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OMD launches study to explore ‘Future of the UAE’

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OMD has launched a study to explore future behaviours of UAE consumers. The survey, called ‘The Future of the UAE’, aims to assess the impact of changes to the country’s population and socio-demographics on lifestyles, shopping, technology and media consumption. It will also explore consumers’ expectations and attitudes towards life in the UAE and the country’s role globally.

The fieldwork for OMD’s study on the future state of the consumer society in the UAE is already underway, including face-to-face interviews with a representative sample of 2,000 residents in the country.

OMD UAE is partnering with Integral-OMG, the research and consultancy arm of Omnicom Media Group MENA, to conduct in-depth qualitative and quantitative research, exploring consumer values and attitudes in the UAE today, as well as the changes in the modern household and their impact on decision-making and media consumption.

As well as dealing with societal issues, ‘The Future of the UAE’ study will delve into consumers’ attitudes towards technology, including smartphones, mobile and e-commerce platforms, media consumption and technological advances, as well as their expectations from brands, key sentiments and values that resonate with them, and their lifestyle aspirations for the future. Based on this intelligence, brands can derive affirmative conclusions on how to better communicate with their consumers in the face of change.

“Technology is constantly transforming our industry worldwide, and in the UAE that velocity is much higher given consumers’ seamless adoption of anything new,” says Nadim Samara, Managing Director, OMD UAE & Lower Gulf. “Catalysed by both the government’s pursuit of technology, along with a higher average purchasing power parity by the UAE residents, these future behavioural habits of consumers are an area of vast interest for brands and one that is particularly hard to predict. This is why we have decided to undertake this study, with the goal of gaining valuable insights on the future for us to make more effective and impacting decisions for our stakeholders; our intimate knowledge of ‘where we are heading’ is paramount to navigating the consumer pivots successfully.”

‘The Future of the UAE’ is part of a global research initiative by OMD, with some 15 studies either already completed or currently underway. Based on a consistent model, they allow for international comparisons, making the project relevant for both local and international marketers.

OMD Predicts 2014 to focus on trends in marketing

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The 2014 edition of the OMD Predicts conference will focus on the aggregation of the three most fundamental trends transforming the practice of marketing. The sixth in the series of events designed to help marketers and media professionals future-proof their strategies, OMD Predicts will explore the way innovation, content and technology are reshaping marketing. Scheduled to take place on November 10, 2014, the conference will be held at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray’s Music Hall and is expected to gather more than 250 delegates.

OMD Predicts will bring international and regional experts to share insights and best practice to help marketers embrace and capitalise on the trends of content, technology and innovation – the three threads that are profoundly altering the way brands communicate with consumers. Guy Hearn, Chief Innovation Officer, Omnicom Media Group APAC, will discuss how showcasing media creativity in brands’ communications will separate the leaders from the followers. He will also highlight how to harness the innovation process and how it impacts advertisers, agencies and the media.

Content is becoming less the context for brand messaging and increasingly the message itself. In keeping with this, Shawn Amos, Founder and CEO of Freshwire, will focus on how brand storytelling and content marketing is evolving to add value to both brands and consumers, particularly in the context of evolving and emerging technologies.

Technology, perhaps the most transformational trend of all, will be the topic of a session presented by Whetson’s Founder, Thimon De Jong. Drawing from his experience on human behaviours, Thimon will explore the three most significant technological shifts that will alter not only brand communications but also business models.

“Planning for the future is never an easy task, but with OMD Predicts, we are aiming to establish a solid foundation from which one can start,” says Nadim Samara, Managing Director, OMD UAE & Lower Gulf. “Thanks to the knowledge and vision shared by this year’s speakers, future-proofing communication strategies will become a lot more achievable and fruitful. Rather than anxiety, this knowledge will allow us to look to the future with agility, anticipation, excitement and confidence.”

OMG wins at MENA Digital Awards 2014

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Omnicom Media Group MENA has announced wins for its agencies OMD, PHD and Resolution at the inaugural MENA Digital Awards 2014. The awards were held on April 23 as part of the Digital Media Forum 2014, and were located at the One & Only Royal Mirage, Dubai. The MENA Digital Awards are fully dedicated to excellence in the digital sector, and judged by an independent panel recognising achievements in planning, creativity, innovation and effectiveness.

Together, the three agencies received 16 of the 36 awards, which were categorised gold, silver and bronze. OMD’s work won gold in the ‘Best Use of Video’, ‘Best Use of Social Media’ and ‘Best Integrated Digital Campaign’ categories for work with Pepsi, along with a further three silver and two bronze trophies for 7UP, Pepsi and Persil.

Resolution won a total of seven awards, including gold in the ‘Best Integrated Digital Campaign’ for The X Factor Arabia and ‘Best Use of Mobile’ for HTC, jointly with OMD. The digital marketing agency was also awarded silver in the ‘Best Application (mobile/tablet)’ category for The X Factor Arabia, and bronze in ‘The Best Use of Social Media’, ‘Best Search Marketing Campaign’ and ‘Best Performance Campaign’ categories for MasterChef Arabia, beIN Sports (joint with OMD) and Hyatt Hotels and Resorts (jointly with PHD).

PHD received gold in the ‘Best Use of Mobile’ for its work on Sony’s Xperia Z.

“Credible specialist digital awards were long overdue in the region, and we applaud the creation of the MENA Digital Awards to recognise the best in digital marketing across all facets,” says Elie Khouri, CEO, Omnicom Media Group MENA. “Digital has never been a side show for us and the performance of our group in this field has been comprehensively demonstrated. I congratulate all our awarded teams and clients on this achievement and look forward to continuing this trend in the coming years.”

OMD appoints director of ideation and innovation

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OMD has recruited Haytham Zoghby as its Director of Innovation. He will be tasked with leading and revitalising Ignition, the media agency’s innovation arm. Haytham started his career at Leo Burnett in Jeddah, working mainly on the P&G portfolio, Al Marai and Savola and moved to Dubai in 2007 to take the creative lead on DPG, Dubai TV, DEPE, Bel and ADIB, among others. Operating at the intersection of technology, media, consumer and creativity, Zoghby will leverage his expertise to elevate OMD’s Ignition offering across the region.

“OMD has long thrived on innovation and creativity so this appointment is a natural progression for us,” says Nadim Samara, Managing Director, OMD UAE & Lower Gulf. “In our first decade, we led with the launch of OMD Digital in 2006, Ignition in 2007 and Annalect in 2010, to name but a few. Bringing in the first senior creative talent in a media investment and consulting firm will allow us to further sharpen our thinking and execution, allowing our clients to enjoy an even higher multiplier effect on their media investments.”

Haytham Zoghby adds, “This move is a very exciting opportunity for me to make a real difference to OMD’s clients. This new environment, with its various disciplines, offers a wealth of data and research, as well as content creation, digital communications and social media capabilities.”

OMD named Media Network/Agency of the Year

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OMD, part of the Omnicom Media Group, has been named the Media Agency/Network of the Year by Communicate and Campaign Middle East as revealed in both magazines’ latest editions. Consolidating business wins from the previous year as well as retaining or securing 14 new ones in 2013 has demonstrated the value of OMD’s first-mover advantage in digital, performance, social and mobile marketing, as well as analytics.

“OMD has thrived on its culture of innovation and challenging the status quo. This approach has served us well and it keeps on giving,” comments Elie Khouri, CEO of Omnicom Media Group MENA. “It is the relentless spirit among the team that propels OMD upward and forward. Being the media agency of the year is something we aim to achieve every day on every one of our accounts.