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Sept PR welcomes Natalie Scott

Natalie Scott has joined Sept PR as Account Manager, prior to joining she was Account Manager at Bacchus PR, a London-based luxury lifestyle agency.

In her new role Natalie will manage F&B as well as lifestyle brands for Sept PR, working with clients on creative and high-impact consumer campaigns, as well as new business and social media strategy for current and new accounts.

“Sept PR is a dynamic agency working on some of the most exciting F&B and lifestyle brands in Dubai, which is what attracted me to the position,” says Natalie. “In just a few short weeks, I feel right at home and am looking forward to using my skills and experience to help drive the company forward.”

Aziza Communications welcomes PR Executive

Charlotte Tuohy has joined luxury PR agency Aziza Communications as a PR Executive. Charlotte has previously worked as a freelance journalist for the Blackpool Gazette, before moving to Dubai. In her new role, Charlotte will be working across a number of luxury lifestyle and fashion brands such as Toni&Guy, Rami Al Ali and Jelena by J. Bin Drai.

“I am thrilled to be joining Aziza Communications,” says Charlotte. “I can’t wait to get started, and begin contributing to the success of our clients.”

 

Edelman appoints Associate Director

Zaib Shadani has been appointed Associate Director in the Consumer division at Edelman. She will oversee the Arts & Culture and Luxury wings of the consumer practice.

With over nine years of PR experience, mostly in the Middle East, Zaib is an experienced strategist. Having spent five years with The Portsmouth Group as Lead Advisor and PR Counsel for a wealth of arts & culture clients, Zaib has also provided tactical oversight and media outreach for luxury, lifestyle and fashion related clients. She is a Cum Laude graduate from the University of Toronto and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Wollongong in Dubai.

“I feel privileged to be joining the Arts division of the world’s largest agency at a time when there is so much interest in the cultural movements happening across the Middle East,” says Zaib. “Edelman has a reputation for global excellence and innovative campaigns, and I look forward to being a part of their growing team.

OMD Predicts 2014 to focus on trends in marketing

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.”

2014 MEPRA Awards finalists announced

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.