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New appointment at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray

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Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, part of Jumeirah Group has appointed Raziena Cajee to the role of Director of Marketing and Communications. With over 12 years of experience in corporate marketing communications, Raziena joined Jumeirah Group in 2005 and most recently held the position of Brand Marketing Communications Manager, where she lead the brand strategy and development as well as the management of Jumeriah Group’s Dubai team. In her new role, she will work alongside Katja Graf, Director of Sales and Marketing at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray to further develop and lead the resort’s marketing and communications team across PR, marketing and partnership development.

“I am pleased to welcome Raziena to the team and confident she will deliver continued success to the marketing function at the resort,” says Hakan Petek, General Manager, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray.

Jumeirah appoints Senior PR and Communications Executive

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The Jumeirah Zabeel Saray has welcomed Kimberly Lobo to the role of Senior Public Relations and Communications Executive. Previously a PR Account Executive at Ketchum Raad, where she worked across corporate clients such as CNN and Airbus, Kimberly brings over six years of experience in journalism and PR to her new role. As Public Relations and Communications Executive, she will be responsible for assisting in the management of PR and media relations across the resort, ensuring media coverage in local, regional and international media markets. Kimberly will produce written material for media purposes such as editorials, newsletters, biographies, fact-files and Q&A’s and develop PR strategies for the property as well as provide support with awards and research.

“I always believe in working hard and that it does pay off, because in the end you’re always rewarded,” says Kimberly. “I’m grateful to Jumeirah Zabeel Saray for offering me the position and seeing my potential as a Senior Public Relations and Communications Executive at the resort.”




CNN welcomes Inga Thordar

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Inga Thordar has joined CNN as Editorial and Programming Director, Digital International, where she will be overseeing the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) based digital news and sports team. She joins CNN from the BBC, where she worked as Senior Editor, leading a number of editorial teams. Inga will be based in the network’s London bureau and will oversee all digital news and sports output. She will also manage, coordinate and communicate the content flow of all other digital units, including CNN’s Hong Kong team, and will report to Andrew Demaria, Vice President and Managing Editor, CNN Digital International.

“Inga has deep experience in setting and driving an editorial agenda,” says Andrew. “She understands both journalists and technical staff, and has delivered some outstanding multi-media original and distinctive journalism. She’ll be a fantastic asset to the news team across our platforms.”

Inga adds “CNN is doing exciting things in digital journalism and building on the very latest trends in digital media, so this is a great time to be joining the international team. I’m looking forward to continuing and progressing the work on innovative storytelling and multi-platform production that’s well underway here.”

 

CNN’s Connect the World to go on tour

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CNN’s flagship news and current affairs show, Connect the World with Becky Anderson, is taking to the road this month, for a month-long tour. Beginning in Cairo, the programme will head to Amman and Beirut, before ending in Istanbul.

In each location anchor Becky Anderson will present a range of live programming and feature content, including interviews and analysis of the issues that matter in each location and beyond. Topics will vary for each location, but will encompass breaking news as well as culture, society and politics. On the final day in each location the team will host a special segment called CNN Café, which will see Becky take the show to the people in a live broadcast on location.

A range of digital content supporting the programme will be found on the show’s blog page, www.cnn.com/connect, and CNN Arabic will be supporting the tour, publishing a range of related content for Arabic-speaking users on CNNArabic.com as well as via social media. Both CNN.com and CNN Arabic will be interacting with audiences, asking users to send in suggestions and pictures to guide the editorial content both on TV and online.

“There is so much to explore and discuss in each of these locations, and we also want to add a truly interactive element to these special programmes,” says Becky. “This is about democratising the narrative, hearing the voices from the region on the stories resonating here and beyond. It promises to be a fascinating few weeks in some of the world’s most vibrant cities.”

For further information, contact Kimberly Lobo at kimberly.lobo@ketchum-raad.com / +971 (0)4 425 8979

CNN names new VP of Arabic Services

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Caroline Faraj has been named the new Vice President of Arabic Services for CNN, as the international news outlet unveils ambitious plans for growth in the Middle East. Caroline was previously responsible for the content and management of the CNN Arabic website, leading the site’s re-launch in 2014.

In her new role, Caroline will have strategic oversight of CNNArabic.com while also working alongside CNN’s Middle East newsgathering team, and the CNN Abu Dhabi platform on major cross-platform editorial initiatives. She will also work with the CNNI commercial and digital teams on new digital opportunities in the region. Her immediate focus will be on continuing the expansion of the CNN Arabic brand, while also expanding the CNN Dubai operation in order to allow for increased content development to feed all of CNN’s linear and non-linear platforms.

“CNN Arabic has proved an outstanding success story under Caroline’s leadership and has demonstrated the region’s growing digital appetite for our news product,” says Andrew Morse, Executive Vice President and General Manager, CNN Digital.

Rani R Raad, Managing Director, Turner Broadcasting in the Middle East, adds “Our continued investment under Caroline’s leadership in CNN Arabic reflects the strength of our aspirations for this region. Caroline is perfectly placed in this new role to continue to enrich the news content we offer our consumers, while also helping to develop exciting new digital propositions that will engage audiences and excite our partners.”

 

CNN partners with McLaren Technology Group

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CNN International has officially entered into a multi-year global partnership with McLaren Technology Group and is McLaren-Honda’s new partner for the 2015 Formula One season and beyond. For the 2015 season, this will see CNN’s branding appear on the front-wing endplates of the new McLaren-Honda MP4-30 Formula 1 car, which will be unveiled in an online launch on January 29, 2015. The partnership also allows for CNN’s use of McLaren’s soon-to-open thought leadership centre, based within the McLaren Technology Campus in Woking, Surrey, UK, from which CNN International will produce several programmes to be broadcast globally across its network.

“This is a groundbreaking partnership between two trusted brands with a passion for high performance and continued innovation,” says Rani Raad, Chief Commercial Officer, CNN International. “Committed to being first, we share a mutual respect for each other’s operations – whether that’s the tenacity of CNN journalists in going to the heart of a story or McLaren’s forensic focus for every F1 race. With a shared global footprint and highly engaged audience, there’s a lot of expertise and best practice that we can both invest in this partnership. The added exposure that CNN International will gain through our association with McLaren is part of an expansive consumer engagement initiative to capitalise on the power of our brand. The additional business, broadcasting and cross-marketing opportunities made possible by this multi-year deal will forge a close relationship between two companies on the world stage.”

Rob Dennis, Chairman and CEO of McLaren Technology Group adds, “There is an inherent symmetry between McLaren and CNN that makes us perfectly attuned for partnership. Like McLaren, CNN is a tremendously powerful and influential global network, one that has spent decades pioneering the latest technologies and techniques in a relentless, unforgiving, fast-paced environment. I think we understand each other on many levels. The partnership between McLaren and CNN is unique in that it operates on a very broad scope. Our shared love of technology has united us: together we will pursue new opportunities far beyond the conventional scope of a Formula 1 partnership.”

CNN audiences to select ME’s #Influencer2014

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CNN Arabic and Connect the World with Becky Anderson are inviting audiences in the region and beyond to help identify the person who has most influenced the Middle East in 2014. By analysing audience data from the CNN Arabic website across the year, CNN has identified ten key figures that have made the biggest impact on the region.

The ten figures range from political leaders to inspirational one-offs, as well as emblems of mass movements that are altering the region’s socio-political landscape:

  • Abdel Fattah al Sisi, President of Egypt
  • King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia
  • Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, self-proclaimed Caliph of the ‘Islamic State’
  • Barack Obama, President of the United States of America
  • Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel
  • The Foreign Extremist Fighter
  • Hassan Roubani, President of Iran
  • Marian Al Mansouri, First Emirati female fighter pilot
  • The Middle Eastern Refugee
  • Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey

CNN audiences can visit www.cnnarabic.com/influencer2014 to select the three names from the list that they believe most warrant the title of #Influencer2014, and the survey will run until November 25, 2014. The results will then be debated during a special CNN Arabic and Connect the World Town Hall event in the UAE, which will be broadcast in early December on CNN International.

CNN named #1 international news brand

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The latest IPSOS Affluent Global survey has confirmed CNN International as the leading international news brand, reaching an unrivalled four out of 10 upscale consumers and decision-makers across the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

CNN’s reach of affluent international audience is larger than all news competitors in every metric across TV and digital platforms. According to the IPSOS Affluent Global survey, every month CNN is currently reaching 40% of the international upscale population via TV and digital platforms – well ahead of BBC (29%), CNBC (14%), Bloomberg (11%) and Al Jazeera (11%).

On TV, CNN is the most watched international news channel for monthly (34%), weekly (19%) and daily (5%) reach. This is significantly ahead of the reach of other news channels’ TV reach – BBC (23% monthly, 13% weekly, 4% daily), Sky (21%, 13%, 5%), CNBC (10%, 5%, 1%), Al Jazeera (9%, 5%, 2%) and Bloomberg (8%, 4%, 1%).

CNN International is also excelling digitally, ranking in the number one position ahead of all news and entertainment brands with a 14% monthly reach. This compares to National Geographic (11%), BBC (11%), Discovery (9%), Bloomberg (5%), CNBC (5%) and Al Jazeera (3%). The IPSOS Affluent Global findings confirm CNN registering a global digital audience of 99 million unique visitors in comScore’s August data – over 25 million ahead of BBC (73 million).

“What is commonly referred to as the ‘CNN effect’ is our ability to deliver non-partisan, objective reporting from all corners of the world quicker and in more detail than anyone else,” says Rani R. Raad, Chief Commercial Officer, CNN International. “It’s this effect that connects with our consumers on TV, mobile, digital and social platforms, making CNN the worldwide news leader it is today.”

New CNN art and culture series to launch

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CNN International is launching CNN Ones to Watch – a major new feature show debuting globally on CNN – which will delve into a range of colourful and diverse artistic and cultural fields to showcase future talent. Each month, CNN Ones to Watch will focus on a particular discipline – from modern dance to classical music, filmmaking to architecture and sculpture – as a recognised master of their craft identifies ‘ones to watch’ and explains why their careers are on an upward trajectory. Through this narrative, the master in each show will guide viewers into their art form, how its evolving and what new talent needs to accomplish.

Launching on October 10, 2014, CNN Ones To Watch will air across all CNN platforms – with the programme running on CNN International global feeds and on CNN en Espanol. In addition, vignettes from the programme will air on CNN US.

The series – sponsored by Cartier – will also have a number of digital elements to complement the on–air programming. Alongside video content from CNN Ones to Watch, a dedicated microsite will include interactive and social features, such as behind–the–scenes Instagrams and Vines from contributors.

“CNN Ones to Watch is one of the most extensive and exciting feature shows to appear on CNN International,” says Mike McCarthy, Senior Vice President and General Manager, CNN International. “Its broad remit will take viewers on a global journey to explore a diverse mix of arts and culture through the eyes of a master in their field and give the inside track on who could be tomorrow’s Carlos Acosta, Spike Lee or Rem Hoolhaas. The first episode will really set the standards with first class contributors and elements that will give viewers a real insight into the world of portraiture.”

CNN International launches Future Finance

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CNN International has announced the launch of Future Finance, a new weekly segment showcasing future trends related to the global financial system that will feature in two of the network’s highest profile business shows – Quest Means Business and World Business Today. Future Finance will complement CNN’s business coverage by examining everything from a future without cash to high-speed trading that employs the power of laser beams.

Each month Nina Dos Santos will host a Future Finance 15-minute special programme highlighting the best in CNN’s series of short feature films, and offers global insight into what’s on the horizon at consumer and industry level. With stories from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas; Future Finance will be an opportunity to gain perspective on possible future trends related to all areas of global business innovation. The weekly reports began airing on June 3 2014, with CNN’s first instalment of its 15 minute programme launching June 25, at 10.45 BST / 11.45 CET.

A dedicated microsite www.CNN.com/FutureFinance will feature Future Finance reports and supplementary content such as digital explainers, info-graphics and analysis. The material will also appear and be promoted across other CNN business and news web pages.