Wunderman Thompson Tunis wins Grand Prix for Tunisie Telecom's  Ahmini: The Uncovered initiative

Campaigns for global brands including Burger King, KFC, Nissan Patrol, OMO and Standard Chartered Bank, as well as local brands, such as Almosafer in Saudi Arabia, Babyshop in the UAE, Etisalat Misr in Egypt and Donner Sang Compter in Lebanon, are among the 16 winners of this year's WARC Prize for MENA Strategy.

Now in its fourth year, the Prize is in search of the best strategic marketing thinking that has driven results in the region. Free to enter, the winners of the Grand Prix and three Special Awards share a $10,000 prize fund.

The Grand Prix is awarded to Wunderman Thompson Tunis for Ahmini: The Uncovered, an initiative launched by telco provider Tunisie Telecom which harnessed the power of mobile to bring about social change for women in rural Tunisia.

Tunisie Telecom partnered with the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Women to create Ahmini (Arabic for 'protect me'), a platform providing a simplified way for female farmers, a group particularly vulnerable to social hardship, to claim entitled social benefits via their mobile phones. After six weeks, the number of registered female farmers grew by 18%, giving 10,000 more women security for life.

A further three Golds, four Silvers, eight Bronzes and three Special Awards, recognising specific areas of excellence, were also awarded by the judging panel made-up of 19 client- and agency-side top industry professionals chaired by Tarek El Kady, Senior Marketing Director, McDonald's Middle East & Africa.

Two of the winning entries are regional campaigns, with the other award-winning work for national markets - Saudi Arabia (6 awards), United Arab Emirates (4), Lebanon (2), Egypt (1), Tunisia (1).

Commenting on the winners, jury chair Tarek El Kady, Senior Marketing Director, McDonald's Middle East & Africa, said: "This year's winners show the incredible range of strategic approaches across the MENA region that are transforming businesses and brands. This selection of case studies provides strategists with helpful insights and ideas that will inspire them for years to come."

The WARC Prize for MENA Strategy 2020 winners are:

Grand Prix

The Uncovered · Ahmini · Tunisie Telecom · Wunderman Thompson Tunis, Ahmini · Tunisia

Gold                                                                                                              

Art Gap · Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) · Standard Chartered · TBWA\RAAD · United Arab Emirates

Launching Local Chicken · KFC · Yum! · TBWA\RAAD · Saudi Arabia + Brand Rebel Special Award

The Fair Telco Company · Jawwy · STC · FP7 McCann Dubai, FP7 McCann Riyadh · Saudi Arabia + Local Hero Special Award

Silver

The Gift of Mom · Babyshop · Landmark Group · FP7 McCann Dubai · United Arab Emirates

Blood Unity · Donner Sang Compter (DSC) · FP7 McCann Dubai · Lebanon

Every Step Counts · Emirates NBD · FP7 McCann Dubai · United Arab Emirates

Who said men don't cry? · Burger King · Wunderman Thompson KSA · Saudi Arabia

Bronze

The Ramadan campaign that didn't launch during Ramadan · Jawwy · STC · FP7 McCann Dubai, FP7 McCann Riyadh · Saudi Arabia

Hekaya - Family Talk · Etisalat Misr · FP7 McCann Cairo · Egypt

As far as we go · Almosafer · FP7 McCann Dubai · Saudi Arabia

Post-Credit Wash · OMO · Unilever · TBWA\RAAD · Lebanon

Conquer Everywhere · Nissan Patrol · Nissan · TBWA\RAAD · United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain + Research Excellence Special Award

Making meal-time fun time · Puck · Arla Foods · FP7 McCann Dubai · Pan Arab

Burjer Kinj · Burger King · Wunderman Thompson KSA · Saudi Arabia

Inspire What's Next · Emirates NBD · FP7 McCann Dubai · United Arab Emirates

Mondia, a leading technology company which specialises in the marketing and distribution of digital content, has announced that Jorge Seeliger has joined the company as Chief Product and Innovation Officer. 

Based in Madrid, Seeliger joins Mondia’s senior leadership team as Executive Board Member to deliver deep insight into business strategy, technology trends and user centricity that will drive the company’s business and enable innovation to provide greater digital experiences to its customers.  

In his new position, Seeliger will be responsible for the conceptualisation, development and management of Mondia’s overall product strategy, content, partnerships, and will be the driving force behind the company’s continued focus on innovation and transformation. 

Seeliger joins Mondia from IPG, one of the leading global marketing solutions specialists, where he held positions such as Chief Business Officer and Head of Innovation and Product for EMEA. 

Commenting on the appointment, Amadeo Rahmann, Chief Executive Officer of Mondia, said, “Jorge has extensive international leadership experience, a proven track record in business development and above all a passion for innovation that has been at the core of our DNA. He will be responsible for driving cutting-edge innovation, creating the most relevant and engaging digital experiences, taking our existing products to the next level and contributing to our transformation and accelerated growth. I welcome him to the Mondia family and wish him the very best in his new role.”

“Today marks the start of a very exciting new adventure where I can put all these years of working on other brands to good use and focus my energy on growing ours. I will continue to do what I love most – learning, innovating, questioning the status quo and connecting customers and companies in new and meaningful ways through technology,” said Seeliger. “I look forward to leading this incredibly talented team to even greater heights as we take Mondia on a new phase of growth,” he added. 

Seeliger’s work at IPG saw him win multiple global awards including Cannes Lion, Festival of Media Global, Campaign and WARC amongst others for projects ideated and led by him in collaboration with his team. He holds an Executive MBA degree from the IE Business School. 

The OSN production is the regional version of ITV Studio’s well-loved series ‘Come Dine With Me’

OSN, the region’s leading entertainment network, in collaboration with ITV Studios Middle East, has started filming the highly anticipated reality show Come Dine with Me, ‘Yalla Neta’asha’.

Following a UAE-wide casting call that took place in June earlier this year, contestants have been selected and shooting has now begun. The initial episodes are being filmed in contestants’ homes across Dubai in Dubai Marina, JBR, JVC and Warqaa. Future episodes are planned to be filmed across the other Emirates.

Shortlisted contestants have been selected to take part in the show based on their larger than life personalities, passion for hosting and cooking and on-screen charisma . In line with the original format, each week four contestants will take turns hosting each other at their houses for a dinner party where they have prepared a three-course dinner over four consecutive nights.    Guests will then secretly rate the evening out of ten with the top scorer revealed at the end of the week.

Rolla Karam, Interim Chief Content Officer at OSN said “Arab culture is synonymous with hospitality with the concept of “diyafa” entrenched in Arab history. With ‘Yalla Neta’asha’ we hope viewers will see a different kind of reality TV, something new and engaging and created right here in the region. We want to showcase the region’s love and passion for food, cultural diversity and Arab hospitality in the show in a fun and entertaining way. Filming is underway for the first season and if the first few episodes are anything to go by, viewers are in for a treat with Season 1.”

Catch the 45-episode series of Come Dine with Me, ‘Yalla Neta’asha’ on OSN and the OSN streaming app weekly from Sunday to Thursday this fall. 

Football star Omar Al Somah joins initiative to welcome back Saudi football season;

Hosts bespoke filter to celebrate the return

Instagram is welcoming the Saudi football season back with a brand-new initiative - #ThereinSpirit - that seeks to encourage fans to come together and in a single voice, share their love of the game in creative ways. To help fans express their excitement, Instagram has partnered with popular footballing star Omar Al Somah (@somah) to launch a voice-activated AR filter, tailor-made for its Saudi users, that will allow fans to bring their best stadium cheer to the platform.

With Saudi Arabia’s iconic stadiums quiet for the rest of the season as games are played without the presence of fans, Instagram is calling on fans to cheer through the sound-activated filter. The bi-lingual filter features icons inspired by the game with an exciting voice-activated effect that responds to commentary and cheers. The filter can be found on Omar Al Somah’s official accounts on Instagram. You can see how the new effect looks here. 

“This is a big moment for us – football has always been a great unifier in Saudi Arabia but with matches taking place in isolation, fans are being deprived of the energy of live, stadium events. This initiative is a great antidote – it channels that energy, excitement and exhilaration, unites our voices and shows the players on field that although we might be cheering from home, we are #ThereinSpirit,” said Al Somah.

In addition to Al Somah, popular content creators including Tarek AlHarbi (@6ar8o), Abdulrahman Al Shamri (@a.awd), Waleed Al Farraj (@waleed_alfarraj), Saja Kamal (@jajozz), Ibrahim Basha (@ibrahimbasha) and Ibraheem Alkhairallah (@fatkhairo) will also be taking to Instagram to share their thoughts and excitement surrounding the resumption of the season. With an arsenal of tools at their disposal - Instagram Live, IGTV, Instagram Stories, Feed and the custom filter – they will join football fans in the Kingdom in welcoming the games back to the stadiums.

“Instagram is the home for creators and young people who have established communities and connections, and already do amazing things on the platform. Many of these young creators are also avid football fans and this initiative allows them to use their talents to express their support for their teams. At a time when fans are unable to physically attend matches, our #ThereInSpirit campaign creates that sense of community and allows them to express their unwavering support for their teams regardless of where they might be.” said Samer Jamal, MENA Strategic Partnerships Manager at Instagram.

With the season on pause, in the wake of measures taken to combat COVID-19 in the Kingdom, Instagram has witnessed its community taking to the platform to continue celebrating the sport. Over the past two months, football has been a conversational mainstay on the platform in the Kingdom. With over 14K users on Instagram debating and discussing past and upcoming matches, football has been the most talked about sport on Instagram in Saudi Arabia, in comparison to other sports such as basketball or cricket. Instagram has also seen fans continue to show their enthusiasm for the sport and their teams by taking to Stories and using football-focused filters and stickers.

A new home for Tutankhamun’s treasures

30-minute Inside the Middle East special programme explores the conservation of treasures, the exhibits of the Grand Egyptian Museum and what it means for Egypt

Billed as Egypt’s gift to the world, the Grand Egyptian Museum is the biggest archaeological museum ever created and will house the greatest collection of artefacts from ancient Egypt.  Ahead of its opening, Nick Glass reports for CNN’s Inside the Middle East and goes behind the scenes at the museum, exploring the exhibits, conservation work and the museum’s significance as a major new cultural destination.

From architectural competition to planned opening next year, The Grand Egyptian Museum has taken nearly 20 years.  At almost half a million square metres, visitors may need to set aside two days to get around it. CNN first caught up with the project in 2018,  six years after construction  began, and spoke to Dr Tarek Tawfik,  Director-General, Grand Egyptian Museum Project, 2015-19 about the building: “It’s a new landmark that is being added to the complete view of the city of greater Cairo… for the first time the pyramids and the fantastic treasures of Tutankhamun will be eye to eye.”

The Conservation Centre for the Grand Egyptian Museum is the largest of its kind in the Middle East and experts are working to conserve over 5,000 artefacts from Tutankhamun alone. Inside the Middle East learns that Tutankhamun’s treasures will be the star attraction of the museum in an expansive 7,000 square metre exhibit featuring the most famous and recognisable artefacts alongside ceremonial chariots, daggers made from meteorite, golden thrones and textiles.

Dr Tayeb Abbas, Head of Archaeology, Grand Egyptian Museum explains the intrigue around Tutankhamun: “When you go really deeply into the collections… into the history of the king, you discover that he was a really important king… his life and death are still a mystery. And that’s why people all over the world are still fascinated by King Tutankhamun.”

The Grand Egyptian Museum is expected to attract two to three million visitors in the first year and up to seven or eight million in the longer term. That would make the new Museum among the top three most visited in the world.

“Today more than 96.5 % of the museum is finished,” Major General Atef Moftah, General Supervisor, Grand Egyptian Museum tells CNN, “The project is scheduled to be finished by the end of this year. Then at the beginning of next year, we will work on the antiquities side of the project for four to six months. Hopefully by then, Covid-19 will be over and have left the world in peace.”

Inside the Middle East airs on CNN International at the following times:

Saturday 8th August 06:00 BST

Sunday 9th August 11:00 and 17:00 BST

Monday 10th August 04:00 BST

Saturday 15th August 06:30 and 20:00 BST

Sunday 16th August 03:00 and 18:00 BST

A new set of e-commerce tools to help brands build an effective A new set of e-commerce tools to help brands build an effective e-commerce marketing strategy

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent country lockdowns have driven 10 years of e-commerce growth in an eight-week period, prompting a rethink of all the marketing fundamentals. 

As advertisers come under pressure to deliver e-commerce sales, WARC, the global authority on marketing effectiveness, has today released an evidence-based and practical report to help:

David Tiltman, VP Content, WARC, comments: "Advertising investment has shifted into shoppable and e-commerce formats, and many companies have had to develop their e-commerce strategies on the fly, breaking down previous silos to drive growth. This shift will have a profound effect on the way marketers plan their media budgets."

Lena Roland, Managing Editor, WARC Knowledge, continues: "Effective marketing in the age of e-commerce may mean new thinking in terms of some of the 'basics' - like packaging and pricing. It may mean new media choices, and new internal organisations.

"But it is also clear that brand remains key in online retail. In an age of almost limitless choice, brand recognition and trust translates into pricing power. Creative brand-building, therefore, remains key."

WARC's Guide to E-commerce covers five key themes:

1. The acceleration of e-commerce

Edge by Ascential, WARC's sister company, has revised the e-commerce growth outlook for 2020 from +22.2% to +30.4%. Brands in sectors such as FMCG are seeing rapid increases in online orders and have a growing range of options to sell through. Marketplaces such as Amazon and Alibaba have seen exceptional growth, omnichannel retailers like Walmart and Target are expanding their online offering and platforms like Shopify and Instacart have risen in prominence.

Brands that currently don't sell direct-to-consumer can partner with a combination of traditional omnichannel retailers, major online marketplaces and pure-play operators to drive e-commerce growth.

2. Marketing goes back to basics

Effectiveness in the e-commerce age requires a rethink of all the marketing fundamentals: product, place and price as well as promotion.

Brands are offering bigger packs and multi-buy options, at different price points, as they look to boost profitability out of online retail. Delivery is a new 'moment of truth' for online brands, with packaging a key touchpoint. Unboxing is a key brand opportunity to stand out.

Patrick Miller, Co-founder, Flywheel Digital, comments: "Unboxing moments are no longer just for Apple products... Today, it's even for toilet paper. How does the product arrive and what's it like to open up the product and then put it away in a pantry at home?"

Meanwhile, direct-to-consumer brands with significant first-party data are rethinking their approach to driving repeat purchases. For these brands, the concept of customer lifetime value will become more important.

3. The shift to shoppable media

E-commerce platforms like Alibaba in China and omnichannel retailers like Walmart and Target in the US are becoming advertising and media destinations in their own right. Amazon has seen record growth in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak with ad revenues rising 43.8% ($1.2bn) to $3.9bn in Q1 2020, as brands look for ad formats linked to e-commerce.

Shoppable ads are now a key trend in digital advertising, with social platforms looking to extend their reach into e-commerce via shoppable formats and storefronts within their platforms.

For brands, these trends bring e-commerce and media strategy much closer; many brands are rethinking the way their budgets are siloed to enable better investment.

Jill Baskin, Chief Marketing Officer, The Hershey Company, said: "It's been an interesting, and very quick, journey to bring all of those budgets together, and to plan them together so that we aren't overlapping each other or shingling, as we call it, one offer on top of another."

4. The dangers of short-termism

The rise of shoppable formats and e-commerce media is likely to accelerate the shift toward short-termism identified by researchers such as Les Binet and Peter Field. And that will only be compounded by recession.

Yet there is evidence that a strong brand is key to driving traffic, boosting performance of direct-response ads and maintaining price premiums online. Balance is key - it's not a question of investment in either brand or activation, but a smart blend of both.

Trust is vital in e-commerce, not just in the brand but in the entire end-to-end experience.

Simon Ingram, Global Account Director, Ecommerce and Digital Specialist, MediaCom, says: "Skew too heavily into 'lower funnel' media investment options, such as Google, Amazon Search, affiliate networks and re-targeting, at the expense of the high-reach broadcast media and your brand equity will decline rapidly, followed by a decline in your much cheaper and better-converting brand search volumes, followed by the price consumers are willing to pay for your products."

5. The rise of live streaming

COVID-19 has accelerated the growth of livestreaming e-commerce in China: a powerful combination of influencers, video, social and online selling. According to Yimian, WARC's sister company, the number of livestreaming users reached 560 million in China as of March 2020 - 62% of the country's total number of internet users.

Discount-driven and convenience-led, livestreaming is particularly suited to products that have a short decision cycle, such as food, fashion and beauty. That said, automotive and luxury brands are experimenting with livestreams, which is driving awareness and consumer engagement.

The latest phase of livestreaming puts Chinese business leaders from brands such as McDonald's and Hema centre-stage, to engage consumers and even launch new products.

Aruna Narandran, Senior Account Director, AKQA Singapore,advises: "Rather than jump on the bandwagon, the best approach is to consider how livestreaming might complement a brands core offering in the long-term." 

Launching in August, OPPO’s Find More campaign encourages the UAE to push boundaries and explore more possibilities  

Global smartphone brand OPPO has partnered with three Find More Explorers – award-winning content creator, YouTuber and online personality EMKWAN, Nayla al-Kaaja, the first female film director-producer in the UAE and renowned photographer Jumanah Jolie – to create a video series aimed at inspiring the people of the UAE to continue pushing their boundaries of creativity, deliver content that reflects their creative potential, and essentially strive for more. Conveying the spirit to explore more possibilities, OPPO’s latest Find More campaign salutes these explorers who have pushed themselves to achieve new heights in their respective fields.

Exploration has been in OPPO’s DNA since its inception when it embarked on a journey to explore and pioneer extraordinary technology. The Find series signifies the spirit of exploration and with the unique Find More campaign, OPPO aims to inspire and empower people with explorer stories to tell to find their own X factor and take a step further to push to their full potential. 

The Find More campaign has been launched across the world, with global OPPO Explorers including British actor Eddie Redmayne. The actor’s deep devotion to the performing art and courage to explore more echoes with OPPO’s relentless pursuit of the perfect synergy of innovation. For the UAE, OPPO wanted to work with local talent who embodied the essence of the campaign, who constantly create new possibilities for themselves and strive to achieve more.    

Ivan Wu, UAE Country Manager commented, “The MENA region is a market full of opportunities for people who dare to dream, explore and view things from a new perspective, The Find More campaign brings this ethos to life through three of the region’s most prolific content creators. We believe the campaign truly embodies what OPPO stands for as a brand, so it was important for us that the campaign reflected the local talent of the UAE. We equipped our explorers with the best OPPO technology so we could inspire them to create beautiful content and we’re excited to reveal their experiences.”  

Through the UAE campaign, viewers will uncover why exploration opens endless doors for creative possibility for Nayla Al Khaja, how EMKWAN is always stepping out of his comfort zone and exploring with tech and how Jumanah Jolie uses OPPO to capture things from a different perspective.   

Mobile remains the fastest growing channel despite budgets being impacted by COVID-19 crisis

Mobile budgets are being impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, but mobile remains the fastest growing channel, with nearly all marketing professionals (94%) considering mobile advertising as effective.

These are some of the findings included in the State of the Industry: Mobile Marketing in EMEA 2020, an annual report released today, providing a current snapshot into how brands, agencies, media owners and tech vendors see the impact of mobile - its use as a tool for advertising effectively, as well as opportunities and concerns, particularly following the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report is based on a survey of 596 marketing professionals across 26 markets in EMEA, carried out in April and May 2020 by WARC, the global authority on marketing effectiveness, on behalf of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), the world's leading global non-profit trade association.

The report highlights the following key insights in EMEA:

Mobile budgets are impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, but mobile remains the fastest growing channel

Half (49%) of marketing professionals, up from 40% in 2019, are allocating more than 25% of their budget to mobile. WARC adspend data show it is the fastest growing media and the biggest driver of internet growth.

However, COVID-19 has inevitably had an impact on budgets. Prior to the outbreak, 66% were expecting their mobile budgets to rise over the next year. Now, only 39% feel the same.

Mobile video will be key for 2020 and beyond

On average, 50% of mobile budgets are being allocated to mobile video, which will be a key focus for the largest proportion of marketing professionals.

The growth in consumption of mobile video is seen by respondents as the most significant consumer behaviour impacting marketing for 2020. The rise of apps like TikTok and Quibi will be substantial over the next 12 months.

Marketers are creating mobile-specific content to drive engagement

Three quarters of respondents are considering ad length and design when creating content for mobile, and the growth of e-commerce has driven developments in mobile-based branded content and shoppable ads.

Advertising via mobile gaming is also expected to grow as 5G advances present a leap in performance.

By 2025, 48% of marketing professionals expect mobile-based branded content to be their main focus.

Programmatic trade drives mobile display advertising strength

Mobile display advertising is used in a quarter of campaigns and is the biggest 2020 focus for 47% of marketing professionals.

These results reflect the growth in mobile display advertising that has been fuelled by the boom in programmatic trade. Paid search and mobile display now account for almost all of the global mobile ad investment, and respondents to this survey said they were using mobile display in a quarter of all their campaigns.

Nearly all marketers (94%) see mobile devices as effective

Overall, mobile marketing has consistently been seen as effective over the past five years, with the increasing investment in the channel reflecting this confidence.

And though the COVID-19 outbreak has reduced budgets, the initial signs are that mobile advertising has been less affected than desktop advertising, with marketers seeing higher levels of effectiveness on mobile due to increasing usage.

73% of respondents use engagement metrics to measure mobile effectiveness.

Summing up, Amy Rodgers, Managing Editor Research & Rankings, WARC, said: "The findings of this year's survey reveal that despite reduced budgets bought on by COVID-19, mobile marketing remains the fastest growing channel providing opportunities, such as mobile video, e-commerce and gaming, for brands to effectively engage with consumers."

Chris Babayode, Managing Director, MMA EMEA, commented: "This is our fifth year in publishing this report that is designed to give comprehensive insights and guidance for marketers, agencies, and media owners alike with data to benchmark their clients and peers, gain guidance on marketing and mobile trends, and identify future challenges and opportunities, especially based on this most unusual year."

Concern is the highest about sharing shopping areas with tourists, followed by restaurants

As Dubai attempts to return to normal life and resume international tourism and hospitality, YouGov’s latest survey asked respondents about their comfort of sharing public places with international tourists and the areas of concern.

When asked about their concerns of sharing public places with tourists, the majority of respondents (56%) claimed to be very or somewhat concerned about sharing shopping spaces with them. Among the different age groups, concern is highest among young adults (between 18-24 years) while it is the least among respondents aged 45+ (64% vs 44%).

Just above half (53%) are worried about dining in at the same restaurant as these visitors, as well as being in the same tourist spots with them (52%). We see a notable difference between the level of comfort among the genders. Women are much more likely than men to be worried about eating in the same restaurants as tourists (60% vs 49%).

It is interesting to note that fear about being present in all the listed public areas along with tourists is higher among Asian expats than respondents from other nationality groups.

In general, these concerns are likely to be influenced by the country of travel origin, with seven in ten (69%) UAE residents agreeing with the statement ‘My concerns with international tourists depend on the country they are travelling from’.

Even though there is apprehension about welcoming international travellers, the majority (83%) believe opening up the country to tourists will have a positive impact on the economy. UAE residents think this decision is most likely to benefit Hotel and Airline industries (62% each). Respondents aged 45+ are most likely to believe in this possibility (at 72%) as compared to the rest of the age groups.

Some residents think Cultural destinations and Shopping malls (37% and 32%) will also benefit from this move, while fewer believe this step will prove advantageous to Restaurants (25%) and Leisure & Entertainment venues (24%).

YouGov Omnibus data collected online among 1000 respondents in the UAE between 15th and 22nd July 2020 using YouGov’s panel of over 6 million people worldwide. Data is representative of the adult national population in UAE.

BPG Orange is leveraging 40+ years of experience and insights to support startups and SMEs in the current economic climate

Dubai-headquartered integrated communications agency BPG Orange, part of the BPG Group and WPP network, has unveiled a suite of marketing packages designed to support and empower regional businesses as they focus on recovery after the pandemic. These include affordably priced startup and SME packages for advertising, branding, social media and PR, leveraging BPG Orange’s expertise in integrated marketing.

BPG Orange packages for startups are affordably priced, providing tangible ROI and real value. Despite the pandemic, start-ups have continued to attract venture capital funds and angel investors. A recent MAGNiTT report shows that the past six months saw a total of $659 million invested in 251 deals in MENA-based startups - the UAE remained the most active startup ecosystem in the region with 26 per cent of all deals. 

“As engines of economic growth, startups play a key role in the region’s economic diversification, creating jobs, attracting investment and sparking innovation. After the COVID-19 upheavals, economic outlooks remain hazy but everyday consumer behavior has clearly changed. In an outstandingly short timeframe, people have adopted new habits, increased adoption of digital and virtual communication solutions and shown remarkable resilience. For startups entering the new normal, it’s time to assess priorities, revitalize and even reinvent marketing strategies to prepare for the future,” said Arif Ladhabhoy, general manager, BPG Orange.

During these difficult times, BPG Orange prioritized authenticity and innovation. Using a combination of new technologies and old fashioned listening, the agency has supported clients in achieving core objectives. These client-centric and pragmatic strategies ensured continued wins in H1 2020, even through the pandemic.

Adding to the impressive roster of existing clients such as Booz Allen Hamilton, HMD Global, Innoventures Education, Jumbo Group, KPMG, Sony and Warner Media, BPG Orange won a vibrant cross-sector mix of clients and projects in 2020 spanning consumer goods, fintech, telecoms, technology and genomics. These include Adol, Aladdin.life, BGI, Deezer Saudi Arabia, Lifecare, PayBy and Philip Morris International, among others.

In 2018, the PR, creative and digital agencies within the BPG Group were merged to create BPG Orange. “We build integrated teams around clients, with a single account lead rather than separate teams,” explained Ketaki Banga, Chief Operating Officer, BPG Orange. “This allows us to function without the frame bias of traditional or siloed agencies, and be able to objectively recommend relevant marketing and communications solutions for our clients’ challenges. Our clients benefit from the agency’s integrated experience, as well as a unique culture that offers boutique agency personalization with big agency competencies within the WPP network.”

Avi Bhojani, Group CEO, BPG Group, summed up: “Despite the pandemic, we are optimistic about the UAE’s resilience and dynamism of homegrown businesses. We have been here for more than four decades and are proud to have supported various creative and disruptive ideas that defined the region. As an agency, we want to do our bit to help rebuild businesses and kickstart the economy by nurturing a supportive ecosystem that enables the UAE’s future growth and progress.”