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IABC to host EMENAComm

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The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) will be hosting EMENAComm in the Middle East. Set to take place on February 11-12, 2019 in Bahrain, the communications event will provide the region’s communicators with insights and tools needed to help their organisations achieve strategic transformation through communications. The event will also seek to showcase practices and innovations that are changing how corporations, agencies and NGOs are achieving success through communications and feature keynotes by former Apple executives on how communications played a key role in the company’s turnaround.

“The way we communicate has completely changed, and the role of the communicator is transforming as well,” says Alex Malouf, Past Chair, IABC Europe, Middle East and North Africa. “Communicators have a valuable role to play in every organisation, and EMENAComm will help drive this transformation so that the region’s communicators are both empowered to do more and are recognised as change makers by their organisational leadership.”

The Cash Collective launches app with Apple

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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!”

Exponential announces results of mobile research

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Digital advertising intelligence company Exponential Interactive has revealed its results of the research conducted into what people in the Middle East’s choice of mobile phone brand says about them, and how this can be used for marketing and advertising techniques.

Exponential Interactive conducted an analysis of the anonymous online behaviour of 1.1 million people in the Middle East and North Africa during the third quarter of 2014, researching mobile phones to compare the strongest – or most ‘over-indexing’ – interests across topics which include film, cars, travel and shopping.

Of the five brands measured, the results of the research found that Apple is the only one more likely to appeal to women, while Samsung, BlackBerry, Nokia and LG are all more likely to be of interest to men. Geographically, Abu Dhabi residents are the most likely to be interested in Apple, whilst Dubai residents are the most likely to be interested in BlackBerry.

As confidence in e-commerce increases across the region, LG owners are leading the way as the most likely to make purchases on a mobile phone, while Apple owners are the least likely.

“The research throws up challenges to stereotypes and interesting reinforcements about the type of people who own different phone brands,” says Amer Attyeh, Regional Business Head for the Middle East and North Africa, Exponential Interactive. “For instance, iPhone owners were perceived as the young trendsetters but they’re actually the most likely to be into golf, fishing and looking at home insurance – things generally associated with older demographics. More practically, this type of data helps companies advertise more effectively. For instance, it shows Apple would do well to use rap and hip hop music in marketing activity. Meanwhile, sponsoring BMW-related events could pay dividends for Nokia. As The Hunger Games scores highly among people interested in LG, the brand might consider using star Jennifer Lawrence in marketing activity.”

Apple brings programmatic to iAd

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Apple is partnering with a number of ad tech companies to bring programmatic buying to iAd, Apple’s mobile ad network. Allowing advertisers to automate ad buys and reporting across 250,000 iOS apps, Apple’s new partners include MediaMath, The Trade Desk, GET IT Mobile, Accordant Media, AdRoll and Adelphic. Apple has released an updated API for its automated buying platform iAd Workbench to power programmatic, ensuring that partners can use their own systems for managing campaigns and bids, including viewing and retrieving analytic data.

“We’re thrilled to have been chosen by Apple to help bring automation to iAd’s direct order business and to provide access to premium mobile buyers from around the world,” says Gregory R. Raifman, President, Rubicon Project. “We look forward to providing buyers with access to iAd’s unprecedented audience targeting capabilities and our full-stack direct order automation solution.”

Adam Berke, President and CMO of AdRoll adds, “AdRoll has a long history of being first to market with new inventory sources and innovative functionality. We’re excited to bring the power, precision and scale of programmatic buying to a high quality, in-demand inventory source. AdRoll is committed to bringing developers and advertisers of all sizes cross-device solutions for a world gone mobile.”

As of 2013, iAd accounted for 2.7% of the US mobile ad market ad market, while Apple’s share of the country’s smartphone market sat at 40%.

Apple Watch runs apps from third-party developers

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During the highly anticipated Apple event last night – which announced the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus – it was confirmed that the Apple Watch, set to be released early 2015, will be offering more than just a selection of Apple-designed apps; which include iMessages, Health, Calendar, Weather, Mail, Photos, Camera’s shutter button, Apple Maps and Siri, as well the expected dedicated fitness and workout apps in partnership with Nike.

Apple’s first wearable gadget, which will integrate with iOS 8 devices, has offered access to third-party developers by introducing WatchKit APIs, enabling developers to make their apps compatible with Apple Watch. During the event, Apple demonstrated a number of social media applications that will be available on the Apple Watch, including –

  • Facebook updates and notifications
  • Twitter notifications with favourite/retweet/dismiss buttons
  • The Twitter app, which allows you to read your timeline, see what’s trending and create a tweet
  • Posting to Pinterest, which offers up nearby sites

The Apple Watch will be available in three models – Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition – with various sizing options and features on offer for each.