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Memac Ogilvy welcomes new Chief Creative Officer

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Memac Ogilvy has appointed multi-award winning creative talent Paul Shearer as the group’s new Chief Creative Officer (CCO). Shearer brings 25 years of experience in advertising to his new role and will be based in Memac Ogilvy’s Dubai office.

“Paul’s record speaks for itself and we are confident that he will drive our group forward to even higher creative levels,” says Edmond Moutran, Chairman and CEO, Memac Ogilvy. “Paul prides himself on understanding client’s business and the global alignment that is required for creative success. He always surprises his clients and teams with his ideas and has won some of the most prestigious global awards in our industry. However, when it comes to success Paul will always tell you that our philosophy is to move our client’s brands off the shelf which is more satisfying than any award, and that really resonates with us as a network.”

Paul’s work for brands such as Guess Jeans, Nike and Audi has won him global admiration and accolades, including 18 Cannes Lions, 10 D&AD pencils, 19 Clio statues and his work has received the ‘Best of Show’ award at the One Club. Part of his experience also includes being a Creative Head at Wieden+Kennedy, Senior Creative at BBH and Founding Partner of Nitro.

Paul adds, “Being able to spearhead creative operations as CCO at Memac Ogilvy is a responsibility that I am thrilled to be carrying forward. The network has an incredibly rich history within the advertising industry, and the talent that I’ll be collaborating with in my view is second to none.”

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.”

Effie MENA Awards 2014 winners announced

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The winners for this year’s Effie MENA Awards have been revealed. Taking place on Wednesday November 19, 2014, at The Meydan Hotel in Dubai, approximately 1,500 invited guests attended to celebrate the campaigns, advertisers and agencies that have had the most measurable impact over the past 12 months.

The Effie MENA Awards 2014 was expanded this year to incorporate 23 classes of achievement; with categories including: ‘Best Youth Marketing Campaign’, ‘Best Use of Social Media’ and ‘Most Effective Agency Network of the Year.’ Corresponding with the rise in the number of categories was an increase in the number of entrants, with submissions 75 percent higher than the previous year. Mediaquest – the media organisers behind the event – noted that the increase in categories and nominations reflects the dynamism of the regional marketing industry and the innovation currently being seen in the sector.

“This year’s Effie Awards were the biggest to date, featuring the largest number of nominations and the greatest number of categories for inclusion,” says Alexandra Hawari, Co-CEO, Mediaquest. “The diversity of marketing forms and approaches that we are now witnessing across the region necessitated the introduction of new classes of achievement in order to fully acknowledge the impact on audiences that have been achieved with unique techniques.”

The evening saw FP7/DXB awarded with an impressive haul of seven Gold Awards, coming first place in six categories, including ‘Best Use of CSR,’ ‘Best Youth Marketing Campaign,’ ‘Banking, Finance & Insurance,’ ‘FMCG,’ ‘Single Media Activation,’ and ‘Brand Experience.’ The organisation’s array of impactful campaigns that had measurably resonated with audiences in the region resulted in it receiving the ‘Most Effective Agency Network of the Year’ title.

Cairo-based Media Direction OMD was awarded the ‘Best Use of Social Media’ award for their Barakat and Super Teta campaign, which was conducted on behalf of Vodaphone Egypt. JWT DXB and Carat DXB’s ‘I’m Coming Home’ campaign for Microsoft Mobile Devices saw the agency awarded in the ‘Telecommunications, Mobiles & Internet’ category, while JWT Cairo and Starcom MediaVest Group – also from Cairo – impressed the judges to win the ‘New Product’ category with their ‘Cinnamint’ campaign for Mondelez Egypt Foods.

All of the 23 category winners are now eligible to participate in the Effie Global Effectiveness Index. The scheme incorporates data from 40 worldwide Effie Award competitions to determine those in the industry that have had the most measurable success on a global scale.

Haute Time magazine to launch in the UAE

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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.”

Integral-OMG publishes paper on mobile devices

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Integral-OMG, the research arm of Omnicom Media Group MENA, has partnered with specialist digital marketing agency Resolution and Google to produce a comprehensive mobile white paper, ‘Upward Mobility: Reflecting on the Growth of Mobile in MENA.’

Integral-OMG’s research shows that an average smartphone user in the region currently spends upwards of four hours per day on these devices. Google reports that consumers in the UAE have an average of three internet-enabled devices and that mobile devices account for 50 percent of YouTube viewership in Saudi Arabia. Advertisers are regarding it more and more as a valuable medium with plans for greater investments; by 2020, Omnicom Media Group estimates that 58 percent of all digital investments in the region will be on mobile.

‘Upward Mobility’ provides further insights on consumer behavior around the device, the emergence of the second screen in television consumption and the rise of the mobile transactions in the region. While there is a lag, both globally and regionally, between users’ adoption of the medium and that of advertisers and publishers, this gap is being bridged over time. The paper outlines what changes need to take place for all parties to realise the full potential of this ubiquitous platform.

“Our latest white paper takes a closer look at the state of mobile in the region and analyses the implications on the communications industry,” says Ziad Skaff, Regional Executive Director – Research and Insights, Omnicom Media Group MENA. “It not only goes beyond the top-line penetration and usage figures, but also explores the behaviours of users, advertisers and publishers. Mobile devices will continue to transform the way we target and communicate with consumers. In order to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the media, the mindset of the industry has to similarly evolve.”

Wassim Kabbara, Head of E-commerce, Retail and Local at Google MENA adds, “The region has one of the highest number of smartphone users in the world. With more than half of search queries and YouTube views coming from mobile, and 90 percent of users who are online daily on their devices, the opportunities are endless. One of our top priorities in MENA is to help businesses become mobile leaders in their own right, offer best practices and help them innovate through this medium beyond just advertising.”

Ben Kershaw joins Katch International

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Ben Kershaw has been appointed as Client Servicing Director for Katch International. Ben brings to his new position over eight years of experience in the UAE, including Head of Sales for the Middle East at PR Newswire, Sales and Marketing Manager at White Label, and most recently the Marketing and Sales Manager for Cavalli Club, Restaurant & Lounge. In his new position, as well as being the main point of communication between the team and clients, Ben will also help build strategic partnerships between clients and external companies, enhancing their activities under the agency’s portfolio that includes public relations, social media, events, design and conceptual development.

“Having the dual perspective of being both a client and now a member of Katch International, I can think of no more enigmatic and creative team to be joining,” says Ben. “I look forward to breaking the traditional mold of marketing activities in the UAE and growing our portfolio into new industries and fields in the future.”

CNC and Capital MSL to merge

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CNC – Communications and Network Consulting – and Capital MSL, have announced their intention to merge. The combined consultancy will adopt the CNC name and offer clients a stronger international network and broader advisory capabilities. This step will considerably strengthen the overall group offering, as well as add a prominent Middle East and emerging markets presence – including offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai – to CNC’s network.

The new CNC will begin operations on January 1, 2015, with 11 offices in eight countries working on more than 200 mandates globally. It will continue to offer a broad range of integrated strategic communications services, including financial and corporate communications, reputation management, crisis and issues management, internal and change communications and public affairs. As part of the MSLGROUP network, the combined operation will leverage the skills of strategic and financial communications sister consultancies, such as Kekst & Company in the US and JKL in the Nordic region, in addition to expanding its presence in Asia and Latin America.

Richard Campbell, Founder and CEO of Capital MSL and Roland Klein, currently Managing Partner of CNC London, will be joint Managing Partners in London as well as overseeing the growth in the Middle East. Claire Maloney and Nick Bastin, both shareholders and Managing Director’s of Capital MSL, will become Partners in the new firm, alongside the existing 10 Partners in the CNC Group.

“Since Publicis Groupe’s acquisition of CNC in 2012, it was clear that not only did we advise clients around similar issues, but that we also had the same vision for the future,” says Richard Campbell, Founder and CEO, Capital MSL. “It makes strong strategic sense to combine the two networks to create an impressive international organisation of real scale, serving our clients as their most trusted advisor. After a successful and highly enjoyable thirteen years of growth as Capital MSL, we are convinced that this is the right step for our colleagues and clients, helping them to realise their own ambitions on a more international stage and in a more complex communications environment.”