The One Club for Creativity has announced six top creatives from Lebanon and UAE who will serve on the diverse jury for the ADC 101st Annual Awards, one of the world’s longest running and most prestigious global competitions celebrating excellence in craft and innovation in all forms of design and advertising.

Along with this year’s jury chairs announced last month, nearly 250 highly-qualified creatives from 48 countries will judge work from around the world.  Jurors from the region, and their judging discipline, are as follows:

Akhilesh Bagri, CCO, Serviceplan Middle East Dubai (Advertising)

Carla Conte, founder, CD, Brand Creative LLC Dubai (Spatial Design, jury chair)

Nada Debs, founder, CD, Studio Nada Debs Beirut/Dubai (Packaging/Product Design)

Sarah Guessoum, ACD, creative lab, TikTok Dubai (In-House)

Bahia Shehab, professor of design, The American University in Cairo (Typography)

Karim Sherif, regional CD, Havas Middle East Dubai (Interactive)

The complete ADC 101st Annual Awards jury can be viewed here.

“For more than a century, the ADC Cube has been awarded for the world’s best work based on excellence in craft, design and innovation,“ said Kevin Swanepoel, CEO, The One Club for Creativity.  “This strong tradition continues today in the hands of this year’s global jury members, a diverse, gender balanced group who are recognized creative leaders in their fields.”

Entries can be submitted now, with fees increasing after each deadline period.  Regular deadline is January 31, 2022, with extended deadline of February 18, 2022 and final deadline March 4, 2022.  No physical entries will be accepted this year due to the ongoing pandemic, all entry media must be uploaded into the online entry system.

Judging will be conducted online, starting in March 2022, with finalists announced in May.  ADC 101st Annual Awards Gold, Silver and Bronze Cube winners will be announced during Creative Week in May 2022. 

A special tiered pricing structure makes it easier for smaller agencies, studios and freelancers to participate in the ADC 101st Annual Awards.  Larger agencies and brands pay the standard entry fee; smaller shops get a discount on entries (amount varies by discipline), and freelance creatives and one-person shops are eligible for an even greater reduction in their entry fee.

Branding for the ADC 101st Annual Awards was developed by DDB Paris.

Jack Dorsey Steps Down as Twitter CEO, Board Unanimously Appoints CTO Parag Agrawal as Successor

Dorsey to Remain on Board of Directors

Bret Taylor to Become Independent Chair

Twitter, Inc. announced that Jack Dorsey has decided to step down as Chief Executive Officer and that the Board of Directors has unanimously appointed Parag Agrawal as CEO and a member of the Board, effective immediately.

Dorsey will remain a member of the Board until his term expires at the 2022 meeting of stockholders. Bret Taylor was named the new Chairman of the Board, succeeding Patrick Pichette who will remain on the Board and continue to serve as chair of the Audit Committee. Agrawal has been with Twitter for more than a decade and has served as Chief Technology Officer since 2017.

"I've decided to leave Twitter because I believe the company is ready to move on from its founders. My trust in Parag as Twitter's CEO is deep. His work over the past 10 years has been transformational. I'm deeply grateful for his skill, heart, and soul. It's his time to lead," said Dorsey.

Bret Taylor, Twitter's incoming Independent Board Chair said, "On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Jack for his visionary leadership and unrelenting dedication to Twitter since its founding. Jack returned to Twitter and turned the Company around at the most critical time. The progress since then has been nothing short of incredible. Jack has given the world something invaluable and we will continue to carry it forward."

Taylor noted, "Parag understands Twitter and appreciates the Company's unique potential. He has been instrumental in tackling our most important priorities, including accelerating our development velocity, and I know he'll hit the ground running to strengthen execution and deliver results. The Board has the utmost confidence in Parag."

"I want to thank the Board for their confidence in my leadership and Jack for his continued mentorship, support, and partnership," said Agrawal. "I look forward to building on everything we have accomplished under Jack's leadership and I am incredibly energized by the opportunities ahead. By continuing to improve our execution, we will deliver tremendous value for our customers and shareholders as we reshape the future of public conversation."

Continuing its run of client-winning success, Dubai’s leading boutique agency, Shakespeare Communications, is now the UAE representative of Blue Amber, the most significant property development in East Africa to date.

UAE residents are now invited to invest in a limited number of two-bedroom, two-bathroom luxury seaside villas in an exciting new, first-of-its-kind resort development in Zanzibar, called Blue Amber.

Blue Amber is a stylish new exclusive mixed-use, waterfront resort development which stretches along four kilometres of magnificent, unspoilt Indian Ocean coastline – occupying 410 hectares of tropical landscape on the north-eastern side of Zanzibar. It incorporates residential, hotel, tourism, and community and public amenities - and is the largest resort development of its kind in East Africa set to be Zanzibar’s premier island resort hotel.

Founder of Shakespeare Communications, Ananda Shakespeare, says: “Our very first client some seven years ago is a real estate broker, who remains with us to this day. Blue Amber is a fantastic client win for Shakespeare Communications, at a time when we are seeing resurging interest in the property market. A property purchase at Blue Amber includes residency and tax breaks, so I believe it holds great interest for locals and ex-pats, looking for a solid investment in what looks set to be a dramatic addition to East Africa’s burgeoning luxury property sector.” 

Included in the Blue Amber development is Shirazi Resort and Villas which comprises just 54 luxury pool villas, a leisure centre and premium four-star resort hotel, set within a secure, private estate and designed to maximise the spectacular views of either ocean, lakes, or the golf course.  These villas are available to purchase, with prices starting from $197,125 USD for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit with a roof-top terrace, or from $319,000 USD for a double-storey three-bedroom, three-bathroom villa.

Given the location of this aspirational development, while Shakespeare Communications will handle media relations for the UAE market, the project is being looked after in South Africa by local experts Manley Social Communications Hub. Both companies are proud members of the PR World Network. 

Seeks to Innovate Together Towards the Next 50

As the UAE marks its golden jubilee milestone, Cisco celebrates the nation’s remarkable successes as a young country that leads across innovation and technology and inspires communities and countries to build a better future.

Since 1971, when the union was formed, the United Arab Emirates has created a fertile landscape for explorers, innovators, and investors from around the world to gather and build cities of the future.

Commenting on the celebration, Cisco’s Managing Director in the Gulf Region, Shukri Eid, said: “Innovation has been at the heart of this nation’s vision, and it continues to be the north star for designing the next 50 years. Through determination, perseverance and wise leadership, the UAE is consistently at the top of regional rankings in global competitive indices and technology has played a pivotal role towards this status.”

“As the nation celebrates its golden jubilee, we at Cisco stand ready to enable the UAE towards crafting the next phase of development over the next 50 years by creating a knowledge-driven economy focused on growth, progress and prosperity,” Shukri added.

Cisco opened its first office in Dubai in 1994 and since then its business in UAE has grown from strength to strength. In 2009, Cisco expanded its presence and opened two new offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Over nearly three decades, Cisco has been proud to play a role in the UAE’s journey to fast-track digitization across sectors including Business Innovation, Smart Cities and Talent Development. Key collaborations include:

Striving to Secure UAE’s Digital Future

Since 1999, Cisco’s Networking Academy (NetAcad) program has been empowering UAE residents to develop their skills in IT, so that they may enter or progress in careers involving networking, cybersecurity and IoT. In the UAE alone, Cisco has 44 active networking academies, and has trained over 88,700 students, with 49% female participation.

Providing critical infrastructure

Since its establishment, Tecom has chosen Cisco as a key partner in the development of Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City, providing not only critical solutions like Cisco IP Telephones and Ethernet, but also knowledge transfer by training its team of engineers to reach global qualification standards. Moreover, in 2002, Dubai Internet City (DIC) signed an agreement with Cisco to deploy advanced Internet and telecommunications infrastructure across the complex. As part of the agreement, Cisco helped DIC to enhance its internet architecture and grow its business to provide next-generation telecommunication services.

Creating Impact in the UAE

From helping Masdar to create smart-grid projects in 2009, to transforming Abu Dhabi into a sustainable knowledge-based society with (ADSIC) in 2010, Cisco has been part of many future-agenda projects in the UAE, which helped the country to be the most digital-ready in the region.

Raising the bar for innovation

In 2017, Cisco also opened its Innovation and Experience Center in Dubai – combining the company’s technological capabilities with a customer experience center, illustrating how digitization can advance sectors including education, healthcare, retail and finance.

Supporting national digitisation agendas

For close to four years, Cisco has been collaborating with the UAE government, local industry and academia to fast-track technology adoption and deliver impactful digital outcomes, as part of its Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program – which focuses on contributing towards many of the aspects explored in the Digital Readiness Index.

Delivering the most digitally connected event in World Expo history

As a Digital Network Partner of Expo 2020, Cisco worked closely since 2018 with the organizer to help deliver highly immersive digital experiences for Expo 2020 Dubai, the region’s most anticipated event. Today, with help of Cisco, the world is witnessing the most digitally connected and immersive event in Expo history.

Preparing for the next 50 years

Since the preparation for the next 50 years has been announced, Cisco has been chosen as a trusted partner to contribute to the UAE’s ambition of attracting 3,000 coders every month to the country’s workforce. Moreover, Cisco is collaborating with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology in a series of initiatives that will support UAE’s industry and advance technology SMEs in their digitization efforts and provide them with capabilities vital for their success, prosperity and competitiveness.

WARC Rankings 2021 are released - the most awarded campaigns and companies for creativity, effectiveness and media excellence in the world

The ultimate global independent benchmark for marketing, the WARC Rankings 2021 are a compilation of 2020’s most important industry awards

The WARC Creative 100, Effective 100 and Media 100, a suite of global rankings and the ultimate independent gold standard for marketing communications, are now released featuring the most awarded campaigns, agencies and brands in the world for 2020.

Compiled by WARC, the international marketing intelligence company, these annual league tables are produced by combining the winners’ lists from the industry's most important global and regional awards shows - as determined by the WARC Rankings Advisory Board and a worldwide industry survey - and by applying a rigorous proprietary three-step methodology. 

Following the disruption to the awards industry caused by COVID-19 with many shows paused in 2020 and resuming in 2021 to judge two-years of work, the release of the full WARC Rankings 2021 were postponed from Q1 until now. The WARC Rankings 2022 (work tracked during 2021) will be released in Q1 next year.

Amy Rodgers, Managing Editor, Research & Rankings, WARC, said: “The results of the WARC Rankings 2021 bring together the most awarded campaigns and companies of 2020 and are a fantastic showcase of a combination of the best work the industry produced pre-pandemic as well as exceptional work notable for its response to the volatility caused by Covid-19. Not only do these Rankings provide inspiration, but they bring recognition to outstanding campaigns and the talent of our industry.”

Mark Read, CEO, WPP, said: “If our role is to make the best work, connect brands seamlessly with audiences and produce outstanding results for our clients, then there’s no better endorsement than to top the WARC 100 rankings for creative, media and effectiveness. It’s a wonderful tribute to our fantastic people, agencies and clients, and my thanks goes to them all.”

Liz Taylor, Global Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy, said: “Topping the WARC Creative 100 speaks to the borderless creativity that unites Ogilvy’s global creative network, and what’s possible when creative thinking stretches across departments, geographies, and cultures to become a shared mission. What makes us most proud of this achievement is that it recognizes work delivered during a year where creativity helped us deliver through unimaginable circumstances. Our sincerest thanks to every person who works at Ogilvy for their passion and ingenuity, and to our brave clients for their partnership, trust, and collaboration.”

Adam Gerhart, Global CEO, Mindshare, said: “We are thrilled Mindshare has been named the number one media network in the world and Mindshare Shanghai the number one media agency office in the WARC Media 100. Our belief in driving Good Growth for our clients is brought to life through the creativity of our teams across the world, finding new and innovative ways to connect with consumers to create enduring and sustainable growth for our clients whilst also ensuring that growth benefits society and the planet. My congratulations and thanks go out to every person at Mindshare who does this every day across our network, to our clients who are true partners and believers in our people and our mission, and especially to those Mindshare teams in Shanghai (#1 Agency Office), Ho Chi Minh City (#3), Mumbai (#5), New York. (#14), Jakarta (#18), Taguig (#42) and Chicago (#50).”

Suzanne Powers, Global President & CSO, McCann Worldgroup, said: "The WARC honor as the #1 most Effective network for 2021, is a testament to our teams’ unwavering dedication to using the power of creativity to drive impact for our clients’ brands across all of our regions. We’re so proud of everyone and humbled to partner with such incredible clients to drive their business forward."

The most highly ranked campaigns and companies of the WARC Rankings 2021 are as follows. 

Creative 100 

Campaigns: 

Moldy Whopper · Burger King · INGO Stockholm / DAVID Miami / Publicis Bucharest · 800.9 points

Stevenage Challenge · Burger King · DAVID Madrid / DAVID Miami · 483.5 points

The E.V.A. Initiative · Volvo · Forsman & Bodenfors Gothenburg · 272.1 points

Brands:

Burger King · 680.3 points · no change from #1 

IKEA · 564 points · up from #4

Diesel · 359.7 points · up from #9

Advertisers:

Restaurant Brands International · Canada · 816.9 points · no change from #1

Anheuser-Busch InBev · Belgium · 811.3 points · up from #3

IKEA · Sweden · 564 points · up from #8

Agencies:

DAVID Miami · Ogilvy · 483.6 points · up from #23 

Impact BBDO Dubai · BBDO Worldwide · 477.9 points · up from #5

Publicis Milan · Publicis Worldwide · 386.6 points · up from #7 

Networks:

Ogilvy · 2186.1 points · up from #5 

BBDO Worldwide · 1409 points · down from #1

DDB Worldwide · 1128.9 points · down from #2

Holding Companies:

WPP · 3724.3 points · up from #3

Omnicom Group · 3680.2 points · down from #1

Interpublic Group · 2480.9 points · down from #2

Countries:

USA · 3603.2 points · no change #1

UK · 1111 points · no change #2

Brazil · 1083.6 points · no change #3

Media 100

Campaigns:

Rabbi Bot · Always · MediaCom Connections Tel Aviv / ACW Grey Tel Aviv / GO Digital Marketing Netanya · 95.4 points

The Shape of History · Hulu · UM Los Angeles · 81.1 points

Naming The Invisible By Digital Birth Registration · Telenor · Ogilvy Islamabad · 70 points

Brands:

McDonald’s · 135.3 points · up from #8

Nike · 118.6 points · up from #4

Always · 92.7 points · new entry

Advertisers:

Unilever · Netherlands / UK · 346.4 points · no change #1

Procter & Gamble · US · 278.8 points · up from #3

The Walt Disney Company · US · 183.7 points · up from #10

Agencies:

Mindshare Shanghai · Mindshare Worldwide · 215.4 points · up from #2

MediaCom Connections Tel Aviv · MediaCom · 184.1 · up from #6

Mindshare Ho Chi Minh City · Mindshare Worldwide · 122.2 points · up from #15

Networks: 

Mindshare Worldwide · 774.6 points · no change #1

MediaCom · 695.7 points · no change #2

IPG Mediabrands · 585.5 points · no change #3

Holding Companies:

WPP · 2038.9 points · no change #1

Omnicom Group · 1206.9 points · no change #2

Interpublic Group · 958.9 points · no change #3

Countries:

USA · 1274.4 points · no change #1

UK · 711.5 points· no change #2

China · 431.1 points · no change #3

Effective 100:

Campaigns:

I’m Drinking It For You · DB Export · Colenso BBDO Auckland / Carat Auckland / Red Star Auckland · 51.7 points 

Can’t Touch This · Cheetos · Goodby Silverstein & Partners San Francisco · 50 points

Michelin Impossible · KFC · Ogilvy Sydney · 47.2 points

Brands:

McDonald’s · 209.8 points · no change #1

KFC · 163.3 points · up from #4

Coca-Cola · 135.9 points · down from #2

Advertisers:

Unilever · Netherlands / UK · 240 points · no change #1

McDonald’s · US · 209.8 points · up from #6

The Coca Cola Company · 166.3 points · down from #2

Creative Agencies:

FP7 McCann Dubai · McCann Worldgroup · 95.8 points · no change #1

Colenso BBDO Auckland · BBDO Worldwide · 92.9 points · new entry

BMF Sydney · Enero Group · 92.1 points · new entry

Digital / Specialist Agencies:

Ingage Istanbul · Group M · 46.6 points · up from #46

AFFINITY Sydney · 39.5 points · new entry

Tribal Worldwide Bogotá · DDB Worldwide · 35.7 points · new entry

Media Agencies:

Carat London · Dentsu International · 61.3 points · new entry

Mindshare Istanbul · Mindshare Worldwide · 56.8 points · up from #4

Carat Auckland · Dentsu International · 51.6 points · up from #35

Networks:

McCann Worldgroup · Interpublic Group · 694.1 points · no change #1

BBDO Worldgroup · Omnicom Group · 683.3 points · no change #2

Dentsu International · Dentsu · 569.7 points · up from #5

Holding Companies:

WPP · 1897 points · no change #1

Omnicom Group · 1749.7 points · no change #2

Interpublic Group · 1358.7 points · no change #3

Countries:

USA · 1171.1 points · no change #1

China · 699.4 points · up from #4

India · 629.6 points · down from #2

vivo continues to invest in and support major international sporting events, reaching new consumers and football fans across markets

vivo announced that it has joined hands with one of the world’s biggest sporting events this year - FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021TM, from November 30 to December 18, to bring an unforgettable experience to football fans worldwide. As part of a six-year sponsorship agreement between vivo and FIFA, vivo has been the official smartphone sponsor of FIFA competitions since May 2017.

The collaboration provides vivo with a global platform to connect with international football fans and introduce its brand to a broader customer base. As a company that celebrates the ‘joy of humanity’, this is an excellent opportunity to showcase how innovative smartphone technology can capture the most exciting, emotional, and incredible moments.

A Big Step Forward in International Presence

The Middle East is vital to vivo’s global business. Since its 2019 debut in the Middle East, vivo’s focus and commitment have been making superb product experiences available to local customers. The company has seen rapid market share growth owing to its localized product and marketing strategies. Through launching well-performing lineups, including X series, V series, and Y series, vivo has become one of the most beloved smartphone brands in the region. Putting users at the center and constantly innovating to deliver pioneering smartphone technologies, vivo also invests heavily in R&D.

As the first FIFA pan-Arab tournament, FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021TM, is set to attract wide regional attention and beyond. Through the sponsorship, vivo looks to connect with and expand its widening customer base of over 400 million people worldwide. 

“We are excited to connect with FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021TM fans, who are as passionate about the beautiful game as we are,” said Jet Xu, Head of Middle East Business, vivo. “By leveraging our collaboration with FIFA, we hope to bond with regional customers through the football spirit, and further establish vivo’s creative, joyful, and international brand image.”

Seize the Exciting Moment with the X70 series

Along with the tournament, vivo’s new flagship X70 series is going to be launched in the region in December. Co-engineered with ZEISS, a technology leader in the world of optics for 175 years, the X70 series has taken smartphone photography capabilities to a whole new level, making it the perfect companion for football fans. Boasting professional-level camera capabilities, the X70 series is the ideal partner to capture the best moments of the game.

The sponsorship of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021TM is a clear signal of vivo's continuing expansion into international markets. vivo sees the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021TM as an excellent opportunity to gain more international exposure and strengthen its position as a global brand. Looking ahead, vivo strives to grow internationally through creating immersive customer experiences and advancing its groundbreaking smartphone technology.

PR guru, Jack Pearce, MEPRA co-founder and Matrix Public Relations founder honored for his outstanding contribution to the industry

Homegrown communications agency Matrix Public Relations was among the big winners at this year’s Middle East Public Relations Association’s (MEPRA) Awards scooping a total of seven awards and bragging rights - its largest and most impressive trophy haul so far.

Dubbed as the largest-ever awards since its inception, the MEPRA Awards, which took place at Atlantis the Palm, Dubai, on November 24, brought together a total of 88 agencies and in-house comms teams across the region to battle it out in 56 categories.

During the premier annual awards event, which hosted more than 500 in-person guests this year, Matrix Public Relations emerged the Gold winner in two hotly contested categories, scooped Silver trophies in three coveted categories and Bronze in one as listed below:

Gold - Best Crisis Communications/Issues Management Strategy Award: Kaya Skin Clinic (leading skincare clinic chain in the region)

Gold - Best Fashion or Beauty Campaign Award: Kaya Skin Clinic’s campaign titled Empowering Women in Their Fearless Pursuit of Beauty

Silver - Best Business to Business Campaign: Milestone Systems (industry leaders in providing video management software)

Silver - Best Use of Sponsorship: Dabur International (one of the largest FMCG companies in the region)

Silver - Best Healthcare Campaign: Kaya Skin Clinic 

Bronze - Best Retail Campaign: Kaya Skin Clinic

“We are delighted and proud to have been recognised for our hard work, creativity and resilience by our industry peers. There is no doubt that Matrix Public Relations is a force to reckon with in the technology and blockchain PR space, but have scored big wins in retail, healthcare, fashion, beauty and crisis management too. This recognition for our campaigns that went beyond the bottom line to add value to our clients will inspire the team to continue on this path,” said Hilmarie Hutchison, chief executive officer, Matrix Public Relations.

In recognition of his phenomenal contribution to the Middle East public relations industry, Jack Pearce who is also the co-founder of MEPRA and founder of Matrix Public Relations was bestowed the Chairman’s Award - one of the highest honours in the industry.

“I am deeply honoured and grateful to be awarded the Chairman’s Award by MEPRA. As the co-founder of MEPRA, I am also proud of the association’s achievements over the last 20 years. MEPRA has achieved and surpassed the goals and objectives of its founding fathers. MEPRA continues to not only set standards of excellence in the communication industry but also serve as a resource center where professionals can get industry insights, network with peers and further their professional skills,” said Jack.

61% of clients set to approach their banks for new services, says new Arthur D. Little and M2P Solutions study

Beyond banking gaining traction across international markets: Successful ‘Super Apps’ converging e-commerce and financial services valued between USD 4 – 40 billion

70% of UAE customers aged 25-44 primed to approach their banks for new offerings

New customer-centric approaches are crucial: 45% of UAE clients are willing to move banks altogether in search of bigger and better opportunities

37% of traditional clients are currently unaware of their bank offers beyond banking services

Across the UAE, the banking and wider financial services sector is changing faster than most individual incumbent banks, with consumer forces disrupting their roles, structures, and competitive environment. As financial and lifestyle services continue converging and financial products become even more embedded within customer propositions, enriching existing banking offerings with lifestyle services will enable local institutions to build deeper, wider end-user relationships while consolidating their relevance status. Arthur D. Little (ADL), the leading management consultancy firm with the longest-standing presence in the Middle East region, expounds this viewpoint in their latest report entitled Beyond Banking: Is there an opportunity for banks to go beyond banking in the UAE? Based on a recent survey Arthur D. Little conducted in collaboration with M2P Solutions, a leading application programming interface (API) infrastructure company, the report explains why the national banking sector is likely to drive newer ways of banking in due course and details the necessity for adopting multiple partnership-based strategies in the evolving ecosystem. 

Beyond banking outlook in the UAE

In line with an analysis of 2,000 UAE retail bank customers, the report substantiates the view that the retail banking market is coming under mounting pressure, with 45% of traditional banks’ clients ready to switch to competitors within the next six months. Low rates, regulatory changes, and various new players entering the financial services landscape – including Fintech companies, retailers, and telecommunications providers – are behind this trend. As such, banks have begun taking proactive steps to go beyond traditional banking, expanding into growth territories away from financial services. These efforts have subsequently resonated with customer bases: 61% of clients are now ready to turn to their primary bank for a beyond banking proposition, as are 70% of customers aged 25-44.

Pierre Mariani, Partner, Financial Services Practice, Arthur D. Little Middle East, said: “Evolving customer demand accelerated digital transformation and entry of new players are disrupting the traditional business models of UAE banks. These trends will continue to reshape the financial sector in the years to come, and banks that fail to embrace the change and make the necessary adjustments to serve their clients beyond existing services will inevitably fall behind. Therefore, a holistic approach is required by banks striving to retain customers, capitalize on future opportunities, and truly go beyond banking as they know it.”

As per the report, the appetite for beyond banking propositions is increasing among banks and customers alike, with the share of positive outlook customers set to increase from 61% to as high as 68% because of complementary services opportunities across entertainment, education, retail, and food. However, there are several considerations for the wider UAE banking community before such avenues can be pursued successfully.

Key considerations for UAE banks

Having examined the beyond banking landscape, the report provides a comprehensive overview of the most pressing considerations pertaining to banks’ beyond banking efforts. Firstly, banks need quickly redesign their respective diversification strategies. To remain relevant in the future, they must understand and track dynamically changing markets to avoid building on outdated perspectives. Secondly, they should build on a vision, deciding whether to lead their own ecosystems or participate in an existing one. Moreover, the other top most considerations concern SME banking and customer-centricity. Beyond retail client franchises, SME banking is identified as a new growth territory to explore, while banks can adopt customer-first approaches and ultimately enjoy beyond banking success by closing existing data, digital maturity, and talent capability divides. 

“Making full use of beyond banking avenues and presenting customers with newfound value through diverse, attractive offerings hinges on a forward-facing approach from the outset of such projects,” added Vaanathi Mohanakrishnan, Business Head, M2P Solutions. “If banks do heed this recommendation and pursue such an approach, their efforts to elevate the appeal of current offerings while pairing them with various lifestyle services will certainly accelerate progression on the beyond banking route.”

Beyond Banking: Is there an opportunity for banks to go beyond banking in the UAE? also provides insights and information regarding the drivers of changing banking customer demands, the importance of data sharing and customer trust, and why UAE banks require bold investments and partnerships. 

Travel adspend will grow two to six times faster than the ad market as a whole from 2021 to 2023

• The travel ad market won’t return to pre-pandemic levels of spending until 2023

• Travel brands will increase their spending on digital advertising from 63% of budgets in 2020 to 70% in 2023

Travel advertising is poised for rapid growth as brands reset their relationships with consumers after the great rupture of 2020, according to Zenith’s Business Intelligence – Travel report, published today. Zenith forecasts that travel advertising in 13 key markets* will expand by 24% in 2021, twice as fast as the advertising market as a whole, before 36% growth in 2022 and 19% growth in 2023.

As global travel starts to recover, travel brands must rebuild their relationships with consumers as they adapt to the realities of post-COVID travel. Brands will have to refocus their communications on different audiences as they adapt to the decline of business travel as companies coordinate more international business with remote meetings, and address consumers’ concerns about the sustainability of travel, and adapt to growing demand for low-carbon journeys.

Travel advertising was one of the categories hardest-hit by COVID-19. The travel ad market lost nearly half its value in 2020 (46%), while the ad market as a whole shrank by just 4%. Zenith estimates that travel adspend fell from US$18.0 billion in 2019 to US$9.7 billion in 2020.

Pent-up demand for travel will drive rapid growth in travel adspend over the next few years, but it will be a long road back to pre-pandemic spending. Travel adspend will be still 33% below its 2019 level this year, while the ad market as a whole will be 7% ahead. It will take until 2023 for travel to exceed 2019 levels of spending, when it will reach US$19.6bn.

Travel is becoming a digital experience

Travel advertisers spend more on digital advertising than the average brand – 63% in 2020, compared to 58% on average. This is not surprising for a category that has been well ahead of the market in digital transformation, conducting 32% of sales by ecommerce in 2021 compared to 20% for retail as a whole.

Digital travel advertising aims to capture consumers in the early stage of research, through search advertising and display and video ads within relevant content. As travel becomes ever more digital, digital advertising will become even more important for both brand building and conversion. Integrating travel apps with vaccine passports, using them to help consumer navigate local COVID-related rules and bureaucracy, and offering digital concierge services will accelerate the transition of travel towards a seamless digital experience, from initial research to enjoying the destination.

Zenith forecasts digital adspend by travel brands to grow by 6% a year between 2019 and 2023. By 2023 travel brands will be spending 70% of their budgets on digital advertising, an increase from 63% in 2020.

“Travel was one of the earliest sectors to embrace digital as booking went online,” said Ben Lukawski, Global Chief Strategy Officer, Zenith. “Post-COVID, the best-performing brands will complete this transformation by making the total experience digital, from reducing form filling to contactless entry, removing nearly all possible friction from the experience.”

Travel advertisers spend substantially more of their budgets on newspapers, magazines and out-of-home than average (20% in 2020, compared to 13% for the average brand), and substantially less on television (13% compared to an average of 24%). Consumers are looking for choice and value, so media that allow brands to display a range of options and some details of pricing are particularly effective. Travel adspend in print is falling as circulations continue to shrink, but out-of-home is forecast to recover from its slump in 2020 and grow at an average rate of 6% a year between 2019 and 2023.

Brands seek out new travellers in Asia and Eastern Europe

Zenith expects the fastest growth in travel advertising to come from India and Russia, where travel adspend will be 31% and 21% respectively above the 2019 baseline by 2023. Here, rising disposable incomes mean more people are travelling, and existing travellers are travelling more frequently. The same holds true for China and Poland, where adspend will increase by 16% and 14% respectively between 2019 and 2023.

The robust US ad market is pushing up media prices, which is the main reason why travel adspend will be 13% higher there in 2023 and in 2019. Other mature markets will range from +9% to -9% growth over this period, depending on consumer demand, media inflation, adoption of digital technology, and a myriad of other reasons. In all markets, though, the recovery of travel advertising from the slump in 2020 will be well behind the growth of the market as a whole.

“As travel begins to recover from the unprecedented drop in demand in 2020, brands are rebuilding their relationships with consumers, using digital technology to guide them at every stage,” said Jonathan Barnard, Head of Forecasting, Zenith. “Online video in particular will play a key role in creating emotional connections with consumers, inviting them to take their first step on their digital journey."

*The 13 markets included in this report are Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Poland, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, UK and USA, which between them account for 74% of total global adspend. The report covers domestic and foreign travel for business and leisure.

88% planning to go on holiday in the next 12 months  

● Turkey and Maldives are the no1 destinations for post-lockdown holidays

● UAE holidaymakers habitually favour returning to the same destinations year after year rather than trying new places, with just a quarter planning to visit a new destination for their post-lockdown holiday

● A third have visited the same place for a holiday more than five times

● Marriott Bonvoy looks into how open travellers are trying new destinations post-lockdown

Travellers in the UAE are favouring the same holiday destinations year after year for home comforts and familiarity, with the pandemic leading most to being less adventurous than usual according to new research from Marriott Bonvoy, the travel loyalty programme that encompasses hotels, resorts, home rentals and experiences across 30 brands in 138 countries.

UAE travellers seek the familiar post-lockdown

The figures show that just a quarter (27%) of those going abroad plan to visit somewhere new for their post-lockdown holiday. The Maldives and Turkey are jointly the number one destinations for those from the UAE for their next getaway. Nineteen per cent of those planning a holiday abroad intend to visit The Maldives, and the figure is the same for Turkey.

However, seven in ten of those going to Turkey (73%) say they have gone on holiday there previously and 48% have been multiple times. Meanwhile, 68% of those going to the Maldives have been there before.

Egypt is the third most popular destination for post-pandemic breaks amongst those from the UAE travelling abroad (17%), followed by the UK (13%) and Italy (13%). In total, 88% say they will be going on holiday in the next 12 months. Seven per cent plan not to, whilst 6% remain unsure. 

It appears that lockdown has had an impact on where those from the UAE are choosing to go for their post-lockdown holidays. Over half (51%) say the pandemic has led to them being less confident in visiting new places. Amongst those who do not plan to go away 52% say that this is specifically due to a lack of confidence in travel post-Covid.

The aim of the research is to look into how open travellers from the UAE are to trying new holiday destinations in the next year, and will take the opportunity to explore and discover somewhere new as travel becomes easier once again.

Many have always favoured repeat trips and home comforts

Whilst the pandemic has had a key impact on people’s travel plans, according to the figures many in the UAE habitually favour returning to the same destinations year after year rather than trying new places. Thirty-one per cent say they have been back on holiday to the same country five times or more, whilst 14% have visited the same country ten times or more.

Why do so many people keep returning to the same place on holiday when presented with a world of options? The research found that for many, home comforts are key, with over a quarter (27%) saying it is important that they can get familiar food. Sixteen per cent like to go somewhere where they will be able to meet other people from their home country and 15% say that it’s important that they can find sports from the UAE on television.

A quarter (25%) like the comfort of knowing exactly what to expect whilst 15% admit they are simply ‘not very adventurous’. This is despite nine in ten (92%) acknowledging that they feel they lose some of the benefit of a holiday by returning to previously visited destinations.

Neal Jones, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Marriott International - Europe, Middle East & Africa: “We know there is pent-up demand for travel and this research demonstrates the impact the pandemic is continuing to have on global travel trends. The figures suggest that post-pandemic, holiday makers in the UAE are seeking out tried and trusted destinations where they know exactly what to expect – to be able to make the most out of a long-awaited holiday abroad and to avoid any surprises after 18 months of turmoil and uncertainty.

“Whilst we love welcoming back repeat guests into our hotels and resorts, travel also offers us all the opportunity to expand our horizons and immerse ourselves in new cultures and experiences. Visiting new countries while staying in hotels and resorts that are part of a trusted portfolio of brands gives travellers the opportunity to try something new, but with the confidence and reassurance of staying with an established travel programme like Marriott Bonvoy.”

The research is taken from Marriott Bonvoy’s Joy of Travel report, conducted amongst 14,000 consumers in the Middle East and Europe.