Dentsu Aegis Kuwait partners with Views

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Dentsu Aegis Network in Kuwait has partnered with Views Communications. With offices based in Kuwait City, Views Communications will be responsible for the media planning and buying requirements of Carat and other Dentsu Aegis Network clients in the country. Views Communications is a full service agency that spans media planning and buying, creative, PR and activation, and was founded in 2010. The new partnership will see the team, lead by Karim Bitar, CEO of Views Communications, working on existing clients, Carat regional clients including GM, Total, BA and Pringles, as well as new prospects.

“This partnership is another important step in continuing our expansion in the Middle East and with Karim’s extensive experience and understanding of the media landscape in the market, we’re confident that we’ll see significant growth in Kuwait,” says Michael Nederlof, CEO Dentsu Aegis Network MENA.

Karim adds “This really is an exciting time for our team and it is a sign that a global player in the media space sees Kuwait as a market worthy of a significant presence and this kind of investment. We are looking forward to working with clients across the Middle East and beyond.”

Annalect MENA to partner with Ensighten

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Omnicom Media Group MENA’s data, technology and analytics division, Annalect MENA, has partnered with enterprise data and tag management company Ensighten, to bring first-party data insights to the region’s advertisers. The partnership aims to help advertisers improve the efficiency and ROI of their brand campaigns. The Ensighten open marketing platform enables brands to collect, own and act on data from everywhere – on-site, off-site, mobile and offline – so that digital marketers can provide personalised experiences in real time to consumers on any device or marketing channel.

“Ensighten’s open marketing platform is changing the way brands collect, own and act on data generated across the customer journey in real time,” says Elie Khouri, CEO, Omnicom Media Group. “We’re very excited at the new opportunities Ensighten’s technology will create for brands here.”

David Saxon, Vice President of Partner Sales and Business Development, Ensighten, adds “In a competitive environment smart and timely actions make all the difference and we’re proud to help Annalect deliver more relevant and personalised consumer experiences across the entire customer journey.”

Meltwater and Sprout Social partner

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Global media intelligence solution Meltwater has partnered with Sprout Social, specialists in social media management and engagement. The new partnership will enable businesses to engage with their audience based on insights extracted from news and social media. Meltwater, a comprehensive media intelligence platform will power Sprout Social’s social engagement platform to help find the right message to reach the right people at the right time. Sprout Social offers engagement tools to help users discover, respond to and interact across Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+ and Instagram from one interface.

“Meltwater’s core expertise is to extract insights, and we made a strategic decision to partner with a top player for social engagement,” says Jorn Lyseggen, CEO and Founder, Meltwater. “We researched more than 100 companies and chose Sprout Social because it has one of the strongest social engagement products in the market with unrivaled user friendliness.”

“Engagement through social channels is increasingly critical for brand success,” says Justyn Howard, CEO of Sprout Social. “Our partnership with Meltwater brings world-class capabilities together to create remarkable customer experiences and further promote meaningful engagement.”

 

Voting opens for BBC Good Food Awards 2015

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Voting has now opened for the sixth annual BBC Good Food Middle East Awards, hosted by BBC Good Food Middle East, part of CPI Media Group. There are 28 awards up for grabs this year, with categories including ‘Chef of the Year’, ‘Best Brunch’ and ‘Best Food Blogger’. Consumers are encouraged to vote for their favourite nominees in each category online, with the exception of Chef of the Year, who will be determined by an independent judging panel.

To vote, visit www.bbcgoodfoodme.com/awards/2015

AFP–Services expands into MENA

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AFP-Services, the custom content services wing of global news agency Agence France-Presse, will expand into the Gulf and Middle East regions, taking its editorial, digital and audio-vision on-demand offer to a broader range of clients. With a network of video journalists, broadcast technical crew, photographers, graphic designers and journalists worldwide, AFP-Services offers clients a means to produce cross-vertical content for digital, broadcast, print and social circulation.

“AFP-Services take the editorial acumen of the news industry, combine it with savvy audiovisual know-how and recast the ensemble to focus wholly on our customers’ needs,” says Olivier Lombardie, Managing Director, AFP-Services. “Now more than ever, companies and institutions know quality content is the key to communicating with audiences today.”

Rana Hariz, Sales and Business Development Manager, Middle East, AFP-Services, adds “AFP-Services does not compete with PR and advertising agencies. With its services that include photography, videography, content strategy and editing, AFP-Services is a natural partner for existing corporate communications outlets.”

 

IPA launches Foundation Certificate in MENA region

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The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) is launching its IPA Foundation Certificate across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region this week. The launch is being supported by a press campaign from Dubai’s Impact BBDO.

The IPA’s Foundation Certificate is an internationally recognised qualification that arms delegates with less than two years experience the knowledge to perform their roles. The content has been tailored specifically for the MENA region and involves approximately 30 hours of online learning, it will culminate with a formal exam taking place on November 12 in Dubai.

“As Dubai and the wider MENA advertising industry continue to grow as one of the leading global advertising hubs, there is an increasing need to attract and retain the best talent and ensure that they are armed with the skills to deliver stronger client relationships, better work and more profitable business,” says Michael Burns, Head of Export, IPA. “Through our research in the UK we have proof that investing in IPA qualifications helps agencies grow faster, have greater levels of income growth, have higher staff and client retention rates, and see more substantial revenue increases than their counterparts.”

Gulf Life gets a makeover

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Gulf Life, the inflight magazine for Bahrain’s national carrier Gulf Air, has received a new look. The redesign is the culmination of a comprehensive review of the magazine’s content, style and tone to better service its audience – whether 35,000 feet in the air, or in an airport lounge.

In addition to an updated logo and cover, the August 2015 issue of Gulf Life is also the first issue to be available as a digital edition via the issuu platform, which readers globally can download free of charge on any mobile device, tablet or desktop.

“We wanted something that reflected the expanding network of Gulf Air and its well-travelled passengers,” says Mairead Walsh, Editor, Gulf Life. “The new look is energetic and aspirational. We expect our new online presence will only increase our readership and awareness of the Gulf Air network.”

Edward Marr, Head of New Product Development and Business Development, GN Publishing, adds “We are immensely proud of the great standards Mairead and her team achieve each month for Gulf Life. As with all our products, nothing delights our teams more than producing engaging content that excites our readers, whilst clearly communicating our clients’ message.”

twofour54 and ADMM to partner

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twofour54 and Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management (ADMM) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at aiding the promotion of motorsports in Abu Dhabi to a worldwide audience. This MoU lays the ground for twofour54 to potentially provide ADMM with a range of services including production, post-production and training services, as well as travel, visa facilitation and government services. twofour54 will also be in a postion to provide strategic media consultancy and facilitation services to ADMM upon project requests.

“It is an honour to collaborate with ADMM in joint projects that will contribute towards driving the investment, growth and development of Abu Dhabi’s tourism and media sectors which form part of Abu Dhabi’s Vision diversification strategy,” says Noura Al Kaabi, Chief Executive Officer, twofour54.

Al Tareq Al Ameri, CEO, Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management, adds “We are pleased to formally recognise this partnership between twofour54 and ADMM. We believe it’s important that Abu Dhabi stakeholders work together and we look forward to working with twofour54 to identify and develop mutually beneficial and exciting business opportunities.”

House of Comms Relocates

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Dubai-based communications agency House of Comms has relocated its headquarters to Motor City. Established in 2012, the agency offers an integrated approach to communications, working with a number of brands across the region with a focus on key influencer outreach combined with media and digital strategies.

“We’ve made the move into a new office that we’re really proud to call home, and the location is perfect for our fast-growing team,” says Abby Wilks, Director, House of Comms. “We have created the kind of environment we have always dreamed of and everyone within the team has their own signature feature that they have brought into the office to make it their space – we wanted to inspire creativity in both our team and our clients. 2015 is going to be a huge year for us, so watch this space.”

Alamy partners with arabianEye

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Dubai-based creative resource arabianEye had secured a new partnership with Alamy to represent their image and footage library in the MENA region. The new partnership will give arabianEye clients access to more than 60 million new images, arabianEye will also be adding Alamy’s MENA-relevant content to their website.

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

Rachel Wakefield, Head of Sales, Alamy, adds “This is a very exciting partnership. We’ve long known that the huge variety of high quality photos, vectors and video clips in our collection would suit the Middle East market, but it was important to find the right partner and arabianEye came highly recommended to us. We’re looking forward to a long and successful collaboration.”