Buzzeff reveals new rebrand

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Digital communications solutions and video advertising company Buzzeff Middle East Africa (MEA) has launched a new corporate identity as part of its 2019 growth plan. Buzzeff.com will now be rebranded as Buzzeff.tv, with the new brand representing Buzzeff’s video advertising tools and enhanced inventory offering more options to advertising agencies and companies with the aim to ensure that adverts are viewed by the right people on the right platform.
“The rebrand has been on the cards for a while now and when we realised our inventory now reaches 50 million unique visitors, we thought it was the perfect time to launch Buzzeff.tv,” says Jerome Mouthon, Founder and Chairman, Buzzeff MEA. “The colours in our new logo communicate our values; red signifies action, blue is rational and green is communication. The circle gathers and consolidates our solid business values. Brands are no longer interested in investing in cheap view-ability in content-generatred mass-environments. Advertisers are looking at premium targeting and a quality environment that fits their brands’ values for scalable audiences and we have exactly what they need.”

Nervora moves offices to d3

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Nervora, the media company behind Style.com/Arabia and POPSUGAR Middle East, has moved offices from Dubai Media City to Dubai Design District. The agency has a portfolio of web properties that span genres of luxury, lifestyle, travel and technology and works with publishers as well as advertisers to deploy media over a number of these sites.
“We’re bullish on the future of media and design here in Dubai and the MENA region at large.” says Shashi Menon, CEO, Nervora. “d3 has assembled a collection of like-minded organisations and individuals, and is also a strategic supporter of ground-breaking initiatives like our flagship Fashion Prize. We’re excited to see what’s to come of this growing community.”

IJNet Arab launches third mentoring center

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International Journalists’ Network’s Arabic channel – IJNet Arab – will launch its third mentoring programme for individuals and organisations with digital startups in the Middle East and North Africa. The programme will equip eight mentees with the business, technical, managerial, digital and mobile media skills and strategies needed to help their existing media startups to thrive. Applicants for the programme must have already launched their startup, that targets Arabic-speaking audiences, in order to qualify and 16 semi-finalists will be selected to compete for the eight places available. At the end of the programme, IJNet will award US$5,000 in seed funding to the most promising of the eight projects.

Bloomberg expands into Middle East

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Bloomberg is set to expand its media offering in the Middle East with a suite of new, regionally-focused editorial platforms to serve its audience of business and financial consumers based, or interested in, the region. The expansion will combine the resources of Bloomberg’s 80-strong Middle East editorial team, as well as new senior talent, with local expertise, giving business and financial professionals better access to the region’s newsmakers and market-moving news via a variety of new platforms including; a dedicated digital destination, original television programming, a new television studio and major new conference convening the Middle East’s most influential leaders in business and finance.

The expanded media offering in the Middle East includes a dedicated Middle Eastern edition of flagship online destination, www.bloomberg.com. www.bloomberg.com/MiddleEast will dedicate expertise to globally significant themes, appealing particularly to readers across the Middle East.

“Bloomberg’s latest regional editorial products build on more than 20 years of newsgathering across the Arab world to introduce new platforms for storytelling on the companies, markets, economies and politics shaping the Middle East,” says Riad Hamade, Managing Editor, Middle East and North Africa, Bloomberg. “Adding new media platforms will allow us to deliver more relevant stories to our growing audience of business and financial professionals across the region.”

Twitter and Sky News Arabia sign understanding

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Twitter and Sky News Arabia have signed a memorandum of understanding to launch an interactive panel discussion on the social media platform – Twitter’s first partnership with an Arab media organisation. A panel discussion program featuring some of the top influencers on Twitter from different fields and industries will hold monthly discussions, each dedicated to certain regionally or globally trending issues, with each discussion running between 60 and 90 minutes. Participants will Tweet their input in forms of text or video, while a Sky News Arabia representative will moderate the whole discussion in accordance with a set of rules. Followers will then be invited to Tweet their opinions and questions using the program hashtag announced ahead of each session.

“In partnership with Twitter, I am happy to announce the launch of the Niqash Tag program in a bid to cope with the rapid advancements of our audience’s interactive communication patterns, while using innovative methods of content development,” says Nart Bouran, Head, Sky News Arabia. “Sky News Arabia is a media organisation that has always adopted a multi-channel content delivery workflow, whereby we broadcast live stories across all platforms simultaneously, and interact with the audience all along.”

Kinda Ibrahim, Director of Media Partnerships, Middle East and North Africa, Twitter, adds “Our partnership with Sky News Arabia represents a pioneering initiative to engage our users on important topics currently being discussed across the region. Twitter’s increasing popularity has given users a powerful medium through which they can express themselves. Our aim with the Niqash Tag program is to promote dialogue between users and raise awareness of the Twitter tool as a communication platform between individuals, companies and a variety of other users.”

SOCIALEYEZ acquires BSocial

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SOCIALEYEZ has acquired Egyptian communications agency BSocial and will consolidate both entities into a regional digital entertainment hub with integrated services. The two companies’ teams will merge to leverage expertise and experience, meaning that the new SOCIALEYEZ will have a team of over 120 digital media professionals managing over 25 million social media fans on behalf of regional clients. BSocial focuses on providing full digital management solutions of its clients in terms of social media management, digital marketing, mobile and web app development and advertising, amongst other services, with clients ranging from SMEs to large enterprises.

“We at BSocial are excited to join forces with SOCIALEYEZ,” says Ehab Fares, Managing Director and Founder, BSocial. “With almost 30 million users on Facebook alone in Egypt, we have a lot of potential which SOCIALEYEZ can help us achieve. We both share a vision of creating a true regional digital media hub.”

Fadi Al Tarzi, CEO, SOCIALEYEZ, adds “We’re really excited about this acquisition, we’ve gotten to know the BSocial team quite well over the past years and we definitely share the same values of passion, dedication and creativity. This deal will give us further access to the great creative talent available in Egypt and is only the start of a wider expansion strategy.”

arabianEye partners with PA Images

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Dubai-based creative resource, arabianEye, has secured a new, exclusive partnership with PA Images in order to represent its image library in the MENA region. The deal will give arabianEye’s clients access to over 11 million images on-line, supported by an archive that dates back to the 1860’s. arabianEye will also be giving PA Images access to a selection of its exclusive Middle Eastern library, which has grown over the last ten years to include over 90 thousand images and footage clips from a network of local contributors.

“As the leading image and footage library in the Middle East, arabianEye has a track record in providing premium content and partnering with the best companies in the industry,” says Greg Aslangul, General Manager, arabianEye. “PA Images is an important addition to a group of strategic international partners that includes Alamy, Splashnews, Reuters and Magnum Photos.”

Stephen Munday, Managing Director, PA Images, adds “PA Images is delighted to be partnering with arabianEye, introducing PA Images’ renowned daily UK News, Sport and Entertainment imagery and our extensive historical archive to their customers in the MENA region.”

BPA Worldwide to release concurrent data

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Global assurance provider BPA Worldwide will release concurrent audience metrics for 41 consumer titles and six newspaper brands in the Middle East, for the six-month period that ended December 31, 2015. The top-line figures in the Trend Report About Circulation (TRAC) cover media with operations in four Middle Eastern countries: Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Included in the report are the headline average qualified circulations and other channels, including web traffic ‘average unique browser’, social media and apps downloads for the most recent December 2015-ending BPA brand reports.

“The concurrent release of audience data for consumer and newspapers based in the region helps level the playing field in the marketplace,” says Rana Hariz, Director, Middle East Operation, BPA Worldwide. “Media buyers and advertisers can turn to this single report and make an accurate evaluation of audience metrics between brands before they buy.”

Elevision expands into Abu Dhabi

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Elevision Media has officially completed its first Abu Dhabi installation in Marina Square. The installation is phase one of the digital platform’s expansion into Abu Dhabi, following the rapid growth of its Dubai network. Located in Reem Island, the digital-out-of-home (DOOH) media solution inside elevators of towers in the development has increased Elevision’s network by 14, taking the total number of towers operated across Dubai and Abu Dhabi to over 100.

“Today I am pleased to announce that Elevision is live in over 100 of the UAE’s premium commercial and residential towers and is reaching an audience of over 115,000 unique viewers,” says Nial Sallam, CEO, Elevision Media. “The growing popularity of DOOH media with its tactical flexibilty is fast becoming a ‘must have’ channel for media buyers and brand managers alike. As the region’s fastest growing DOOH network, Elevision is positioned at the forefront of this burgeoning industry platform and we are excited to be squarely focussed on our next phase of expansion as we zero in on our 200 tower milestone.”

 

twofour54 and MEPRA sign memorandum of understanding

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twofour54 and the Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) have signed a memorandum of understanding with the aim of increasing collaboration in order to support the growing PR industry in the UAE. Maryam Al Mheiri, Acting CEO, twofour54 and Brian Lott, Chairman, MEPRA, signed the agreement which will see twofour54 assist MEPRA’s industry-building activities such as networking and professional development opportunities for members, through twofour54’s network of over 100 PR and marketing services companies.

“Supporting the communication and PR sector is a vital link in the media industry value chain for its significant impact on a regional and global level,” says Maryam. “twofour54 is home to a number of leading international communication companies who work closely across the media sector. By showing our support we aim to assist MEPRA and its members to contribute to Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s reputation internationally.”

Brian adds “twofour54 is widely recognised as the leading hub for the sector in Abu Dhabi and is one of the industry’s key strategic partners. It is home to a number of PR agencies and a centre for creative content development. It’s the perfect place to host events such as MEPRA Connect, at the cross-section of creativity, professionalism and public relations.”