Latest news with #OgilvyOne
Campaign ME
12-03-2025
- Business
- Campaign ME
Industry Snapshot: ‘Understanding local culture is fundamental'
In this Industry Snapshot, Memac Ogilvy's Ghassan Maraqa shares his thoughts on culture, creativity and adds thoughtful contributions to the conversation on talent in the industry within the region. As the number of creative agencies continues to grow in 2025, what factors are key to distinctiveness and differentiation in a crowded and competitive market? The decisive factor in standing out is 'borderless creativity' – an ethos we have embraced as a creative powerhouse. Our differentiating strength is how we integrate genuine creativity into everything we do, which is led by our culture and delivered by our excellent talent. This approach covers every aspect of our work: From Ogilvy One, which focuses on relationship design by combining data, creativity and technology, to our PR and influence, advertising and health solutions. Could you comment on whether the coming together of local culture, craft and commerce is critical to the creative industry in 2025? Understanding local culture is fundamental to building meaningful creative solutions. In the MENA region, home to over 200 nationalities, creative brilliance comes from having intuitive knowledge about the region's cultural ethos while acknowledging its cosmopolitan outlook and economic priorities. While we are part of an international network, we are defined by our deep understanding of the region's cultural nuances, which helps us deliver creative impact. A great example is our 'Journey into HerStory' campaign for Al Futtaim Toyota, honouring influential and inspiring Emirati women. As David Ogilvy famously said, 'We sell … or else!' And to sell effectively, we must understand the hearts and minds of our audience. In your opinion, what are the most significant changes the creative industry has witnessed during the past 12 months? The integration of AI and advanced technologies has been a significant shift in the creative industry, helping agencies become more agile and data-driven. This has also transformed our value proposition to our clients, enabling us to deliver higher levels of efficiency and ROI while maintaining creative excellence. We have achieved remarkable results, with AI helping optimise and scale campaigns across markets and personalise content at scale. This, in turn, creates new revenue streams for the industry and measurable impact for clients. The creative industry needs to wake up from… The complacence about talent and culture! Everyone talks talent, but only a few genuinely walk the talk. The industry faces a talent deficit, and we must invest in future talent today. Ogilvy's strength is our people – the talent we continue to build – and the distinctive culture we have shaped, enabling us to do the best work of our lives. By Ghassan Maraqa, CEO – MENA, Memac Ogilvy.
Campaign ME
20-02-2025
- Business
- Campaign ME
Ogilvy One and Progress partner to create AI-powered digital experiences
At a partner event in Dubai, Ogilvy One and Progress shared exclusive insights on using AI to enhance customer engagement. Ogilvy One, known for its next-generation business, brand, and customer value services, teamed up with Progress, a leader in AI-powered digital experiences and infrastructure software, to shed light on how Gen AI technology can be used to design impactful digital experiences. The event featured several high-level discussions, attended by industry experts and marketing professionals. 'The partnership between Ogilvy One and Progress is a powerful example of the potential that can be unlocked by integrating digital transformation and cutting-edge AI technology,' said Hazem El Zayat, Chief Experience Officer MENA at Memac Ogilvy. Journeys defined by customers Frans Riemersma, author and martech influencer, began the session underlining the power of AI in predicting future consumer actions, going beyond just customer behaviour. He demonstrated how to build business use cases that utilise data, content and features, and how to maximise the personalisation of customer journeys through marketing technology backed by AI. 'Marketers today have access to more data than ever before, but the real challenge lies in turning that data into actionable insights,' said Riemersma. He raised the case for marketers to transition from tech-centric to customer-centric strategies to enhance ROI and decision-making. He also emphasised that building flexible, integrated martech stacks tailored to funnel stages and customer journeys is key for competitive advantage. 'Today, with AI, brands can not only predict customer actions but also anticipate their needs, preferences, and emotions. By integrating AI into every step of the customer journey – from content creation to real-time personalisation – marketers can curate experiences that feel both immediate and meaningful,' he said. 'We must continue to leverage the power of technology to build authentic, emotional connections at scale, ultimately driving loyalty and long-term success.' People-centric experiences Another key highlight from the event included Ogilvy One's in-depth case study on how personalised, predictive, data and behavior-driven communications can significantly impact customer engagement. The study explored how historical customer behaviour patterns, leveraging previous transactions with customer first-party data, and aligning communications with on-sale SKUs resulted in highly personalised, automated follow-up messages across multiple channels, can ultimately drive higher online and offline sales. 'Today, the customer journey is more dynamic and interconnected, making AI and automation essential for brands to stay competitive,' said Ramiro Millan, Senior Director of Partnerships at Progress. People-centric digital experiences start with a simple idea: put people and their needs at the center of development. It's about more than just personalising content — it's about truly understanding where, how, and why users engage with apps and websites. Designing with this context in mind ensures that digital experiences are relevant and meaningful. But relevance alone isn't enough. Accessibility is crucial, too. 'By combining our insights on customer engagement with Progress' innovative solutions, we create more meaningful, personalised experiences for our clients, which go beyond just meeting customer expectations,' said El Zayat. By combining Ogilvy One's expertise in customer engagement with Progress Sitefinity's advanced AI-powered content management and automation capabilities, the partnership hopes to enable brands to harness data, personalise interactions, and drive long-term customer loyalty and business growth.
