Aziza Communications welcomes new team members

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Luxury lifestyle PR agency Aziza Communications has welcomed PR Executive Faye Jones and Junior PR Executive Janine Alyssa to its expanding team. Faye joins the team from London where she formed part of the Ted Baker Head Office team, Janine previously held the position of Marketing Executive and Content Writer at Pearl of Arabia Travel and Tourism.

“Joining Aziza Communications represents a strategic career move for me and I am thrilled to be working with such exciting brands,” says Faye. “I feel lucky to be part of such a great company and am very much looking forward to being involved in its future expansion.”

Janine adds, “I am over the moon at joining the dynamic team at Aziza Communications – I look forward to helping create exciting campaigns for our luxury brands!”

 

Promotions announced at The Qode

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Rania Kfoury and Shimaa Elsayed have been jointly promoted to Account Directors at The Qode. Both ladies have been with the agency since its launch and have played an integral role in developing the business. Collectively, Rania and Shimaa will oversee all of The Qode’s PR accounts, each managing a team of Account Managers and Account Executives, as well as liaising with clients and members of the media.

“Excelling at The Qode has definitely been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career,” says Shimaa. “Being a part of the agency from its inception and witnessing its steady growth and development into a leading luxury PR consultancy has been very fulfilling. I am very excited about what the future holds and feel extremely lucky to be a part of this very impressive structure.”

Rania adds, “I’ve been with The Qode since the very beginning and it’s very satisfying to see what it’s become today, to contribute to its success and be part of the growth. I am looking forward to more exciting challenges ahead!”

 

Getty Images sues Microsoft over ‘Bing’ photo tool

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Getty Images Inc has filed a lawsuit against Microsoft over a new feature of its Bing search engine, Bing Image Widget, calling it a ‘massive infringement’ of copyright images. Getty Images has long fought against the use of its archive of 80 million images, earning a reputation as an aggressive defender of copyright. Earlier this year, Getty created a new way to approach this, releasing code that made it easier for website owners to embed many of its images on their own sites as long as the use was not commercial and the images were attributed to Getty.

Microsoft’s Bing service, which was launched on August 22, offers a similar embedding service, where pictures found on its images search engine can be added to a website with just a click. However, unlike Getty, the Microsoft feature doesn’t forbid the commercial use of the images and does not enforce that websites show the original source of pictures, adding the Bing name instead. Notably, Microsoft does not have the authority to hand legal rights to the unlicensed images it takes from the web, leaving users vulnerable to legal attacks themselves.

Getty Images is asking for the blocking of the Bing Image Widget as soon as possible, in addition to financial compensation for ‘incalculable’ damages.

LinkedIn announces top 10 brands in the UAE

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LinkedIn has revealed the top 10 most influential brands in the UAE. With 313 million members on the professional network and over 10 million of those based in the Middle East, the list has been created based on the engagement of users with brands headquartered in the UAE.

The top 10 brands are as follows:

1.Etihad Airways

2.Emirates Airline

3.Jumeirah Group

4.Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

5.EMAAR

6.Etisalat

7.National Bank of Abu Dhabi

8.Du

9.DAMAC

10.TASC Outsourcing

With airlines, hospitality providers, real estate companies and telecom operators featuring in LinkedIn’s list, the hospitality industry in the UAE appears to be leading with social media engagement.

“While LinkedIn offers brands unmatched opportunities to reach out and engage with their target audiences, any marketing effort needs constant and consistent measurement to ensure success,” says Jacob Thomas, Head of LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, MENA region. “The brands we have identified in the UAE are leading among their peers in using LinkedIn’s Marketing Solutions most effectively, and the make-up of the ranking shows that social media is a significant force for brands in the country.”

Eliza Sloane leaves Conrad Hotels

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Eliza Sloane has left her position as Director of Bars and Restaurants at the Conrad Hotel, Dubai. Having been in the position for two years, Eliza was responsible of all pre-opening setups, launches to market and successful operations of the Food & Beverage venues at the Conrad Hotel, and oversaw each venue’s individual marketing campaigns, conceptualising and branding. Upon leaving her position, Eliza moves on to co-found two consultancy companies based here in Dubai, concentrating on local and international contracts.

“Being part of the Conrad Dubai pre-opening team has been one of the most treasured professional journeys of my life,” says Eliza. “Working with a brilliant and dynamic team has been a privilege, and the reception and encouragement from our associates, suppliers, peers and the media has also been remarkable. The success Conrad Dubai has already enjoyed will undoubtedly continue to grow year on year.”

The first consulting agency,Terra Firma – www.tfcg.consulting – will focus on corporate management strategies in the hospitality, FMCG, retail, real estate, IT banking and construction industries, while For Example will offer specialist consulting for all the required components of opening an F&B venue; including conception, branding, launch to operation, systems, staffing and marketing.

 

Google splits opinion in Media Owner Report

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Google has topped the list of both ‘most’ and ‘least’ liked media brands in this year’s International Media Image Survey (I-MIS) Media Owner report. The report, part of an annual study into reputations and perceptions of the international media industry compiled by BSB Media and The Vision Network in conjunction with the International Advertising Association (IAA), revealed that a number of media owners appear to be loved and hated in equal measure by those who work with them. The survey analysed 50 media and technology brands across three broad groupings based around similar offerings – cross–over media, networks, digital service providers and digital portals and social networks.

Google was both the most loved and least liked media brand in the survey, with Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, MSN, Twitter and BBC World News following in the most loved rankings. Notably, feelings about Google were strongest amongst advertisers, while agencies had the strongest feelings about Facebook.

The second annual I-MIS survey also reveals that 71% of advertisers now work directly with some of their media partners, underlining the importance for media companies to develop their reputation and build relationships with clients as well as their traditional partners – media agencies. However, only five media organisations emerged as having done more business with advertisers than with media owners – in particular, Google, the Economist and YouTube. Interestingly, when it comes to making deals, 74% of advertisers rank face-to-face meetings of high importance, with email and phone calls trailing at 54% and 53% respectively.

“I-MIS provides the international media industry with insight into how well the players are doing and what they can do to improve,” says Angus Grieve, Executive Director, IAA UK Chapter. “The sheer number of media brands included in the survey shows just how much the industry is expanding, but this can lead to confusion, especially among advertisers, who often aren’t entirely clear about what some of the digital companies actually do. As more advertisers now work directly with media owners, those who fail to build better brand awareness and differentiation will potentially be missing out.”

Overall, the cross-over media brands that have built their reputation in print or television – such as BBC World News, the Financial Times, the Economist and the Wall Street Journal – tend to be perceived as more professional and transparent than some of the newer digital companies. But, on the subject of creativity and availability of new products and platforms, digital service companies, social networks and portals – like Google, YouTube and Spotify – tended to perform most strongly. The bigger media and technology brands tend to have a better reputation in the broader community, but those with a smaller client base generated a highly positive response among clients and agencies.

To view the full article, visit http://goo.gl/Lx8lge

New Arabic daily newspaper launches

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Al Araby Al Jadeed, a UK-based newspaper, has launched this week and will be distributed across global markets including the UAE. The Arabic daily newspaper will publish impartial reporting, and will be a platform for a wide range of views and opinions, allowing for freedom of expression and intellectual development. It will provide in-depth, engaging and professional coverage in politics, culture, economy, arts, society and sport at Arab and international levels.

Al Araby Al Jadeed has already launched alaraby.co.uk, which went live on March 30 of this year and provides Arab audiences with credible and independent news coverage; it has already developed a rapidly growing readership and a large Twitter following.

Published by UK company Fadaat Media Ltd, the Al Araby Al Jadeed newspaper will be available in local newsagents, shops and supermarkets across the UK, UAE and selected outlets in Europe.