Caught in a pickle between being a culture vulture and a whiz in creative strategy. I plunged into the world of advertising at the ripe age of 21 and, blow me down, here I am 17 years later. I've got a wealth of experience in strategic, creative consultancy, integrated marketing, data analysis and leadership, covering the length and breadth of the MENA region. In my kit bag: Business, Data, Brand, Content and Digital Strategies; Integrated Solutions across multiple channels; Relationship Marketing and Customer Experience Management. I'm not one for theories or hunches, I'm a numbers man. I get a right buzz from making things happen and the outcomes are a testament to my drive.
Joined as part of MENA's first and largest regulated Open Banking platform. Highlights: •Created Arabic brand identity/logo and brand uplift approach. •Developed content for B2B marketing across LinkedIn, Twitter & Instagram. •Launched the first digital lead campaign. •Worked on identifying opportunities to humanise the brand across social media and digital. •Business verification across Google services. •Created a content creation workflow.
Highlights: •Dubai Holding's Tickit Loyalty Programme. •Prypto by DAMAC. •Bond Middle East.
Working on a few projects to support the agency strategy function. Highlights: •MAF Retail Social RFP (Crate&Barrel, LEGO store, THAT Concept Store & CB2). •Excellence Driving delivery fleet service.
Heading the social media operation for the entire Expo marketing department, 192 countries and 46 partners. Managing a team of 24 social media professionals, from influencers to analytics, running across all major platforms in the world and leading on Russian & Chinese platforms as well. Highlights: •Running the longest promoted Twitter emoji hashtag ever, 9 months for #Expo2020Dubai. •Setting up an emoji engine for 192 countries and flags on Twitter for #Expo2020Dubai.
Joined the agency to fill in as a creative director to help establish the integration between the Riyadh & Dubai offices, worked on retaining existing clients and new businesses. Highlights: •Retain the regional Landmark Group portfolio (Fitness First, Centrepoint, Splash & Max Fashion). •Launched the Ramadan campaigns for Al Rifai Roastery, Amazon & Oppo in KSA. •Won 2 pitches (Digital DEWA & Virgin Mobile KSA) while on duty.
As Part of Visioneers, rebranded the identity of @UAEGov to UAE Government Media Office across social media platforms and created the social media artwork guidelines as well as the strategy to communicate across different social channels with an audit of the performance and identity of USA, UK, Singapore & Saudi Arabia governments and media offices. Highlights: •Social Media Strategy for the 2021, Year of 50 and identity across networks.
Joined to establish the Nas Daily Studios office in Dubai and launch Nas News Arabia as a social media news media production company that shows the bright side of the Middle East to the world. Highlights: •Created the Nas News Arabic branding and logo guidelines. •Planned the yearly strategy and budgeting for office setup, social media spend, talent hires, content partnerships for 2021.
enabling e-commerce as part of the brands' offering in the Middle East, Turkey & India markets. Highlights: •Created the Jotun digital super app that enables B2C customers, B2B companies to sell and buy paint & painting services across the region with a proper data driven research and analysis across competition.
Joined to help Grintafy relaunching their app after the COVID-19 lockdown has been lifted on sporting premises in Saudi Arabia. Highlights: •Created the #WreAreBack campaign, producing a photoshoot and 4-short films to be used across social media. •Created the CRM strategy for the app in 2021 to attract new joiners & retain existing users.
Created the social media artwork and content guidelines for the MENA region, from font selection, video templates, social media posts, digital ads, tone of voice, LinkedIn Business solutions and integrated between the Middle East operations and HQ in Germany in terms of adaptations and campaign release. Highlights: •Created Arabic Social Media identity & guidelines. •Trained the marketing team on Social Media content creation, scheduling, posting, creating ads on Instagram & Facebook and establishing the eShop on Instagram. •Arabised global campaigns and released them for the region with Arabic subtitles.
Joined specifically to service Majid Al Futtaim's property Al Zahia as a digital strategy project. Highlights: •Developing the digital strategy to communicate MAF's Al Zahia on digital channels, Tiktok in particular to create a hashtag challenge and composed a jingle with artist Aziz Maraka.
Reporting into the Managing Partners and sitting on the leadership team, I leaded the agency's strategic vision and am tasked with ensuring strategic excellence across the entire agency portfolio and new business, combining a blend of analytical interrogation, creative intuition and incisive thinking. Highlights: •Relaunched the Emarat Petroleum brand with the #ExpectTheExpected campaign. •Created a strategy for the Emarat Lubricants brand across UAE, KSA, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. •Launched the Starbucks Coffee MENA delivery service. •Pitched for Al Shaya Brands (Pinkberry & Texas Roadhouse). •Created the digital strategy & app of MMI and Legal Alcohol Delivery in Dubai.
Creating strategic business impact through brand optimisation and development, research and data analysis and identifying smart opportunities for commercial gain for the Coca-Cola KSA business, under Aujan Industries (Rani Juice, Barbican Malt & Vimto) & First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB). Worked on a variety of brands in a consultant capacity across pitches, brand development, architecture, positioning and identifying business development opportunities, including: •Aujan Industries (Rani Juice, Barbican Malt & Vimto) •Dubai Tourism. •Majid Al Futtaim Retail (City Centre) •BCG Digital Ventures(Beema, ENOC Link) •Al Rostamani Automobiles (Renault & Infiniti) •Unilever (Close Up & TRESemme) •Ferrero (Nutella, Kinder, Tic Tac) •JA Resorts •Sharjah Investment & Development Authority (Shurooq). Highlights: •Launched BCGDV's partnership with Enoc Link, developing the strategy and design of Beema (the region's first pay-per-kilometre digital insurance) and Enoc Link (fuel delivery service from Enoc) including marketing research and brand perception. •Developed and launched the #LiveYourStory campaign for Dubai Tourism. •Rebranded and launched Rani Floats & Barbican in Saudi Arabia with a new target audience. •Positioning and strategy for City Centre Deira, Midrif, Shindaga & Ma'assim. •Launched the new sugar-free Vimto cordial flavour in the region. •Launched the Nutella customise your jar activation in Egypt.
Lead on the digital assignment of BAT (British American Tobacco) & Twitter in EEMEA on digital and social media, DCTM's Abu Dhabi Food Festival & Retail Abu Dhabi, RTA S'hail & Dubai Taxi Corporation DTC app. Highlights: •Developed the Twitter global strategy for #FeminieArabic. •Launched Twitter MENA's Elevator Tweets activation. •Created the identity and launched DTC car hailing app. •Created proxy-platform strategies to communicate tobacco brands on social media such as Tastemakers for Dunhill in the UAE, Kuwait and KSA and Klabs for Kent in Iran and the Live The Moment for Pall Mall in Egypt & KSA. •Launched Anghami's Replay activation. •Created the strategy of Coca Cola MENA's Mixed Fans activation for the football World Cup championship. •Owned strategy throughout pitches and client work to deliver compelling strategic stories. •Managed research and analysis, developed fresh insights and strong POVs that established a solid foundation for pitches and client work. •Participated in developing creative briefs, articulating key insights and a clear point of view, ensured that our strategic/ideas narrative were represented in all deliverables.
Managing content creation and engagement for McDonald's Arabia and Samsung Mobile in the MENA region. Du Telecom & FGB in the UAE. My other responsibilities included developing solutions to meet clients' brand objectives based on social media listening, consumer insights and data analysis, spotting trends and technologies that play roles in consumer's lives, as well creating digital journeys and strategies that enrich and engage with customers across social and digital platforms. Clients: Samsung Mobile, McDonald's, Emirates Airlines, Du, Omantel, Ferrero GMC, Renault, Rio Mare, Bel Group (LVQR, Kiri, Babybel), UAE Exchange, FGB (First Gulf Bank). Highlights: •Developed strategies for Samsung Mobile in MENA & the GCC for Galaxy S5, Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S7, along with #Note5 including a fashion female driven strategy for the device launch. •Activated Digital strategy for many of the Du Telco projects including #DigitalFasting. •Developed the strategy for the award-winning Samsung Innovation product #SafetyScreen. •Created the digital media & social media guidelines for the Ooredoo telecom brand in 9 markets globally. •Created McDonald's Arabia digital and social activations for the GCC region.
February 2011 - September 2012 (1 year 8 months) Amman, Jordan The Online Project Saatchi & Saatchi Multimedia Art Director October 2009 - September 2010 (1 year)
September 2010 - February 2011 (6 months) Amman, Jordan Leo Burnett London Digital Art Director October 2008 - September 2009 (1 year)