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Al Khaleej top Arab Daily in UAE says Ipsos

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Sharjah-based Al Khaleej newspaper has emerged as the top daily for Arab readers in the UAE for 2013, an Ipsos survey has revealed. According to the survey, 73.7 per cent of Emiratis and 68.9 per cent of Arab expatriates read Al Khaleej.

The Ipsos reports measure the size of the local newspaper readership, including readers who follow more than one local newspaper. They are counted in ratios specific for all newspapers followed by them. In the Emirates, the breakup of readership for Al Khaleej was as follows: Dubai 32.8 per cent, Abu Dhabi 29 per cent, Sharjah 20.8 per cent, Ras Al Khaimah 6.1 per cent, Ajman 5.8 per cent, Fujairah 3.7 per cent and Umm Al Quwain 1.8 per cent.

Promotion for Yousef Tuqan at Leo Burnett

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Leo Burnett has announced the promotion of Flip Media’s CEO, Yousef Tuqan, to the position of Chief Innovation Officer of Leo Burnett Group of Companies MENA, effective January 1, 2014. Kareem Monem will take over Leo Burnett-owned Flip Media, the region’s largest digital agency, as its new Managing Director.

In his new role, Tuqan will create an environment of experimentation within the Group, encouraging its creative teams to combine the Leo Burnett HumanKind philosophy with innovations and breakthrough technologies. Working with Leo Burnett’s Managing Directors around the region, and with the Leo Burnett MENA digital leadership team, he will map future plans for growth and development to better meet the needs of clients.

“Innovation is the key to combining creativity and technology and with his extensive background Yousef is well positioned to take his involvement with the Group to the next level,” says Raja Trad, CEO, Leo Burnett Group of Companies MENA. “Under his guidance, our teams will be encouraged to go beyond the norm in seeking new creative solutions to our clients’ needs, further establishing Leo Burnett as not only a leading source of innovative work, but as an avant-garde agency setting new standards across the advertising board. We welcome Yousef into his new role, and wish him the best of luck.”

Tuqan joins Leo Burnett following an eight year tenure at Flip Media, during which time he has served as CEO since 2007, and has worked with Leo Burnett across the Group’s network since Flip Media’s acquisition by Leo Burnett in 2012. With close to two decades of regional experience, Tuqan is at the forefront of the digital industry and is a respected digital marketing expert who frequently participates in industry and innovation seminars and events. He is a Board Member of the International Advertising Association’s UAE Chapter, as well as a Goodwill Ambassador for the children’s charity, Gulf for Good.

“I am delighted by this opportunity,” said Tuqan. “Since Flip’s acquisition in 2012 by Leo Burnett, I’ve worked extensively across the Leo Burnett network with some amazing people and iconic brands. I look forward to building the agency of the future with them.”

Kareem Monem, who has been announced as the new Managing Director of Flip Media, has more than 10 years of international experience in leading digital agencies and software companies. Before joining Flip in 2012 as its Practice Director, he worked in the UK with a number of leading digital agencies and software companies, on top consumer brand accounts such as GSK and Vodafone. During his time with Flip, he has developed new market areas of operation for the agency with clients in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar and the US.

“Kareem is the ideal person to write the next chapter in Flip’s story,” says Yousef. “He’s earned the respect of everyone around him, and has a clear vision on how he and the Flip Media management team will build on our success into the future. I look forward to us working together in the years ahead within our agency network.”

OMD named Media Network/Agency of the Year

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OMD, part of the Omnicom Media Group, has been named the Media Agency/Network of the Year by Communicate and Campaign Middle East as revealed in both magazines’ latest editions. Consolidating business wins from the previous year as well as retaining or securing 14 new ones in 2013 has demonstrated the value of OMD’s first-mover advantage in digital, performance, social and mobile marketing, as well as analytics.

“OMD has thrived on its culture of innovation and challenging the status quo. This approach has served us well and it keeps on giving,” comments Elie Khouri, CEO of Omnicom Media Group MENA. “It is the relentless spirit among the team that propels OMD upward and forward. Being the media agency of the year is something we aim to achieve every day on every one of our accounts.

DPQ hires new Sr. PR & Marketing Accounts Executive

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DPQ Communications has appointed Chloe Geake as Senior PR and Marketing Accounts Executive. Chloe brings with her a wealth of experience from the UK and Dubai, having worked across a number of consumer, technology, F&B, health, fashion and retail brands. She will oversee a number of hospitality and consumer clients including Costa Coffee UAE, Habtoor Grand Beach Resort & Spa, Al Tamimi Stables and Nanogen Hair Care.

“I’m very excited about joining DPQ and being part of the dynamic and growing team,” says Chloe. “I have great accounts at the agency and am looking forward to a busy 2014.”

McCann Worldgroup announces new President

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Luca Lindner has been named President of McCann Worldgroup, wherein he will be engaged in delivering integrated marketing solutions across the organisation’s International agencies to serve the network’s clients.

Lindner first joined McCann in August 2004 as CEO of McCann Mexico and Deputy Regional Director of Latin America/Caribbean, shortly before rising to the post of Regional Director the following year. He was named President of the Americas, Middle East and Africa for McCann Worldgroup in late 2012, thereafter establishing himself as one of the most respected global leaders while overseeing multinational clients in the Middle East, Africa Latin America, North America and Europe.

“Luca is a true globalist and has established himself as one of the industry’s most experienced multi-platform and global marketing leaders,” says Harris Diamond, Chairman and CEO of McCann Worldgroup “He has been a key architect behind the success of McCann.”

 

Tim Wilkinson appointed Chairman of Bell Pottinger

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Tim Wilkinson has been appointed as Chairman of Bell Pottinger’s Middle East operations. A communications and reputation expert with extensive experience in government, corporate and brand communications, Tim has held senior communications roles both in-house as well as within leading PR companies. Prior to joining Bell Pottinger, Tim spent over 15 years at The Coca-Cola Company building and protecting its corporate and brand reputation in developed and developing countries including those in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

“The Middle East and the Gulf is a critical part of our growing group business and during his first year with Bell Pottinger, Tim has proved that he has the experience, relationships and local knowledge to continue to make a major contribution to growing our Middle Eastern business,” says James Henderson, CEO of Bell Pottinger. “Tim has brought in major client wins, provided strategic counsel at the highest levels and has bought regional and international experience to the team. Tim’s appointment will significantly further the success of our operations in the Middle East.”

For more information visit http://www.bell-pottinger.com or call +971 (0)4 433 1527

Increase in Ad revenue forecast for MENA in 2014

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MAGNA GLOBAL, a strategic global media unit of IPG Mediabrands has released estimates for advertising revenues in 2014. The MENA region had experienced a slight drop in 2013, largely blamed on the instability in Egypt, but is due to bounce back with growth projected at over 6.3 per cent for the entire region encompassing the Middle East and Africa.

The overall global growth in advertising revenues in 2014 is expected to hit more than 6.5 per cent to reach $521.6bn, which records the strongest year-on-year growth since 2010, which had closely followed the recession. The projections show an increase from last year in global advertising revenue of 3.3 per cent, to reflect the acceleration of the global media economy in 2014. The football World Cup in Brazil, the Sochi Winter Olympics, and the US mid-term elections have been earmarked as the major non-recurring events that will contribute up to 7.5 per cent in the new year in comparison with a modest 1.8 per cent growth in 2013.

Another major contributor to rising global advertising revenue is the digital media spectrum, which has displayed the quickest growth in 2013 rising 16 per cent to $118bn. Within the sphere of digital media, mobile platforms (over 85 per cent) doubled in size to reach $16bn while social networking (over 58 per cent) generated almost $9bn in spending. Digital media also grew in programmatic trading avenues to reach $12bn globally. This mainly included real-time bidding as well as automated platforms for video and display inventory buying.

For more information, visit www.magnaglobal.com or follow @MAGNAGLOBAL

 

 

Steven Bond to step down at AMEinfo.com

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Steven Bond will leave AMEinfo.com and Mediaquest this week to take up a new role of News Editor at Destinations of the World News. Having worked at AMEinfo.com for two years and Mediaquest since June, when it acquired the news and information portal, Steven steps down on Thursday and will commence his new role in the New Year. Steven will be responsible for the daily news content online and taking charge of the monthly magazine’s news content.

“I’m leaving business reporting with some (very slight) reluctance, but it’s a magical world and I’m increasingly drawn to people and places over dollars and cents,” says Steven. “I’m thrilled to be joining Destinations of the World News – there’s lots in store for 2014 both for online and print.”