Latest news with #easypaisa
Campaign ME
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Campaign ME
From the Dubai Lynx jury room: ‘If you save one life, you are saving all humanity'
Last month marked five years since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic — a global crisis that reminded us that health is not just personal, it's collective. It made one thing profoundly clear: communication saves lives. And just as powerfully, miscommunication — or disinformation — can cost them. This understanding was central to our judging process for the Healthcare category at Dubai Lynx 2025. Alongside my fellow jury members — and now friends — Carolyn Ellis, John McPartland, Katie Dean, Bakani Ntaisi, Joy Zhu and Bruno Bomediano, we were looking for more than just clever campaigns. We searched for authentic, creative ideas that truly resonated with people's lives. Ideas that understood the shifts brought about by the pandemic — shifts in how we relate to health, to each other, and to the messages we trust. And we found them. We saw empathy not as a trend, but as action. Through powerful storytelling, thoughtful strategy, and smart use of technology, the shortlisted entries didn't just speak to audiences — they connected deeply, often movingly. Strangers campaign (bronze award), something that struck me a deep chord: a verse from the Qur'an — 'If you save one life, you are saving all humanity.' That single line transcends faith. It speaks to compassion. To impact. And to the kind of creativity that can truly transform lives. It was a timely, humbling reminder of the power of purpose-driven work — especially in healthcare. The Strangers campaign, launched by King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, tells the powerful true story of eight lives saved by a single organ donor. With a subtle and emotional tone, the film highlights how one selfless act can create a legacy of hope, time, and future for others. Rather than dramatising the narrative, it allows the impact of organ donation to speak for itself. The campaign deeply resonated with audiences, achieving a remarkable 98 per cent view-through rate for its 3-minute-44-second film and generating 100 per cent positive sentiment across 23 markets. Beyond awareness, it inspired viewers to consider registering as organ donors themselves. Empathy and compassion, that is exactly what our Healthcare Grand Prix winner at Dubai Lynx delivered. The Insured Billboards campaign demonstrated what it means for a brand to not just talk — but to walk the walk. To show up for society. And in this case, to go the extra mile with honesty, heart, and intention. The Insured Billboards campaign by easypaisa addresses a long-standing issue in Pakistan's outdoor advertising industry: the lack of safety and insurance for billboard installers. By providing workers with full medical and life insurance, along with international-standard safety gear, easypaisa not only promoted its insurance products but also set a new industry benchmark for worker protection. The campaign has been widely praised for turning advertising into tangible action — sparking vital conversations around labour rights and inspiring other brands to follow suit Judging in Dubai, in the heart of the MENA region, made this experience even more special. We were surrounded by work that was bold, rooted in local culture, and built on a deep understanding of people. Across every category, we saw ideas that didn't just move audiences — they moved society forward. In a region known for its generosity, resilience, and storytelling, creativity is clearly thriving — and rising fast. It's been a true privilege to be part of this experience. Thank you to the Dubai Lynx Awards for the opportunity, and to Simon Cook for championing creativity that truly matters. And to my fellow jurors — thank you for the insights, the conversations, the laughs, and the inspiration. By Roberta Raduan, Dubai. Lynx Jury President for Healthcare, and the Managing Director – LatAm at Klick Health
Express Tribune
22-02-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Progress on financial revolution slows
Concerns about regulatory uncertainty, security risks and slow executions have made investors hesitant and without a clear and predictable framework, digital banks are finding it tough to attract long-term financial backing. photo: file Listen to article When the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) granted, in principle, approval to five digital retail banks in 2023, many hoped it would kick-start a much-needed financial revolution. The goal was simple; use technology to help millions without bank accounts, especially in rural areas, via promoting financial inclusion and providing credit access. However, the progress after one and a half year is sluggish and most of the digital banks are struggling to commence full operations. Until February 2025, only easypaisa digital bank has managed to obtain the country's first digital retail banking licence from the SBP. Industry experts say creating an ecosystem for digital banking in Pakistan will not be an easy ride as the digital and financial industry is grappling with weak technological systems and unclear plans, which ultimately lead to a slowdown in such revolutions. Digital banking needs strong internet, secure systems and smooth applications, but Pakistan's infrastructure is not ready. "Digital banking is not just an app, it's a complicated setup," said Farhan Ahmed, a fintech adviser. "Many licence holders lack systems to handle real-time transactions or protect user data," he added. Muhammad Ali Inayat, Chief Executive Officer of Kinverg, a Lahore-based cybersecurity company, highlighted another layer of complexity, ie, the mismatch between digital banking's target audience and Pakistan's connectivity realities. "The concept of digital banking is for those who live in remote areas and lack access to banks. They may have a smartphone, but not reliable internet," he said. "In Pakistan, it will be initially tough for digital banks to reach their target customers. Internet coverage in Gilgit-Baltistan, Skardu, Balochistan and other remote regions is inconsistent at best." Frequent internet outages and low smartphone use in villages force banks to focus on basics like improving network stability. One bank official said on condition of anonymity, "We are stuck bargaining with telecom companies instead of building services." Apart from connectivity issues, a lack of cohesive strategy among some licence holders has made the situation more confusing. The SBP's guidelines encouraged digital retail banks to target the underserved segments, including small businesses and women, but without a clear path to profitability, institutions are struggling to define their niche. As a result, investor confidence in Pakistan's digital banking sector has taken a hit and stakeholders claim that funding dropped 80% in 2023 to just $20 million. They said concerns about regulatory uncertainty, security risks and slow executions made investors hesitant and without a clear and predictable framework, digital banks were struggling to attract long-term financial backing. "There is disconnect between ambition and execution," said Mariam Khalid, a Karachi-based financial analyst. "Some players entered the race with unclear plans to disrupt traditional banking, but have not articulated how they will attract customers or differentiate their offerings. Are they focusing on microloans, remittances or saving products? Without answers, investors get nervous and timelines stretch," she added. This ambiguity has also impacted partnerships. Digital banks rely on collaborations with e-commerce platforms, telecom giants and logistic firms to expand reach. "Negotiations stall when there is no clarity on whose customer base they are tapping or how revenue will be shared," said the bank official. For those, who navigated the initial hurdles, operational complexities emerged as the final barrier, requiring them to handle a complexity of compliance checks, staffing challenges and last-minute regulatory adjustments. "The SBP's scrutiny is intense, as it should be," said a former central bank official. "However, the compliance process for digital banks is still evolving. Many applicants submitted their plans based on initial guidelines, only to find new requirements added later, like stricter anti-fraud measures or liquidity ratios," he added. Nevertheless, Inayat said that regulating such banks would be an uphill task for the SBP. "The central bank itself is in an evolutionary phase with this framework. They will identify risks and mitigate them slowly once operations go live," he said, adding "the good thing is that the SBP has recently created a sandbox to facilitate the financial institutions entering this space. We should hope for improvement, but progress may be slow."
