Dubai-based media company, Pinpoint Media Group has appointed Hershey Pascual to the role of Digital Editor. With over 18 years of experience in journalism, Hershey previously worked with Forbes Middle East as Senior Editor and most recently with Adam&Eve magazine as Online Content Editor. In her new role, she will work on Pinpoint Media Group’s digital platform across LaFemme, Good Taste, Luxury SQFT and Debonair magazines.
Creative, marketing and PR agency, Jensen Matthews has secured the account to handle all PR activities for Interact Group International. Located in Business Bay, Interact Group International is an interior design company that provides innovative and creative designs and fit-outs to a wide range of clients. Jensen Matthews will be responsible for all PR and marketing operations to build the brand’s profile and raise awareness of the Interact Group International’s presence across the UAE.
“As the owner of Interact Group, I am excited to have signed a collaboration with Jensen Matthews to represent Interact Group’s marketing and public relation requirements,” says Shane Curran, CEO, Interact Group International. “I was blown away by the team at Jensen Matthews and firmly believe that with their expert help it will drive Interact Group to the next level to being a leader in our industry.”
Dubai-based five-star resort, Fairmont the Palm has appointed Jenna Saunders to the role of PR Manager. With over six years of experience, Jenna previously worked with Jumeirah Zabeel Saray as Communications Executive and most recently with TOH PR as PR Account Manager. In her new role, she will manage all PR activities and work across Fairmont’s portfolio of F&B, lifestyle and luxury clients.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Fairmont The Palm,” says Jenna. “I look forward to working with the team and contributing towards making this yet another outstanding year for Fairmont The Palm across the region.”
Dubai-based PR and marketing agency, TishTash has been reappointed to handle all PR operations for Filorga. Established in 1978, Filorga is luxury French skincare brand that specialies in producing anti-aging products. TishTash will oversee all PR and media activities as well as manage blogger engagement and advice on strategic partnerships across the region.
“We are excited to continue our ongoing PR partnership with Filogra,” says Natasha Hatherall-Shawe, Managing Director, TishTash. “The brand compliments our portfolio of luxury skincare brands, which builds on TishTash’s overall health, wellness and beauty ethos. For 2017, Filorga has a spectacular calendar of events and product launches throughout the year.”
Dubai-based lifestyle and communications agency, Sept PR has appointed Karima Karmouzi to the role of Account Manager. With over ten years of experience in marketing and PR, Karima previously worked as Marketing and PR Manager in the UK, Morocco and Oman. In her new role, she will focus on developing strong PR and communications strategies across GCC networks and secure top tier Arab media opportunities for client campaigns.
“Sept PR has an outstanding reputation in the market and looks after an exciting portfolio of clients,” says Karima. “We’re seeing a shift in the PR landscape which incorporates a consolidated digital element to campaigns so it’s exciting to be a part of an agency that recognises this and drives this forward.”
ITP Media Group has promoted Claudia de Brito to the role of Editor of F&B management title, Caterer Middle East. Previously Group Deputy Editor of Etihad Airways’ inflight magazine, Claudia will now oversee and generate editorial content for the monthly publication as well as contribute to the publishing house’s dedicated hospitality industry web portal, www.hoteliermiddleeast.com.
Tanaz Dizadji, Founder and CEO of insydo talks to TMN about biased content and how ‘undercover’ reviews make for honest opinions…
“Press releases are like the tip of an iceberg and honest opinions come from exploring beneath the surface of every business.”
People are savvy and know the difference between impartial content and everything else out there and this was the main reason I decided to launch an authentic digital guide for residents and tourists of the city. To accomplish this, we felt we needed to spend a year in ‘stealth mode’ before officially launching, testing numerous businesses undercover, completely off the marketing community’s radar.
Undercover reviews across several categories result in a trust-worthy opinion on Dubai’s top businesses and services. I believe Dubai is craving honest and independent content and to produce completely impartial and unbiased content, freebies are an absolute no-no. This will ensure that the reviewer does not get influenced by any external factors and voices his/her true opinion on the product or service experienced. Working incognito to assess every featured business – whether that is a dining spot or the services of a painter, allows for authentic opinions based on the same treatment that any regular customer would receive and this is an aspect that should never be compromised, no matter what.
People respond strongly to unbiased recommendations because they trust them. Giving readers and users an all-round holistic review that highlights the good and bad aspects of an experience as well as tips on how to get the most out of a each business, allows them to filter their search and identify a place, product or service that best suits their needs.
Another key factor for fair reviews, particularly when your scope includes different categories of businesses, is to ensure that each one is judged in comparison with other contenders in the same field and supported by relevant KPIs (key performance indicators). After all, you can’t compare a food truck to a fine-dining restaurant. By determining the right KPIs for each category, the reviewer is able to assess every business in a fair manner and benchmark it against the competition.
Testing out every business is a vigorous process that requires time and attention to detail, so it is challenging, especially if one does not rely on press releases for reviews. Press releases are like the tip of an iceberg and honest opinions come from exploring beneath the surface of every business.
A question that I get asked the most is, “How do you decide what to include amongst the city’s best?” In a city as dynamic and diverse as Dubai, sifting through a mountain of choice is no easy task. It is physically impossible to list every business or service in the city – we’ve only got emoji-heart-eyes for the top contenders. Impressions matter most when shortlisting businesses and services for an anonymous first-hand review. It is essential to always stay informed – whether through traditional media, word-of-mouth recommendations, social listening, search volume data and most importantly, consumer feedback, comments and rating. Many of the city’s favourites tend to fly under the radar, in spite of high quality standards and a fiercely loyal customer base. Dubai is an ever-changing city with people that are strongly influenced by word-of-mouth recommendations, which should play a key role in how you explore.
So, how does a business make the cut? Hunting down the top contenders in every field, without the influence of marketers, brand managers and PRs, requires a lot of filtering. While I am open to PRs and marketers pitching their businesses and clients for reviews, I don’t guarantee acceptance to every business. There should be a vetting process and only businesses that make the cut are tested out incognito. Even in cases where featured businesses wish to secure more exposure through our platform, the original review is never tampered with. Once a business has been selected, anonymously tested and featured, brands are allowed to add digital content to their existing page. This feature gives brands the opportunity to market themselves without influencing the authenticity of the review.
I believe in giving the residents of Dubai a complete picture of what to expect and a true reflection of what people love most about the city, and I think the best way to do that is to put an end to freebies and half-honest opinions.
Dubai-based media company, D-Connector has appointed Priya Mehta to the role of Media Account Manager. With over 17 years of experience in sales, advertising and media, Priya previously worked with SAGA Digital as Marketing Manager and most recently with Trinity Media as Sales and Marketing Manager. In her new role, she will manage all sales for all outdoor media advertising for D-Connector across the UAE.
“Having worked in the media industry for more than 17 years, I believe my new company, D-Connector is unique and is my stepping stone for a successful career,” says Priya. “I sturdily believe D-Connector is all set to transform the era of advertising which I have never seen or experienced in the past.”
UAE-based newspaper, Khaleej Times has appointed Sarwat Nasir to the role of Senior Correspondent. With over four years of experience in journalism, Sarwat previously worked with 7DAYS as News Reporter where she produced videos and reported to the news desk with a focus on human interest, education and general stories. In her new role, she will report to the news desk with breaking and exclusive stories as well as produce videos with a focus on different topics for Khaleej Times.
“I am very excited to work with Khaleej Times and bring in breaking stories, as well as produce digital content,” says Sarwat.
Dubai-based boutique PR and digital brand activation agency, McCollins Media has been appointed to handle all social media activities for Marrybrown. Founded in 1981 in Malaysia, Marrybrown is a quick service restaurant chain that offers a range of freshly cooked and tasty meals at affordable prices. McCollins Media will handle all social media communication to build the profile of Marrybrown and raise awareness of its presence across the UAE.
“Traditional at its core, yet modern in its outlook, Marrybrown is open to suggestions that would help them deliver only the best to their customers,” says Meghna Kothari, Director, McCollins Media. “We are thrilled to be associated with such a great brand. It will be an exciting challenge for the team to take the already established brand even further and keep it in pace with the changing times.”