students to learn and follow trends across all publication platforms: print, online, tablets and mobile. The event is organised by the Society for News Design – a non-profit organisation that aims to enhance communication around the world through excellence in visual journalism, with around 1,500 members worldwide.

Parallel with the conference, we also have three great workshops on offer: Infographic with Fernando Baptista from National Geographic Magazine (USA); Arabic Layout with Osama Aljawish from Al Shabiba (Oman) and Arabic Calligraphy with Dr. Salman Alhajri, professor of Art and Design, at The Department of Art Education at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman.  

Tell us about the concept behind The Creative Design Conference …
We want to gather creative individuals in the region and encourage them to share experiences. The Middle East has huge creative design potential, especially in Dubai’s hugely multi-cultural environment. The concept of sharing talent in the region is quite a new one, and the highly competitive environment that is the publishing industry can make people afraid that sharing their ideas will lead to others copying, manipulating or innovating them to their advantage. Keeping talent a secret seems to be the norm over here, but we believe that creative people can make a difference. The Creative Design Conference aims to bring and mix local and international professionals to share in their creativity, resulting in greater creative impact all-round. 

What made you decide to bring The Creative Design Conference to Dubai?
The publishing industry in this region is vibrant. Dubai is a strong reference point for general media in the Middle East, and all platforms here have an immense opportunity to grow, both in print and digital. We also recognise the constant need for members of the media to learn more and update skills by participating in conferences and workshops.

How do you think news design differs in Dubai from elsewhere in the world?
The multi-cultural characteristics in Dubai are everywhere. This makes subjects, interests and experiences in the city much more diverse. For example in Sports news, we have to accommodate fans of cricket, golf, soccer, horse racing and so on. For main news stories especially, we have a considerable number of communities in Dubai to listen to, and consider, when designing newspaper layouts.

The country’s ongoing development and construction projects mean that so much is being developed here, and all of this information must be addressed and presented in a clear and legible way.

Can anyone attend The Creative Design Conference 2015?
Yes! We mix themes that embrace general design topics such as layout, infographics, illustrations, interactivity and design management. Nowadays if you are in the publishing industry you can’t forget its design aspect, especially in Dubai where the consumer/readers/users have a high visual education and good taste. The event is open for professionals as well as students.

How can media companies get involved in The Creative Design Conference?
Simple – we have our website, www.snd20events.org, with links for suggestions and inquiries. If you want to be more involved with Society for News Design (www.snd.org) then your contribution is more than welcome. We have additional regional design competitions, workshops and even exhibitions, run by the organisation, from time-to-time.

Could you tell us more about who we can expect to see at The Creative Design Conference this year?
We would like to cover all platforms for creatives from print to online.  I still feel that our region needs to develop more in Interactive online coverage in particular. To remedy this we have invited Al Jazeera (Qatar) Interactive producer Mohammed Haddad; the Al Jazeera team is producing a high quality of interactive journalism online with a mix of graphic elements, video, pictures and really interesting work that can bring some inspiration for our regional online websites.

Not only is the technical aspect for the creative professional life covered, but the inspirational –  Liz Prado has experience working as a graphic designer while simultaneously developing her carrier as a painter/artist, she will talk about how to combine what you are and what you want to be.

Dani Blizzard and Lois-Rose Knowles from Digitalgurus, a high profile creative recruitment from UAE and UK, will talk about what professional profiles are in demand in the region and their advice on staying up to date on professional life.

The speakers and topics for the conference were carefully selected, with the regional publishing industry in mind.

What can we expect to gain from The Creative Design Conference 2015?
Inspiration. This is what we want our attendees to gain. And I believe they will.

 How do you think the Creative Design Conference will develop in the future?
The conference follows trends in the industry and more importantly, the people. Technology is nothing if you don’t have great ideas and creative minds behind projects. We still believe in the huge potential of professionals. The main focus of this conference is to bring in great minds to discuss their experiences and share their knowledge and skills for participants to acquire, practice and be more creative.

The power of X – how brand power can be enhanced with cool collaborations

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Yara Hamarneh, Digital Strategist at Cheil MENA talks about how brands can boost their credentials with collaborations…

“Commercial success demands having a product for people to buy on top of an idea for them to buy in to, and one of the most powerful ways of facilitating this in our industry today is through collaboration”

Advertisers are often criticised for forgetting the fact that growing a brand is about selling products, as well as educating consumers. Commercial success demands having a product for people to buy on top of an idea for them to buy in to, and one of the most powerful ways of facilitating this in our industry today is through collaboration.

A collaboration may take many forms, including unique products and content, special editions and events, and it does not always have to involve big names or players.

In our region, celebrity endorsement is a popular form of collaboration widely used by big brands. L’Azurde and Elissa, Western Union and Amr Diab, Splash Fashion and Nicole Saba are simply a few examples. Another successful example of collaboration is Batelco’s gaming league partnership with Vortex gaming centers in Bahrain, which is targeting youth through a major passion point. Globally, we find examples of collaborations that can create deeper business value; Puma signing with Rihanna as Puma’s creative director for women’s products is an excellent example of collaboration done well. Adidas has also worked on a range of footwear with Pharrell Williams and the ubiquitous singer/producer is collaborating again on his ‘Bee Line’ collection with Timberland. Such collaborations can create value from a very early stage and this is carried out all the way from product creation to endorsement.

But what’s becoming increasingly important is the symbol that defines the collaboration – the symbol ‘X’.  This is a mathematical symbol that we all grew up calling ‘times’. More powerful than + (plus), it is the multiplier and when sales targets are subject to pressure, there is value in multiplying the equity in partnerships. It’s a symbol of collaboration that is becoming easily recognisable to consumers and to shoppers.

X signifies something new and worth looking out for to consumers. It is a form of syntax that could become as important to retailers as ‘new’, ‘free’ or ‘sale’.  It also enables a retailer to engage with shoppers, drive footfall and sales, and simultaneously strengthen relationships with customers through equity borrowed from collaborators.

The birth of digital & social media has boosted the number of brands’ collaborating with people, leading to crowd-sourced products, and ideas; all forms of collaborations with the power of X. We all still remember the Lay’s new chips flavor created as a result of collaboration with people on social media. Today, however, we see brands tend to follow the easier, safer, (and probably more expensive) collaborations on a digital front, which are all represented in a few endorsement posts by influencers that are, most of the time, irrelevant to the brand.

Collaborating with influencers can create much greater value to brands if they apply the same crowdsourcing formula that had been followed previously. Creating a deeper collaboration based on involvement will result in stories and positive personal experiences rather than promotional posts, thus allowing people to fully buy into your brand’s idea.

Head of PR & Corporate Communications I-MEA, Infiniti, Craig D’Silva

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Name:
Craig Cassius D’Silva

Age:
29 

From:
Canada

Current job title:
Manager – PR & Corporate Communications I-MEA at Infiniti Middle East

When did you arrive in the UAE?
My time in the UAE has been split. I spent a fair bit of time here between 1994 and 1999. I then moved back to Dubai full-time in 2005, and have been here ever since.

Where did you work prior?
Prior to joining Infiniti, I was an Associate Director at DABO & CO where I worked on the BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands across the Middle East and Levant regions.

What were your first impressions of the media industry in the Middle East?
Initially, I had very mixed feelings about the overall media industry in this region. Looking back to 2005, when I moved back to the region, media was still very much in its infancy, and as a result many media outlets started to pop up overnight.

Have these impressions changed much?
The growth and progression that the media landscape has made, particularly in the UAE, has been phenomenal over the last 10 years. I believe the market has made significant inroads in terms of maturity both from a content and media outlet perspective. What has also been interesting to note is the evolution and growth in the digital space – something that is going to continue to grow in significance as the market continues to progress.

Tell us about your new role as Manager – PR & Corporate Communications, I-MEA at Infiniti Middle East…
I am using my experience to provide strategic direction for Infiniti as an automotive manufacturer in the Middle East, the goal being to enable us to communicate Infiniti’s progress as we drive the business forward.

What challenges do you face?
The biggest challenge I face on a day-to-day basis is ensuring that I maximise the utilisation of time in a typical workday. Instead of getting bogged down with daily tasks, it is always important to take a step back and look at the bigger picture and work towards that goal. It is also important to ensure that your regional stakeholders are educated on the role that PR will play in the business, as without education it is often hard to convince those around you to step outside of the box when it comes to communications. As PR continues to evolve, it’s key to stay ahead of the game and opt for more innovative experiential communications as opposed to your traditional press release type communication. By doing so, brands will be able to add tremendous value within the region.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
I am a petrol-head at heart and being lucky enough to have built a career working in the automotive space is something that I will be forever grateful for.

What’s the most exciting thing to happen so far?
At Infiniti, the most exciting thing I have worked on was without a doubt the launch of our new Infiniti Q70 sedan. It was a completely integrated approach to a launch that utilised social media, marketing and of course engaging PR. The launch was extremely successful and definitely one of the highpoints in my career so far.

Infiniti is also the title sponsor of the Infiniti Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team, this means that I am able to work on some really exciting projects.

 

What do you think of the quality of media publications in the region?
Media publications in the region have come a long way in terms of quality, when I compare it to when I first moved to the UAE, but there is of course always room for improvement. The two areas that could still be improved upon are; the quality of the content and the creative element when coming up with stories. 

What sets you apart from other industry professionals?
I am extremely passionate about my work and am always willing to roll up my sleeves and dig in. By doing so, I am able to get a real feel and understanding for the job. This also ensures that I have full visibility on what is going on all of the time.

Work calls via landline, mobile or both?
Both, for sure. In this day and age you cannot be limited in terms of communications.

What’s your most overused saying?
‘Go big or go home’

Five things you can’t live without?
The internet, coffee, Nike Shoes, my cell phone and, of course, McDonald’s Coca-cola and Chinese food.

If you weren’t with Infiniti Middle East, what would you be doing?
I would probably be running my own restaurant on a beach in St Maarten.

Executive Life relaunched

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Following a brief hiatus this summer, Executive Life magazine has been revamped and relaunched. With a different theme for every issue, the magazine is aimed at professionals interested in luxury living, covering topics from classic cars, timepieces and tailoring, to fine dining and luxury properties. Published once every two months by UMS International, Executive Life will be sent to all subscribers of Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East. The title will also be available from book stores and supermarkets, with the relaunched edition – The Style Issue – out now. An Executive Life website is expected to launch by November 2015.

“Each edition of Executive Life tackles vital issues like wealth management, looking and feeling good, traveling smarter and exploring new destinations,” says Ravi Raman, Vice President, UMS International. “It’s the perfect lifestyle accompaniment for our readers, who are discerning and demand an intelligent read.”

 

 

AAM to honour Noura Al Kaabi

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American Abroad Media (AAM) will honour Noura Al Kaabi, CEO, twofour54, at an awards dinner in Washington later this month in recognition of her role in leading the UAE’s growing media industry. This will be the third annual “Power of Film” awards dinner at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C., held to honour those whose work exemplifies the power of media to inform, educate and empower citizens about the critical social and public policy issues of our time.

“We are truly delighted to be honouring Noura Al Kaabi, a dynamic and outstanding leader,” says Aaron Lobel, Founder and President, American Abroad Media. “Her enormous contribution to the success of the media sector in Abu Dhabi, as well as her personality and leadership style, is an inspiration to young people in the UAE and across the Middle East and is an honorable reflection of the values of her country.”

PHD UAE to hold BrainScape conference

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PHD UAE is set to hold BrainScape, its annual thought-leadership conference in the MENA region, on October 12, 2015. With a focus on the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the event will be held at the Armani Hotel Dubai and will host over 200 marketing professionals. It will feature a comprehensive look at the future of intelligence, as well as products that marketing professionals will be using and the advertising and data models that will support them. Key speakers include Kevin Slavin, Assistant Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at MIT Media Lab. The conference is produced with Choueiri Group’s dedicated digital media representation arm, Digital Media Services (DMS), as strategic partner.

“This is an incredibly exciting time to work in marketing, as we undergo a revolutionary transformation of what we are capable of achieving, thanks to developments in AI,” said Elda Choucair, Managing Director, PHD UAE. “This year’s BrainScape will invigorate marketers and inspire them on how to capitalise on upcoming technology and take the marketing discipline to new heights.”

Aziza Communications welcomes Samar Khouri

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Luxury lifestyle PR and events agency Aziza Communications has welcomed Samar Khouri to the role of PR Executive. Samar joins Aziza from Shamal Marketing, where she handled mainly food and beverage accounts, including ROGO’S, Fume and Qbara. In her new role, Samar will be working across a variety of accounts such as Lee Stafford, Toni&Guy, Jelena Bin Drai, Evans, Dorothy Perkins and River Island.

“I’m so excited to be joining Aziza Communications,” says Samar. “I’m really looking forward to working across the agency’s fantastic fashion and beauty portfolio and contributing to the success of such an inspiring and dynamic team.”