Weber Shandwick wins at MENA Young Lions

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PRCA announces Weber Shandwick as the winners of the MENA Young Lions Competition for their ‘#spareoneminuteforchange’ campaign. The second year of the competition held by PRCA saw teams create an effective campaign as per a brief given by Dubai Cares. Sponsored by ICCO, the team, Angelina Hedra and Viviana Villasmil will get to represent the region at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity that will take place from June 17 – 24, 2017.

“We are absolutely delighted that Angelina and Viviana were selected by the PRCA to represent Middle East PR industry at the Young Lions Competition this summer,” says Andreas Keller, Managing Director, Weber Shandwick MENA. “We’ve had many Weber Shandwick teams take part in this competition over the last two years as it provides an excellent platform for young PR professionals to experience the realities of developing integrated campaigns for clients in a pressured environment. Producing Cannes Lions award winning work is something that all agencies aspire to do. This will undoubtedly be a very memorable and enriching experience for both consultants.”

MENA Digital Awards 2017 winners announced

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Winners of the fourth edition of the MENA Digital Awards (MDA) 2017 were announced last night following the end of the sixth Digital Media Forum (DMF). Held at the Westin Hotel, the MDA ceremony was themed ‘Digital transformation – own it’ with an aim to recognise the most outstanding digital talents, efforts and innovations across the region. The ceremony saw IMPACT BBDO Dubai win the Agency of the Year and BBDO Worldwide named Network of the Year, while other wins also included Starcom Dubai for Best Integrated Digital Campaign, RBBi for Best Performance Campaign and Socialize for Best Facebook App and Best Digital by Sector.

“MDA was launched to recognise and celebrate those responsible for creating digital marketing campaigns that have a real impact and have driven our sector to new heights,” says Najla Semaan Mazboudi, CEO, SpotOn Media Services and Events and Founder, DMF and MDA. “MDA’s programme evolves every year to reflect its growing scope and influence and it is now rightly considered as the benchmark ceremony for the top digital marketing talent in the region.”

In The Hot Seat – Caitlyn Davey

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Team TMN catch up with Caitlyn Davey, Deputy Editor at Lovin Dubai, who talks about her new role and what she thinks of the media industry in the Middle East…

Name: Caitlyn Davey

Age: 28

From: Australia

Current job title: Deputy Editor, Lovin Dubai

When did you first arrive in Dubai?

I worked in Abu Dhabi from February 2013, then got a job with 7DAYS in September 2014 after which, I moved to Dubai in January 2015.

Where did you work prior?

I was working part-time in Brisbane media for a community radio station as well as freelance.

What were your first impressions of the media industry in the Middle East?

I didn’t know a lot about the local media. I was familiar with a few publications, but came over to stay with my mum so she introduced me to a lot of it.

Has your opinion changed much?

I’ve learnt a lot about the country and the media landscape – it’s an interesting time to be in media in the UAE as it changes and shifts towards digital. I don’t think my opinion has changed, so much as I have learnt more.

Tell us about your current role…

I’m the Deputy Editor at Lovin Dubai, which means I’m responsible for the editorial content on the site. It’s a digital product so I spend my days hunting down stories, writing them up quickly and working with our commercial team. I also work on the social media, running competitions, engaging with our followers and finding new ways to present information.

What challenges do you face?

Time is our biggest battle, we’re a small team and are producing a huge amount of content so it’s always a race against the clock to get enough well-written coverage. As a new brand, we’re growing rapidly and working to expand on our brand awareness.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

Helping community initiatives have a voice is really enjoyable. I love hearing from our readers too – whether that’s through social media or personally. Our site gets a lot of feedback and it’s always exciting to know people are reading and engaging with our content.

How would you rather be contacted at work?

Email, always email!

What do you think of the quality of media publications in the region?

I think there are some excellent publications here that produce quality content. I would like to see more quality digital products, but I think that’s happening now.

Is traditional media still relevant in the UAE today?

Absolutely, I have worked in traditional media prior to my current job and it’s a fundamental part of life here. Revenue still comes from print advertising to a large degree and while that is shifting, it’s still a part of the makeup of a lot of companies. Plus I think there’s something so luxurious about the aesthetics of a piece of paper in your hand – it’s the same with books.

Describe yourself in five words…

Passionate, hilarious, enthusiastic, creative and loud

What’s your most overused saying?

That’s amazing…

What’s the most exciting thing that has happen to you in your career?

It sounds corny, but getting the job at 7DAYS was one of the best things to ever happen to me, it opened so many doors. And because of that job – I inadvertently signed up for a boxing reality TV show for a story and ended up on the show, and in a boxing ring. Also, meeting Michael Buble was a highlight.

Five things you can’t live without?

Bottle of water, phone, laptop, my Converse shoes, a pen… and paper.

If you weren’t in your current role, what would you be doing?

Something where I don’t have to sit down too long – I’m happiest outside, moving around and talking to people.

What is your favourite form of media (i.e; TV, radio, print)?

TV and video will always have a special place in my heart. I love that it has both visual and audio components and when it’s lifestyle content, I get to inject a bit of my own personality into the mix. In saying that, writing is always an important part of the equation because whether it’s TV, digital, radio or anything, there’s still an element of writing to it.

How do you see the media industry changing in the UAE in the coming years?

More digital presence from the existing brands, and more apps. I think with sites like Lovin Dubai leading the way, we will get more fast-paced products aiming to share information more rapidly. I’d also expect to see more online video and TV channels establishing themselves in the UAE as news providers.

House of Comms welcomes Jasmine O’Brien

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Dubai-based integrated communications agency, House of Comms has appointed Jasmine O’Brien to the role of Junior Account Manager. With over six years of experience, Jasmine previously worked with Tourism Ireland and most recently with Lidl as PR Manager where she worked on local and international projects as well as high-profile campaigns across retail, tourism, lifestyle, beauty and fashion accounts before moving to Dubai. In her new role, she will manage and work across House of Comms’ portfolio of clients through PR operations and media campaigns.

“As soon as I came across House of Comms, I knew it was the right agency for me,” says Jasmine. “With an endless list of dream clients and an incredibly talented team delivering epic campaigns, no day is ever the same. I’m so excited to be on board for what’s shaping up to be our most explosive year yet for House of Comms.”

Dentsu Aegis and M21 form new partnership

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Dentsu Aegis Network has appointed full service agency, Media 21 (M21) as its exclusive partner and representative in Oman. The partnership will see M21 offer communication services such as media planning and buying, creative, events, media production, digital and social media to Dentsu Aegis’s clients in Oman. The new appointment will also serve as a part of Dentsu Aegis’s expansion plan to offer its communication solutions to its clients across the region.

“This partnership is another important step in continuing our expansion across the Middle East,” says Ramzi Haddad, Managing Director – Emerging Markets, Dentsu Aegis Network. “M21’s extensive experience and understanding of the media landscape in Oman and breath of services makes them the perfect partner. We are confident that we will begin to see significant growth in ad spends in Oman – particularly in the digital space, so we want to make sure we are ready.”

Marketing campaign library launches

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Wayin, the digital campaign CMS platform has launched a customisable library of marketing campaigns, the Wayin App Store. Founded by Scott McNealy in 2011, Wayin is a platform that enables brands to create engaging marketing campaigns across all digital properties. By providing a library of campaign ideas as well as a record of features, objectives and result metrics of past campaigns, the new platform aims to streamline the ideation and creation process for brands across different categories and markets.

“Marketers in the Middle East often have to align their strategies with global marketing campaigns or with other markets,” says Louay Al-Samarrai, Middle East Partner, Wayin. “The Wayin App Store streamlines the process for marketing professionals in the region that want to evolve and stay ahead of the curve, by helping them find the right campaign to achieve their goals.”