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Five Minute Focus – ‘Content is not King – Emotion is’

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TMN catch up with John Brown, Head of Engagement at Hotwire, to find out more about the upcoming event, Content is not King – Emotion is…

Tell us a bit about Hotwire UK and the upcoming event?

Hotwire is a global integrated communications agency that is partnered exclusively with Active Digital Marketing Communications in the region. Both agencies are focused on pushing the boundaries of communications and ensuring that our clients are not just getting the right counsel, but are able to navigate the emerging industry trends in order to better communicate with their audiences. This upcoming event is aimed solely at sharing the knowledge that both Active and Hotwire have on how communications has to be emotional in order to be relevant – a message that resonates even more strongly in a region like the Middle East.

Where did the concept for ‘Content is not King – Emotion is’ originate from?

If you take a look at some of the most successful and well-known communications campaigns, you will find that at the heart of them is emotion, which is what we remember first. Not necessarily the brand, but the emotion we had when we experienced the campaign. Now we have technology and data at our fingertips to help us weave an emotive message into every campaign we do.

Who is the event aimed at?

We have identified existing and prospective clients and partners that we agree will find this extremely relevant as well as potentially give them an advantage over their competitors. We have a calendar of events like this over the course of 2017, some of which we may open up to larger audiences.

What do you think makes an event such as this relevant to the Middle East community?

Because of the unique partnership between Active and Hotwire, the Middle East community will be able to get a glimpse into global trends that are shaping our industry, with a clear understanding of how they can execute these trends in the region today. We’ve made every effort to ensure that what is discussed is made relevant for the Middle East market.

In addition, we know that the region is very active on the digital and social media front and that for many companies, brands as well as solution providers, the challenge is not how to reach these key stakeholders but how to truly engage them and that is something that is still developing in many markets across the globe. We want to see the Middle East as one of the most keen adopters of this approach and feel that the desire is there.

How do you think the event can benefit Dubai’s media community in terms of digital communications?

The event will deliver ROI ideas and programmes for clients to offer wider and more developed solutions that is different from any tactical advice that they can get from anywhere else.

What do you think of the media community in the UAE?

It is vibrant, dynamic and always open to change. It is comparable to many communities in the US, Europe and Asia where Hotwire operates and has very key relationships through its offices with these communities and often leads on initiatives, knowledge and skill sharing, as well as key areas like measurement.

How do you find the PR industry differs in Dubai to elsewhere in the world?

It doesn’t, when you look at the highest levels of public relations the expertise is there, which is why for Hotwire the partnership with Active made sense. We have shared values, shared approaches, shared principles and a shared desire to evolve, develop and exceed clients changing sets of priorities and needs. We have been working with Active in this region for over eight years before we formalised the partnership and that shows that we have been involved and engaged with the region for many years through the Active team.

What should PR Professionals expect to take away from the event?

Marketing and PR professionals should take away two things, inspiration and a sense of pride. This event will help to showcase just how important PR and communications is to delivering powerful messages that truly engage the audiences they want to involve and excite.

How can communications professionals get involved?

We’re the gatekeepers of emotive stories. If there’s one thing this trend towards emotive campaigning highlights, it is the need to have communications professionals contributing at the highest strategic level. We’ve always had to earn our results by creating stories that immediately made journalists and audiences feel something. Now that this is integral to any successful campaign, communications professionals should be at the heart of the overall marketing strategy.

Are there future plans for events like this in the Middle East?

There will definitely be more of these events conducted by Active and Hotwire for their immediate clients, prospects and partners as these are seen to be part of the value-added services that we all believe is essential in the client agency relationship. As they evolve and grow, we will definitely look to do more “open” events in 2017, but at this stage these will be quite focused events where Active working with the Hotwire team in London, New York and San Francisco will play a major role in inviting key stakeholders.

Active announces results of Digital Trends Report

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PR and communications agency Hotwire and Active PR have announced the launch of the first Digital Trends Report 2014 for the Middle East region. The first dedicated Digital Trends Report for the Middle East comprises of eight key trends for the region when it comes to digital communications, with this year’s theme for the report centred on ‘The Year of Reflection’. Main highlights of 2014, as well as what organisations, brands and technophiles should be looking forward to in 2015 are covered. The Digital Trends Report will be published annually.

The eight digital trends for 2014 are as follows –

  1. Politics finds its voice: Active and Hotwire take it back to 2011, when we were getting started with social media. As the younger Arab generation comes of age politically and the region continues its transition from autocracy and dynasty to representative government, the impact of social media will have a permanent political impact, perhaps more than in any other region.
  2. Social media in school: Whose responsibility is it to educate children on the pros and cons of social media? Should social media education be added to the curriculum? These are questions we expect to be raised more in 2014 and beyond.
  3. Cultural sensitivity: Communications in the Middle Eastern region is a different ballgame from the West, so how do you express opinions or communicate on social media without breaking the law or common courtesy? This chapter highlights what the rules and protocols are when communicating publicly on social media and what private users and organisations should be aware of.
  4. Death of anonymity: How safe is our personal information online? What should or shouldn’t we share?
  5. Data for the moment: How did brands leverage Dubai’s bid for Expo 2020 to their own benefit? Were they creative while doing so? This report looks at how brands should understand their social data and base their social media campaigns on that.
  6. From customers to consumers: It is likely that customer service teams and community management will merge in 2014/2015. Customer service teams will lose their reputation for starched-collar-stuffiness, while community managers will gain authority to act on behalf not just of the brand, but also of the organisation.
  7. Digitisation of retail: Frictionless digital technology has the potential to delete the middleman. We expect to see retailers move upstream and become content and product manufacturers, and downstream to own mobile and television.
  8. But how much? The upcoming year will be a breakthrough year for campaign measurement and in the establishment of standards for measuring social media focused activity.

“We’re very excited to present our first Digital Trends Report for the Middle East,” says Fatima el Malki, Digital Communications Manager, Active PR. “Through many interactions and conversations with our clients and fellow specialists in the fields of communications, public affairs and technology, we noticed a lack of thought leadership focused on digital. Reading reports and articles comprising of various percentages on social media behaviour are educational, but our report focuses on how to leverage on these trends as a brand or communications professional.”

Sawsan Ghanem, Editor of the report and Managing Partner at Active PR adds, “Digital is literally changing the way we all look at things and the way we behave. The Digital Trends Report 2014 is designed to provide a taste and insight into how much of an impact digital communications has on society, both worldwide and in the Middle East.”