POST magazine officially launches

/0 Comments/in /by

POST, a magazine tailored to the diplomatic corps in the UAE, Qatar and the Middle East region, has officially launched as of last week. Published by Imperial Publishing, the bimonthly magazine features articles on foreign affairs, diplomacy, history, culture, arts, as well as retail advice on lifestyle, travel and fashion. With a circulation of 5,000 complimentary copies, POST is available across consulates, embassies, business clubs, partner hotels and chamber of commerce offices.

“The region receives a number of publications targeting various groups, with the exception of the diplomatic community,” says Geronimo Imperial, Publisher, Imperial Publishing. “POST was envisioned to help create a stronger network within the corps in the region by nurturing a channel where members of the corps could become better linked and informed. The main readers of this magazine are very dynamic. Aside from taking care of their expatriates, they also tend to their national interests. They promote trade, tourism and healthier bilateral relations. Delegations of heads of states, politicians, businessmen and even celebrities come and go, and POST shall be at the core of these activities.”

The Cash Collective launches app with Apple

/0 Comments/in /by

Online lifestyle magazine, The Cash Collective, has celebrated its first birthday with the launch of an app, now available in the Apple App Store. Launched in partnership with MediaQuest’s digital division MEmob, the app – also called The Cash Collective – allows readers to download the magazine for free onto mobile devices.

“I’m beyond excited to announce The Cash Collective app,” says Shannon Wylie, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Cash Collective. “In what may be the most exciting news for the magazine this year, we are now available in the Apple App Store. The new interactive platform, which has been months in the making and so worth the wait, now allows you to access The Cash Collective issue by issue, simply by downloading the app. We’ve launched the app with issue seven, so enjoy the read and future issues will be available soon!”

Ti22 Films to launch online entertainment channel

/0 Comments/in /by

A new interactive online channel – Dubai ON Demand – is set to launch on YouTube in early 2015, bringing together some of Dubai’s most well known presenters and personalities. Produced by Ti22 Films, Dubai ON Demand will upload short clips ranging from health and fitness, to make-up, celebrity gossip and sports.

The faces of Dubai ON Demand will include: fashion designer Tamara Al Gabbani; food author, presenter and entrepreneur Dalia Dogmoch; TV presenter Aishwarya Ajit Gordon; British TV presenter, MC and actor Layne Redman; ‘comedy juggernaut’ Nitin Mirani; celebrity correspondent Dina Butti; TV presenter and radio broadcaster Tom Urqhart; founding presenter and writer of ‘Out and About’ Punam Verma and director and producer Faraz Jayed.

“I knew that the industry was moving towards digital and had been following trends in the US; seeing the shift through my company Ti22 Films, I reached out to a group of personalities in the region, many of whom I had worked with before while executive producing at Dubai One,” says Reim El Houni, Executive Producer and Managing Director, Ti22 Films. “Each person saw the vision I was trying to create for the channel and joined the team to create for the channel and develop Dubai ON Demand. The vision is to create an English online platform that becomes the must-watch channel for expats in Dubai and the UAE. Dubai ON Demand will be very interactive, encouraging viewers to record and send in relevant clips to be used as content for different segments. Our goal is to build a community who, gradually through their engagement, will start to experience the activities we are filming alongside us. The timing for this project is perfect, as it comes at a time when Dubai One has shifted its strategy towards acquisition and ended local production – we are ready to fill that gap and cater to that audience.”

DPP Motion launches MEA and Asia video library

/0 Comments/in /by

Dubai-based DPP Motion has become the first stock library to specialise in footage exclusively from the emerging markets of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, offering content to production companies, broadcasters, advertising agencies and other media. Featuring 4K footage, aerials and time lapses, the DPP Motion video library has been built by a team of locally-based video producers, and provides up-to-date creative and editorial footage depicting vibrant and dynamic life from places often undocumented by other video libraries, including the UAE, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Georgia, India, Malaysia, Namibia, Vietnam, Madagascar and China. Stock video can be instantly and securely purchased online at DPP Motion’s website, and is powered by Amazon’s latest cloud technology (AWS).

“With globalisation, the world is getting smaller and historical and geographical borders are becoming increasingly insignificant,” says Dalia Penzik, Managing Director, DPP Motion. “However, very little video content exists in any real breadth or depth from these areas. There are many countries that are ideal locations for today’s media uses – whether for advertising, feature films, editorial use, corporate videos or e-publishing – but a large number are difficult to access due to challenging terrain, bureaucratic access issues or security concerns. We are making this high quality material readily available, as well as offering a simple online payment system. Our team comprises professional video producers with extensive, first-hand experience of the regions we cover, so we can assure that the footage we are offering accurately depicts current content that can be used for either editorial or commercial purposes. The library was built following in-depth research on the latest business demands and trends of the markets we aim to serve, so we really understand the needs of production companies, broadcasters, advertising agencies and other media makers.”

HOT Media to publish Atlantis magazine

/0 Comments/in /by

HOT Media is set to publish the official magazine of Atlantis, The Palm. With the debut issue scheduled for the first quarter of 2015, the luxury-focused magazine will be the exclusive in-room publication of the hotel and its forthcoming residences. The magazine will be published quarterly and have an initial print run of 20,000 copies, with Chinese and Russian language editions planned for later in 2015.

“Atlantis, The Palm is a truly unique resort hotel and known throughout the world,” says Victoria Thatcher, Managing Director, HOT Media. “It’s an exciting opportunity for us to create a beautiful publication that expertly reflects the hotel’s iconic standing and mass luxury offering.”

OMD launches study to explore ‘Future of the UAE’

/0 Comments/in /by

OMD has launched a study to explore future behaviours of UAE consumers. The survey, called ‘The Future of the UAE’, aims to assess the impact of changes to the country’s population and socio-demographics on lifestyles, shopping, technology and media consumption. It will also explore consumers’ expectations and attitudes towards life in the UAE and the country’s role globally.

The fieldwork for OMD’s study on the future state of the consumer society in the UAE is already underway, including face-to-face interviews with a representative sample of 2,000 residents in the country.

OMD UAE is partnering with Integral-OMG, the research and consultancy arm of Omnicom Media Group MENA, to conduct in-depth qualitative and quantitative research, exploring consumer values and attitudes in the UAE today, as well as the changes in the modern household and their impact on decision-making and media consumption.

As well as dealing with societal issues, ‘The Future of the UAE’ study will delve into consumers’ attitudes towards technology, including smartphones, mobile and e-commerce platforms, media consumption and technological advances, as well as their expectations from brands, key sentiments and values that resonate with them, and their lifestyle aspirations for the future. Based on this intelligence, brands can derive affirmative conclusions on how to better communicate with their consumers in the face of change.

“Technology is constantly transforming our industry worldwide, and in the UAE that velocity is much higher given consumers’ seamless adoption of anything new,” says Nadim Samara, Managing Director, OMD UAE & Lower Gulf. “Catalysed by both the government’s pursuit of technology, along with a higher average purchasing power parity by the UAE residents, these future behavioural habits of consumers are an area of vast interest for brands and one that is particularly hard to predict. This is why we have decided to undertake this study, with the goal of gaining valuable insights on the future for us to make more effective and impacting decisions for our stakeholders; our intimate knowledge of ‘where we are heading’ is paramount to navigating the consumer pivots successfully.”

‘The Future of the UAE’ is part of a global research initiative by OMD, with some 15 studies either already completed or currently underway. Based on a consistent model, they allow for international comparisons, making the project relevant for both local and international marketers.

Haute Time magazine to launch in the UAE

/0 Comments/in /by

Haute Time is set to launch a UAE edition of the magazine in January 2015. Published biannually, the luxury lifestyle magazine will be unveiled before the SIHH Watch Show and will act as the preeminent resource for the luxury watch and jewellery industry in the Middle East.

With a total UAE distribution of 15,000, Haute Time UAE will be available in print across various venues, as well as digitally on iPad, iPhone and Android. Offering readers and advertisers specialised content from global editors on the watch and jewellery market, cars and fashion, the magazine’s Dubai-based editors will additionally cover everything concerning the Middle Eastern market, including major fashion and luxury events, the best restaurants and the latest hotels.

With an accompanying platform – www.hautetime.ae – this will be updated daily with news from the UAE, as well as first-rate watch editorial from global editors.

“We are very excited to launch in the UAE, as six years ago we had the luxury of featuring Mohamed Alabbar, Founder and Chairman of Emaar Properties on our cover as he was building the Burj Khalifa,” says Seth Semilof, Publisher, Haute Living and Haute Time magazine. ““We have been in love with the UAE ever since we started our Hauteliving.com blog in the country with Rebecca Anne Proctor 3 years ago. With the site’s great readership in the region, it was natural for us to launch Haute Time, a biannual book showcasing everything relating to luxury taking place in the UAE. It will have the same powerful distribution that has made Haute Time so famous in the US.”

Koji Watanabe joins newly launched Dentsu MEA

/0 Comments/in /by

Dentsu Aegis Network has appointed Koji Watanabe as Managing Director of newly launched advertising agency, Dentsu MEA. Reporting to Michael Nederlof, CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network MENA, Koji will take charge of account and product management for Dentsu’s clients in all 54 MEA markets and aim to employ the global network’s synergies within the region. Having been with the network for over 20 years, Koji joins Dentsu Aegis Network MENA from Japan after spending extensive time in Dentsu Alpha in Vietnam, as well as in the Phillipines. As Managing Director, Koji will look to expand and build Dentsu MEA’s client base, significantly with Japanese clients looking to expand into the Middle East and Africa, as well as with local brands in the region.

The launch of Dentsu MEA takes Dentsu Aegis Network MENA’s tally of brands up to six, along with Carat, iProspect, Isobar, Posteroscope and Vizeum.

“With the Middle East and Africa outpacing other regions of the world in terms of growth, it presents a fantastic opportunity for Dentsu to capitalise on both Japanese and international brands wanting to move into the region,” says Koji. “This, coupled with our unique business methods, will ensure that we deliver unparalleled results for our clients.”

Michael Nederlof, CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network MENA adds, “It was always earmarked to introduce Dentsu into the region and the agency’s offering to our clients as part of our suite of brands in the network. With Dubai’s geographical location, Dentsu Aegis Network MENA will offer Dentsu the opportunity to access Western and European markets alike. The appointment of Koji allows us to move forward in this delivery, as he brings an abundance of experience from within our network to add tremendous value to both new and existing clients.”

Orient Planet and Irish Academy launch PR venture

/0 Comments/in /by

The Irish Academy of Public Relations is partnering with Dubai-based Orient Planet to create the first online PR and communications academy in the Middle East. Orient Planet Academy – www.opacademy.com – will provide the Irish Academy’s courses to students exclusively across the Middle East, Levant and North Africa regions.

Orient Planet Academy will facilitate internationally recognised certificate courses in public relations, journalism, event management and English grammar. Offering a wide degree of flexibility to its prospective students, Orient Planet Academy’s courses can be completed in a time span of 10 to 20 weeks. All courses offered by Orient Planet Academy have been designed by The Irish Academy of Public Relations and will be tutored by communications professionals in the Middle East.

“The Irish Academy has an ever-growing footprint across Europe, the United States, Latin America and Africa,” says Ellen Gunning, Director, The Irish Academy of Public Relations. “Over the years, we have seen the immense potential of the online education market in the Arab world, and we believe now is the ideal time to establish our presence in the rapidly expanding industry. We entered into a joint venture with Orient Planet to mark our expansion in the Middle East and serve a market of more than 314 million people through our comprehensive courses; Orient Planet Academy will be an added value to the growing industry. Initially, the courses will be taught in English, with a view of offering them in Arabic in the coming weeks.

Nidal Abou Zaki, Managing Director of Orient Planet adds, “Although the Arab region’s PR and communications industry has been continuously growing, we realised that there was no online platform in the region that provides professionals and students alike the chance to further develop their skills in PR, communications, marketing and social media. Orient Planet Academy not only aims to provide flexibility but it also offers employed individuals and young students an opportunity to earn an internationally recognised certificate. We have localised all courses to address the cultural requirements of the region, and will offer a modern educational platform for a new generation of communications experts, capable of meeting the needs of Arab and global markets.”

Debonair magazine to launch online platform

/0 Comments/in /by

Following a successful launch last month, Debonair magazine has announced plans for the publication’s online platform – www.debonaironline.com –set to go live this coming November. Debonair is a Dubai-based print and online publication dedicated to men’s luxury lifestyle. The monthly publication strives to deliver independent, informative and visually impressive content, with features that celebrate the notion of timeless style rather than fleeting fashions. The new title circulates 16,400 copies across the UAE, offering a focus on arts & culture and showcasing the best in property, precision instruments and travel destinations.

The Debonair platform will include features that have run in the print publication, as well as online-only content, which is designed to create a more interactive experience. The website will feature, video, sound bites and a variety of images to offer a more comprehensive view of the stories and further the print offering. Significantly, the Debonair website will also host an online store for a soon-to-be-launched menswear brand that has been created by the Debonair team.

“Launching Debonair has been like filling a blank canvas with ideas for a new approach to men’s lifestyle journalism,” says Jihane Miller, Editor, Debonair. “We celebrate the enduring appeal of style as opposed to the fleeting nature of trends, and look to bring a more diverse offering in terms of subject ranges and cultural agenda. We’ve set out to produce a magazine that is confident, stylish and charming – the very definition of debonair.”