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In The Hot Seat – James Gaubert

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James Gaubert, CEO at Bruce Clay Middle East tells TMN about his current role and what he thinks about the marketing industry in the Middle East…

Name: James Gaubert

Age: 37 I think, I tend to lose count!

From: London, United Kingdom

Current job title: CEO, Bruce Clay Middle East.

When did you first arrive in Dubai? 2010

Where did you work prior?

Since living in Dubai I have primarily worked for digital agencies. I previously worked with LBi and most recently with MRM//McCANN. Now I’m heading up Bruce Clay Middle East.

What were your first impressions of the marketing industry in the Middle East?

To be honest, not great. When I first listened to radio advertisements, watched advertisements on television and saw some of the websites large companies have in place, I was shocked. It was like stepping back in time – thankfully that has changed.

Has your opinion changed much?

Yes, massively. The Middle East has turbo-charged its marketing efforts, particularly on a digital front. I think this is largely due to influence from overseas, particularly if I look at some of the talent we have here now, the adoption curve for things like mobile and social media in this part of the world is incredible. We as a region should truly embrace technology!

Tell us about your current role…

I currently head up a digital marketing agency, Bruce Clay, and I love it! We work with some amazing clients and employ a great bunch of people who genuinely care. I love the variety – within one week I can be helping out with automotive, retail, electronics, F&B, financial services, pharmaceutical and e-commerce clients – as well as managing and growing an agency – it’s definitely a full-time job!

What challenges do you face?

Finding good digital talent in this part of the world has always been a problem. Having said that, this is becoming easier. The other issues, I’m afraid to say are all driven from clients – payments coming in on time and cashflow is certainly one of the things that keeps me up at night.

How would you rather be contacted at work?

Telephone – we don’t use that enough anymore – I always think you can achieve far more over a quick call than over the back and forth of email and messenger.

Has social media taken over the marketing industry in the UAE?

Yes, we actually started life as a pure play SEO agency. As it stands today, we have more social media clients than anything else. It’s raw, it’s real and it’s the number one way to communicate with your consumers. Brands are embracing it in this region and it’s really exciting.

How has content become a marketing strategy in the UAE?

I think content has always been at the core of any marketing strategy. What excites me is that the way consumers are digesting content has changed. Thanks to channels like Snapchat, Facebook Live and Instagram stories, content has to be live, it has to be now – we as consumers no longer want to find out about something after it has happened, we want to be there and experience it now!

Has the UAE target audience redefined digital marketing strategies and success compared to other countries?

I’m not sure it’s got anything to do with the specific target audience here, it’s just a sign of the times – things are changing, not only in the UAE.

How would you describe yourself at work?

Awesome!

What inspires you?

Creativity, pushing the boundaries, being different and making people say wow!

Five things you can’t live without?

My mobile phone, my dog, dark chocolate, exercise, back catalogue of the TV series, Friends.

If you weren’t in your current role, what would you be doing?

Backpacking around the world, without a care in the world.

If you could have one work wish granted, what would it be?

To have clients who don’t ask for a discount and who pay on time – the rest is a piece of cake!

What’s your most used social media platform?

This is a hard one! First thing in the morning, I look at Facebook for anything business or work related, then I’m all over LinkedIn and when I’m taking photos of my lunch, it’s Instagram!

Pinpoint Media Group signs media distribution deal

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Dubai-based media company, Pinpoint Media Group has signed a distribution partnership agreement with Spinneys, Waitrose and WHSmith for product placement and distribution. The partnership will see Pinpoint luxury magazines Debonair, La Femme, La Femme Arabic and Luxury SqFT take prime retail space within Spinneys and Waitrose stores across the UAE as well as dedicated stands in seven WHSmith stores across the GCC.

“We are delighted to have joined forces with such a strong GCC retail partner and are excited our luxury magazines will now be available to more shoppers across the GCC,” says Darren Hodgkin, CEO, Pinpoint Media Group. “Obviously this partnership will provide our popular and well-read titles considerably greater visibility across the region, which is something we constantly strive for.”

New Junior Account Executive at House of Comms

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Dubai-based integrated communications agency, House of Comms has appointed Malak Hussein to the role of Junior Account Executive. A recent graduate of the American University in the Emirates, Malak holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and E-commerce. In her new role, she will join the social media team and work across House of Comm’s portfolio of Arabic-focused clients to further strengthen the regional Arabic team.

“As a fresh graduate, it was amazing to land a role with House of Comms, which offers the opportunity to work with such a diverse portfolio of brands” says Malak. “My goal was to join an agency that would further my skillset in the digital world and develop me professionally as well as one that resonated with my understanding of marketing.”

STARZ play signs TV content agreement

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Dubai-based subscription video on demand (SVOD) service, STARZ Play has signed an agreement with 20th Century Fox Television Distribution. The agreement will see 20th Century Fox provide TV content for STARZ Play subscribers across their platform in the Middle East and North Africa. The deal will also focus on bringing more Fox produced movies and TV series to establish their presence in TV across the region.

“We are delighted to be working with 20th Century Fox Television Distribution to bring its content to STARZ Play,” says Khaled Benchouche, Senior Vice President, Programming and Acquisition, STARZ Play. “This deal meets the rising demand for premium OTT titles and recognizes the unique opportunities available to the MENA region.”

2016 – Rise of the boutique agency

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Natasha Hatherall-Shawe, Founder and Managing Director of TishTash, talks to TMN about the rise of the boutique agency and the new culture in the PR business…

“Whilst many of the big global agencies are reporting one of their worst years ever in 2016, boutique agencies such as ours are reporting record growth…”

When I started my career, some 18 years ago, the agency world order went something like this: Fortune 500 brands were matched up by global agencies with offices across the world − brands who could not afford global agencies would team up with mid-size agencies with key market presence and small, boutique agencies would cater mainly to local businesses and the very occasional big brand projects.

What a difference a decade has made! Five years ago, when I set up TishTash, the order was starting to crumble. And today, big brands are increasingly making the move from the ‘titans of the industry’, with established local offices and vast resources, to startups. So, whilst many of the big global agencies are reporting one of their worst years ever in 2016, boutique agencies such as ours are reporting record growth of over 50% year on year, as well as a doubling in team and office space.

To me, this is not at all baffling. It’s a reflection of the evolving industry and environment at the present: clients’ appetite for social media, influencer partnerships, SEO and content creation is high, and whilst they may not move as fast as they’d like or need to, they certainly expect that their partner agency does.

In my view, at this point in time, a boutique agency presents several intrinsic qualities that can turn it into the right partner for a big, global brand.

The skill set

First off, I feel that today the divide between marketing, media, social and public relations is blurred. Moreover, clients are looking for a communications partner that has all these expertise (and then some) in one room, and knows exactly how to optimise it to their brand’s benefit. Most boutique agencies in the region handle everything (beyond the regular PR scope) from crisis management and media training to media lists and pitching, and even stuffing goodie bags at events. We can prep the CEO for his big broadcast interview and we know what it takes to pitch to Gulf News or Zahrat Al Khaleej. We can assess the timeline for campaigns and the expected results, or the likelihood of collaborating with an influencer. We can do it all, because we do it daily. This mix of strategic thinking and hands-on, practical knowledge makes our workflow better than in most other agency setups, and importantly, drives greater results for our clients.

The client approach

In our agency, for example, we focus only on getting the job done, well and fast. This focus is a necessity. With a small team and lean structure, we can’t fill our day with status meetings. This approach works for clients too as they like to partner with someone who gets their business, is quick to respond and can deal with a myriad of tasks.

Growing solely by word of mouth and referrals, it turns out that size matters less and less even to the biggest of the clients. What they value most is the team they deal with daily. They value knowledge, honesty and passion. That’s not to say that it’s not tricky to scale up to carry out a global assignment!

The culture

I believe that a smaller agency’s culture defines itself quickly, from the fabric of the founder and the core team. Boutique agencies such as ours encourage young individuals to hone their skills in PR in a fun and nurturing environment as well as give the team an opportunity to learn first-hand the ins and outs of running a business. That’s why for us being knowledgeable, hardworking, resourceful, entrepreneurial, open and honest are not empty words.

The team

With a small but strong team, the workflow is direct and effective: there’s no room for things to get miscommunicated or fall through the cracks. Also, a smaller work place fosters a tight knit team that works smarter, faster, better. Clients of all sizes value a fast moving, seasoned and dedicated team that works at their side.

 

I don’t have a crystal ball to foresee the future of PR agencies, but based on my experience of running one in the last five years, I think a new culture is shaping up, and we should get ready for even more transformations and disruptions ahead.