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Campaign ME
a day ago
- Business
- Campaign ME
Campaign Breakfast Briefing: Leaders reach a consensus on critical marketing strategies
Campaign Middle East has successfully concluded its third event of the year – Campaign Breakfast Briefing: Marketing Strategies 2025 – which witnessed a room full of client-side marketers, agency and adtech leaders reaching a consensus to get back to the fundamentals of curiosity, creativity, consumer-first mindsets and cold hard business outcomes at the Grand Plaza Mövenpick in Dubai Media City on 29 May. The event began with a look at the fundamental shift towards 'outcomes' to drive business impact. Panel discussions at the event also dissected human-first approaches, personalisation, and the importance of brand fundamentals as channels fragment at speed. Panelists discussed how B2B and B2C expectations are converging, and how AI is increasingly shaping how audiences discover and interact with content and brands. Marketers and industry leaders also discussed the benefits of a fragmented media landscape, the shift from traditional media to precision media, the impact of AI on marketing strategies and the need for brands to adapt to consumer behaviour in an era when consumer attention is fleeting. Challenges around cross-channel measurement were voiced and the potential of creative storytelling and innovative marketing strategies were reinforced. Additionally, the 'education piece' and cultural relevance were discussed while keeping an eye on brand and business outcomes as well as creative ambition. Panellists discussed how to craft creative campaigns that not only inspire but also drive tangible results and resonate deeply with diverse communities. Here's an in-depth look into how the event – organised by Motivate Media Group's Campaign Middle East, in partnership with Bloomberg Media, Platformance, and SRMG Media Solutions – panned out: Welcome speech The event began with a welcome speech by Nadeem Quraishi, Publisher, Campaign Middle East, who briefed the attendees about the brand's latest developments. Quraishi introduced Campaign Middle East's first bilingual edition of The Saudi Report, which marked the brand's first inclusion of Arabic-language content in print in its 16-year history. He also announced the official launch of the brand's Arabic-language website, expanding its digital offering to better serve audiences across the region. He shared the latest details about Campaign Middle East's Agency of the Year Awards, which is scheduled to take place on 11 December in Dubai, as well as about Athar Festival 2025, which is set to be bigger and bolder this year with more than 3,000 attendees, more than 150 speakers, more than 80 activations, and several new zones such as content creation, AI, production, and luxury brand marketing, among others. Chair's opening remarks Campaign Middle East Editor Anup Oommen then took the stage to deliver the chair's opening remarks. He discussed how marketers need to add a 'protein shake' of marketing strategy to their diet — blending creativity, culture, credibility and storytelling. Oommen detailed how generative AI, agentic AI, shopping agents and other AI tools are revolutionising the full marketing funnel, before calling for marketers to embrace change, try-test-and-scale strategies, and choose to upskill quickly rather than relying on what worked in the past. 'If time, attention and engagement are the marketing battlegrounds of the present, then consumer-first approaches of trust and empathy will be the marketing battlegrounds of the near future. Transactional relationships in the market absolutely won't make the cut any more. The industry requires meaningful partnerships with stakeholders across the supply chain; and brands need to resonate more deeply and more personally with communities and individuals,' he said. Calling it a 'challenging path' but one that is brimming with opportunity for those willing to lead the charge, Oommen added, 'Although this may sound very uncomfortable – we must embrace change, choose to educate ourselves, harness technology and cultivate marketing strategies that are both meaningful and measurable.' Keynote: The outcomes graph: Why the future of marketing is not where you advertise, but what it delivers Getting the event started, Wade Eagar, Chief Marketing Officer, took the attendees on a journey into the Outcomes Graph, exploring the shift from media placement to business impact. Eager highlighted the importance of outcome driven marketing, calling for a return to keeping the end-goal-in-mind instead of being focused on a budget-first approach. He also stressed on the need for cross-functional collaboration and performance-driven strategies to to shift the focus from mere metrics to business business outcomes. 'Outcome is a fundamental shift going back to how we drive business value,' Eager said. 'Start with the outcome, not the brief. Measure what you own — and this is the piece I want to bring home — move away from focusing only on the external data that we spend so much time measuring and building a nice story around, and move towards the internal data that shows up on the P&L. However, it's not about throwing the baby out with the bathwater, it's about stitching these two together to align with business outcomes.' He also called for marketers to become a lot more 'commercial' in the sense of learning to work cross-functionally. As a result, there's a shift coming through where marketers are asking: What does the business need, rather than how can we deliver a brief based on the given budget? 'The new marketer is not asking is it brand versus performance — they're looking at both; they're not getting rid of the creative — they're asking for the creative to perform; they're not saying get rid of the data — they're asking for value within the data rather than volume. At the end of the day, we need to understand our customers, and help them to take an exit that drives business value,' Eager concluded. Panel 1: Next-gen marketing: Personalisation, AI and the blurring lines of B2B and B2C The first panel discussion of the day witnessed multiple client-side marketers leading the charge, including: Aimee Peters , Regional Head of Brand, Partnerships and Wholesale Marketing, MENAT, HSBC , Regional Head of Brand, Partnerships and Wholesale Marketing, MENAT, Loay Nour, Vice President – Brand and Marketing Communications, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Vice President – Brand and Marketing Communications, Sohail Nawaz, MBE, Head of Retail Media, Landmark Group, and Head of Retail Media, and Virginie Ludmer, Director of Marketing & PR, Volkswagen Middle East The panel, powered by Bloomberg Media and moderated by Emily Bentley, Head of Client Marketing, MEA at Bloomberg Media, discussed ways to navigate complex B2B sign-off chains to meeting B2C's demand for deeper, more meaningful connections, using strategies that engage with both humans and machines. The session also explored how to create campaigns that are not only intelligent and personalised, but also authentic, locally resonant and built for a landscape where trust, nuance and relevance matter more than ever. Aimee Peters emphasised the importance of brand fundamentals as channels fragment at speed, calling for marketers to hold on to old-school essentials, including curiosity, creativity, empathy and 'cold hard business outcomes'. Peters explained, 'The curiosity about why people do the things that they do is always going to underpin everything. The ability to challenge is always critical. But you can't constructively challenge if you're not curious and if you're not thinking about humans,' Peters said. 'We have to market to be human, first and foremost. But as we get deeper into sort of proposition-level marketing, we start to distinguish through much more personalised campaigns, which is where the distinction becomes much more apparent. However, the critical piece is that we need to think about being human-first.' The discussion also explored how personalisation has progressed from predictive AI — figuring out the best time to send that prospective and speculative marketing email moving into generative AI, where AI crafts bespoke content — to an era of Agentic AI, where shopping agents reach out to consumers on their birthdays, asking about their celebration plans and then taking care of their outfit shopping, from discovery to purchase and having it delivered all before they head out to celebrate. Speaking about the need for 'secret cyborgs' to be celebrated, Sohail Nawaz, MBE, explained, 'Secret cyborgs are those people who are using AI, but nobody knows they are using AI because they're not telling you what they're using. This is interesting at a time where business leadership is figuring out a clear policy on what they ought to do with AI and the governance around it. In such a context, there needs to be a lab set-up within the business environment that pulls these secret cyborgs to test AI tools.' He added, 'These stealth employees using AI are now becoming pioneers in new AI lab environments that companies are setting up, even as leadership teams set out their clear vision for AI's impact on the workplace and organisation. What does this teach us? Don't wait to be an AI expert — just be AI active.' Addressing the conversation around business-to-business (B2B) audiences and business-to-consumer (B2C) audiences, Loay Nour said, 'We make sure that whenever we create any campaign that we take into consideration the two audiences and the channels — especially as we go through the creation of the process. What's interesting is not only B2C and B2B audiences, which we always think about, but also how to create a funnel for B2B2C, because they become your advocates to promote your brand and your campaign.' Wrapping up the discussion well on the blurring lines between B2B and B2C, Virginie Ludmer said, 'At the end of the day, the brand promise is the same. At the end of the day, we're all looking to enhance the customer experience. Whether we're working alongside our dealerships, in terms of B2B, or our consumers, in terms of B2C, we need to really ensure that their success is also our success — together.' To view the panel discussion in its entirety, stay tuned for the full video of the Campaign Breakfast Briefing that will be added to this article shortly. Panel 2: Fragmented media landscape: A boon or a bane for marketing in the Middle East? The second panel, conducted in partnership with SRMG Media Solutions, and moderated by Nader Bitar, Director of Digital Solutions, SRMG, welcomed to the stage, Mitin Chakraborty , Head of Marketing , Babyshop, Nikola Djordjevic, Head of Marketing, ASICS Arabia, Andrew Ene , Head of Performance, Spark Foundry MENA, and , Head of Performance, and Anjana Murali, Associate Director – Growth & Best Practices, Keyade Middle East The panellists delved into an in-depth discussion on capturing attention and connecting with consumers in a fragmented media landscape; identifying core target audiences and the most relevant media channels to reach them; as well as developing a cohesive brand story that can be consistently communicated across chosen media touchpoints. Nikola Djordjevic said, 'We have all seen a major shift in the way customers consume media and entertainment, and we all need to be where these customers and consumers are. These people don't want to be passive consumers of media on traditional channels such as television anymore; they want to consume on the go and whenever and wherever they choose. So, I think, we as brands need to evolve, as well. It's not about going omnichannel every time. Instead, we need to pick our battles and choose the best medium contextually at a given moment of time depending on where — and when — the consumer wants it.' Mitin Chakraborty built on this discussion, calling for brands to pick and choose channels that are relevant to the brand, and based on what's relevant to the customer and to the category. 'I think that magical mix is what we need – a mix of logic and magic; a mix of the art and the science, which is super critical,' Chakraborty said. 'I think it goes back to always us as marketers, really identifying: What's the problem that we're trying to solve? Now, there are those who may call it grand idea to focus on purpose, but I think it's very important if you're trying to chase brand equity within this fragmented space, It's very important for us to know what is our biggest story, and how that is being translated across every touch point for our customers.' During the discussion, Andrew Ene also shared how the marketers' mindsets have now shifted to multi-channel more than omnichannel, especially since the latter is a term that has been overused through the years. Ene said, 'Omnichannel is more about what's the brand truth that you're trying to communicate to the consumer, and how do you make sure that you communicate that brand truth consistently across every touch point that the consumer engages with. However, when you're thinking of multi-channel strategies, you're thinking about making a choice about where you have the right to win based on where the consumers are at in a fragmented media landscape, and then crafting a story that touches all of those points.' Anjana Murali added, 'The way we fundamentally think about marketing is shifting. Quite often, we find ourselves as marketers sitting in a room to identify five personas that match our brand. However, if you're thinking of narrowing all of your target audiences into merely five personas, you're already missing out. This is where algorithms and AI come into the picture. They can predict and reach people far better than we used to do, and can do.' She continues, 'However, just because AI and algorithms seem to be doing the heavy lifting, it doesn't mean some of us marketers can take a nap. It's important to marry the two together — what AI can do and what we bring to the table in terms of our experience, the creative, understanding the feedback, leveraging what message resonates with the user, and more. That creative and strategic input still lies with us — and that's why at the core, we are still needed.' Before the panel concluded, Chakraborty also highlighted standardised measurement as a common pain point that needs to be addressed on priority — a problem that's becoming a road block for marketers trying to join the dots in terms of decision-making around platforms, providers and an ideal full-funnel approach. To view the panel discussion in its entirety, stay tuned for the full video of the Campaign Breakfast Briefing that will be added to this article shortly. Fireside chat: Balancing creative ambition, business objectives, and community-driven demand for relevance The final discussion of the event, a fireside chat with marketers, explored ways to measure the effectiveness of cultural relevance within campaigns, while simultaneously staying aligned with broader brand and business objectives. The fireside chat, moderated by Anup Oommen, Editor, Campaign Middle East, welcomed on stage two client-side marketers, including, Iva Kutle Škrlec , Director, Destination Marketing, Hilton MEA, and , Director, Destination Marketing, and Remya Menon, Associate Director of Marketing, Bayut Iva Kutle Škrlec said, 'I think the whole cultural relevance piece starts by defining what that means for your brand and what you're trying to achieve, because that then determines what you're measuring. Do you need a brand-lift study? Do you need to look at your engagement rates and so on? For example, when we launch channels and newsletters and content that resonates with a lot of people in the region and links into cultural concepts here, we definitely see increased engagement rate, engagement rates, and better response from our customers. But again, there needs to be a piece where you ultimately tie that back to the business and say, 'okay, this is having an impact' or is it just a nice to have, and are we getting it right?' Through the chat, marketers discussed the cultural nuances of the region — how there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to 'Middle East culture' or the 'Arabic' language, given that the region is a confluence of so many different cultures, dialects, traditions, beliefs, histories, and nuanced forms of expressing each of these. Škrlec added, 'So I think getting that granularity right and to understand what it is exactly that resonates with people — in terms of messaging, offers, promotions and products is essential. The way we market one hotel in this market might be entirely different to another place. That's why it ultimately comes down to that granularity of what matters to each individual community and customer and what impact it has on the brand and the business outcomes.' Building on this conversation of measuring the impact and effectiveness of getting cultural relevance right, Remya Menon, said, 'I'll be honest, the measurement piece is a conversation that we have all the time, almost on a weekly basis with our CEO, and we've been doing this for about two years. And I think measurement and specifically in the context of cultural relevance is difficult, right? But am I saying that it's impossible? No. We have all of our usual levers such as brand lift studies, surveys, feedback loops and so on and so forth. But as a brand guardian, you also have to build your own hardware and use your internal data and what your audience is actually feeding back to you to build those measurement methods.' Through the discussion, the marketers delved into the need to truly listen to consumers in order to get the 'cultural relevance piece right'. Menon added, 'Yes, there are KPI-driven conversations and there are creativity-driven conversations, but the consumers now have made their opinions very clear — they want to co-create with brands. They want their feedback to be heard and to be more involved in the conversation.' The panellists also discussed the need to build the right team structures to ensure that creative outputs and brand is aligned with cultural relevance, and organizational culture: Nurturing a safe environment that embraces mistakes and learning is how you innovate and stay ahead of the curve. They concluded the discussion sharing their take on the course correction required within the industry. To view the panel discussion in its entirety, stay tuned for the full video of the Campaign Breakfast Briefing that will be added to this article shortly. All in all, some of the key takeaways that attendees shared from the event were: Curiosity remains key; those who take a hands-on approach to the latest tools are those who will win. However, the adage 'garbage-in-garbage-out' remains true, given that generative AI tools are only as smart as the information they learn from, and the prompts they respond to. Meanwhile, even as personalisation, shopping agents, precision targeting and tasteful messaging are shaping marketing strategies, the core objective of the 'game' still remains to serve people. The magic of marketing strategies is to take a human-first approach and be a brand that matters to people. After the keynotes and panels at the Campaign Breakfast Briefing: Marketing Strategies 2025 event, attendees stayed back for a time of networking. 1/4 Campaign Breakfast Briefing: Marketing Strategies 2025 Attendees networking at the Campaign Breakfast Briefing: Marketing Strategies 2025 event. For those of you who were unable to attend this stellar gathering of like-minded leaders shaping the top trends and addressing the top challenges in the industry, keep an eye out for the YouTube video of the entire event. Mark you calendars. Campaign Middle East's next event, Campaign Breakfast Briefing: The Future is Now, which will be held on 12 September 2025.
Campaign ME
19-05-2025
- Business
- Campaign ME
Podcast: Property Finder CMO on purpose, performance, brand and business priorities
On the latest episode of Campaign Middle East's On The Record podcast, Sevgi Gur, Chief Marketing Officer, Property Finder discusses the balance between long-term brand health and short-term sales; the growing role of AI-driven data analytics and insights on predictive marketing; as well as the ethical considerations around trust, transparency, privacy and personalisation that need to be prioritised within marketing strategies. Beginning the conversation with the brand versus performance debate and the ideal framework to fuel both, Gur says, 'When we begin the discussion on brand and performance, there's this assumption that there's no brand in performance. However, the conversation needs to start with the need for investment in brand and investment in performance – both of which are part of the holistic strategy.' 'Marketing is an investment into business growth. To ensure this, the starting point should be a clear understanding of the business strategy and the growth model of the company. Then, from there the ideal framework would be based around the brand development model. Depending on the maturity of the brand, marketers will have to decide whether they need to invest more into brand equity – for example, if the brand is new to the market or is entering a new region, it's a no brainer that the business needs to invest in upper-funnel brand awareness, without which you cannot drive performance,' Gur added. For a brand such as PropertyFinder, which has already reached 99 per cent brand awareness within the market by investing in brand, the strategy then shifts to maintaining that brand equity within the market, which in turn drives user acquisition and engagement. Gur said, 'We're extremely clear about the role of each investment and the metrics that we can drive. Generally, with brand investment, you can expect more upper funnel metrics to move – sessions, downloads, direct traffic – but also, I'm a big fan of measuring the heart of the brand; so, we also measure brand health, consideration, loyalty and more.' Through the conversation, Gur also delves into: used cases of artificial intelligence and large-language models within marketing; how to build trust within the brand and within the industry; strategies that CMOs can put into place to effectively align marketing initiatives with cross-functional business priorities, especially by breaking siloes and working better with their product, sales and finance teams. For more insights from a very intriguing conversation, watch the full video above. CREDITS: Guest: Sevgi Gur, Chief Marketing Officer, Property Finder Host: Anup Oommen, Editor, Campaign Middle East Production: Surajit Dutta, Content Production Manager, Motivate Media Group Videography: Mark Mathew, Creative Content Producer, Motivate Media Group Studio: Ahmed Abdelwahab, Studio Manager, Motivate Media Group Editing: John Melencion, Content Producer, Motivate Media Group
Campaign ME
13-05-2025
- Business
- Campaign ME
Athar Festival 2025 extends final deadline for content
Athar – Saudi Festival of Creativity has extended the final deadline for its speakers applications, now accepting submissions until 23 May 2025. The festival, which returns for its third edition from 21–22 October 2025 at JAX District – Diriyah Biennale Foundation in Riyadh, invites local and international voices from across the creative marketing industry to take the stage. Proposals can be submitted via the festival's website. Presented by Motivate Media Group and TRACCS, Athar Festival 2025 is set to build on the momentum of previous editions with a larger venue, broader content streams, and a sharpened focus on global collaboration. This year's edition is expected to host more than 3,000 attendees from across the marketing, advertising, media and communications industries – spanning brands, agencies, creative professionals and students. Positioned as a platform to showcase Saudi Arabia's emergence as a regional and global creative force, Athar Festival 2025 will feature more than 150 speakers, more than 80 brand activations, and expanded programming across three content stages. The event also introduces new additions aimed at enriching the attendee experience, including an all-new Talent Hub for emerging professionals, a dedicated startup exhibition space, and longer festival hours from 10 AM to 10 PM each day. 'As Saudi Arabia continues to push the boundaries of creative excellence in alignment with Vision 2030, Athar Festival remains a vital force in shaping the industry's future,' said Ian Fairservice, Chairman of Athar Festival and Managing Partner of Motivate Media Group. 'This year, we are expanding our global reach with international trade delegations and industry leaders. By connecting Saudi Arabia's creative industry with more markets, the festival will not only showcase the Kingdom as a talent hub but also create new pathways for collaboration and investment in the region's growing creative economy.' Building on the success of the 2024 edition, which drew more than 1,700 attendees, the 2025 festival will introduce four new content streams under its expanded format. The Creative Impact stream will focus on brand storytelling, advertising and marketing. Future Forward will address AI, machine learning, and data-driven marketing, while Screen & Influence will explore media distribution, influencer marketing, and content creation from an advertising lens. Luxury & Lifestyle will delve into marketing strategies across fashion, travel, hospitality and premium experiences. Mohamed Al Ayed, Vice Chairman of Athar Festival and CEO of TRACCS, said: 'Saudi Arabia is rapidly emerging as the region's leader in creative communications – essential for any future-ready nation. Athar Festival plays a pivotal role in shaping the industry by driving innovation, talent development and strategic collaborations. The 2025 edition, featuring new initiatives like the Talent Hub and a dedicated startup exhibition space, offers an unparalleled platform to challenge creative boundaries, celebrate creative excellence, and catalyse the Kingdom's creative economy.' In addition to the main conference agenda, the festival will also expand the Athar Awards, now aligned with the four newly introduced content streams. The awards will span two days: the first dedicated to celebrating individual and team excellence in Saudi Arabia, and the second recognising standout campaigns within the Kingdom's marketing and communications sector. The festival's agenda will include keynote sessions, workshops, immersive activations and curated networking opportunities. International trade delegations are also expected to participate, further integrating the Saudi creative economy with global players and partners. For more information or to submit a speaker proposal for Athar, visit
Hi Dubai
29-04-2025
- Business
- Hi Dubai
Dubai Duty Free Wins Best Duty Free Shopping in Middle East for 24th Year
Dubai Duty Free has once again been named the Best Duty Free Shopping in the Middle East, marking its 24th consecutive win at the Business Traveller Middle East Awards held on April 28 at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City. The long-running recognition reflects Dubai Duty Free's consistent excellence in retail, having topped the Business Traveller magazine's reader and online survey, which ran from February 4 to March 7. The award saw the retailer beat competitors from Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi. The BTME Awards, established in 2002 and organised by Motivate Media Group and Ink, celebrate outstanding performance across 40 categories spanning airlines, airports and hotels. This year's ceremony coincided with the opening day of the Arabian Travel Market and drew more than 300 industry guests. Ramesh Cidambi, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free, accepted the award alongside Senior Vice President – Marketing, Sinead El Sibai. 'We are truly honoured to be recognised for a record 24 consecutive years,' said Cidambi. 'It is incredible to think that we have been the recipient of this award every year since they were introduced.' He also extended his gratitude to those who voted and praised the Dubai Duty Free team for their dedication, joining Chairman HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum in commending their ongoing efforts. The award was presented by Anthony Milne, Chief Commercial Officer at Motivate Media Group, underscoring the retailer's enduring impact on regional travel retail. News Source: Dubai Media Office
Zawya
29-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Dubai Duty Free voted 'Best Duty Free Shopping in the Middle East.' for a record 24th consecutive year at the Business Traveller Middle East Awards
Dubai Duty Free won the award for "Best Duty Free Shopping in the Middle East' for the 24th consecutive time at the Business Traveller Middle East (BTME) Awards held at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City on 28th April. Launched in 2002, the annual Business Traveller Middle East Awards organised by Motivate Media Group and Ink, recognise the best of the best across 40 categories spanning three main divisions including Airlines, Airports and Hotels. Dubai Duty Free came out top in the readers' and online survey conducted by the Business Traveller magazine from 4th February to 7th March and beat stiff competition among the other nominated airport retailers in Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi. Commenting on the award, Dubai Duty Free Managing Director, Ramesh Cidambi said:' We are truly honoured to be recognised as the 'Best Duty Free Shopping in the Middle East' for a record 24 consecutive years. Our thanks to everyone who voted for Dubai Duty Free and it is incredible to think that we have been the recipient of this award every year since they were introduced. 'I join our Chairman, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, in congratulating our entire team of staff and thank them for their ongoing support and hard work,' added Cidambi. The awards ceremony, which was held to mark the first day of the Arabian Travel Market, was attended by over 300 guests and the award was presented by Anthony Milne, Chief Commercial Officer for Motivate Media Group to Ramesh Cidambi and Sinead El Sibai, Senior Vice President – Marketing.
