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New Account Manager at Impact Porter Novelli

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Dubai-based PR agency, Impact Porter Novelli has appointed Laura Vessier to the role of Account Manager. With over six years of experience, Laura previously worked with Porter Novelli Paris as Junior PR Consultant and most recently in Dubai with Top Chef Cooking Studio as Business Development Coordinator. In her new role, she will oversee and manage Robinsons and P&G beauty brands including Gillette, Gillette Venus and Braun.

“I am so excited to join Impact Porter Novelli,” says Laura. “I’m going back to the basics with this amazing agency and having worked on P&G in Paris I am looking forward to comparing the two different markets, Europe with the GCC. I am sure I will learn a lot more from this new role.”

Twenty Four Seven – Zahirah Variawa

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Team TMN walks in the shoes of Zahirah Variawa, Managing Director at Think Liquorice, to catch a glimpse into her day…

“Bathroom changes from day to night are very common during the peak season!”

Name: Zahirah Variawa

Title: Managing Director, Think Liquorice

What time does your alarm go off?

It varies – usually at around 6:30am.

What is the first thing you do when your feet hit the ground?

The kitties usually chase me to feed them the minute I wake up, and then I turn on my laptop to slowly start prepping for the day.

How does your morning usually pan out?

BBC is usually always on in the mornings, while I pop on the washing machine for my first load of laundry. My breakfast is usually a bowl of cereal that I eat while catching up on social media and planning the rest of the day.

How do you keep up with the news and happenings?

I stay updated by keeping in touch with all platforms – social media in the mornings definitely plays a key role in keeping me on top of things, as well as my morning dose of BBC.

What time do you head to the office?

I start working the minute my eyes open! Depending on my day, I get to the office anytime between 8:30am and lunchtime. On some days, I bounce between meetings and client venues and don’t get to the office at all.

How do you start your workday?

I usually kick off my day through a team-phone call in which we confirm our plan for the day. I then check up on client social media accounts and the team’s daily work plan, following which I reconfirm all meetings scheduled for the day before heading out.

What would you say is the most productive time of your day and why?

Early mornings and late nights – minimal distraction from phone calls, meetings and emails that need to be urgently attended to and a major part of my day goes into working with the team on their queries or requests.

Do you have a nearby coffee or snack favourite that you run to just to take a break from the office?

Our office is really well located with incredible lounge spaces, the marina on our doorstep and a mall next door – there’s always a spot to escape to.

How is your afternoon and evening normally structured?

Every day is different to the next. There are some days when meetings run along steadily all day and the afternoon meshes into the evening before I even know it. I try to schedule a bulk of my meetings in the first part of the day but this isn’t always possible.

What time do you leave the office?

It depends on how busy our day is – it could be as early as 3pm or as late at 10pm.

Do you go home straight after work?

I try to go straight home after a workday, but during the busy season I sometimes head to events or social gatherings before getting home. Bathroom changes from day to night are very common during the peak season!

Do you attend many industry events?

I try to attend the ones that make sense. The events calendar in Dubai is so busy – you could be out every night if you wanted to. Over the years, I’ve started to be a bit more selective about the ones I go to – the ones that make sense to me. I also love supporting brands and people that have constantly supported me and Think Liquorice over the years, and always make an effort to attend their events.

What do you usually do once you’ve wrapped up at work and events?

I try to get to the gym with my husband, sneak in a few minutes of ‘nothing’ on the couch and try to get a head start on the next day. I’m making a very determined effort towards a better work-home balance. I love my job for the thrills and excitement I get from it, but my family, home and me-time needs to always be a priority too.

Do you continue to work when you’re out of the office?

I am always working. As long as I have a phone, I’m working – holiday, honeymoon, travel, gym – always. But I love what I do and it’s part of who I am.

How many hours of sleep do you need for a productive next day?

How many hours of sleep do I need? 22!!!

At what time do you head to bed?

On a non-event night, I catch up on emails before bed to clear the way for the next day and finalise the week’s schedule and eventually hit the bed by 11pm. I’m up by about 6:30am – my husband works very different hours as compared to me (early mornings) so I tend to wake up closer to the time he does. In a busy spell, I can go with very little sleep as my brain struggles to switch off anyway – but it does catch up with me eventually.

Mitch Williams joins Serviceplan Middle East

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Dubai-based integrated communications agency, Serviceplan Middle East has appointed Mitch Williams to the role of Social Media Director. With experience in the media industry, Mitch previously worked with Wunderman MENA as Social Media Brand Manager and most recently with Create Media Group as Social Media Director where he managed the social media division and drove the overall direction of the clients. In his new role, he will head the agency’s social media division and lead the strategic direction of the company offering while growing and managing the social media team.

“I am super excited to be joining Serviceplan Middle East team and having the opportunity to work with them on building the social media team,” says Mitch.

In The Hot Seat – James Gaubert

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James Gaubert, CEO at Bruce Clay Middle East tells TMN about his current role and what he thinks about the marketing industry in the Middle East…

Name: James Gaubert

Age: 37 I think, I tend to lose count!

From: London, United Kingdom

Current job title: CEO, Bruce Clay Middle East.

When did you first arrive in Dubai? 2010

Where did you work prior?

Since living in Dubai I have primarily worked for digital agencies. I previously worked with LBi and most recently with MRM//McCANN. Now I’m heading up Bruce Clay Middle East.

What were your first impressions of the marketing industry in the Middle East?

To be honest, not great. When I first listened to radio advertisements, watched advertisements on television and saw some of the websites large companies have in place, I was shocked. It was like stepping back in time – thankfully that has changed.

Has your opinion changed much?

Yes, massively. The Middle East has turbo-charged its marketing efforts, particularly on a digital front. I think this is largely due to influence from overseas, particularly if I look at some of the talent we have here now, the adoption curve for things like mobile and social media in this part of the world is incredible. We as a region should truly embrace technology!

Tell us about your current role…

I currently head up a digital marketing agency, Bruce Clay, and I love it! We work with some amazing clients and employ a great bunch of people who genuinely care. I love the variety – within one week I can be helping out with automotive, retail, electronics, F&B, financial services, pharmaceutical and e-commerce clients – as well as managing and growing an agency – it’s definitely a full-time job!

What challenges do you face?

Finding good digital talent in this part of the world has always been a problem. Having said that, this is becoming easier. The other issues, I’m afraid to say are all driven from clients – payments coming in on time and cashflow is certainly one of the things that keeps me up at night.

How would you rather be contacted at work?

Telephone – we don’t use that enough anymore – I always think you can achieve far more over a quick call than over the back and forth of email and messenger.

Has social media taken over the marketing industry in the UAE?

Yes, we actually started life as a pure play SEO agency. As it stands today, we have more social media clients than anything else. It’s raw, it’s real and it’s the number one way to communicate with your consumers. Brands are embracing it in this region and it’s really exciting.

How has content become a marketing strategy in the UAE?

I think content has always been at the core of any marketing strategy. What excites me is that the way consumers are digesting content has changed. Thanks to channels like Snapchat, Facebook Live and Instagram stories, content has to be live, it has to be now – we as consumers no longer want to find out about something after it has happened, we want to be there and experience it now!

Has the UAE target audience redefined digital marketing strategies and success compared to other countries?

I’m not sure it’s got anything to do with the specific target audience here, it’s just a sign of the times – things are changing, not only in the UAE.

How would you describe yourself at work?

Awesome!

What inspires you?

Creativity, pushing the boundaries, being different and making people say wow!

Five things you can’t live without?

My mobile phone, my dog, dark chocolate, exercise, back catalogue of the TV series, Friends.

If you weren’t in your current role, what would you be doing?

Backpacking around the world, without a care in the world.

If you could have one work wish granted, what would it be?

To have clients who don’t ask for a discount and who pay on time – the rest is a piece of cake!

What’s your most used social media platform?

This is a hard one! First thing in the morning, I look at Facebook for anything business or work related, then I’m all over LinkedIn and when I’m taking photos of my lunch, it’s Instagram!