New creative agency launches

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New creative communications, production and design agency, Havoc Creative has launched in the UAE. Founded by Catalina Tapia and Acacia Stichter, who are also the Creative Directors, the agency aims to offer its clients services ranging from visual brand development and design to corporate communications as well as art direction. With over 15 years of experience in the creative and publishing industry, Catalina and Acacia have partnered together to build a business that offers its clients creative content with a personal approach.

“We’ve worked for everyone from Harper’s Bazaar and HSBC to Shangri-La Abu Dhabi and even A-list celebrities, we’re using our expertise as designers as well as dealing with clients to bring a hands-on and personal service to companies and individuals alike,” says Acacia Stichter, Founder and Creative Director, Havoc Creative. “We want our clients to feel special and know that they’re getting our undivided attention, something that can lack when dealing with large corporate organisations.”

Shimmering Sands launches

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PR professional Francesca Hales has launched new lifestyle website Shimmering Sands for expat women living in the Middle East. With over nine years of experience in PR – in London and Dubai – Francesca has worked across luxury lifestyle brands. Her new digital platform aims to serve as a forum for expat women living in the region to help them understand the local community by providing local content on lifestyle, health and fitness, fashion and beauty, as well as feature a section for mothers and interviews with leading female personalities in the region.

“Moving to Dubai nearly three years ago, I had no idea what I was getting myself into and I really needed a friend,” says Francesca Hales. “Shimmering Sands is that friend. It is a digital girl gang for the hidden Dubai secrets from real girls, to real girls. It tells you where to shop, where to get beauty pool essentials and for those Dubai mummy moments.”

Dipp Bhargava launches new podcast

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Dipp Bhargava, previously Senior Presenter at Josh FM, is set to launch new biweekly podcast Be Your Own Boss later this month. With over eight years of experience in journalism, Dipp will feature interviews with entrepreneurs and startups across the UAE showcasing success stories and challenges faced as well as advice on how to set up a company.

“I am taking some time off from radio and am going full-time freelance,” says Dipp Bhargava. “My podcast Be Your Own Boss will guide and assist people who plan to start their own business in UAE. The basic idea is to help budding entrepreneurs and to start a community where we can help each other.”

ITP launches new division

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ITP Publishing Group has launched its new digital division, ITP Live. The new division is set to extend the digital footprint of ITP and APP Media Groups’ brands across the region. The new division aims to provide new content creation opportunities for commercial partners and will focus on the region’s social influencer agencies, video content creation and digital sales representation as well as ecommerce and live events.

“ITP Live is an exciting new addition to the company,” says Ali Akawi, Managing Director, ITP Publishing Group. “It will work horizontally to maximise opportunities across our brands and vertically by creating its own unique products. One of the horizontal aspects is video and as one of the most prolific content creators in the region we believe that creating video content is a natural extension of our business.”

Louna Media Solutions launches in Dubai

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Production agency, Louna Vision has launched its operations in Dubai as Louna Media Solutions (LMS). Located in Barsha Heights, LMS offers creative TV and animation production solutions as well as digital services including web development, online marketing, search engine optimisation and app design.

“Owning the international copyrights to over 29 game show concepts and a fully equipped production house, LMS is completely capable of undertaking all your production needs,” says Mark O’Hara, Managing Director, Louna Media Solutions. “Being in the industry for the past 15 years in three different countries servicing over 300 clients, LMS brings its expertise to the UAE. Our mission is to the make LMS one of the largest production houses in the UAE by 2020.”

Meltwater launches new division

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Global media intelligence platform, Meltwater has launched a new agency partnership division. Led by Meltwater EMEA’s Mohamed El Wardani, the new division will focus more on agency-specific support and intelligence solutions.

“This is a new initiative for Meltwater globally and we are delighted that our Middle East operations is pioneering this. It shows our commitment to this region and also the importance that agencies are placing on social media and online news monitoring analytical tools,” says Zubair Timol, Partner & Area Director for India, Middle East & Africa, Meltwater. “Mohamed El Wardani’s appointment as Managing Director of this marquee operation is an investment based on the market potential and increased relevance of online, social and digital data for today’s business decision maker. Mohamed brings a wealth of agency experience and his role will help us create our flagship agency operation across EMEA.”

Mohamed El Wardani, Managing Director, Meltwater agency partnership division adds, “We are working with some of the leading names in PR, digital and advertising in the region. With the launch of this new division, we will focus more on enhancing this partnership to bring the latest media intelligence solutions to the market, offer agency specific support and referral programs. I look forward to leading this initiative.”

Arab News launches revamped website

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Saudi Arabian daily newspaper Arab News has re-launched its website with a new design that offers enhanced usability and functionality. The revamped website includes a clearer layout with an opinion section, world news and business reports, as well as a spotlight section featuring key issues in the region and in foreign news.

E-learning courses for journalists launches

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Facebook has launched a single destination for journalists to learn about the products, tools and services that will help increase their brand’s social media presence on Facebook and Instagram. The free e-learning courses will be available through Blueprint, their global training program and will focus on the three core pillars of the news cycle – discovering content, creating stories and building an audience. With plans to accommodate more languages, including Arabic in 2017, the online training program will serve as a learning platform for editors and journalists around the world.

Black Iris Publishing launches new tabloid paper

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Black Iris Publishing has launched Her Paper, a UAE-based lifestyle tabloid paper for women.  Her Paper will be available in print to the local communities across the UAE with an initial circulation of 30,000 every month, as well as online through mobile app get it. The publication will allow consumers to scan features using their smart phone and buy products and services directly online. The launch event will take place on December 15, 2016 at Jean-Georges, Four Seasons Resort, Jumeirah Beach.

‘We are really pleased with the end product and how the market is reacting to the launch of Her Paper and the get it app,“ says Jason Bowman, Sales Director, Black Iris Publishing. “I’m really looking forward to working with mid and upmarket brands who want to forge a deeper relationship with our readers and by educating them on the holy grail in linking print with digital media.”

Buzzeff.tv introduces new ad buying method

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Online video publisher, Buzzeff.tv is the first to introduce an automated version of video ad buying to the Middle East and Africa. Programmatic outstream video advertising helps brands enhance their targeting capabilities by reaching out to a wider and more diverse audience while using minimal human input.

“We predict that more than 50% of advertising spends to be programmatic in 2017, as the industry seeks to leverage a more cost-effective outstream video format across premium publishers.” says Jerome Mouthon, Founder and Chairman, Buzzeff MEA.

Herman D’Souza, Business Head, Buzzeff MEA adds, “According to eMarketer, seven in ten advertisers said programmatic outstream provided more scale with 69% saying it helped improve viewability. By adding programmatic buying to our portfolio of products, Buzzeff is supporting the MEA region’s position as a leading hub for advertising professionals.”