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New Facebook platform to rival LinkedIn

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Facebook is rumoured to be working on the development of a new product called Facebook at Work, which will allow users to keep their personal and work profiles separate. While the layout is expected to be very similar to the traditional Facebook interface – including a newsfeed and groups – Facebook at Work will be entirely separate from personal accounts, with no information from a user’s social profile appearing on an individual’s professional page and vice versa.

Facebook’s new platform will include collaborative tools for work, allowing users to chat with colleagues, connect with professional contacts and collaborate over documents. With this in mind, the new enterprise-focused product is set to compete directly with professional social networks LinkedIn and Google Drive.

In order for the venture to be successful, Facebook will need to win the trust of corporate IT chiefs, guaranteeing that professional information will not fall into the hands of rival businesses. It is understood that some development of Facebook at Work is taking place in London.

Twitter launches Small Business Planner app

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Twitter has announced the launch of its Small Business Planner mobile app to help small and medium-sized businesses with their Twitter marketing activities. Coinciding the release with the run up to the holiday season, the free app will offer tactical guidance for businesses in North America, the UK and Ireland, and is available across iOS and Android devices.

In a blog post, the Small Business Content Team for Twitter highlighted the offerings of the app, which include:

  • A daily calendar themed around four main topics – Tweet suggestions, Twitter Ads strategies, information on Twitter tools and exclusive events
  • The ability to add relevant topics to your own agenda which syncs with your personal device calendar, allowing you to keep track of Twitter alongside all other marketing activities
  • Access to additional resources such as research, success stories, blog articles and ebooks directly within the app

Instagram launches video advertising

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Instagram has become the latest social network to introduce video advertising. Having launched static image advertising in 2013 and following six month of testing, Instagram now offers ad deals which showcase 15-second auto-play spots. With Disney, Activision, Lancome and Banana Republic being the first brands to test the new platform, Disney has been quick to make full use of the new ad offering, using the platform to promote its Big Hero 6 film, while Lancome advertises its newly released fragrance and mascara.

Following criticism of its early Instagram advertising, the social network has been notably cautious since it began selling space a year ago, aiming to ensure that it doesn’t appear too intrusive, and alienating a significant number of its 200 million active users.

Orient Planet and Irish Academy launch PR venture

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The Irish Academy of Public Relations is partnering with Dubai-based Orient Planet to create the first online PR and communications academy in the Middle East. Orient Planet Academy – www.opacademy.com – will provide the Irish Academy’s courses to students exclusively across the Middle East, Levant and North Africa regions.

Orient Planet Academy will facilitate internationally recognised certificate courses in public relations, journalism, event management and English grammar. Offering a wide degree of flexibility to its prospective students, Orient Planet Academy’s courses can be completed in a time span of 10 to 20 weeks. All courses offered by Orient Planet Academy have been designed by The Irish Academy of Public Relations and will be tutored by communications professionals in the Middle East.

“The Irish Academy has an ever-growing footprint across Europe, the United States, Latin America and Africa,” says Ellen Gunning, Director, The Irish Academy of Public Relations. “Over the years, we have seen the immense potential of the online education market in the Arab world, and we believe now is the ideal time to establish our presence in the rapidly expanding industry. We entered into a joint venture with Orient Planet to mark our expansion in the Middle East and serve a market of more than 314 million people through our comprehensive courses; Orient Planet Academy will be an added value to the growing industry. Initially, the courses will be taught in English, with a view of offering them in Arabic in the coming weeks.

Nidal Abou Zaki, Managing Director of Orient Planet adds, “Although the Arab region’s PR and communications industry has been continuously growing, we realised that there was no online platform in the region that provides professionals and students alike the chance to further develop their skills in PR, communications, marketing and social media. Orient Planet Academy not only aims to provide flexibility but it also offers employed individuals and young students an opportunity to earn an internationally recognised certificate. We have localised all courses to address the cultural requirements of the region, and will offer a modern educational platform for a new generation of communications experts, capable of meeting the needs of Arab and global markets.”

MOJEH magazine to increase publishing frequency

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As of March 2015, MOJEH magazine will extend its publishing frequency to 10 editions throughout the year. Created in 2011, the luxury fashion title has recently progressed from bimonthly to monthly editions, and is soon to launch a standalone editorial platform – MOJEH.com – which will provide the same rich content as its print companion with dynamic exclusives, tailor-made for an online audience.

“We have a constant desire for improvement and a deep commitment to fashion and luxury,” says Mojeh Izadpanah, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, MOJEH. “So, we are delighted to announce that we will be publishing 10 editions of MOJEH per year from March, 2015.”

Debonair magazine to launch online platform

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Following a successful launch last month, Debonair magazine has announced plans for the publication’s online platform – www.debonaironline.com –set to go live this coming November. Debonair is a Dubai-based print and online publication dedicated to men’s luxury lifestyle. The monthly publication strives to deliver independent, informative and visually impressive content, with features that celebrate the notion of timeless style rather than fleeting fashions. The new title circulates 16,400 copies across the UAE, offering a focus on arts & culture and showcasing the best in property, precision instruments and travel destinations.

The Debonair platform will include features that have run in the print publication, as well as online-only content, which is designed to create a more interactive experience. The website will feature, video, sound bites and a variety of images to offer a more comprehensive view of the stories and further the print offering. Significantly, the Debonair website will also host an online store for a soon-to-be-launched menswear brand that has been created by the Debonair team.

“Launching Debonair has been like filling a blank canvas with ideas for a new approach to men’s lifestyle journalism,” says Jihane Miller, Editor, Debonair. “We celebrate the enduring appeal of style as opposed to the fleeting nature of trends, and look to bring a more diverse offering in terms of subject ranges and cultural agenda. We’ve set out to produce a magazine that is confident, stylish and charming – the very definition of debonair.”

Harper’s Bazaar Design Awards unveils shortlist

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The inaugural Middle East Design Awards, hosted by Harper’s Bazaar Interiors, has today unveiled its shortlist of nominees. The Design Awards, which aims to recognise and showcase the huge pool of talent within the retail and design brands across the region, will take place on October 29, 2014, at the Oberoi Hotel, Dubai.

The shortlist includes highly recognised and creative brands, such as Pierre Frey for Best Textile Brand, PR Emirates for Best Furniture Story, Harlequin Group and Jo Malone for Most Innovative Brand and Lacroix Maison @ Galleries Lafayette and Armani Casa for Best Fashion to Furniture Brand.

“It was with great difficulty that the judging panel managed to narrow the shortlist down to the four brands we have chosen for each category, but we are very happy with the shortlist,” says Rue Kothari, Awards Spokesperson, Harper’s Bazaar Interiors Design Awards. “The calibre of the entries was very high and we would like to thank all those that entered. We look forward to announcing the winners next week alongside the Emerging Designer of the Year Award and making the Design Awards a staple in the Middle East’s events calendar.”

The awards event will form part of the schedule of events at Downtown Design 2014. To view the full list of nominees, visit www.harpersbazaarinteriorsawards.com.

Serviceplan ME to hold Competence Circle event

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Serviceplan Middle East, an integrated corporate communications agency, is set to hold its inaugural Competence Circle event in the region. Established by the Serviceplan Group in Germany, the aim of the Competence Circle is to create a platform for marketing, sales and PR professionals – B2B and B2C – to benefit from discussions around the industry’s most relevant and emerging topics.

The Serviceplan Middle East Competence Circle will take place on October 29, 2014, from 1pm – 5.30pm, and will be held at the Arjaan Rotana in Media City, Dubai.

Speakers for the inaugural event include – Eleni Kitra, Agency Partner MEAP, Facebook; Alfonso de Gaetano, Agency and Branding Leader MENA for Google and Florian Gmeinwieser, Managing Director of Plan.Net Mobile.

The Serviceplan Middle East Competence Circle will focus on the revolution of social media in the Middle Eastern region since the Arab spring, and will address the following questions – What does this revolution mean for brands and their marketing decision makers? What can brands expect from social media channels? What is the outlook? Where do the channels see the biggest potential for brand building? How does this region differ from the rest of the world?

“I’m really looking forward to welcoming our notable speakers to the first ever Serviceplan Middle East Competence Circle,” says Rami Hmadeh, Managing Partner, Serviceplan Middle East. “It’s the Serviceplan Group’s most successful platform for gathering industry experts to tackle imminent trends and equips marketers and brand managers with new insights to build best brands. Hundreds of such professionals have benefited from these circles in Europe, and we would like to do the same and give back to the media professionals in Dubai who steer both big and emerging brands in the region.”

Snapchat introduces advertisements in the US

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In a bid to increase its revenue, Snapchat has announced that it is introducing ads for users in the United States as of this weekend. According to a blog post by the social media app, an advertisement will be placed in the ‘Recent Updates’ section of the app, but will not use data to target users individually and will not appear in either Snaps or Chats.

“The best advertisements tell you more about stuff that actually interests you. Some companies spend a lot of time and collect a lot of data about you to figure that out. The product we’re releasing is a lot simpler.”

This is the first time that Snapchat has integrated paid content into the app, with users given the choice of watching the ad, which will disappear after being viewed or within 24 hours – similar to the way that individual Snapchats are currently used.