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Careem gets new look

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Regionally based car booking app Careem has been given a new look to mark its four-year anniversary. The brand’s new identity will include a new company symbol featuring a green wink and the implementation of a revamped strategy across all verticals from product messaging and advertising, to community outreach and company culture. The new look will also give Careem an effective presence offline, with an image that aims to capture the beauty and simplicity of technology as well as the positive impact it is creating in the region.

“The rebrand represents more than just a brand overhaul,” says Mudassir Sheikha, Co-Founder, Careem. “This new branding changes the whole identity and manifestation of Careem. Our mission is to move our region towards better living and to achieve that, we had to create a regionally recognised brand symbol synonymous with what we stand for. Careem is bold, local and relevant to all and the new identity represents these attributes perfectly.”

Time Out Bahrain launches first event in Manama

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Time Out Bahrain, produced by ITP Publishing Group in Dubai, is launching a music festival in Manama. The event will be called Bahrain Jams and follows the launch of Time Out Live! from Time Out GCC. Taking place in Café Amsterdam and La Vinoteca Barcelona on September 30, 2016, Time Out Live! will showcase popular local bands and musicians including; Mo Zowayed, The Hot Club of Bahrain and Tony Attalla.

“We at Time Out are massively excited to launch the new brand extension; Time Out Live!” says Katy Gillett, Group Editor, Time Out Bahrain. “Where better to kick it off than on the beautiful island nation of Bahrain, where there’s a thriving local music scene? Alongside this awesome new festival, we at Time Out Bahrain are also currently finding more and more creative ways to tap into Bahrain’s grassroots communities, offering support to the country’s most talented people. Watch this space.”

APO launches MENA Wire

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APO, the press release wire for Africa and media relations relating to Africa, has launched MENA Wire, a press release distribution and monitoring service dedicated to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The new service aims to be the market leader in press release distribution and monitoring in the region within the next 24 months and has a network that extents to print media, broadcasters, blogs and social media in 18 countries. Content from MENA wire is redistributed by several Middle Eastern and international partners, including; SyniGate, the Middle East North Africa Financial Network, Bloomberg Terminal, Thomson Reuters Terminal, Lexis Nexis and Dow Jones Factiva.

“The unprecedented success of Africa Wire, APO’s press release distribution service in Africa, has catalysed an increase in client demand for a Middle East service with the same quality and return on investment,” says Nicolas Pompigne-Mognar, Founder and CEO, APO. “At APO we listen to our clients and mould our service according to their needs. If our clients are happy, we are happier. I’m confident that MENA Wire will become the market leader within the next 24 months.”

Insignia launches Traverger

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Insignia Worldwide Group has launched Traverger, a digital brand engagement agency dedicated to the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. The agency aims to propel travel and destination brands to the forefront of online conversations through equipping clients to engage with increasingly elusive guests and time-poor travellers.

“Travel and hospitality brands have complex and unique marketing needs that are different from traditional FMCG products,” days Gaurav Sinha, Founder and CEO, Insignia Worldwide Group. “Online visibility and engagement is at the heart of driving innovation in brand communication and marketing Our expertise in strategic planning and understanding of key feeder market dynamics is complimented by our insights on how potential guests or customers interact with online brand messages.”

Q Communications and PRCA MENA launch Qcademy

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Q Communications, in partnership with PRCA MENA, has launched Qcademy, a training academy that will provide each member of Q Communications‘ 18-strong team with access to PRCA MENA events alongside a rigorous, tailored programme of both internal and external training. PR and Communications professionals will be allocated a training budget as well as a bespoke guide and staff will be able to learn new skills, develop best practice and stay abreast of the latest developments in areas that they already operate in. The CPD-acredited programme includes both face-to-face training in the region as well as webinars and will be overseen from PRCA MENA’s office in Dubai.

“We are delighted to launch Qcademy, the first of its kind in-house training academy in the region,” says Katie Harvey MPRCA, Managing Partner, Q Communications. “In collaboration with PRCA MENA, the Qcademy initiative has been in the works for several months and we have designed a programme tailored for the UAE market and our team. At Q Communications, our team is the most important component of the agency; so developing a training academy is high priority for Elsa and myself.”

Leanne Foy MPRCA, General Manager, PRCA MENA, adds “I am thrilled that Q Communications have put together a comprehensive training plan and are investing in their staff with both internal and external training, developing talented PR and communications professionals.”

gourmet gets a new look

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The latest issue of gourmet magazine, part of ITP Publishing Group, has been given a new look that features more up-to-the-minute content from a new editorial team. The home-grown monthly publication was redesigned over the summer to celebrate its fifth birthday this month and will now be headed up by Editorial Director Mark Dinning, Editor Paul Clifford and Art Editor Elizabeth Stanley.

As well as a new design, a number of new regular features have been created including; a gadget section, barbecuing guide The Grill and Your Kitchen Nightmares, in which celebrity chef Greg Malouf answers readers’ questions about kitchen conundrums. The updated September 2016 edition of the magazine will also be the last issue helmed by former Editor-In-Chief, Jasmine Bandali.

WhiteFox and Yardstick to partner for new media portfolio

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WhiteFox Media Group is set to partner with Yardstick Marketing to launch a full media portfolio for the LuLu Group’s Al Wahda Mall in Abu Dhabi. The portfolio, set to launch in November 2016, will consist of an online platform, digital magazine and a print magazine titled @AWM, which will be available in both English and Arabic. With a total estimated audience of over 100,000 for the portfolio via an initial print circulation of 10,000 copies, direct customer databases and online readers, @AWM will be distributed quarterly around the Al Wahda Mall, as well as in surrounding hotels and residential apartments.

“We are very excited to be working with Al Wahda Mall, Yardstick Marketing and a company as established as the LuLu Group,” says Chris Haill, Partner and Group Commercial Director, WhiteFox Media Group. “The magazine and associated media will offer the retailers an opportunity to promote their brands, products and services to a wider audience through our cross platform offering. Lastly, we believe the new partnership can increase the footfall to the mall through offering added value to the Al Wahda experience.”While we will be proactively speaking with brands, agencies and PR companies, I would encourage all to get in touch with me to be part of the capitals newest and most exciting media launch in recent years.”

Condé Nast Traveller Middle East website launches

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Condé Nast Traveller Middle East, an Arab Publishing Partners (APP) publication, has launched cntravellerme.com. Aiming to be the ultimate online destination for all things travel, the new website features a daily edit of stories, guides and tips on destinations across the globe, as well as new image galleries, expert opinions, news and special video content.

CNN launches Native 2.4

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CNN International Commercial – CNNIC – has formed a new partnership with native advertising platform Sharethrough to launch Native 2.4, a new solution that offers dynamic native and branded content advertising formats in prominent positions across CNN Digital platforms. The exclusive new formats and templates were developed and tailored to offer a seamless user experience and value to CNN’s advertisers. Native 2.4 features several key benefits, including; new dynamic formats, smart placement of native advertising and intelligent data insight.

“We are bringing together the full suite of new formats, prominent and seamless placement and the power of data and creative content for clients to truly engage with CNN audiences in a native environment,” says Rob Bradley, Director of Digital Revenue and Data, CNN International Commercial. “The result is an engaging brand storytelling experience created for peak performance and with the flexibility of dynamic optimisation. In an age of overused buzzwords, this solution, which we’re calling native 2.4, finally adds real substance to the term native advertising.”

Dan Greenberg, CEO and Co-Founder, Sharethrough, adds “Like us at Sharethrough, CNN believes in a future where ads are built on a foundation of respect and quality – ads that fit in. The CNN team has enthusiastically embraced this new advertising model and are using the Sharethrough platform in a unique and sophisticated way. When combined with the high quality content being created by CNN’s brand content studio, native ads have the power to engage and persuade unlike any traditional marketing strategy.”

Channel 4 Radio launches new evening show

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UAE-based radio station Channel 4 has launched new evening show, Evenings In: Demand. The show will be aired weeknights from 7pm until 10pm on 104.8 fm and will be hosted by former Mid-Morning Show Presenter Jay Skye, alongside JJ Thompson, who joins the Channel 4 network from Capital FM in the UK. Evenings in: Demand can also be watched live online at www.channel4fm.com/onair/indemand.

“JJ is one of the rising stars of the radio industry, so I’m thrilled that he is now part of Channel 4 team,” says Thomas Ferguson, Programme Director, Channel 4. “He’s charismatic, passionate about music and has fallen in love with the UAE. Together with Jay, they will make this the new must-listen evening show for the region.”

Jay adds “It’s an exciting year so far to say the least, with the new show and a lot of other projects coming up, as well. Doing the Mid-Morning Show was so much fun and it’ll be weird doing a show after the sun sets now, but this new show is going to be great and JJ is so much fun to work with.”