In The Hot Seat – Injeel Moti

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Team TMN chat with Injeel Moti, Managing Director, Catch Communications, who talks about her current role and offers her thoughts on the PR industry in the Middle East.

Name: Injeel Moti

Age: 27

Nationality: Indian

Current job title: Managing Director

When did you first arrive in Dubai? 2010

Where did you work prior? I kicked off my PR career with BUZ Public Relations before moving to an in-house role at Saffron media and publishing. I was most recently with Sept PR.

What were your first impressions of the PR industry in the Middle East? The industry offered a lot of opportunity for growth and progression. You could get in and make it your own. Back in 2012 when I stepped into the business the way PR was done was quite different that it is today with the print landscape dominating so much of what comprised PR as we like to call it today, traditional PR.

Has your opinion changed much? One of the bigger changes and one we have lived through in the recent years is the shift from print to digital. Influencer marketing and social strategies now form a large part of any PR campaign which wasn’t the case too many years ago.

Tell us about your current role… As Managing Director of Catch Communications which is a boutique consultancy, my role is really quite diverse; no two days are the same. I am juggling my time between client servicing, managing accounts, deadlines, new business pitches and of course the most grueling yet essential of all – finances

What challenges do you face? I would say it would be time management. When you are running a business you are responsible for every single aspect of your operation, everything from start to finish needs to be meticulously looked at. There are several hats that I wear through the working day including that of a publicist, an accountant, a business developer among others, thus making time a luxury to have and time management a skill that needs to be mastered.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job? Retention of a client and the renewal of a contract. No award bigger in a fiercely competitive industry such as ours to know that your client wants to work with you again and trusts in your ability to deliver for their brand / service. And of course landing a meaty piece of coverage for a client, a double spread always has me going yipeee!

How has clients’ expectations in today’s digital community influenced PR and marketing in the UAE? What I have come to see in my experience is clients are wanting a lot more exposure digitally now than ever before. Briefs sometimes come in the form of ‘We want X influencer to review the restaurant’ or ‘We want to run a campaign on Instagram with XYZ’. PR agencies have to be quick to adapt and come up with solutions and recommendations to yield the best possible results for their clients.

How has social media in the region evolved to become an integrated part of the PR industry? Social media has shaped up to become a large part of PR practice today. A lot of creative strategy and input involves a social media element to it. With the print industry in the region shrinking more so with each passing day and digital & social mediums being the outlets through to which brands reach their consumers, it has come to be an essential channel for PR practitioners to work with.

What do you think of PR ethics in the industry today? There is good and bad in any industry. A few campaigns might have gone terribly wrong in recent times but it isn’t fair to label the industry in entirety. I believe the PR community in the region here comprises of many wonderful people from around the world who truly put in their best. A lot of my peers from the industry have gone to set up their own ventures or landed high ranking roles as communication officers producing some truly wonderful work!

Describe yourself in five words… Warm, approachable, hustler, professional, driven

Who inspires you? Any self made woman who is at the top of her game

What’s your most overused saying? ‘Send it across shortly’

Five things you can’t live without? Netflix, phone, cats, dumplings, books (not necessarily in that order)

If you weren’t in your current role, what would you be doing? Designing shoes, with really high heels

What’s your favourite form of media? Print, I am old school like that. There is always a stack of magazines around me.

What advice would you offer to someone looking to start a career in PR in the UAE? Try it out and see if you enjoy it, the best way to do that – internships. Intern at a multinational, a mid-sized firm, a boutique consultancy and find out where you fit in the best. The exposure that you will receive at each will be very different and by the end of it you will know if PR is for you!

Bruce Clay Middle East makes new appointments 

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Dubai-based digital marketing agency, Bruce Clay Middle East (BCME) has made structural changes to its team as a part of its expansion plans. Afsha Walele has been appointed to the role of Senior Account Manager – SEO. With over seven years of experience, Afsha most recently worked in India where she handled various clients around the APAC region including J&J. In her new role, she will manage the team on a day-to-day basis and handle the agency’s clients across multiple verticals. Joining the team from Egypt, Khalid Semary has been appointed to SEO Executive. In his new role, he will support the SEO Managers, provide support for the Arabic team and run SEO campaigns. With a wealth of experience in client servicing, BCME will also see the appointment of Rifa Thanvi to the role of SEO Executive. In her new role, she will balance client needs and the technical knowledge to make it happen. Sana Ashraf, a recent graduate, joins BCME as Bilingual Copywriter. In her new role, she will aid the team in delivering client content requirements.

“In a very short time, we have managed to capture a sizeable market share, acquiring some very prestigious and respected names,” says Neal Patel, Managing Director, BCME. “We believe in providing industry-leading knowledge to our clients, and this means that our team needs to be top notch. Partners, old and new, have seen that our level of knowledge in relation to SEO and digital on the whole, is second to none, hence we have seen a sharp increase in pitch wins during 2018. We expect this trend to continue and for the SEO team to double in size by the end of the year.”

Acorn Strategy makes new appointment 

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Marketing and communications consultancy, Acorn Strategy has appointed Marina Milic to the role of Account Manager. With a wealth of experience in marketing and PR, Marina previously worked at a senior level in the hospitality industry for 12 years, where she was integral to numerous award-winning restaurant launch openings.

“I am ecstatic to join the incredible team at Acorn Strategy and look forward to providing a thoughtful and innovative approach to helping our clients achieve their marketing and PR goals,” says Marina.

House of Comms makes new appointment 

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Integrated communications agency, House of Comms has appointed Mark Shahroozi to the role of Account Executive. With a Masters Degree in Business Management and Marketing, Mark is passionate about social media marketing and joined House of Comms as an intern. In his new role, he will work across a variety of brands such as Under Armour, MMI Group, Nutrabolt and Fujifilm Middle East.

Given I am a recent graduate, House of Comms has already given me tremendous exposure to some of the UAE’s biggest brands,” says Mark. “The team has been so welcoming since I joined and I have already learned so much. I really look forward to growing my skills and progressing here.”

Jamie Wilks, Managing Partner, House of Comms continues, “Mark started at House of Comms as an intern and within just a week we knew he was a great fit for the team. Mark has proven that he has what it takes to make it happen on his accounts. He has an innate ability to come up with creative social ideas and has been instrumental in supporting both clients and his teams.”

Memac Ogilvy opens new Cairo Office

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Memac Ogilvy has embarked on a major reshuffle of its Egypt operations, starting with the launch of a new Cairo office in Technology City. The new office marks the first stage of a renewed commitment to modernising its services in Egypt and the company aims to bring its new operating system and restructure to its Cairo team.

“Egypt has long been an important market for us, and we’re proud of the influential history we have here, from the launch of the New Suez Canal, to the Egypt Post, to Cairo’s Ministry of Finance,” says Edmond Moutran, Chief Executive Officer, Memac Ogilvy. “Today, the nation is going through significant growth measures, which is vastly important from a social, economic, and cultural perspective. This is an era we are committed to playing a key role in. Our 20-year history in the country allowed us to recognise the opportunities that exist, and we intend on contributing through our talented resources, services, and operations.”

We Are Social acquires Socialize

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Global creative agency network, We Are Social has acquired a majority stake in UAE-based digital agency Socialize as part of its expansion into the MENA region. The move sees We Are Social’s global workforce top 700 staff members, based across 11 offices in nine countries. Socialize will continue operating as an independent brand while taking advantage of We Are Social’s global infrastructure and agency ecosystem.

“We Are Social’s entrepreneurial spirit and future-focussed offering makes it the perfect strategic fit for Socialize,” says Akanksha Goel, Founder and Managing Director, Socialize. “We’re looking forward to joining forces with a network that is so like us from both a cultural and working practice perspective, a forward-thinking partner who shares our vision of the future and a global ecosystem that allows us to deliver greater value to our clients.”

Robin Grant, Chairman and Co-Founder, We Are Social continues, “We’re incredibly excited to be welcoming Akanksha and the rest of the Socialize team to the We Are Social family. They’re kindred spirits who share our creative culture and passion for social. As one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic regions in the world, the Middle East is absolutely crucial for our global clients and having Socialize as part of our network has fulfilled a long-held ambition.”