Lion MEC launches

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Darine Hounaine, Co-Founder of Mother, Baby and Child magazine at CPI Media, has moved on to launch Lion Media, Events and Consultancy (MEC) firm in Dubai. The firm aims to meet the needs of companies that require marketing and digital consultancy as well as events work. Lion MEC will launch its own set of events such as the International People’s Festival which will celebrate and flaunt the different cultures that the UAE has to offer in a carnival setting, as well as the Women’s Entrepreneur Awards and the Health and Wellbeing series of events.

The media arm of the firm will also be launching new publication Family Tree, targeting parents with children from 0 – 18 years of age with an initial print run of 15,000 copies distributed around supermarkets, clinics, hospitals, schools, hotels and more. The magazine will be available online and have its own app which will feature events, articles, news updates and a chat room. Family Tree will also have its own monthly network of events alongside a yearly channel of events.

“Success comes in a can, not a can’t; I believe that whatever you set your mind to, with persistence, passion, devotion and commitment can be possible if executed correctly,” says Darine.”I’m proud to be launching Lion MEC and to be incorporating all of my networks and talents under one roof to offer businesses the best possible service and ROI .”

New website for The Mothership

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Parenting blog The Mothership has been rebranded and given a new website, themothershipdxb.com. Launched in 2015 by magazine Editor and Broadcaster Helen Farmer, the improved website platform and brand identity will now allow for more blog posts, reviews, recommendations and news, as well as make it possible to work with select partners. There are also now options for user interactions, social sharing and advertising space, created as a response to demand from both UAE companies and followers.

“I started blogging as a way of dealing with the newness and weirdness of being a mum and I’ve been overwhelmed by the reception,” says Helen. “It isn’t about ‘perfect’ parenting – it’s about connecting UAE mums, sharing honest and reliable content and keeping a sense of humour throughout. I’m really looking forward to working with great brands that are in line with my values, and having the opportunity to share information with The Mothership’s audience.”

Styly.com launches

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Savoir Flair has launched new Arabic-language website, Styly.com. The website launches with a focus on world-class editorial and photography, offering Arabic readers premium luxury content on the same platform as sister website, www.SavoirFlair.com. Styly.com will offer content on fashion, beauty, lifestyle, trends and weddings in the Middle East, all curated by expert editors in Arabic and the website will be headed up by Managing Editor, Heba Abdalla.

Serviceplan Middle East launches Mediaplus Espresso

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Serviceplan Middle East’s media arm Mediaplus has acquired local agency Espresso, to form Mediaplus Espresso. The newly-formed mid-sized agency will work on new ways of connecting brands and consumers through platform strategy, data analytics and precision targeting, with the aim to enable the delivery of successful campaigns for brands. Mediaplus Espresso will be headed up by Azhar Siddiqui who will take the role of Managing Partner, having 15 years of regional experience managing the media buying portfolios of several, large, global and local accounts including; McDonalds, Mastercard and Unilever.

“Espresso sprang from our desire to break away from the ‘network’ culture and to draw clients’ attention back to the added value of strategy and planning,” says Azhar. “Partnering with Mediaplus is an ideal move, since we become part of a wider group, enabling us to compete more effectively with global networks, while retaining our independence and working with like-minded entrepreneurs from within the Serviceplan Group.”

YouNow launches in the Middle East

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Live streaming platform YouNow has officially launched in the Middle East. The website and mobile app enables real time interaction between broadcasters and fans, while also offering influencers the opportunity for revenue. The platform has over 100 million user sessions per month and 150,000 hours of live video consumed every day, making it a creative hub that facilitates live content creation from performers, celebrities, social influencers and brands, to encourage personal interaction with fans across the globe.

“YouNow is an opportunity for the world to see what the Middle East has to offer,” says Chereen Zaki, Arab Markets Manager, YouNow. “There is so much culture, art and diversity in the region and it will allow individuals to not only display their talents, but connect with fans from all over the world.”

Candace Tossas, Head of International Markets, YouNow, adds “As far as I am aware we are the only social network out there that facilitates consumer-to-consumer payment. This means artists are given a good opportunity to earn a fair wage directly from fans who appreciate their skills. We have had broadcasters give up their everyday jobs to be a full-time YouNower because they are earning enough money to support themselves.”

CNN opens new Abu Dhabi hub

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CNN has unveiled new state-of-the-art broadcasting facilities at its redesigned Middle Eastern hub in Abu Dhabi. The network has completely reconfigured its studio to feature the latest HD broadcasting equipment and a re-imagined space to open up a range of new possibilities for news, programming and community initiatives. The bureau will also now offer fresh opportunities for CNN’s established internship programme, as well as new initiative The Rooftop Sessions @ CNN, which will bring together creative minds, artists and thought leaders from the UAE to perform, discuss and engage with the CNN family.

“There are two parts to this project: we’ve integrated the latest HD cameras and equipment, touchscreens, lighting and a quite stunning LED wall into the main studio space, which create a completely fresh look and feel on air,” says Becky Anderson, Managing Editor, CNN Abu Dhabi. “On top of that, we’ve reconfigured our rooftop space, giving us new scope for our show teams to get creative. The overall result is a versatile, hi-tech hub that is the perfect base for our Middle Eastern operation.”

Maryam Al Mheiri, Acting CEO, Media Zone Authority Abu Dhabi and twofour54, adds “We’re celebrating a partnership that’s changing the face of media in the Middle East. Since CNN established its fourth broadcast hub here in Abu Dhabi, it has shared stories of our society and culture with the entire world. Abu Dhabi has been welcomed into living rooms globally every weekday for the past six years; that’s around 5,000 hours of editorial coverage, with a value in excess of US $820 million.”

Chloe Allan launches The Digital Dose

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Chloe Allan, former Editor of The Girl That Lives In The Desert, has launched new online magazine The Digital Dose. A Dubai-based website, The Digital Dose will cover all things fashion, beauty and lifestyle with three main sections; The Fashion, The Beauty and The Social Scene. The Social Scene will feature everything from newly opened hotspots to exclusive interviews with chefs and restaurateurs.

“I wanted to create a place designed to excite, inspire and have fun with fashion and beauty in a relatable and accessible way,” says Chloe. “To talk to talents from all areas of the industry and reveal a side of the region that readers from other parts of the world can also relate to.”

 

CNN launches CNN Style

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CNN International has launched CNN Style on TV, following the successful launch of CNN.com/Style last year. The first 30-minute Monthly CNN Style show was aired on CNN International on Saturday, April 9 and was fronted by Journalist and Author Derek Blasberg. The programme will aim to be at definitive events in the style calendar such as biennales, expos, fashion weeks and design festivals, with upcoming episodes coming from New York’s Met Ball, Milan Design Week and the Venice Architecture Biennale, amongst others. The new launch will also feature across the CNN International network with segments and reports all featuring under the CNN Style banner, such as The Invitation – a new regular feature that will air during prime time shows CNN Today and The World Right Now with Hala Gorani. 

“Luxury advertisers and premium brands naturally turn to CNN when they want to connect with upmarket audiences at scale,” says Cathy Ibal, Sales Director, CNN International. “CNN Style coming to TV further strengthens our proposition to such brands following the commercial and editorial success of CNN Style launching on digital platforms last year. I’m already seeing strong interest from advertising partners as we develop a broad range of brand solutions around this unique cross-platform editorial product.”

Al Arabiya English launches blog section

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Al Arabiya English has added a blogs section to its website, to focus on additional areas of interest outside of politics. The section will feature a host of international writers covering fashion, beauty, career coaching, nutrition and fitness, there will also be features from sports, politics, business and art bloggers who will add to the topics covered. The new blog section will be edited by Eman El-Shenawi and the section’s inaugural blog piece was written by Sultan al-Qassemi, a commentator on Arab affairs and art in the region, on why the Middle East must embrace placing art online.

“Our lifestyle page has become one of the top three traffic generators on our website and it was through that we had the idea to launch the blog section,” says Faisal Abbas, Editor-in-Chief, Al Arabiya English. “Although we are known for politics, we thought we’d give those who write on nutrition, sports and life in general an opportunity to write for our website.”

GN Publishing launches Baby&Child

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GN Publishing has today launched Baby&Child magazine, a new title dedicated to all parenting topics ranging from pregnancy to pre-school in the UAE. From the team behind Aquarius, Baby&Child is available quarterly from leading retailers for AED 20, with exclusive distribution through Marhababy, Baby Souk, DB Babies and Mumzworld. The brand also has an active Mummy Morning events calendar, daily social media and will shortly launch www.babyandchild.ae.

“Since we launched the Aquarius Baby supplement in May 2014, our mums have been asking us for a magazine and website as they desperately want access to locally relevant parenting advice as well as real life stories and support from mums in the UAE,” says Louisa Wilkins, Group Editor, Baby&Child. “They loved how our Baby supplement was open, honest and supportive of new parents in the UAE  and they wanted more of it… so here we are delivering their wishes!”

Katie Heskett, Associate Publisher, GN Publishing Women’s Lifestyle Group, adds “For the past two years, we have been talking to our Baby&Child audience, either through the pages of Aquarius Baby or at our monthly Mummy Mornings. We know what our readers want as we are engaging with them every month thanks to our active and engaged community of mums. With 80,000 babies born in the UAE every year, there is a lot of support needed for new parents and we’re excited that Baby&Child will be able to be part of their journey as a family.”