Campaign's Digital Faces to Watch 2025 – Lara Assaad Issa, Digital Strategist, MRM
Campaign's Digital Faces to Watch 2025 – Lara Assaad Issa, Digital Strategist, MRM
Campaign's Digital Faces to Watch 2025 – Lara Assaad Issa, Digital Strategist, MRM
Age: 29
Nominated by Derrick Nyirenda, Head of Strategy:
Lara Issa is a storyteller at heart, a wordsmith by passion, and a digital strategist by trade. Her ability to choose words, craft stories, and turn data into meaningful narratives has helped brands across automotive, retail, aviation, real estate, beauty, health and energy sectors develop digital and content strategies that truly connect with their audiences. With expertise in journalism, social listening, content strategy, and brand storytelling, she believes the right message can change everything. Now, she's taking her passion further—positioning herself as a thought leader and coach, helping entrepreneurs, businesses, and professionals navigate the digital world with confidence. For Lara, strategy isn't ONLY about numbers—it's about listening to the customer and crafting brand narratives around their stories.
Career highlights
Lara Issa is a strategic storyteller with a 360° view of social media, having worked as an executive, content creator, analyst, and strategist. A USAID scholarship recipient in Journalism with a minor in Advertising, she graduated with honors, refining her skills in writing, communication management, and social listening to help brands craft impactful narratives. As a Digital & Social Strategist at MRM/McCann, she has been part of transformative projects, including one for an automotive client that won an industry award. Passionate about brand storytelling and audience insights, Lara is now positioning herself as a thought leader and coach, empowering businesses and professionals to navigate the digital world with confidence.
Guiding principles
Authenticity, impact, and storytelling with purpose. I believe in the power of words to inspire, connect, and drive change. Listening is the foundation of strategy, and every brand has a story worth telling. My mission is to craft narratives that resonate, empower, and leave a lasting imprint in the digital world.
Side hustle
Journalist: StriveME, Home Magazine. Blog and write poems sometimes. Future jewelry designer.
Go back to main article: Campaign's Digital Faces to Watch 2025
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
9 hours ago
- The National
Will Donald Trump forgive Elon Musk after 'regrets' post?
Mercurial tech tycoon Elon Musk retracted some of his criticism of President Donald Trump early Wednesday morning, after the Tesla chief and the US leader had a public falling out last week. "I regret some of my posts about President Trump last week," he posted to X, the social media platform he owns. "They went too far." Given the range of posts directed at Mr Trump last week, it is not entirely clear which ones he is sorry for. Several days ago, however, Mr Musk did delete one of the more controversial posts in which he claimed Mr Trump was named in the Epstein files and that was why he had not released them. The documents, which have not been made fully public, concern the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and have long been the subject of speculation by Trump supporters, who have demanded their full release in the belief that they contain the names of high-ranking Democrats. Inclusion in the files does not necessarily imply any wrongdoing. Last week, shortly after Mr Musk announced his plans to step away from his role in the Trump administration, he used his social media platform to blast Mr Trump's much touted 'big, beautiful' tax bill, describing it as a 'disgusting abomination' that would blow up the national debt. The abrupt turn against Mr Trump's signature legislation came after the disintegration of the partnership between the two men that lasted more than a year and saw Mr Musk donate hundreds of millions of dollars to Mr Trump's presidential campaign. Many argue that crucial funding was the difference between victory and defeat for Mr Trump, who faced off against Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, who was then vice president. After Mr Trump's win, Mr Musk's remit was to cut federal waste through the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency. But within the first few months of the Trump administration, reports indicated Mr Musk's presence had begun to grate with the President. Some have argued that the partnership began to fracture when Mr Trump's advocacy for tariffs put a strain on the various entrepreneurial endeavours of Mr Musk. Mr Trump also sought to cease electric vehicle subsidies that had previously boosted Tesla's bottom line. Regardless, as of last week, there appeared to be no love lost between the two men, both of whom have a large social media presence. After the series of posts to X by Mr Musk, Mr Trump alleged that the Tesla chief had "lost his mind". So while it's unclear what caused the sudden, quasi-apology from Mr Musk, it probably all comes down to money. Mr Trump had posted to his own social media platform, Truth Social, that as a result of Mr Musk betraying him, he would try to halt all federal contracts with his various companies, such as Starlink, SpaceX and others. If that comes to fruition, Mr Musk could lose billions. Last week's posts also hurt the already wounded Tesla, whose stock dropped after Mr Musk began his tirade. Tesla has since recovered most of the value lost. On Wednesday morning, it was up more than 2 per cent shortly after the opening bell. What many are still wondering, however, is whether Mr Trump will forgive Mr Musk. He has yet to post anything in response, and it should be pointed out that Mr Musk has not exactly changed his mind and endorsed Mr Trump's tax and spending bill, seen as the culmination of many of the President's campaign promises.
The National
30-05-2025
- The National
Trump bids farewell to Musk after brief turbulent tenure as adviser
US President Donald Trump on Friday held a farewell for Elon Musk, his billionaire adviser whose brief tenure was marred with controversy. Mr Musk, the world's richest man, dressed all in black and with a black eye, stood next to Mr Trump in the Oval Office to officially take his leave, more than four months after he was charged with slashing governmental spending through the Department of Government Efficiency, or 'Doge'. 'Elon is really not leaving – he's going to be back and forth,' Mr Trump said. 'I have a feeling it's [ Doge ] his baby, and I think he's going to be doing a lot of things, but Elon's service to America has been without comparison in modern history.' His 130-day mandate as a special government employee in the Trump administration was set to expire around May 30, the White House said. As head of Doge, Mr Musk slashed tens of thousands of government jobs, arguing the move would cut unnecessary spending and corruption. He also shuttered entire departments, including the US Agency for International Development (USAID). In March, a federal judge ruled Mr Musk's actions on USAID were likely unconstitutional. The Trump administration also said the cuts took aim at diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes, a major target of the President's ire. But the effort was marred with controversy, with reports of inefficiency and inadequate planning leading to some hastily laid-off employees being asked to return to work. Mr Musk said he would continue to advise the President. 'This is not the end of Doge, but really the beginning of my time as a special government employee,' he said. He said that his team had slashed $160 million in spending – far short of the $2 trillion he said it would cut. 'I'm confident that over time, we'll see a trillion dollars of savings and reduction in a trillion dollars' of waste,' he said. Mr Musk's departure from the White House comes after a report by the New York Times said that he heavily used ketamine on the 2024 campaign trail, when he made numerous appearances to rally support for Mr Trump in swing states like Pennsylvania. The newspaper said that Mr Musk also took other drugs, including ecstasy and mushrooms, and travelled with a large pill box. During the lengthy and often disjointed Oval Office news conference, Mr Musk was asked about the bruise near his right eye. He said his young son, X, had punched him in the face. 'Well, it wasn't anywhere near France,' Mr Musk said referencing footage showing French first lady Brigitte Macron shoving her husband, Emmanuel Macron, in the face before he descended from a plane on Sunday. 'I was horsing around with little X and I said, go ahead, punch me in the face, and he did,' he said.
Campaign ME
30-05-2025
- Campaign ME
MCN's MRM MENAT appoints Warren Davey as GM of MRM KSA
MRM MENAT, a leading integrated digital and customer experience agency – part of the Middle East Communications Network (MCN), has appointed Warren Davey as General Manager of MRM KSA. With more than 27 years of international experience in commercial growth and brand transformation, Davey brings a rare blend of deep regional understanding and a global strategic outlook. In Saudi Arabia, he has led integrated marketing strategies across sectors including tourism, culture, education, entertainment – driving stronger audience engagement, brand visibility and long-term impact. Previously, Davey held senior leadership roles at McCann Erickson Worldgroup across Europe and the Americas, managing global accounts including UPS, American Airlines, and TUI Travel, while building high-performing teams and expanding integrated capabilities. Commenting on the appointment, Karim Slim, CEO of MRM MENAT, said, 'We recognise the scale, pace and ambition of change underway in Saudi Arabia, and understand what it takes for brands to grow in a strategically evolving market. Our role at MRM is to partner with our clients to build strong, lasting connections with long-term value. Warren's appointment strengthens our commitment to the Kingdom and brings onboard a leader who knows the market deeply and can help take our clients into the future.' Known for its strategic depth and creatively led, data-driven approach, MRM aims to continue solidifying its presence in the Kingdom as a trusted digital consultancy and full-service partner to leading brands and institutions across Saudi Arabia. Spearheaded by Karim Slim, CEO of MRM MENAT, the agency operates at the intersection of creativity, technology, data and strategy, offering a unique combination of capabilities that help clients unlock business transformation and growth, deepen customer relationships, and deliver long-term impact. With end-to-end integration across consulting, content, CRM, commerce, and performance, MRM provides seamless, insight-led solutions that bridge strategy and execution. Trusted by some of Saudi Arabia's most influential institutions, MRM continues to empower both public and private sector leaders in transforming their marketing and customer experience strategies to align with the bold ambitions of Vision 2030. Sharing his thoughts on the new role, Davey said, 'Joining MRM at this pivotal time is an opportunity to contribute to a market that's setting new global benchmarks in innovation and growth. With deep local experience and a global lens, I've seen how insight-led, integrated marketing can drive meaningful impact. MRM's unique combination of digital consultancy, creativity, data and technology allows us to help clients scale with purpose and build enduring brand value in an ever-evolving landscape.'
