86% of the marketing and media representatives participating in the survey agreed that the pandemic improved their mobile marketing capabilities.

MMA (Mobile Marketing Association) a global marketing platform recently conducted a survey in association with WARC to showcase the regions cutting edge mobile marketing strategies with data from advertisers, agencies, media owners and tech vendors. This annual report examines mobile capabilities, budgets, privacy concerns and new technologies and trends in mobile, to assess how marketers in MENA are using mobile in their marketing strategies.

Over the time that WARC has carried out this survey with the MMA, the role of mobile in the arsenal of marketers has grown significantly. As smartphone technology becomes more and more sophisticated, the line between the mobile medium and the rest of the online media mix is increasingly blurred. The report highlighted that habits and brand strategies have evolved during the pandemic period, but conventional wisdom still prevails in that 65% of MENA marketing professionals are still focusing on brand awareness when marketing via mobile. Messaging has adjusted thematically, with brands articulating and demonstrating a more understanding and caring tone. Lead generation and promoting specific products or services is also a key goal for 45% and 32% of respondents. 

Two in three MENA marketers say they have adapted a mobile-first approach with their marketing strategy. 86% of respondents agree that the pandemic has improved mobile marketing capabilities. This is likely the result of the pivot to online as consumer behaviour changed. Increased focus on agility and effectiveness has been a key lesson for marketers in the last year. 

“The overall mobile market is booming and showing no signs of slowing down. Mobile advertising is now the key success driver for advertisers. The value drivers for mobile advertising have been proliferated through the pandemic. With people relying on their smart phones and other connected devices to stay connected, we have seen a significant upswing in mobile engagement levels, with increased session times. Consumers also demonstrated an increased willingness to conduct transactions on mobile phones, with a spike in App downloads and an acceleration of the growth of online shopping. Social media and Mobile Gaming have also emerged as clear winners, with time spent and discovery spiking.” says Warrick Billingham, Head of Revenue EMEA & LATAM at AdColony, who also chairs the MMA research committee.

“So, while we have seen a return to normal, I think we can all agree, the mobile marketing landscape and habits have changed forever. Brands who have evolved, will not just survive, but thrive in this ever-changing world.” he added.

MENA marketing professionals are expecting growth in their mobile budgets with a (77%) expect in increase, indicating more confidence in both market conditions and in mobile as a channel. Social is by far the most used marketing channel with mobile. 87% of respondents are using social in their mobile marketing strategy. Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and Twitter are the platforms most used for display marketing. M-commerce and mobile gaming is one of the most important industry changes during COVID-19.

Facebook is the most used social media platform for display advertising in MENA. Just under half (47%) of respondents have used Facebook for display advertising, while 40% have used Youtube for the same purpose. This is followed by Instagram (35%) and Twitter (33%). Instagram and Youtube are the most used platforms for partnerships / sponsorships / influencers. Instagram is considered a key platform for influencers and grew by 32% between 2019 and 2020, globally. Nearly three in five and more than half (56%) are seeing an increase in mcommerce and mobile gaming and is the most important consumer behaviour affecting the marketing industry. 

AI, machine learning, mobile wallet and DOOH are predicted to be the biggest technologies in 2026. While chatbot is the most important today (50%), it is not among the most important technologies in the five years (25%). AI and machine learning, the fourth most used technology today (25%), is predicted to be the most important in five years (42%), alongside mobile wallet. Whilst AI will be even bigger in the future, it is already earning a larger role in marketing. AI was used in nearly all off the Rakbank’s successful campaigns in 2020.

Schools and organizations in 152 countries have made commitments to participate in CNN’s Call to Earth Day, a day of action dedicated to conservation, environmentalism, and sustainability, on November 10th.

From the UAE to KSA, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon, over 20 schools and organisations from the Middle East have pledged to participate in activities. Around the world, from Australia to Norway, via Japan, Chile, Kenya, China, and India, people have responded to the cross-platform initiative.

CNN correspondents will bring live reports from locations around the world on the day, while packages will include a look at air pollution in India, coral reef preservation in the UAE, redwood planting in California, the UK’s carbon neutral football team -- Forest Green Rovers, ‘ghost nets’ in Hong Kong, and many other stories of conservation, environmentalism, and sustainability.

Connect the World with Becky Anderson will air a 45-minute debate filmed at the Expo 2020 site in Dubai.  The discussion, involving youth from the UAE and the wider region, including school children from Brighton College Dubai and American School of Dubai, will center on the climate crisis and biodiversity, taking in topics such as food security, urban planning, and how the new generation can engage in the fight against climate change. 

An exclusive discussion with filmmaker, explorer and Rolex Testimonee James Cameron will take place early in the day, around 2am ET/8am CET/3pm HK, talking about oceans, climate change and exploration.

A dynamic live blog will capture the events of the day in real time, alongside feature articles and op-eds from leaders within the conservation space. Following the day itself, CNN will host a major digital interactive page, where people can share their activities, pledges, events, and other contributions, alongside CNN’s Call to Earth Day content.

Ellana Lee, SVP & Managing Editor, CNN Asia Pacific, said: “The response we’ve already received from our audience for Call to Earth Day has been phenomenal, and CNN’s own teams are gathering some outstanding content and reporting that we’ll showcase too.  These issues can sometimes feel vast and overwhelming, but what we hope to demonstrate on Wednesday is that there are solutions.  This is about celebrating a planet worth protecting and the people creating a more sustainable future, driving awareness and inspiring action.”

These are some of the events expected to take place around Call to Earth Day:

Litter-picks will take place on beaches in Australia, the Caribbean, Lebanon, the UAE, and Japan; on mountains in Chile, organised by Rolex Awards Laureate Vreni Häusserman; by glaciers on the coast of Norway; in gorges and rivers and lakes across North America; on city streets, including London; and in rivers and canals across the globe.

Dozens of planting events organised by schools and NGOs will take place, particularly across Africa and Asia. A rainforest excursion in Singapore will see school students working with the National Parks team to replant areas of the rainforest impacted by deforestation. In Kenya, five schools will plant a total of 500 trees, while kitchen gardens, eco gardens, and bee and pollinator-friendly gardens will be established in Montenegro, Bosnia, Brazil, and Dubai.

Animal welfare and habitat protection events will take place around the world, including several live animal releases. An Egyptian Vulture release will take place in Lebanon, a butterfly release in Singapore, and a dolphin release in the USA.  In Malaysia, Rwanda, Russia, and the USA, field trips and workshops will help show school children how to protect the habitats of endangered animals. A special litter-pick on a beach in Argentina will establish a clean environment ready for the penguin hatching season.

Arts events will form a key part of the day, including a project to turn school classrooms into different habitats in the USA, recycled fashion shows and dress-up days in the USA and across Asia-Pacific, and a theatre production in India. Eco-murals and art will be showcased including thousands of posters being painted by schoolchildren.  One school in Nigeria has created a water irrigation system from plastic bottles, while a group in Lebanon has held a workshop to show children how to repurpose plastic waste into creative planters. In Singapore, the construction of a 'pledge tree' art installation made from recycled materials, will serve as a place for schoolchildren and their families to make and display pledges to protect the environment.

The Company has decided to evolve its name, focusing it on the Ariston legacy and on its global group identity

• The new name is short, agile and concrete

• Ariston is the historical brand, synonym of change, innovation and sustainability

• Group represents the international reach of the company and its human component

Ariston Thermo Group, the Italian company and international leader in the production and sales of renewable and high efficiency solutions for hot water and space heating for domestic and commercial needs, announces it will change its name to Ariston Group starting from 1st October 2021.

After more than 12 years since the introduction of the name Ariston Thermo Group, the company has decided to evolve further with a small, yet significant, change. The new name is short, agile and concrete and aims at better reflecting the essence of the Group, focusing on two key elements.

Ariston is the historical brand that draws its origins from the name of the founder Aristide Merloni and the concept of "best" in ancient Greek. Since its introduction, it is synonym of change, innovation and sustainability. In this way the company wants to further reaffirm its solid foundations, strengthening its identity and remaining faithful to its heritage.

The second element, Group, emphasizes the central role of all the brands the Group has acquired over its long history, brands and organizations that over time have enriched the company's offerings and its global presence. "Group" thus reflects the international reach of the company, its human component, the cohesion of its people, brands and activities.

The name change consolidates the path of the company, that keeps pursuing its objectives and investing in its values under the renewed aegis of Ariston Group.

"Ariston has always been synonymous with attention and care for the home, people and families through sustainable solutions of the highest quality. The vision of our Group, Sustainable Comfort for Everyone, and the values that have guided it since its foundation, put people, our customers and suppliers, our employees and collaborators in every corner of the world at the centre," says Paolo Merloni, Executive Chairman of Ariston Group. "We proudly introduce this small change that is, however, a twofold big step: that of reaffirming our origins, and that of reiterating how much these origins are now the common heritage of a Group and its people, active all over the world."

New for 2022, TV & Film Awards Debuts New Trophy, the NYF Tower

The 2022 New York Festivals® TV & Film Awards competition is open for entries. New York Festivals Television & Film Awards honors storytellers from around the globe. Since 1957, the competition has celebrated excellence and innovation across all genres and platforms, keeping pace with industry-wide developments and global trends.

“When we added ten categories for social justice content last year, filmmakers and storytellers from around the world responded with thought-provoking work,” said Rose Anderson, VP/Executive Director, New York Festivals Television & Film Awards. “This year, we are thrilled to announce the debut of our new trophy, the iconic NYF Tower in hand-polished Gold, Silver, and Bronze.”

2021 Social Justice medal winners included “CBS Sports Presents 8:46” (CBS Sports), “A Most Beautiful Thing“ (50 Eggs Films), “The Psychologist of Aleppo” (CRTVE), “The Price of Poverty “(DW Deutsche Welle), “MLB Tonight: A Conversation” (MLB Network), “The Time Is Now” (The Edge Picture Company), “Momma Lonnae O'Neal Essay” (ESPN), “Witness - St. Louis Superman” (Al Jazeera English), “I Am Not A Commodity (Antenna 3),  and “Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning” (Kreativ Inc. for Lifetime).  

To view a complete roster of 2022 categories, visit HERE.

2021 Grand Awards were “My Octopus Teacher” Documentary: Nature & Wildlife (Off the Fence B.V./Sea Change Project/Netflix), “All Creatures Great And Small” Entertainment Program: Drama (Playground TV for Masterpiece PBS and Channel 5 in association with All3media International and Screen Yorkshire), and “The Last Dance” News Program: Best Nonfiction Series (ESPN).

Molly Solomon, Executive Producer & President of NBC Olympics Production and Executive Producer for the Golf Channel received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Al Jazeera English, Qatar, earned Broadcaster of the Year and The Edge Picture Company, UK, earned Production Company of the Year.

Although the 2021 in-person NAB Show was cancelled due to pandemic quarantine restrictions, NYF pivoted with a 90-minute virtual ceremony Storytellers Gala featuring highlights and acceptances from 100 winning teams of men and women coming from their homes in 40+ countries.

The 2022 TV & Film Awards Storytellers Gala will take place at the annual NAB Show in Las Vegas on April 26, 2022. This is the 12th year of NYF’s strategic partnership with NAB Show. All NYF TV & Film Award winners have access to the multi-day event which is the world’s largest global gathering for the media and entertainment industry.

For the second year in a row, New York Festivals welcomes JusticeAid, an organization that promotes justice through the arts and public engagement, as a partner.

The deadline to enter the 2022 Television & Film Awards competition is February 1, 2022. 

All Entries in the 2022 competition will be judged online and screened by NYF’s TV & Film Awards Grand Jury of 200+ producers, directors, writers, and other creative media professionals from around the globe. Award-winning entries will be showcased on the TV & Film Awards winners gallery. To view the 2021 TV & Film Awards winner’s showcase visit: winners.

Introducing Meta: A Social Technology Company

Today at Connect 2021, CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced Meta, which brings together our apps and technologies under one new company brand. Meta’s focus will be to bring the metaverse to life and help people connect, find communities and grow businesses.

The metaverse will feel like a hybrid of today’s online social experiences, sometimes expanded into three dimensions or projected into the physical world. It will let you share immersive experiences with other people even when you can’t be together — and do things together you couldn’t do in the physical world. It’s the next evolution in a long line of social technologies, and it’s ushering in a new chapter for our company. Mark shared more about this vision in a founder’s letter.

Our annual Connect conference brings together augmented and virtual reality developers, content creators, marketers and others to celebrate the industry’s momentum and growth. This year’s virtual event explored what experiences in the metaverse could feel like over the next decade — from social connection, to entertainment, gaming, fitness, work, education and commerce. We also announced new tools to help people build for the metaverse, including Presence Platform, which will enable new mixed reality experiences on Quest 2, and a $150-million investment in immersive learning to train the next generation of creators.

Our Role and Responsibility

The metaverse will not be created by one company. It will be built by creators and developers making new experiences and digital items that are interoperable and unlock a massively larger creative economy than the one constrained by today’s platforms and their policies.

Our role in this journey is to accelerate the development of the fundamental technologies, social platforms and creative tools to bring the metaverse to life, and to weave these technologies through our social media apps. We believe the metaverse can enable better social experiences than anything that exists today, and we will dedicate our energy to helping achieve its potential.

As I wrote in our original founder’s letter: “we don’t build services to make money; we make money to build better services.”

This approach has served us well. We’ve built our business to support very large and long term investments to build better services, and that’s what we plan to do here.

The last five years have been humbling for me and our company in many ways. One of the main lessons I’ve learned is that building products people love isn’t enough.

I’ve gained more appreciation that the internet’s story isn’t straightforward. Every chapter brings new voices and new ideas, but also new challenges, risks, and disruption of established interests. We’ll need to work together, from the beginning, to bring the best possible version of this future to life.

Privacy and safety need to be built into the metaverse from day one. So do open standards and interoperability. This will require not just novel technical work — like supporting crypto and NFT projects in the community — but also new forms of governance. Most of all, we need to help build ecosystems so that more people have a stake in the future and can benefit not just as consumers but as creators.

This period has also been humbling because as big of a company as we are, we’ve also learned what it’s like to build on other platforms. Living under their rules has profoundly shaped my views on the tech industry. I’ve come to believe that the lack of choice for consumers and high fees for developers are stifling innovation and holding back the internet economy.

We’ve tried to take a different approach. We want our services to be accessible to as many people as possible, which means working to make them cost less, not more. Our mobile apps are free. Our ads model is designed to provide businesses the lowest prices. Our commerce tools are available at cost or with modest fees. As a result, billions of people love our services and hundreds of millions of businesses rely on our tools.

That’s the approach we want to bring to helping to build the metaverse. We plan to sell our devices at cost or subsidized to make them available to more people. We’ll continue supporting side-loading and streaming from PCs so people have choice, rather than forcing them to use the Quest Store to find apps or reach customers. And we’ll aim to offer developer and creator services with low fees in as many cases as possible so we can maximize the overall creative economy. We’ll need to make sure we don’t lose too much money along the way though.

Our hope is that within the next decade, the metaverse will reach a billion people, host hundreds of billions of dollars of digital commerce, and support jobs for millions of creators and developers.

The next generation of digital platforms puts creative power in the hands of the user.

Creativity is increasingly informed and powered by technology—setting the stage for the next era of digital platforms and creative influence. Digital tools have “activated an entirely new world” of creativity—one where “creations can transcend physical limitations,” Helena Dong, creative technologist and digital designer, tells Wunderman Thompson Intelligence. 72% of gen Z and millennials in the US, UK and China believe that creativity today is dependent on technology, and 92% believe that technology opens up a whole new world of creation, according to Wunderman Thompson Intelligence’s research for “Into the Metaverse,” conducted by Wunderman Thompson Data in July 2021.

“For generation alpha and generation Z, customization and creation is an intricate part of their gaming experience,” Keith Stuart, games editor at the Guardian, tells Wunderman Thompson Intelligence. “For them, customization and the play element is part of the same thing—self-expression and exploration.”

Snapchat believes that creativity is the driving force propelling the future of digital engagement. As a user, “you’re not creating content that people consume, you’re creating content that people then create with,” Carolina Arguelles Navas, group product marketing manager at Snap Inc, tells Wunderman Thompson Intelligence. “That’s really powerful. You’re putting out a piece of content that everyone personalizes and has a personal experience with.”

This momentum is spurred on by what she refers to as the snowball effect of digital creativity: “The biggest opportunity with AR is that it is a catalyst for other people to now create content with that AR experience you’ve developed; then they are sharing it with their group of friends and their group of friends are unlocking that and sharing. You’ve created a catalyst where you’re scaling creation on your behalf.”

IMVU revolves around creativity, Daren Tsui, CEO of the social app and its parent company Together Labs, tells Wunderman Thompson Intelligence. “There are over 200,000 creators on our platform. Over the years we’ve amassed 15 million items in our catalog,” almost all of which are user-driven, Tsui says. “We create 0.001%; everything else is done by creators.” IMVU calls creativity “the new status symbol” for the next digital era—dethroning influence and income. When users come onto the platform, “making money is not the most important thing for them. It’s about being recognized for their creations,” Tsui explains.

“There are over 200,000 creators on our platform. Over the years we’ve amassed 15 million items in our catalog,” almost all of which are user-driven, Tsui says. “We create 0.001%; everything else is done by creators.” IMVU calls creativity “the new status symbol” for the next digital era—dethroning influence and income. When users come onto the platform, “making money is not the most important thing for them. It’s about being recognized for their creations,” Tsui explains.

Online habits are evolving. As stated by The Fabricant, in the digital world “people are not passive consumers, but creative agents crafting their self-expression and curating their virtual identity.” As digital engagement and influence shifts, the stage is being set for the next era of digital platforms and creative influence.

Starting November 1, we’ll host daily Live Shopping experiences on Facebook and Instagram with brands like Benefit Cosmetics, Cocokind, Macy’s, Paintbox Nails, Tanya Taylor, Ulta Beauty, Vuori and Walmart to educate shoppers and share exclusive deals.

We’re bringing back #BuyBlack Friday to highlight Black-owned businesses and are providing weekly #BuyBlack collections on Facebook and Instagram.

We’re showcasing exclusive gifts and deals from Shops that will be available when people make purchases on Facebook and Instagram.

Tune In Daily for Drops, Exclusive Deals and More

Beginning November 1, we’ll host daily Live Shopping experiences on Facebook and Instagram where you can find the latest gifts and exclusive deals, get advice from fellow shoppers and connect with celebrities, creators and brand experts. Some of the biggest brands including Benefit Cosmetics, Cocokind, Macy’s, Paintbox Nails, Tanya Taylor, Ulta Beauty, Vuori and Walmart will host live videos that allow you to shop the latest holiday trends from the comfort of your home. 

You can also discover the latest sought-after products on the Instagram Shop tab from drops to collections curated by creators you love and the Instagram @shop team. From the Drops destination, you can sign up to receive a notification for when an item is available for purchase. 

Support Small Businesses and #BuyBlack

This year, we’ll continue to support businesses that need it most, starting with the return of #BuyBlack Friday to encourage people to support Black-owned small businesses. We know the holiday season is critical for small businesses, our latest Global State of Small Business Report shows that a quarter of minority-led businesses expect to make half of their annual sales over the holiday period, compared to 14% of other small businesses. Starting on November 5, you can tune in every Friday in November to the #BuyBlack Friday show. The show will feature Live Shopping segments from Black-owned businesses including Shaquanda’s Hot Pepper Sauce, House of Takura and Obia Naturals, in addition to special guests and other surprises. You can also check out #BuyBlack collections, available weekly in the Facebook Shop tab starting November 1 and on the Instagram Shop tab starting November 5.

#BuyBlack Friday is part of Boost with Facebook: Good Ideas Season, our second annual program that gives small businesses access to free resources and training for a successful holiday season. As part of the Good Ideas Season, we’re also opening Good Ideas Shops in local communities across the US. Starting this week, people in Seattle, Fort Worth and New York City can visit our storefront window pop-ups to discover local small businesses and shop their products on Facebook and Instagram. We’ll also dedicate a storefront window in Los Angeles for people to #BuyBlack this December.

Shop Exclusive Gifts and Offers

People already use our apps to stay updated on the latest trends, get inspired and find their new favorite brand or product. This season, we’re bringing exclusive gifts to Shops that will be available when people checkout on Facebook or Instagram. This season, you may find gifts from Facebook and Instagram, like 20% off your first purchase and free shipping, when you complete an eligible purchase directly on our apps. And when you make an eligible purchase directly on Facebook or Instagram, you can also refer up to 10 friends to take advantage of an exclusive deal. 

If you’re looking for inspiration, check out the Shop tabs on Facebook and Instagram for Holiday Picks, our curated list of holiday items, available on November 1.

Shop Locally and Sustainably

Shopping locally on Facebook Marketplace is an easy and eco-friendly way to discover unique and hard-to-find gifts. Plus, you can get items quickly by arranging a pickup time via Messenger that works for you and the seller. We’ve introduced a few updates on Marketplace to help you shop easily, locally and responsibly this season:

Create and share a meetup plan: Create a meetup plan for an in-person transaction — including location, time and date — and share it with your friends via Messenger to let them know where you’re headed and encourage safer meetups. 

Meetup preferences: Sellers can let buyers know how they prefer to exchange an item locally, such as a public meetup or via door dropoff or pickup to minimize in-person transactions.

Saved search: Looking for a particular item on your wishlist? Create a saved search on Marketplace to get notifications when new listings match your criteria.

Cisco detected a targeted phishing campaign aimed at the aviation industry for two years, which was potentially organized by cyber threat actor(s) operating out of Nigeria.

The actor(s) have been targeting the aviation industry for the last two years, while managing other campaigns at the same time. Researchers found that they do not seem to be technically sophisticated as they’re using off-the-shelf malware since the beginning of their activities without developing their own malware.

The operators also bought crypters that enable the usage of such malware without being detected. Throughout the years they used several different cryptors, mostly bought on online forums and are believed to have been active since 2013.

The cyber attacks involve emails containing specific lure documents centered around the aviation or cargo industry that purport to be PDF files but link to a VBScript file, which ultimately leads to the delivery of remote access trojans (RATs), leaving organizations vulnerable to an array of security risks.

Actors that perform smaller incidents can keep doing them for a long period of time under the radar. However, their activities can lead to major incidents at large organizations. These are the operators that feed the underground market of credentials and cookies, which can then be used by larger groups on activities.

Commenting on the targeted attacks, Fady Younes, Cybersecurity Director at Cisco Middle East and Africa said: “Many operators can have limited technical knowledge but still be able to operate RATs or information-stealers - posing a significant risk to large corporations given the right conditions. In this case, what appeared to be a simple campaign was, in fact, a continuous operation that has been active for years - targeting a whole industry with commodity malware hidden with different crypters.”

“Even though cybersecurity is not a threat specific to aviation, in the last few years the sector has been at the forefront of several cyber attacks. It is crucial to be careful with weak links that could lead to flawed conclusions. The weak links shouldn't be discarded — it would be wise to view them as one more piece of information that, together with other links, can yield to a much stronger relationship between two pieces of information,” Younes added.

The rankings reveal the financial services brands that have been the most successful at converting aware consumers into considerers of brands

The UAE rankings are divided into three categories: Retail Banks, Insurance and Financial services

The top 10 list under Retail Banks features two Neo Banks, highlighting the growing popularity of digital banking among residents

The top ten list for financial services prominently features homegrown brands, with UAE’s leading remittance and foreign exchange service provider Al Ansari Exchange closely following Visa in second

YouGov Finance Purchase Funnel Rankings 2021 highlight the top-ten brands successful at converting consumers through the purchase funnel over the past year across key categories in the Finance sector.

The brands in YouGov Finance Purchase Funnel Rankings are ranked based on their Consideration score among consumers who are aware of each brand. Brands were measured between 1st September 2020 and 31st August 2021.

Retail Banks

In ‘Retail Banks’ category Dubai’s government-owned bank Emirates NBD takes the top spot with a consideration score amongst those aware of the brand of +40.5. Emirates NBD is an official Premier Partner of Expo 2020 Dubai and the launch of Emirates NBD's Expo 2020 Dubai account targeting SMEs should help the bank further consolidate its consideration scores looking ahead.

ADCB (Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank) is placed in second (30.4), followed by popular Islamic retail banking providers Dubai Islamic Bank, ADIB (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank) and Emirates Islamic occupying the third (27.0), fourth (25.8) and seventh (19.7) place, respectively.

Also featuring in these rankings are two digital-only NEO banks, LIV. By Emirates NBD and Mashreq Neo, by Mashreq Bank. Their presence at 5th and 9th respectively in the rankings indicates a mature appetite in the region for digital-only banks.

Finally, First Abu Dhabi Bank (22.3), HSBC (17.7) and RAK BANK (16.2) complete the top ten list for this category.

Insurance

UAE’s largest health insurance brand Daman - National Health Insurance Company is the top performer in the Insurance category, with a score of 27.3.

Tawuniya, the Saudi headquartered insurer lands in second (24.5), followed by Friends Provident International in third (23.0) and UK based multinational insurance company RSA in fourth (22.3).

Life Insurance Corporation (International) appeared in fifth (22.2) with the French insurance giants AXA Insurance taking sixth (21.5) place in the list.

Other notable brands that make it to the top ten this year include Cigna (21.2), Oman Insurance Company (20.1), Abu Dhabi National Insurance (20.0) and MetLife (19.9).

Financial Services

Within ‘Financial Services’ category, global payments technology company Visa tops the UAE rankings with a consideration score of +48.6 among UAE consumers who are aware of the brand. MasterCard (also an official Premier partner of Expo2020) and Western Union follow in third (45.7) and fourth (35.8).

The top ten list for financial services in UAE prominently features home-grown brands, with Al Ansari Exchange following Visa in second (48.0). National Bonds appears in the sixth place (25.7), while payit, the digital wallet platform, UAEXCHANGE and MashreqPay take the seventh (25.3), ninth (19.6) and tenth (19.3) place, respectively.

Digital wallet brand Apple Pay that launched in the Emirates a few years ago is placed in fifth (33.2) and Xpress Money secures the eighth (21.7) position in the top ten list for this category.

Methodology:

The brands in YouGov Finance Purchase Funnel Rankings are ranked based on their Consideration score among consumers who are Aware of each brand. This allows us to show which brands are most successful at converting Aware consumers into ones that would consider the brand when next in-market.

To identify the Aware audience we ask, ‘Which of the following brands have you ever heard of? Please select all that apply.’ And in follow up we ask the Consideration question, ‘When you are in the market next to use a product or service from a Financial Services brand, which of the following would you consider?’. The questions vary slightly from this template in different sub-sectors and regions.

The rankings chart shows the brands with the highest average Consideration score between 1st September 2020 -  31st August 2021. The scores are representative of Aware consumers within the general population of adults 18+.

All scores listed have been rounded to a single decimal place; however, we have used additional precision to assign ranks. All brands have been tracked for at least 6 months to be included in the rankings. 

Liquid, the award-winning retail ideas company fully dedicated to ensuring brands sell by helping shoppers buy, has further strengthened its management team with the appointment of Kristine Varma as its new Director of Finance & Operations for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). 

Kristine joins Liquid from Saatchi & Saatchi, where she held the position of regional Finance Director for 8 years. Kristine has also held a senior leadership role with Publicis Communications in the UAE.  Throughout her career, Kristine has been responsible for developing business and financial operations with a global remit. 

In her new role, Kristine will be responsible for the operational and financial direction of the organisation. In addition, she will play a crucial role in partnering with the leadership team to drive excellence throughout,  whilst contributing to the growth of Liquid as one of the leading retail ideas agencies in the Middle East and Europe.

A stalwart of the finance industry, Kristine has over 20 years of experience within a variety of senior roles, with key competencies firmly rooted in finance and business operations. Kristine has been recognised for her expertise on a number of occasions throughout her career.

Regarding her new role, Kristine said: “I am incredibly pleased to join one of the most exciting and fastest growing agencies around. I’m looking forward to delivering a fully integrated approach to financial and operational practices. The opportunity to work with some of the world’s best loved brands, as well as some of the leading minds in the industry is something I am really looking forward to. As the e-commerce industry across the region grows at an exponential rate, I am delighted to be part of the unique offering that Liquid brings.”

Sachinn J Laala, Founder and CEO at Liquid, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Kristine to the team with her wealth of experience in delivering excellence for a multitude of world-famous companies. A true professional, Kristine’s expertise in shaping dynamic practices will complement the growth of Liquid. We want to ensure that we attract talent and diversity in line with our clients’ needs, and with Kristine’s proven track record, we are proud to say we have one of the most talented and experienced teams in the industry”.

Liquid’s exponential growth comes off the back of a 35% increase in revenue in 2020, and follows Liquid’s recent move into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Europe - building upon its global hub office based out of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.