KPMG Lower Gulf Limited (KPMG LG) has entered into a strategic teaming relationship with Alibaba Cloud in the UAE to share technological capabilities and facilitate digital transformation across multiple industries in the UAE.

Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group, offers strong cloud computing and artificial intelligence capabilities. 

This relationship between KPMG LG and Alibaba Cloud is in line with the UAE’s growing focus on digital technologies – including harnessing the power of cloud and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to drive transformation across a number of sectors. 

According to the IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2018, the UAE is one of the most advanced digital economies in the world. The UAE also moved up in the overall list to the 17th place, ahead of many developed economies including Germany, New Zealand, Ireland, France and Japan. 

This relationship between KPMG LG and Alibaba Cloud will leverage KPMG’s enterprise solutions and Alibaba’s strong digital capabilities to help organizations, including small and medium-sized enterprises, establish a robust ecosystem with cloud services infrastructure. 

Nader Haffar, CEO of KPMG LG, said: “KPMG is at the forefront of digital evolution and has adopted business-wide changes that align with the UAE’s vision for a digital future. We believe that this strategic relationship with Alibaba Cloud may help achieving the aim that digital transformation across the private and public sector in the UAE is not a one-off program; rather a continuous process of integrating high volumes of data to address the ever-growing needs of high performance and secure cloud infrastructure. Our goal is to leverage our combined digital strengths and provide better experiences for consumers, customers, employees and citizens.”

As part of its global digital agenda, KPMG International also teamed up with Alibaba Cloud in September to form a joint strategy team to develop cloud infrastructure solutions for clients to expand into new markets, with a focus on data security, regulatory compliance and seamless integration. 

WARC, the global authority on advertising and media effectiveness, has today released the latest edition of its Media Allocation Benchmark report, identifying the typical budget split of highly successful campaigns.

Using its database of effective advertising campaigns, WARC has analysed close to 840 case studies between 2009 and 2017 that contain budget and media allocation information for TV, digital, print, out of home/experiential and other media.

Some key findings included in the report are:

Successful brands have spent an average of 69% of their budgets on television and digital channels combined over the 2013 - 2017 period. 

The biggest determinant of media allocation is the size of the budget. Successful, prize-winning low-budget campaigns are highly digital-focused. At high budget levels, TV takes up more than 60% of a prize-winning brand's advertising investment.

Media allocation varies by sector. Categories with low budgets, such as government and not-for-profit, are highly digital-led, as are transport and tourism; a category where consumers increasingly purchase online.

The food category has the most concentrated media investment profile. Prize-winning food campaigns allocated 81% of their budgets to TV and digital combined.

Commenting on the findings in the report, Amy Rodgers, Research Editor, WARC, says: "Gaining the right balance of TV, which delivers reach, and digital, which supplements reach and aids activation, is a critical component of media allocation. The findings suggest that, when extra budget is available, it is often invested in TV." 

In the US, television remains the most common place for people to get their news and local TV is immensely strong. However, times are changing, and with new generations growing up it is necessary to adapt to their consumption patterns and preferences – an audience which is more online than in front of a TV in the living room .

In 2017 local TV news experienced a decrease of viewers in most time slots, losing an average of 15% of viewers in the morning; 4% around midday news time, and 7% in the evening1. While there is a general decline in viewers in non-election years, the decrease of TV-viewers has been essential, and it keeps growing. On the other hand, the audience for online news is increasing.

Here are 5 ways to increase your digital content and engage your audience with local TV news online:

1. Increase your video content on social media

The consumption of news video online has grown in recent years. While television websites are a dominant local news source for many smaller markets, this year’s Digital News Report showed that people prefer accessing news through a side door. Which means, the majority (51%) of news video is consumed on Facebook, YouTube, and other similar platforms.

This demands a constant supply of engaging content which is challenging to deliver with today’s leaner newsroom resources. As such, newsrooms are leaning on cost-effective ways to augment their video capabilities. Reuters has seen growing demand for their online video service that delivers over 200 video news stories per day, covering major international events to local happenings.

While television websites are a dominant local news source for many smaller markets, this year’s Digital News Report showed that people prefer accessing news through a side door.

2. Live videos outperform everything but breaking news

Give your audience the chance to experience events as they happen. When planned well, Reuters has seen that scheduled live videos top any other content but breaking news. Platforms like Youtube and Facebook promote live videos via notifications, making them more visible. The reach and the length of minutes watched increases. Check out the tips on how to make live video work online from Reuters video expert, Tessa Kaday.

Reuters Live Video on Reuters Connect

Now, we’ve made it even easier for our clients to experiment across platforms this way, allowing them to send live content straight to a variety of social media sites straight from our platform.

3. High demand for User Generated Content

Non-polished videos work best on Instagram, as The Guardian just recently discovered. Despite the originality of user-generated videos, as journalists, we sometimes rely on the videos our audience shoots. But we also need to be sure they are accurate. Reuters not only offers a huge variety of user-generated content, but it is also verified. Fundamental to successful and reliable journalism.

4. Access to rich archives is inevitable

People love historical moments. They want to see the change and enjoy nostalgia. What did Queen Elizabeth II look like when she got married? Want to watch the iconic fight between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston? To cover a topic we frequently travel back in time to dig out historical clips and pictures. Access to a comprehensive collection of pictures, articles and videos, capturing the most iconic moments is inevitable. 

Reuters archive possesses over a million clips, including content from partners, bridging three centuries.

5. Think Multimedia

In a mobile-driven era, it is important to experiment with new vertical, multimedia formats. Interactive content is wanted. In fact, the mobile reach for news has doubled in six years. Make your formats available on any device and check out what Reuters ready-to-publish offers.

Don’t miss out on the benefits of a new era! Go beyond your traditional broadcasting and use the potential of digital content to grow your audience. Have instant access to a range of content and formats provided by a very well-known and trusted news agency.

The Global Awards℠  now in its 24th year of honoring the world’s best wellness and healthcare advertising,  announced the 2018 Finalists.

This year’s Finalists were selected by the Grand Jury and 6 Live Juries (Australia, Brazil, Great Britain, India, South Africa, and USA) from entries submitted from 26 countries on 6 continents. The competition expanded its global footprint receiving entries from 70 new companies in 2018 with entries from such far-reaching destinations as Cambodia and Iceland achieving Finalist status and moving on to the next judging round. 

“With entries submitted from 70 new companies this year, the Global Awards is proud to continue its legacy of honoring the world’s most innovative healthcare and wellness advertising,” said Fran Pollaro, Executive Director, Global Awards. “This year’s entries are representative of the brilliant work emanating from some of the world’s most prominent agencies – and according to feedback from Grand Jury members, the bar has been raised again, which is incredible considering the progress that has already been made over the past couple of years.”

The 2018 Grand Jury selected 133 Health & Wellness and 84 Pharma (Rx) entries as Finalists. Entries moving on to the trophy round will be judged by the 2018 Pharma (Rx) and Health & Wellness in Executive Juries in a live session in New York City on Tuesday, October 16th. For 2018, the competition expanded trophy opportunities to include Gold, Silver and Bronze level recognition.

USA agencies led this year with a robust 92 entries achieving Finalist status, the USA saw 59 within Health & Wellness and 33 from Pharma (Rx) categories. Agencies from the United Kingdom saw 55 entries move forward, 20 within Health & Wellness and 35 from Pharma (Rx). Additional countries showing a robust number of Finalists include India with 9 Health & Wellness and 6 Pharma (Rx); Australia with 8 Health & Wellness and 5 Pharma (Rx) and Japan with a total of 8 in Health & Wellness categories.

An expanded world view of entries moving to the next round saw Germany achieve 8 Finalists total. Thailand saw 4 entries advance; Canada and China moved ahead with 3 Finalists: Spain, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates with 2; Brazil, Iceland, Italy, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the US Minor Islands each saw an entry advance. In addition, USA/Canada shared 2 entries moving on to the trophy round. To view the entire 2018 Global Awards Finalist List, please visit: HERE.

Entrants achieving Finalist status utilized multiple tactics to create awareness, educate and engage on behalf of the brand including activations, events, live experiences, ambient advertising, innovations and traditional approaches including print, mail and publishing.

To humanize the opioid crisis, Energy BBDO Chicago’s installation/memorial “Prescribed to Death,” tells stories on an individual level and puts a face to the problem of the opioid crisis. On behalf of the National Safety Council, data was turned into faces—engraving the faces of the 22,000 people that die each year from opioid overdoses onto pills. The powerful installation, which visited cities across the country and the Ellipse at President’s Park (just a few hundred feet from the White House’s South Portico), illustrated the epidemic with a new pill being carved every 24 minutes to dramatize how often a person dies of a prescription opioid overdose.

Serviceplan South Korea received a Finalist slot in product innovation for “Making The World Accessible, Dot by Dot”. The campaign showcases how Dot’s portable smart translation device allows the user to store and carry 10,000 books, providing the visually impaired individual to access text books, magazines, and almost any content. The device uses AI to understand context and translate immediately to braille allowing for instant downloading of books.

“Blink to Speak” TBWA India’s campaign for Asha Ek Hope Foundation for ALS earned Finalist status for their print and product innovation campaign that provided an accessible and affordable method of communication for patients with an alert mind but a paralyzed body.  A book and downloadable e-book provided an eye language guide with a created alphabet using eight simple eye movements designed for patients and families to ease their difficulty in speech.

McCann Health Japan’s “Washable Book” earned Finalist Status for client Angfa/Save Soap.  The Washable Book, a low-tech innovation that transforms reading into a physical learning to inspire behavioral change in Cambodian children. The book’s characters reach their colorful futures only by having their dirty hands physically washed on the pages helping the children make the connection between handwashing and reaching their future goals to be free from infectious diseases transmitted through dirty hands.

The Global Awards Grand Jury evaluated entries to determine the 2018 Finalists. International Grand Jury live judging sessions were hosted by the following agencies: FCB Health Brazil, Fine Group South Africa, Medulla Advertising India, TBWA\WorldHealth Chicago, and TBWA\WorldHealth London.

The Executive Jury, headed by Globals Chairwoman Elizabeth Elfenbein, Partner/Chief Executive Officer, Fasttwitch Group, is assembled into two split juries and led by two of Healthcare & Wellness’ most respected leaders. For 2018’s Executive Jury sessions, Kathy Delaney, Global Chief Creative Officer, Publicis Health, Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness USA will serve as Health & Wellness Jury Chairwoman and June Laffey, Chief Creative Officer, McCann Health USA will act as Pharma Rx Jury Chairwoman.  All Executive Jury members will meet in New York City on October 16th to determine the 2018 Global Award winners at a live judging session.

To view the 2018 Global Awards Finalists, please visit: HERE.

Midas Executive and Grand Juries Represent 16 countries from 6 continents

The Midas Awards® for the World’s Best Financial Advertising℠ has announced the 2018 Executive Jury. This is the second year that Midas will bring together this elite global panel to review the Shortlisted entries selected by the international  Midas Awards Grand Jury.

The Executive Jury, a brain trust comprised of 26 founding officers, CEO’s, and executive creative directors, from global advertising agencies, and globally recognized experts in financial policy and communications will provide an even more comprehensive evaluation of the global creative work submitted.

2018 Midas Awards Executive Jury

Ganesh Prasad Acharya, Creative Director, pi communications, India

Simon Bagnasco, Executive Creative Director, Saatchi & Saatchi Melbourne, Australia

·  Andreas Baumert, Group Creative Director, KBS New York, USA

David Bell, Executive Creative Director, MercerBell, Australia

· Mitch Bennett, Executive Creative Director, Fitzgerald & CO, USA

Kaydee Bridges, VP, Digital & Social Media, Goldman Sachs, USA

Andrea Collins, Head of Brand Marketing CMO of Hippo Insurance, USA

Augusto Correia, Senior Integrated Art Director, NBS / Dentsu Aegis Networks, Brazil

Dana Cullinan, Founder and Creative Partner, Cullinan, South Africa

Tom Cullinan, Founder and Creative Partner, Cullinan, South Africa

Humberto Cunha, Creative Art Director, Santa Clara Mc&Saatchi

Keith Gormley, Vice President of Social Media, Prudential Financial, USA

Bill Girouard, SVP Creative Director, Arnold Worldwide, USA

Kobi Gulersen, B2B & Product Marketing, Mastercard, Canada

Crayon MinYen Hsieh, Head of UX, OnePlus, USA

Devin Kennedy, Executive Creative Director, King James Cape Town, South Africa

Ken Muir, Founding Partner, Mohawk, United Kingdom

Erik Norin, Creative Director, Mother NYC, USA

Subhas Pinnapola, CEO/Founder, Storybook, Sri Lanka

Torsten Pollmann, Executive Creative Director, Havas Worldwide. Germany

Tahaab Rais, Director of Insights & Strategic Planning FP7/DXB (Part of McCann Worldgroup), United Arab Emirates

Bob Renock, Creative Director and Brand Manager, Old National Bank, USA

Mike Spirkovski, Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi, Australia

Dylan Taylor, Founder, The Dylan Agency Australia

Joyce King Thomas, Chairman Chief Creative Officer, McCann XBC, USA

Esaù Vázquez, Director Creativo, Publicis México

Midas’ Grand Jury brings together award-winning executives from prominent global agencies with diverse areas of expertise within the industry, as well as respected internationally recognized experts in financial policy and communications from prominent companies around the world.

The Midas Jury offers their perspectives not only on how well a message is delivered, but how it is received. Midas awards Gold and Silver Ingots to the highest scoring entries and presents the Grand Midas to the entry considered “Best in Show.”

The results of the juries are parsed in an annual rankings brief, The Midas Report, —a veritable who’s-who in the world of financial services advertising that includes the 3 individual reports: Agency, Brand and Network. 

The final deadline to enter the 2018 Midas Awards is November 16, 2017. Entry details, including competition categories and rules and regulations can be found on the Midas Awards website. To enter please visit: HERE.

With young and female entrepreneurship on the rise, it’s no surprise that digitally savvy millennials are excelling in the eCommerce space. Millennials are turning their side hustles into full-time endeavors using social media platforms and web integrations to acquire customers and build communities.

Meet Suhina Kohli Bahl, the 25-year old creative brain behind Dubai’s new online fashion brand Curador, an exciting new fashion label set to tap into the Middle East’s tech retail potential with the launch of an e-commerce website this month. Here, she listed her experience and observation into a usable recommendation to help millennial entrepreneurs like her. 

BE CLEAR, SHOW YOUR PERSONALITY AND SPEAK OUT YOUR PURPOSE

It is not easy, that’s not a secret. Launching a new product is frightening; how can one stand out and be heard? Most young entrepreneurs struggle to be noticed.

The key is to be clear and be bold in declaring who you are, what your product is and how your product solves a problem in a fresh, dynamic way. Sometimes an entrepreneur is too close to see themselves. You must step back and know who you are and what you are offering, even if what you are offering is a gentle, kind, calm option. As a person, I am an explorer who loves to experiment with my style. I always look for something new, something that excites me, and these must reflect on the brand. At Curador, expect a range of fresh, edgy and unique designs in all my collection.

BE VISIBLE: GET SEEN EVERYWHERE

Here is where we, millennials, have the ultimate advantage. Being seen everywhere now is less about being seen in person than being found online in as many modalities as possible. The more extensive your digital footprint, the higher the chances of you being discovered. Naturally, your home base is your website, but then you want to use social networks to intersect your different buyer segments at multiple decision points in their buyers' journeys.

In fashion e-commerce, content development such as regular photo shoot and video shoots are the new product demo, which no longer needs to believe and in person at a stand-up booth in the mall. Google says that almost 50% of internet users will look for videos related to a product or service before visiting a store.

In addition to videos, blog posts and articles that offer helpful tips work well, as does your backstory.

PROMOTE! PROMOTE! PROMOTE!

Marketing and PR are very important. Marketing experts create an environment for the brand to get noticed by journalists, podcasters and television bookers. In each case, they will want to see who you are and what you have to offer. Use these requests to inspire your content. Otherwise, it can feel overwhelming. Remember, an article that appeals to one show’s audience is likely something another audience would enjoy as well.

Content can also be repurposed to extend your reach without your having to come up with new material continually. An article can be chunked into tweets and summarized into short-form videos or a slide deck. Every podcast, TV show, blog, newspaper and magazine needs content. Furthermore, a series of articles can become a white paper and, with perhaps a few more images, graphics and not too many words, evolve into a short e-book.

Once you have a podcast or interview, you can have it transcribed, which can then become articles, blog posts or newsletter features and be syndicated out to various properties across your network. It will feel like an intense process at first, but it is remarkable how quickly it becomes second nature.

COLLABORATION IS KEY

People can help you. You must ask for help. The road to entrepreneurship is rarely uninhabited, no matter which industry you are in. Those who have experienced some success already experience similar original content pressures. They can help you, and you can help them via a technique that has gained traction for many years now: collaboration, or “collabs,” as they are known in vernacular.

At Curador, my aim is to turn collabs into an art form, it could be designer collaboration where we mix our designs to reach a different segment and can be both beneficial for our brands but know that it is not all a bed of roses, however, as sometimes you will realize that collaboration doesn't always lead immediately and automatically to huge exposure or great results. So, make sure to work with the right companies and developing strong working relationships.

TELL YOUR STORY WELL AND RIGHT

Your buyers buy more than your product; they buy the complete package -- your why, your history and your principles. With Curador, we have created a brand pillar: Create, Curate, Carry. I would like to take people on a fashion journey around the world with style and fashion. Curador by SKB is always searching for something new and fresh to offer our customers. Expect never before seen designs inspired by our world travels. All of these kinds of details contribute to the folklore of a brand. The story defends your price, illustrates the value and makes you stand out as an aspirational brand.

Millennials who are determined to succeed can do so. It takes conviction, courage and consistent messaging with bold imagery and stories that explain, entertain and compel buyers to take action.

Launching of Curador by SKB Online Store this Month

By introducing an online store, the brand aims to reach a wider audience – particularly capturing the attention of a tech-savvy millennial market.Curador by SKB will allow its international customer base to order at the click of a button, with those residing in Dubai able to collect items at the store of their choice or opt for the convenience of home delivery. An in-store e-reservation service will be introduced this month, following the opening of a catalog showroom at Tiffany Tower in Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT) last August 2018.

This web-based portal will enable customers to acquire the brand’s contemporary, ready-to-wear style offerings, which are known for adopting some of the finest sartorial customs from around the globe.

The online store, named Curador by SKB, will offer the full range of brand fashion items.

Instinctif Partners supported the development of Mobily's Annual Report, which won the top prize in the 'Digital'category at the Middle East Investor Relations Association's annual awards 

Saudi telecoms provider Mobily (Etisalat Etihad Company, TADAWUL ticker: 7020) has been recognised for best practice corporate reporting at the Middle East Investor Relations Association's annual awards, taking the top prize for Best Digital Annual Report. Mobily worked with international business communications consultancy, Instinctif Partners, to develop its digital and printed annual report for the 2017 financial year.

Established in 2004, Mobily is the second-largest telecommunications operator in Saudi Arabia. Instinctif Partners has worked with Mobily for three consecutive years, supporting the development of its annual reports in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Instinctif Partners drew on its global depth of experience in corporate reporting and best practice Investor Relations to develop the concept, design and content of the 2017 Annual Report.

Tareq Al Angari, Executive General Manager of Investor Relations at Mobily, commented:

"We are proud to have won Best Digital Annual Report at the MEIRA Awards, demonstrating that the content, design and user experience of our Annual Report microsite was of the very highest quality. The delivery of such materials forms part of our strategy for meeting best practice standards when communicating with the investment community, and we are pleased to be recognised for our leadership in Saudi and GCC markets. 

It was a pleasure to work with Instinctif Partners on our Annual Report for the third consecutive year and their counsel throughout the process was of considerable value. Furthermore, the contributions and dedication of Mobily's teamwere essential in producing the Annual Report. Without their collective efforts, we would have never won the award." 

The theme of Mobily's award winning Annual Report, 'Rising to the Challenge', emphasizes the company's ongoing commitment to delivering value to its customers across Saudi Arabia, while developing a new strategy for growth.

Samantha Bartel, Managing Partner, Instinctif Partners Middle East, stated:

"It has been our pleasure to work alongside Mobily to develop and build a comprehensive and impactful Annual Report. I am proud of both the vision and diligence of the Instinctif Partners team in producing this Annual Report, which is a true reflection of the strategy and achievements of Mobily in 2017. Our consultancy offer enables effective and targeted communication by our clients, reaching stakeholders including investors, analysts and financial media. Both of our businesses have robust and positive reputations in their respective industries, and this award is a testament to that recognition." 

Instinctif Partners' work on Mobily's 2017 Annual Report suite included print, film and digital. The Digital Annual Report, first developed in 2016, was designed to allow investors, analysts, shareholders and other members of the financial community to quickly and efficiently locate the information they require.

Over the last year, Instinctif Partners' international teams have developed and produced 8 Annual Reports, for clients across a range of sectors including Financial Services, Real Estate, Retail, Food & Beverage, Energy, Mining, Construction and Telecommunications.

Tini Sevak has joined CNN to lead its international data strategy, create new solutions that further inform business intelligence and provide commercial partners with sophisticated ways to utilise campaign insight.

As Vice President, Audiences and Data, at CNN International Commercial (CNNIC), Sevak oversees a global team of data and research specialists using Turner resources as well as out-of-house capabilities. Through a mix of audience insights, digital analytics and commercial data innovation, the Audiences & Data Group sits at the heart of CNNIC to ensure measurable and actionable data insights drive client campaigns as well as the commercial strategy of CNN International.

Sevak is part of CNNIC’s Senior Management Team and reports directly to CNNIC President Rani Raad.

“A key part of transforming our business has been to ensure that data is at the heart of everything that we do,” said Rani Raad. “Having already seen our Audiences and Data Group introduce improved business intelligence and client solutions, I am delighted that Tini will now be at the forefront of driving us forward with new ideas and solutions that give greater accountability to clients and sophisticated data-driven insight into decision-making, campaigns and partnerships.”

Joining CNN from data and analytics provider YouGov, where she was Global Director of Data Applications, Sevak previously spent over 14 years at media agencies Mindshare and Starcom working with digital, data, analytics and technology to lead client transformation by turning insights into actions that drive business decisions. Clients spanned categories such as pharmaceuticals, automotive, finance, telecommunication, and FMCG.

"The increased pace of change in data and technology is providing new and better ways to understand, define and measure audiences not just for CNN but for our clients", said Tini Sevak. "I am thrilled to be joining the #1 international news brand in TV and digital with a remit to build on what CNN is already doing to strike the balance between creativity and data in the development of truly innovative content solutions. Content is, and will continue to be, key even as the definition of TV evolves, and I’m looking forward to how data can play an even bigger role in the future of our business and inform how and when to talk to our audiences.”

As a data industry leader, Sevak has spoken at major events such as DMexco, Festival of Marketing, and Marketing Week Live. Over the past two years she has been a jury member of i-com’s Data Science Hackathon challenge and is currently shortlisted for ‘Role Model of the Year’ by Computing’s Women in IT Excellence Awards.

This year's The Maritime Standard Awards will have top BBC TV journalist Tim Willcox as Master of Ceremonies. The Awards, which take place at Atlantis The Palm, Dubai on Monday October 15th, are one of the most prestigious and glittering occasions in the global maritime industry calendar.

Trevor Pereira, managing director of TMS, says, "We are very fortunate to have secured Tim's services. He is a true professional, who has interviewed prime ministers and presidents in a long and distinguished career, and will add a real touch of quality to proceedings."

One of the most widely watched presenters on BBC News, anchoring in the TV studio and on location, Tim presents on BBC1, BBC World, News Channel and BBC 4 along with BBC radio outlets. He also presents the Business Briefing and Dateline London and has covered most of the big breaking news stories of the past 25 years.

Tim's recent work has included presenting World News America from Washington DC, covering the Catalan crisis from Barcelona, leading the BBC on the ground coverage of major disasters including the Genoa bridge collapse, the crisis in Ukraine and the super typhoon Haiyan from the Philippines.

In addition to his work as a journalist, Tim has made cameo acting appearances in a number of television dramas and films, including roles in State of Play, Jonathan Creek, 102 Dalmatians, The 33 and Clueless.

The Maritime Standard (TMS) Awards has earned the right to be referred to as the region's premiere shipping and maritime awards event. All of the TMS Awards held to date have received the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum and have each been attended by over 700 of the region's shipping industry elite, including chairmen, chief executives and directors from leading shipping companies, ports, terminal operators and maritime companies and organisations. 

For the inaugural event in 2014, PR guru, journalist and writer Alastair Campbell was master of ceremonies, while in 2015 Dutch soccer legend, Ruud Gullit compered the event. In 2016 former CNN news anchor, Jim Clancy, was on stage to lead proceedings, while last year Bollywood superstar and former Miss Universe, Lara Dutta, hosted the show.

Dubai-based digital marketing agency Nexa won two awards at the 2018 MENA Search Awards, retaining the 'Best Integrated Campaign' award for the second year in succession, while adding the prize of 'Best Use of Search - Health'. The awards recognise the expertise, talent and achievements of professionals within the search industry (SEO, PPC, content and performance marketing) in the Middle East & North Africa.

The 'Best Integrated Campaign' category recognises a campaign that has achieved outstanding results using a variety of both online and offline activity. Nexa won this award for its work with an established tour operator in the UAE. Whilst their business had grown, there was an increasing reliance on business generated from traditional tour operators who had driven down sales/profit margins as their influence on bookings had increased. The challenge was to build a relationship, create trust and drive credibility of this operator over their competitors as well as to drive relevant and qualified traffic onto the website, that convert into qualified sales opportunities.

The campaign focus was centred around content and inbound marketing using the HubSpot marketing and sales platform with social media, search (organic and paid) and marketing automation (email, workflows and lead scoring - all powered by HubSpot) being integral in targeted content distribution. The tourism and hospitality sector is highly competitive in the UAE so Nexa needed to find a way to engage with potential customers before other operators and drive prospects to the call centre. Over the last 12 months, Nexa reported that overall website traffic increased by 42% year on year with website and call centre conversions increasing by 23% and 17% respectively.

On winning the award, Amit Vyas, CEO of Nexa, said, "We are delighted to have won 'Best Integrated Campaign' for the second year running. Our unique approach allows us to solve our clients' real-life problems by creating actionable strategies that integrate offline and online activities, while enabling them to create stronger customer relationships that directly translate to sales. Nexa prides itself in standing out from the crowd and being at the forefront of the latest marketing techniques and trends. This award not only recognises that approach, but the skill and dedication of the team to deliver the best results for our clients."  

At last year's inaugural MENA Search Awards, Nexa won the 'Best Integrated Campaign' award for its work with The College of Fashion and Design (CFD) based in Dubai.  

In addition to the 'Best Integrated Campaign' Nexa won the award for 'Best Use of Search - Health' for a 12-month campaign aimed at driving individuals to their client's website looking for information about medical conditions, treatments and services - ultimately aimed at increasing footfall and revenue at their clinics. Through the use of display ads, strategically constructed blogs and search campaigns, Nexa delivered a 21% increase in organic traffic and an ROI of over 500%.

Nizar Edaili, Group Head of Projects, Marketing & Business Development at GMCClinics, explains how this campaign has helped develop their business, "In an ever-competitive environment, GMCClinics needed to find a way to reach our niche target market with the accurate and reliable information that relates to both our business strategic goals and the customer's medical and health needs. Shifting from the traditional old school marketing we opted to trial digital marketing campaigns. Since starting work with Nexa, and seeing the improved results, we are approaching the market and our strategic goals with digital first mentality.  Thank you Team Nexa for showing us what's possible with digital marketing."

Nexa were also shortlisted in the 'Best Arabic PPC Campaign' and 'Best Large Integrated Agency' categories.

This year the awards were announced on Thursday 20th September at the Madinat Jumeirah Resort.