Weber Shandwick named Global Agency of the Year

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Weber Shandwick has been named 2014 Global Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report. Honourees of the title are selected by the publication’s Editors, based on information gathered during the Agency Report Card and regional awards processes. In addition to being named 2014 Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report regionally in both North America and Asia Pacific, Weber Shandwick’s global outperformance of the market and its innovative digital capabilities including Mediaco – Weber Shandwick’s content publishing and distribution offering – has been highlighted, as well as the strong growth of its Middle East and North African operations.

“This award is a testament to Weber Shandwick’s collaborative culture and innovative work across our global network,” says Andy Polansky, CEO, Weber Shandwick. “We appreciate the strong support of our teams and client partners around the world.”

Ziad Hasbani, CEO of Weber Shandwick MENA adds, “We have been investing heavily in our MENA operation and it’s gratifying that the fruits of our efforts are now being recognised by global industry experts. We are proud of the longevity of our heritage in the region, but it’s the future that matters. Just as Weber Shandwick globally is evolving, we too are undergoing a transformation, which will ensure that we continue to stay ahead of the regional communication trends and place centre-stage the recognition that creativity and digital offerings are now key.”

Hotel News Middle East magazine launches

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BNC Publishing has debuted Hotel News Middle East magazine across the UAE. Launched this week alongside the Hotel Show in Dubai, the publication is geared towards discerning hoteliers and will act as a vital resource for industry professionals seeking reliable, current information about the region’s burgeoning hospitality space. Covering the latest industry news and analysis, information about new products, trends and services, 6,850 copies of Hotel News Middle East will be circulated across the GCC monthly, with the majority concentrated in the UAE and KSA. The publication will be distributed on a complimentary basis to hospitality industry professionals, reaching key opinion leaders across the GCC.

“The initial response we have received from the market has been exceptional,” says Diarmuid O’Malley, Group Publishing Director, BNC Publishing. “Between myself and a few of my colleagues at BNC Publishing, we have over 50 years of experience publishing hospitality-centric mediums. Our initial warm reception and our long-term vision both rely on our relationships with our readers, valued contributors and commercial partners.”

Architectural Digest to launch in the Middle East

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Architectural Digest is set to launch in the Middle East in Spring 2015, announced today by Jonathan Newhouse, Chairman and Chief Executive of Condé Nast International. Published under license agreement with Arab Publishing Partners (APP), a division of ITP Publishing Group, this will be the eleventh edition of the magazine available globally.

“Architectural Digest is hugely respected as the international authority on decoration and design,” says Jonathan Newhouse, Chairman and Chief Executive, Condé Nast International. “It is exciting to bring this publication to the Middle East.”

Ali Akawi, Managing Director of APP and ITP Consumer adds, “The GCC has some of the fastest growing cities in the world, with ambitions to create entirely new modern landscapes and ‘cities within cities’ in the next ten years. Architecture and design will be key to fulfilling this vision and the recent expansion in the number of commissioned projects – both residential and commercial – is evidence that there is now a need for individuality and unique brands. Architectural Digest Middle East will showcase global and regional unique design to both inspire and educate its readers.”

Architectural Digest currently has editions in the USA, Germany, France, Mexico, Latin America, Russia, Spain, China and India, with a global readership of over 6.8 million a month.

Facebook relaunches Atlas for targeted ads

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Facebook has re-launched Atlas – its new ad-serving and measurement platform – allowing marketers to target advertisements across multiple devices. Microsoft sold Atlas to Facebook in 2013 for an estimated $100 million and is offered to advertisers as a way of targeting the social network’s 1.3 billion users. With personal information already used to show contextual ads on individual News Feeds, Atlas now enables Facebook to utilise the same data on behalf of third–party apps and websites.

Up to now, Facebook’s existing ad technology has used cookies to track websites visited by people for ad targeting purposes, though these cookies do not work on mobile devices and are often inaccurate, rendering it a challenge for marketers to track the interests of consumers reliably. Atlas allows advertisers to target ads around ‘Likes’ and interests for third-party websites and apps, anonymously tracking individuals and bypassing the flawed cookie ad-serving and measurement technology.

“Atlas delivers people-based marketing, helping marketers reach real people across devices, platforms and publishers,” says Erik Johnson, Head of Atlas. “By doing this, marketers can easily solve the cross-device problem through targeting, serving and measuring across devices. And, Atlas can now connect online campaigns to actual offline sales, ultimately proving the real impact that digital campaigns have in driving incremental reach and new sales. This valuable data can lead to better optimisation decisions to make your media budget even more effective.”

Global ad company Omnicom is Facebook’s first holding company to sign an agency-wide partnership with Atlas, and clients including Pepsi and Intel will be two of the largest brands to test out the Atlas platform. Initially, Atlas will be used exclusively for ad-serving and tracking, though Facebook has plans to set up Atlas as an ad purchasing platform in the future.

 

Women’s Health ME announces Next Fitness Star

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Women’s Health Middle East, in association with the National Health Insurance Company – Daman and their ActiveLife initiative, has announced the winner of the region’s first campaign for the Next Fitness Star. In a search for the UAE’s ultimate fitness personality, the title has been awarded to Heba Abel Gawad, who was selected by readers from among five finalists during a two-month online voting campaign and workout series. Heba, 32, from Egypt and Spain, is a former two-time Olympic athlete, NeuroPilates instructor and fitness educator who specialises in targeting the brain and nervous system to get the most out of the body. Heba is starring in her own fitness DVD, which will be given away with the next issue of Women’s Health Middle East – out on October 1, 2014.

“We are so thrilled to announce Heba as Women’s Health Middle East’s Next Fitness Star!” says Yi-Hwa Hanna, Editor-in-Chief, Women’s Health Middle East. “All of the finalists were amazing candidates and it was an exciting and tough competition, but we can’t wait to share Heba’s incredible workout with the region. She’s an inspiration.”

Heba, the Next Fitness Star winner adds, “This competition has been an amazing opportunity for me to be a part of, and I feel very grateful and supported by everyone who voted for me. It’s a great honour to be part of the movement in the Middle East to promote a healthy lifestyle, and it’s been really great meeting the four other finalists who are all stars.”

Hospitality Business Middle East launches redesign

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CPI Media Group has announced a fresh new look and expanded editorial scope for Hospitality Business Middle East magazine. Renamed HBME, the magazine will diversify its editorial focus from the business of hotels to the business of tourism across the GCC.

HBME will now report on the business of hospitality as both a pillar of Arabic culture and a vital economic driver, whilst including greater analysis on the factors driving hotel performance – from destination development to global political, social and economic trends. Specific attention will be paid to the hotel, F&B, aviation, cruise, leisure and corporate tourism markets, with the same data, commentary and industry interviews readers have enjoyed over the previous 29 editions of the title.

The structure of the magazine will comprise of the following –

  • Data: The latest benchmarking, analysis and performance metrics in collaboration with partners STR Global, Colliers International, EY and UNWTO among others
  • Procurement: Product news from the industry’s top brands and in-depth supplier profiles each month
  • Design and Technology: The latest innovations in IT, architecture and interiors, and how they are being utilised in the hospitality industry
  • Development and Investment: With emphasis on the pre-opening stage of a hospitality asset
  • Analysis: In-depth on market feasibility and the impact of new social and economic trends
  • Operations: Behind the scenes with business leaders and operational and corporate managers
  • Trend Talk: Submitted content from HBME’s editorial contributors and industry analysts

“The hospitality industry contributes 10 percent towards global GDP and in the Middle East the World Travel and Tourism Council predicts an 89 percent increase in annual travel and tourism revenues over the coming decade,” says Melanie Mingas, Editor, HBME. “This exponential growth will benefit both the leisure and business sectors, which are predicted to see a 100 percent increase in activity and revenues over the same period. Infrastructure and accommodation investments will hit $3trillion in the Middle East and the region’s airlines will buy 870 aircraft by 2027. So it’s vital that, as a central reference point for the hospitality industry, HBME is poised to cover these developments and their impact on GCC hotel performance.”

Facebook to secure EU approval for WhatsApp bid

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Facebook is set to win unconditional EU approval for its $19 billion offer for mobile messaging service WhatsApp, in a deal that will pit the leading social network against telecom operators. This will be the largest deal in Facebook’s 10 year history, and will give the company a firm foothold in the growing mobile messaging market. US regulators gave the green light for the deal in April of this year, advising WhatsApp to stick with its current privacy practices after the merger, which includes not using users’ personal data for targeted ads.

With the decision unpublished by the European Commission as of yet, the clearance for the bid is stated to be unconditional as the deal will have no anti-competitive effect with the telecoms industry and so concessions are rendered unnecessary. The deadline for the decision has been confirmed as October 3, 2014.

Men’s Health Urbanathlon to debut in the UAE

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The Men’s Health Urbanathlon, presented by Daman’s ActiveLife, has announced its first ever event to be held in the region, coinciding with the launch of Men’s Health Middle East earlier this month. With the Urbanathlon already held in over 25 countries across six continents, the 10km obstacle race is set to be held at Yas Marina Circuit on October 24, and will be a test for elite athletes and weekend joggers alike.

“I’m delighted that we’re able to kick off Men’s Health in the region with such a flagship event as the Urbanathlon,” says Andrew Nagy, Editor, Men’s Health Middle East. “The thing to remember though, is that this isn’t just for elite athletes, it’s a test thrown out to people of all fitness levels and I’m certain that it’s set to become a firm fixture in our annual fitness calendar.”

Nick McElwee, Sales and Marketing Director of Yas Marina Circuit adds, “We are very pleased to add the Urbanathlon to our extensive health and fitness calendar at Yas Marina Circuit. It is exciting to be part of the first Urbanathlon held within the UAE and it adds a new dimension for our health and fitness community to engage with. In particular, we are keen to encourage corporates to take up this challenge and see if they are tough enough, we think company engagement in health programmes is key to a healthier Abu Dhabi.”

With a dedicated website – www.urbanathlonme.com – participants can register for AED250 per person or AED800 for a team of four to undertake the fitness challenge.