Explore Maher Saad El Din, Media Director at Havas Media Group, remarkable over 17 years journey in advertising and media. From local agencies to multinational giants, he shares stories of growth and innovation and insights on trends, challenges, and his dedication to local talent. In this exclusive interview, get a closer look at Maher’s views on industry changes, the Saudi Vision 2030, and exciting technologies, like scent marketing and the metaverse. 

With 17 years of experience in the advertising and media industry, can you take us through your professional journey and your role as the Media Director at Havas Media?

As you mentioned, 17 years is a significant period, and much has transpired during those years, making it challenging to cover everything. I’ll try to be brief!

I initiated my career in the industry at a local digital agency called Admark. I cannot emphasize enough how crucial that start was for me and how much I appreciate the opportunity that Dr. Nasser Nabulsi gave me. Working with him, I learned a great deal. It was an interesting time, witnessing the inception of the big digital ad boom and the launch of staples such as Google AdWords and Facebook.

My next step marked my first interaction with a multinational agency when I joined Drive Dentsu offices in Riyadh. I consider it my first true venture into the industry. While I hold dear my beginnings at Admark, it was a small company with a very small team. Stepping into the “Big Leagues,” as they say, with Drive Dentsu was an exciting and intimidating move.

From there, I started to discern my preference in the digital equation, leading me to Starcom during its golden age. Although my time there was shorter, I would not be who I am in the industry without that experience.

Then came my initial encounter with a local agency, iCom, one of the largest media companies in Saudi at the time. They had clients such as Saudi Airlines, ALJ’s entire portfolio, HHA’s entire portfolio of motor companies, NCB, Riyad Bank, and SADAFCO, to name a few. Company founder and visionary Nabil Bakr recognized the growth in digital media and recruited me in 2013 to bring the company into the digital age. Despite facing challenges, especially after the 2016 market crash, it remains the best experience I’ve had in the industry and one that I still miss. Even with a smaller team than we started with, we secured significant clients like Jeddah Season, Riyadh Season, PIF’s FII, Tasheel financing, and a few more. Unfortunately, COVID hit us hard, and iCOM never recovered.

I navigated for a couple of years, landing at UM in 2020 and then Mediacom in 2021 before finally settling at Havas Saudi as Media Director. Here, I find my passion reignited and an atmosphere that encourages cooperation in the best possible way.

How has the advertising landscape in KSA changed over the course of your career? What upcoming trends do you see this region adopting in the future?

Having steered through the industry for over 16 years, it’s fascinating to witness its evolution from a newspaper/TV-centric landscape, where the private sector led the way, to a digital/outdoor-driven environment fueled by government and semi-government initiatives.

The most concerning trend currently is the looming cookieless future, with no tangible solutions in sight and regional companies evidently unprepared for the impending transition, barring a selected few.

In terms of exciting developments, the transformation of Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising in Saudi Arabia has been particularly intriguing to observe. Anticipating forthcoming changes and the promise of increased transparency and accurate measurement have me eagerly awaiting what comes next!

What are your insights on the Saudi Vision 2030? How will you align with it and how will the development plan affect the advertising and media landscape in KSA?

As someone born and raised in Saudi Arabia, I’m still awestruck by the remarkable strides the country is making! Since the launch of the Vision, it consistently surpasses expectations, leaving me to ponder each morning on the potential yet to unfold before reaching its 2030 goals—a thought that never fails to bring a smile.

My enduring goal, evident throughout my career, is to actively contribute to the development of local talent in every company I’ve been a part of. It remains my unwavering priority when forming teams. I eagerly anticipate the day when I can confidently pass the baton to a skilled and inspired team of Saudi talents, poised to navigate the next phase in the Kingdom’s industry evolution.

In the past decade, smartphones have revolutionized mobile marketing, particularly social media marketing. How will 5G further enhance mobile marketing?

Smartphones have facilitated the evolution of social media, transitioning from the static desktop era with limited access and the minimal interactions of platforms like Facebook and MySpace to a dynamic mobile platform that remains connected 24/7. This transformation is evident in the regular updates of images and GIFs on platforms such as Twitter and Instagram.

The advent of 5G connectivity has propelled us further, ushering in an era of almost omnipresent video platforms like Snapchat and TikTok. Our lives are now recorded and shared with the world. 5G holds more potential, particularly in the realm of the Internet of Things (IoT), where it becomes the primary means of interacting with our home devices. The next phase of automation is on the horizon, and we’re on the verge of experiencing seamless connectivity.

Imagine a world where even household appliances like the Washing Machine and Dryer interact seamlessly, efficiently folding and putting away laundry. Such innovations could free up valuable time, allowing us to savour life’s moments even more!

As we move into 2024, we will see a significant rise in the adoption of artificial intelligence and generative AI. What are your thoughts on the implementation of AI in marketing? How will it benefit advertisers and media agencies?

As exciting as the prospects of Generative AI are, we need to take a step back and not fall into the trend cycle that our industry often succumbs to. While I agree that it is advancing rapidly and will be immensely beneficial in the long run, it is crucial that we channel our excitement into making GenAI more of a tool to eliminate all the tedious tasks, rather than one to replace human creativity and hard work

Cutting-edge technologies are paving the way for future advertising. Brands are now trying to advertise in the metaverse to stay ahead of the times. How do you think this technology will perform in the years to come?

I don’t foresee a future in the Metaverse at all, to be honest. The barrier of entry is excessively high, requiring an intensive amount of work to create an underwhelming experience that, for consumers, has been more of a gimmick than anything else. However, I firmly believe there’s potential in integrations with well-established virtual environments like Fortnite, Minecraft, and especially Roblox. This approach seems more promising, given the declining engagement of younger generations, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, on traditional social platforms. It’s noteworthy that such integrations are proving to be significantly more popular with brands. The cost of entry on Roblox is notably lower than that of current Metaverse versions, and it comes with the additional advantage of an already established audience.

Scent marketing is one of the most interesting forms of marketing, but brands do not extensively use it. How can brands use this form of marketing to entice audiences?

The sense of smell stands out as one of the most powerful memory triggers the human mind possesses. However, its limitation to a specific area poses a challenge when trying to use it in a broad system outside of enclosed spaces, such as malls and shops. I genuinely believe that a clever execution of this concept can be achieved by non-traditional brands, including automotive, paint, colouring pens, and even event promotions.

What are your predictions in terms of the advertising and media landscape for the year 2024? What are some of the trends and industry analyses you see brands and agencies adopting this year?

The trend I hope to see continue its growth is the strategic omnichannel approach to communication. It goes beyond separating online and offline strategies, embracing a holistic perspective that seamlessly integrates both in a meaningful way. I’m also keenly intrigued to witness the evolution driven by machine learning algorithms, addressing the challenges posed by the loss of 3rd party cookies and traditional conversion tracking. In an era where clients increasingly focus on the bottom line and the lower funnel, the industry faces the task of navigating out of the cookie-shaped challenge created by the overpromises of the past. Let’s hope valuable lessons have been learned this time.