UM MENA partners with EVRYTHNG

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UM MENA has partnered with EVRYTHNG through its innovation and technology division UM Labs.  EVRYTHNG is an Internet of Things (IoT) Smart Products Platform that connects any consumer product to the Web using connectivity technologies or networking protocols, and manages real-time smart product data to drive applications. The partnership with the IoT Smart Products Platform will transform how clients’ products talk to its consumers, bringing innovation and a multitude of engagement with the consumer, data divinity and a better understanding of post purchase wants.

UM Labs aims to accelerate the adoption of ‘The Next Thing In Media’ through a showcase of technology partnerships, and is uniquely positioned in a global media agency, the Labs’ aim from this first media and IoT partnership in the region with EVRYTHNG is to bring more innovation to UM MENA’s partners by creating the most vibrant and efficient media space.

“Innovation in technology is making it possible for everyday products to generate data and play a direct role delivering digital services and applications to consumers,” says Niall Murphy, Founder and CEO, EVRYTHNG. “We’re thrilled to be working with UM Labs to bring these innovation capabilities to brands.”

Alsayegh Media moves to IMPZ

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Emirati full service communications firm, Alsayegh Media, has opened a new creative media production hub. The agency’s Dubai-based workforce will relocate to International Media Production Zone(IMPZ) and the new 12,500 square foot headquarters will accommodate the entire Dubai operation including creative, event management, animation, audio and video as well as social media departments.

“The opening of our new state-of-the-art hub in IMPZ marks a significant step towards achieving some of our future expansion goals,” says Abdullatif Alsayegh, Chairman and Chief Executive, Alsayegh Media. “We were already offering our clients a different kind of fully integrated service – combining global expertise with local and regional insight – but we are now able to do so much more. It’s definitely an exciting time to accelerate the firm’s growth while leveraging the latest industry trends.”

OMD UAE appoints new Associate Director

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Natalie Haynes has joined OMD UAE as Associate Director – Digital for the network’s luxury unit. Previously, Natalie worked in media in Los Angeles handling key accounts such as Beats by Dre and brings over eight years of media experience to her new role. As Associate Director – Digital, Natalie will manage the digital deliverables for the LVMH portfolio.

“Moving to the UAE and joining such a great team has been an incredible experience,” says Natalie. “I was really impressed with OMD’s approach to fresh thinking and their strong workplace culture. Being names as one of the best employers in the country also made a strong case for me to make the move. I look forward to this new challenge and working to raise the bar further with OMD.”

Transform Awards MENA

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With the inaugural Transform Awards MENA set to launch this June, Team TMN caught up with Andrew Thomas, Founder of Transform and Managing Director of Cravenhill Publishing, to find out what’s in store…

When is Transform Awards MENA, and where will it be held?
The Transform Awards MENA will take place on the evening of June 2. It will be preceded by a daytime conference that will focus on change and brand transformation topics, and both events will take place at the JW Marriot, Dubai.

Tell us a bit about the Transform Awards Programme…
The Transform Awards program exists to recognise and celebrate excellence in rebranding, repositioning and brand transformation. It has been going for five years, and has become the benchmark for rebranding. Most brand agencies now see it as the must-win for inclusion in their ‘creds’ documents, and Brand and Marketing Directors look for evidence of a Transform win when selecting their agencies.

The European Transform Awards has been held exclusively in London until now, so why expand to the Middle East?
As the Transform Awards has grown it has attracted a greater number of international entrants, and a European judging panel finds it challenging to understand the cultural nuances of entries from non-European markets. At the same time, there has been tremendous growth in understanding the importance of brands in the region. Therefore, it seems a logical progression to launch the event in the Middle East. The entries that we’ve seen so far certainly confirm that it was the right thing to do.

Why will Transform Awards MENA be such a prestigious event for the region?
We’ve seen some great rebranding projects from Middle East and North African agencies and in-house teams. Up until now there hasn’t been anything that truly recognises the best-in-class work produced. The Transform Awards will change that – it will celebrate and benchmark the work that those agencies are producing.

Why will agencies in the Middle East and North Africa want to get involved?
Rebranding projects have always given agencies an opportunity to work closely with the senior management of organisations, as well as combine and showcase strategic and creative skills. The Transform Awards recognises those skills and rewards them. In turn, the attainment of a Transform Award provides reassurance that a client’s decision to choose an agency is the right one. Oh, and although the work is the most important thing, the awards night is also a great opportunity for all those involved in rebranding and brand management to come together and have a great evening.

How can agencies get involved, and when is the closing date for submission?
All of the entry details can be found at www.transformawards.com. The regular closing date for entries is Friday, March 15, although there will be a one-week extension for companies who register interest prior to the closing date.

Can you give us some details about the awards/categories themselves?
The Transform Awards focuses on four key areas – content, process, strategy and type. So examples include best brand evolution, best implementation of a rebrand, best creative strategy, and so on. In addition, while brand goes beyond a logo, we recognise that for some companies the focus is on design and creativity and so we also reward companies for the best visual identity within their sector.

Who will be judging the entries for Transform Awards MENA?
We are honored, and frankly flattered, to have some really bright people judge the event. The first ten have been announced, and include Basil Habib Al-Arrayed, the Head of Communications for Bahrain’s Telecom regulator; Lewis Naim, Head of Marketing and Brand Management for Dubai Airports; Stephen McCallion, Global Head of Marketing Communications for TAQA (the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company) and Syed Abdul Karim Tanveer, Mobily’s Head of Brand Experience. It’s almost a disservice not to mention them all, as they are all so knowledgeable in their field.

How do you think Transform Awards MENA will develop in the future?
We’re delighted at how brand and advertising agencies have reacted to the announcement of the Transform Awards MENA, and looking at the entries we’ve already received, there seems to be a real feel and passion for the importance of brand and the intangible asset. If this continues to increase at the same pace that it has done, the Transform Awards can only grow in stature and relevance.

For further information, visit www.transformawards.com

ZenithOptimedia celebrates 25th birthday

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ZenithOptimedia is today celebrating its 25th birthday. On 30 October 1988, Zenith Media opened for business in a converted warehouse in Paddington, London. Created from the media buying departments of Saatchi & Saatchi, BSB Dorland and KHBB, it went on to become the first worldwide media “dependent” agency.

Steve King, CEO, Worldwide, ZenithOptimedia, said: “I feel enormously proud and humble that I have been with the network since our launch as Zenith Media in 1988. While our business has changed beyond all recognition in scope and scale, I believe that the enduring success of ZenithOptimedia is testament to the fantastic people and spirit around the network and the clear purpose and direction that we derive from our ROI focus.”

“The fact that our agency has grown five-fold in the past five years is testament to our ability to deliver revolutionary communications solutions – in real time – and across all paid, owned and earned digital media channels,” said Firas El Zein, CEO of Zenith MENA. “At Zenith MENA, our vision is – and always has been – centered on spearheading multimedia trends across the region. As part of this winning strategy, we have, in the past two years, successfully launched Newcast – a specialist branded content and experience division – as well as Performics MENA, the region’s leading performance marketing agency. In light of ZenithOptimedia’s 25th anniversary, it gives me great pleasure to affirm that these new entities further cement our position as a pioneering ROI agency.”

To mark the 25th anniversary, ZenithOptimedia is embarking on a major global futures study to look at how the world could change over the next 25 years. The study will look at how the world’s economies will develop, how our societies will change, how advances in technology will improve our daily lives and how we might enjoy entertainment in the years to come. ZenithOptimedia will publish the study in December.

Will Rankin confirmed as Editor of Diners Club

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Will Rankin has been confirmed as the new Editor of Diners Club Magazine, an exciting new upmarket lifestyle magazine aimed exclusively at Diners Club’s 15,000 regional members. Will, who has been a journalist for twenty years, was previously launch editor of The Oath magazine, and is currently a freelance Editor who works across a number of titles including his own lifestyle website, Middleeastliving.com.

Will aims to encapsulate Diners Club ‘Belong’ philosophy by writing about lifestyle matters such as fashion, travel, motoring and fine dining… interviewing movers and shakers, explaining what it means to be part of the exclusive global club that is Diners Club.

“I launched Banker Middle East, so while I have financial understanding, this is surely a dream job for any journalist and includes the sexy end of the financial world,” says Will. “It should be a great read, and fun to compile. The publisher has massive enthusiasm, creativity and deep faith in the magazine.”

Contact will at will.rankin@cre8network.com

Ben Rossi bids farewell to CNME

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Computer News Middle East (CNME) Editor Ben Rossi bids farewell to CPI Media Group and its flagship magazine title this week as he prepares to leave Dubai for his new editorial role in London. Ben joined CNME – the Middle East’s leading technology publication – as Sub Editor in January 2012 and was promoted to Editor in August 2012 at the age of 23. This Thursday will mark his last day at the title.

Ben commences his new role as Editor of Information Age print magazine and online publication on November 4, 2013. Information Age is the UK’s leading monthly IT publication.

“I owe a lot to CPI for giving me the opportunity to be the editor of its flagship magazine at such a young age,” says Ben. “It was a great honour being able to put my stamp on a brand and title as superb as CNME. CPI is a fantastic publisher to work for and it will be very sad leaving having made some great friends at the company. I’ve had a terrific time in the Middle East, but am now looking forward to my new challenge at Information Age in London.”

Computer News Middle East (CNME) is now seeking a new Editor. Anyone interested can contact cnme@cpimediagroup.com.

 

Starcom MediaVest Group launch Zero Dot

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Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) announced today that it has launched a new unit at the company, Zero Dot, a new generation of brand consulting, experience design, strategy and original creation of content.

Zero Dot, led by Jonathan Hoffman, SMG President, Experience Design, the unit provides a new way for brands to think about creativity and ideas and its work is inherently designed for the digital age, across multiple screens—social and participatory at the core. Designed to work quickly, in an integrated fashion with a fast, agile process, Zero Dot yields ideas for clients who can take them to market faster than typical integrated marketing approaches.

“Consumers are at the centre of everything we do,” says Laura Desmond, SMG CEO. “Keeping ahead of their pace of change and connecting with them in real-time is a part of our DNA. Today’s converged media world has created a need for more agile, multidisciplinary solutions, which is where Zero Dot comes in—serving as a consultancy that can create a new breed of experiences and catalyse speed to market so brands can engage today’s consumers in the moment.

Zero Dot will collaborate with all SMG agencies and Centres of Excellence (COE) and joins a strong group of emerging media and content units at the company, including Liquid Thread; SMG’s global data and analytics COE; its emerging mobile and social COE; Big Fuel, SMG’s social agency; and its Search COE. Zero Dot will expand globally throughout 2014.

New Editor announced for Nawa3em.com

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Ruba Nesly has been announced as the new Editor and PR executive for online magazine Nawa3em. Based in Dubai, Ruba – who is a media and journalism graduate from Damascus University – will be responsible for covering events and conducting interviews.

“Working at Nawa3em is a fantastic career opportunity for me,” says Ruba. “Each day here is different and brings a new adventure, experience and excitement “

Contact Ruba  at rubanesly@2pure.com / +971 (0)4 441 8415