Posts

Winners of the MEPRA Awards 2014 announced

/0 Comments/in /by

The winners of the MEPRA Awards 2014 have been announced. Celebrating the achievements of the Middle East’s PR industry over the last 12 months, a record-breaking 161 entries for this year’s MEPRA Awards were whittle down to 17 winners.

MEPRA Agency of the Year was awarded to Weber Shandwick MENA, while Memac Ogilvy Dubai won the Best Campaign award for The Autocomplete truth initiative and Mubadala won the In-House Team of the Year. A total of 10 agencies and organisations won for their creativity and execution, with Weber Shandwick, Memac Ogilvy and Hill+Knowlton Strategies winning multiple categories.

The winners were selected by a distinguished jury of marketing and communications leaders from across different sectors and organisations. The jury selected entries that exemplified best practices from across five categories – issue identification, research, strategic approach, planning and execution. Entries were received from across the region, extending to Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, as well as the UAE.

“The judges noted the quality of the entries this year, and they were impressed by how well the winners had managed to convey the underlying issue, the depth of research undertaken, the thought behind their strategic approach, the amount of planning which went into the winning campaigns and the quality of the execution,” says Carine Duvignaud, General Manager, MEPRA. “This year’s award-winning campaigns, agencies and organisations prove that the region has moved beyond what is traditionally viewed as a function that only embodies media relations to a profession that adds real value to the bottom line in terms of reputation building, issues awareness and incremental business.”

The full list of winners for the MEPRA Awards 2014 is as follows:

Sectors & Services 

  • Best Consumer Goods Campaign – Memac Ogilvy PR Tunisia – Delice
  • Best Consumer Services Campaign – House of Comms – Bounce: The Free-Jumping Revolution
  • Best Consumer Services Campaign (Highly Commended) – Hill+Knowlton Strategies – WWE Riyadh Tour 2014
  • Best Corporate Reputation & Image Campaign – Weber Shandwick MENA – The DGC-X-Factor! How DGCX Transformed Its Regional and Global Profile
  • Best Corporate Social Responsibility & Environmental PR Campaign – Blue Rubicon – Action on Diabetes Ramadan

Campaign

  • Best Government Communications Campaign – Hill+Knowlton Strategies – Inspiring a Sporting Generation – Qatar National Sports Day
  • Best Health Car & Services Campaign – Memac Ogilvy PR Dubai – Break Away from Psoriasis
  • Best Business to Business Campaign – Weber Shandwick MENA – Credit Where It’s Due! Raising Understanding of S&P’s Role in Regional Capital Market Development
  • Best Internal Communications Campaign – ENEC – 123 Tarkeez

Techniques 

  • Best Integrated Campaign – Memac Ogilvy PR Dubai – The Autocomplete truth
  • Best Launch Live Event/Stunt – DABO & CO – The Launch of Nokia Lumia 1020: Reaching New Heights
  • Best Use of Media Relations – Mojo PR – ICAEW
  • Best Use of Social Media & Digital PR – Atlantis the Palm
  • Best Use of Sponsorship – Hill & Knowlton Strategies – ‘Winning the ultimate World Cup battle of the brands for Adidas’

People and Agencies 

  • Agency of the Year – Weber Shandwick MENA
  • In-House Team of the Year – Mubadala
  • Best Overall Campaign of the Year – Memac Ogilvy PR Dubai – The Autocomplete truth
  • Dave Robinson Award for Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year – Becki Willis, Hill+Knowlton Strategies
  • Dave Robinson Award for Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year (Highly Commended) – Rijosh Joseph, DABO & CO

Effie MENA Awards 2014 winners announced

/0 Comments/in /by

The winners for this year’s Effie MENA Awards have been revealed. Taking place on Wednesday November 19, 2014, at The Meydan Hotel in Dubai, approximately 1,500 invited guests attended to celebrate the campaigns, advertisers and agencies that have had the most measurable impact over the past 12 months.

The Effie MENA Awards 2014 was expanded this year to incorporate 23 classes of achievement; with categories including: ‘Best Youth Marketing Campaign’, ‘Best Use of Social Media’ and ‘Most Effective Agency Network of the Year.’ Corresponding with the rise in the number of categories was an increase in the number of entrants, with submissions 75 percent higher than the previous year. Mediaquest – the media organisers behind the event – noted that the increase in categories and nominations reflects the dynamism of the regional marketing industry and the innovation currently being seen in the sector.

“This year’s Effie Awards were the biggest to date, featuring the largest number of nominations and the greatest number of categories for inclusion,” says Alexandra Hawari, Co-CEO, Mediaquest. “The diversity of marketing forms and approaches that we are now witnessing across the region necessitated the introduction of new classes of achievement in order to fully acknowledge the impact on audiences that have been achieved with unique techniques.”

The evening saw FP7/DXB awarded with an impressive haul of seven Gold Awards, coming first place in six categories, including ‘Best Use of CSR,’ ‘Best Youth Marketing Campaign,’ ‘Banking, Finance & Insurance,’ ‘FMCG,’ ‘Single Media Activation,’ and ‘Brand Experience.’ The organisation’s array of impactful campaigns that had measurably resonated with audiences in the region resulted in it receiving the ‘Most Effective Agency Network of the Year’ title.

Cairo-based Media Direction OMD was awarded the ‘Best Use of Social Media’ award for their Barakat and Super Teta campaign, which was conducted on behalf of Vodaphone Egypt. JWT DXB and Carat DXB’s ‘I’m Coming Home’ campaign for Microsoft Mobile Devices saw the agency awarded in the ‘Telecommunications, Mobiles & Internet’ category, while JWT Cairo and Starcom MediaVest Group – also from Cairo – impressed the judges to win the ‘New Product’ category with their ‘Cinnamint’ campaign for Mondelez Egypt Foods.

All of the 23 category winners are now eligible to participate in the Effie Global Effectiveness Index. The scheme incorporates data from 40 worldwide Effie Award competitions to determine those in the industry that have had the most measurable success on a global scale.

Submissions close for Sharjah Govt Comms Award

/0 Comments/in /by

Sharjah Media Centre (SMC) has closed submissions for the second edition of the Sharjah Government Communication Award. The awards recognise the achievements of outstanding media and communications professionals across government institutions in the UAE. The award incentivises government communication professionals to implement best practices in their daily operations and proactively contribute with ideas for the improvement of their departments that in turn facilitate efficient communication with Sharjah’s residents. The submissions are currently being subjected to a preliminary evaluation process.

“The initial screening of submissions has begun and will conclude at the end of November,” says Asma Al Juwaied, Manager, Sharjah Government Communication Award 2014. “For this edition of the Award, SMC has commissioned a carefully selected team to oversee the quality of entries and ensure they comply to our stringent terms and conditions. In the second phase of the evaluation process, the selection committee will nominate three to five submissions from each category. The shortlisted entries will be presented to the jury panel for the final evaluation and selection of the ultimate winner in each category.”

This year’s Sharjah Government Communications Award has witnessed wide participation from ministries, federal institutions and local government entities, with many of the federal and local authorities submitting entries to more than one category.

The winners will be announced at an official ceremony that will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, during the first quarter of 2015.

2014 MEPRA Awards finalists announced

/0 Comments/in /by

The finalists for the 2014 MEPRA Awards have been revealed, with the winners due to be announced at the annual gala event on Tuesday November 25, 2014, at the Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi. Among the 16 award categories – which have been split into Sectors & Services, Techniques and People & Agencies – finalists include DABO & CO, Edelman, Four Communications, Mojo PR, Memac Ogilvy PR – Dubai, TOH PR and Weber Shandwick MENA for Agency of the Year, Etihad Airways and Mubadala for In-House Team of the Year and Al Jazeera Media Network, Blue Rubicon, DABO & CO  and Memac Ogilvy PR – Dubai, for Best Integrated Campaign.

To view the full list of MEPRA 2014 finalists, visit http://goo.gl/LNTBKQ.

Patronage confirmed for Arab Woman Awards UAE

/0 Comments/in /by

His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, has confirmed his patronage and attendance at the Arab Woman Awards UAE 2014. The awards aim to raise public awareness of significant achievements by Arab women in the region and to provide young women with inspirational role models.

Established in 2009 by ITP Publishing, the Arab Woman Awards has awarded over 220 inspirational women from the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia across a diversity of fields that include business, fashion, entrepreneurship, charity, media, government and literature. The Arab Woman Awards UAE 2014 will be presented on November 25, 2014, at a red carpet gala dinner, and will be attended by His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, over 400 female VIP guests, as well as members of the royal family.

“The Arab Woman Awards play an important role in recognising the contribution of women across all walks of life to this nation,” says Her Excellency Ameera Bin Karam, Chairperson of the Sharjah Businesswoman Council and honorary Chairperson of the Arab Woman Awards UAE Judges Board. “I am pleased to be involved with the Awards, and am impressed with the strength of the nominations we have received this year. It is also an honour to have His Excellency Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan offer his support and patronage to the 2014 Awards.”

Other members for this year’s Judges Board include Dr Manal Taryam, CEO of Health Care Services & Noor Dubai Foundation; Manal Atayal, Director General at Sharjah Museums Department; Nada Al Lawati, Founder of S.E.E.D Group and Board member SBWC; Alia Mazrouei, COO of Mazrouei Holdings and Co-Founder of Just Falafel; Nadine El Chaer, Editor-in-Chief of Ahlan! Arabia and Nadine Y. Maalouf, Owner of the SME Advisory Group.

Sue Holt, Deputy Managing Director of ITP Consumer and Founder of the Arab Woman Awards adds, “We are delighted that the Awards yet again fall under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, and that he will be present at the actual awards ceremony at the end of November. His Excellency has been actively involved in encouraging and supporting women’s education and contribution to the growth of the UAE and so he is an ideal patron for our awards.”

PRWeek UK Awards 2014 announce shortlist

/0 Comments/in /by

The shortlisted entries for the PRWeek UK Awards 2014 have been revealed. The panel of judges will announce winners from the following categories  – Campaigns, Production & Promotion, Corporate & Public, People & Agencies and awards to be announced on the night, which include Lifetime Achievement and Campaign of the Year – sponsored by 4mediarelations. Included in the Peoples & Agencies category is the International Consultancy of the Year award, for which FleishmanHillard, Golin, Ketchum, Lewis PR and Weber Shandwick are shortlisted.

The winners will be announced on 14 October, in a ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.