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Acorn Strategy makes new appointment 

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Marketing and communications consultancy, Acorn Strategy has appointed Marina Milic to the role of Account Manager. With a wealth of experience in marketing and PR, Marina previously worked at a senior level in the hospitality industry for 12 years, where she was integral to numerous award-winning restaurant launch openings.

“I am ecstatic to join the incredible team at Acorn Strategy and look forward to providing a thoughtful and innovative approach to helping our clients achieve their marketing and PR goals,” says Marina.

House of Comms makes new appointment 

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Integrated communications agency, House of Comms has appointed Mark Shahroozi to the role of Account Executive. With a Masters Degree in Business Management and Marketing, Mark is passionate about social media marketing and joined House of Comms as an intern. In his new role, he will work across a variety of brands such as Under Armour, MMI Group, Nutrabolt and Fujifilm Middle East.

Given I am a recent graduate, House of Comms has already given me tremendous exposure to some of the UAE’s biggest brands,” says Mark. “The team has been so welcoming since I joined and I have already learned so much. I really look forward to growing my skills and progressing here.”

Jamie Wilks, Managing Partner, House of Comms continues, “Mark started at House of Comms as an intern and within just a week we knew he was a great fit for the team. Mark has proven that he has what it takes to make it happen on his accounts. He has an innate ability to come up with creative social ideas and has been instrumental in supporting both clients and his teams.”

We Are Social acquires Socialize

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Global creative agency network, We Are Social has acquired a majority stake in UAE-based digital agency Socialize as part of its expansion into the MENA region. The move sees We Are Social’s global workforce top 700 staff members, based across 11 offices in nine countries. Socialize will continue operating as an independent brand while taking advantage of We Are Social’s global infrastructure and agency ecosystem.

“We Are Social’s entrepreneurial spirit and future-focussed offering makes it the perfect strategic fit for Socialize,” says Akanksha Goel, Founder and Managing Director, Socialize. “We’re looking forward to joining forces with a network that is so like us from both a cultural and working practice perspective, a forward-thinking partner who shares our vision of the future and a global ecosystem that allows us to deliver greater value to our clients.”

Robin Grant, Chairman and Co-Founder, We Are Social continues, “We’re incredibly excited to be welcoming Akanksha and the rest of the Socialize team to the We Are Social family. They’re kindred spirits who share our creative culture and passion for social. As one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic regions in the world, the Middle East is absolutely crucial for our global clients and having Socialize as part of our network has fulfilled a long-held ambition.”

FP7/MENA wins big at Global Effie Awards 

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Full-service advertising agency, FP7/MENA has received the Global Effie Award for the Most Awarded Agency Network in a Single Regional Competition. The awards took place on May 31, 2018 in New York City. The agency secured the award for FP7/DXB’s ranking as #2 Most Effective Agency Office Globally and FP7/CAI – FP7’s Cairo office– ranked #8 Most Effective Agency Globally.

“I’m completely honored and humbled at the same time – doing work that makes a meaningful difference for the brands that we represent is our job,” says Tarek Miknas, CEO, FP7/MENA. “Creativity that is not self-serving, nor made for award shows, but rather works to benefit both brand and consumer, is what makes us proud. That’s our True North. The fact that our Effie-winning work also wins at creative shows, goes to show that the complementary forces of effectiveness and creative brilliance, in our line of work, are two  sides of the same coin.”

New influencer policy comes into effect

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The National Media Council (NMC)’s new influencer policy came into effect on June 1, 2019, to regulate the growing number of social influencers who are making commercial gains from the recently recognised career. All UAE-based influencers are now required to be registered and to flag paid posts and gifts accordingly to make the advertising of products and services more transparent.

Influencers have three options when obtaining an NMC license – which is now compulsory for all influencers making money, or accepting sizable gifts, while promoting brands and businesses. Category 1 is an individual license, best suited for high-profile individual influencers – they will require a separate business trade license in order to be considered for their NMC license. Category 2 is a partnership license – best suited to small groups of micro-influencers, where they would share a trade license. Category 3 is for influencers who are registered exclusively to official influencer agencies.

The first official Influencer agency to be permitted by the NMC to sign influencers under its umbrella is Motivate-VAMP – a joint partnership between Dubai’s Motivate Media Group and Australian-based Influencer Marketing platform, VAMP. The agency currently has over 400 registered influencers and expects these numbers to grow considerably over the coming months.

“We are delighted to be a part of this initiative and commend the NMC on introducing such comprehensive regulations to support all sectors of the influencer marketing industry in the UAE”, says Chris Capstick, General Manager – Connect, Motivate Media Group. “We have invested a lot of resources into the digital arena and both our partners at VAMP and our on-the-ground team in Dubai are looking forward to the exciting times that lay ahead.”

Vogue Arabia Saudi issue causes a stir

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Controversy has surrounded Vogue Arabia’s first ever Saudi Arabian issue after a social media backlash erupted, stemming from the title’s choice of cover star. The cover features HRH Hayfa bint Abdullah Al Saud, daughter of the late King Abdullah, sitting behind the wheel of a car, but many social voices pointed to the fact it was indeed her father who curbed the rights of women drivers. While the glossy magazine described Her Highness as a trailblazer, others preferred to recognise some of the detained Saudi Arabian activists for their bravery in standing up for women’s rights.