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Cicero and Bernay expands into Egypt 

Public relations agency, Cicero and Bernay (C&B) has signed with Ingredients, an agency specialising in media and public relations and also part of the Egyptian Media Synergy. The new agreement will allow C&B and Ingredients to bring together their strategic, targeted communications solutions that are designed to reach and influence their customers in the country. By the end of 2018, C&B aims to have offices in 20 markets across the MENA region, giving clients unrivalled regional scope.

“As the most populous country in the MENA region, Egypt is a key target market for our clients and home to a burgeoning communication industry,” says Maysa-Jana Atoui, Director of Business Development, Cicero and Bernay. “In partnership with Ingredients, we will cater to the increased demand for PR services, crisis planning and reputation management in the Egyptian market, while also heightening engagement with new-age tactics such as influencer-led activations and campaigns. We are pleased to be responding to our clients’ far-reaching requirements by expanding our MENA footprint and opening a valuable new window onto the Egyptian market.”

Memac Ogilvy opens new Cairo Office

Memac Ogilvy has embarked on a major reshuffle of its Egypt operations, starting with the launch of a new Cairo office in Technology City. The new office marks the first stage of a renewed commitment to modernising its services in Egypt and the company aims to bring its new operating system and restructure to its Cairo team.

“Egypt has long been an important market for us, and we’re proud of the influential history we have here, from the launch of the New Suez Canal, to the Egypt Post, to Cairo’s Ministry of Finance,” says Edmond Moutran, Chief Executive Officer, Memac Ogilvy. “Today, the nation is going through significant growth measures, which is vastly important from a social, economic, and cultural perspective. This is an era we are committed to playing a key role in. Our 20-year history in the country allowed us to recognise the opportunities that exist, and we intend on contributing through our talented resources, services, and operations.”

PHD MENA expands into  Egypt

Dubai-based media and communications agency, PHD MENA has launched its Cairo office as part of its expansion plan across the Middle East. Egypt being its fifth location in the Middle East, the new office aims to offer strategic, digital and creative expertise and build on business partnerships with regional and international clients. The launch will see the appointment of Nour Eldin Saleh to handle operations in the Cairo office as General Manager bringing with him experience working with companies such as Starcom and Mindshare.

“PHD’s expansion into Egypt, our largest market in the Middle East to date, is a clear indication of how the region is transforming,” says Elda Choucair, CEO, PHD MENA. “While it has a rich heritage and thriving traditions, the country is rapidly progressing in terms of digital sophistication, both from a consumer and corporate standpoint. The time is right for PHD to capitalise on this shift and introduce ground-breaking approaches in media and communications. I am certain that, with Nour Eldin Saleh at the helm, we will provide new levels of media and business excellence to our clients.”

 

Momentum/CAI appoints new Managing Director

Momentum, part of Middle East Communications Network (MCN) has promoted Lina Fateen to the role of Managing Director of its Cairo office, Momentum/CAI. Lina joined MCN in 2002 as a part of FP7/CAI and most recently held the role of Deputy Managing Director at Momentum, where she worked on relaunching the agency as a full independent brand experience agency. In her new role, she will report to MCN Egypt’s CEO, Sahar El Zoghby and lead her team to produce award winning work to drive clients’ business award-winning building a brand reputation and setting standards of excellence for future openings of Momentum across the MCN network.

“My career at MCN has been a fantastic journey of valuable insights and experiences enabling me to build and foster a successful organisation with the right people here at Momentum/CAI,” says Lina. “And now with the continued opportunity to lead this company, I am excited to unravel the next steps in developing strong synergies with our clients for further award winning success.”

Amr El Kalaawy gets promoted at FP7/CAI

Full-service advertising agency, FP7/MENA has promoted Amr El Kalaawy to the role of Managing Director of its Cairo office, FP7/CAI. With over 20 years of experience in the advertising industry in Egypt, Amr joined FP7/CAI in 2007 and most recently held the role of General Manager, where he aided in growing the digital offering and developing a creative vision for the agency. In his new role, he will report to FP7/CAI’s CEO, Sahar El Zoghby and work towards enabling valuable collaborations with sister agencies leading to a richer, integrated product offering for current and future clients.

“I look forward to expanding FP7/CAI’s business and leveraging our relationship with our sister agencies within MCN Holding as we look to help clients exploit the changes we are seeing in today’s dynamic & digital market,” says Amr.

Joe Nicolas promoted to Regional Managing Director

MENA-based creative media agency, UM MENA has promoted Joe Nicolas to the role of Regional Managing Director. Having joined UM MENA in 2009 as Regional Director of Communications Planning and most recently, holding the position of Head of Strategy and Integration, Joe has built teams and contributed to the agency’s client success, and helped develop UM Egypt during times of economic instabilities. In his new role, he will work on the agency’s client relations and oversee its business development across the MENA region.

“I am excited to be taking over this role at one of the largest agencies in the region,” says Joe. “At a time where our region is undergoing a transformation, we have the right team, the right company culture and the right portfolio of clients to enable us to deliver great work and set new standards. I look forward to playing a major role in this and the continuing success and development of the agency in the coming years.”

Let’s Talk Cairo agenda revealed

Dubai-based PR, marketing and communications agency, Fekra Communications has revealed the agenda for the Cairo edition of its industry event series, Let’s Talk Crisis Communications Forum. The conference will take place from November 6 -7, 2017 at the Four Seasons Nile Plaza, Cairo, Egypt and host several leading communication and media experts from Egypt and across the region to come together and shed light on one of the industry’s most important topics. The forum will feature speakers from a diverse group of industries including international organisations, government, tourism, media, telecom and FMCGs to share their insights and best practice on how to protect an organisation’s reputation. The full list of speakers can be found on letstalkevent.com.

“With the continuing evolution of communication platforms, news and word of mouth spread faster and even wilder than it used to a decade ago,” says Mohammed El Batta, Managing Director, Fekra Communications. “Today we live in a world where both government and corporate reputations are more fragile and where crises seem to be occurring more frequently. One of the biggest challenges for communication professionals is the early recognition of crisis and how to successfully manage it using effective communication techniques.”

Compareit4me.com takes on new brand identity

Middle East comparison site, compareit4me.com has rebranded as yallacompare.com to reflect its new identity and expansion plan in the region. The site’s rebrand aims to align itself with the Middle Eastern market with a brand name that pays homage to the region and become the go-to resource for regional consumers looking to save money on everything from insurance to telecoms package. The rebrand will also be followed by an expansion into Saudi Arabia and the opening of a permanent office in Riyadh as well as the launch of its online insurance comparison services to consumers in Egypt.

“When we first started the company, we had no idea that it would become the business that it is today,” says Jon Richards, CEO, yallacompare.com.  “Our success outside of the UAE is what’s informed our decision to create a brand that better represents our English and Arabic-speaking customers. Today, we compare everything from personal loans to flight tickets, we’re the largest insurance aggregator in the Middle East by a considerable margin and we’re active in nine markets across the region.”