communications

PRCA MENA Announces Imad Lahad as Vice Chair of the Board

Dubai, UAE – The Public Relations and Communications Association Middle East and North Africa (PRCA MENA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Imad Lahad, Managing Director at APCO Worldwide, as the new Vice Chair of its Board.

Imad Lahad, who has been with APCO Worldwide since 2013, leads the Dubai office and heads the AI Comms Lab. He is known for his innovative approach to digital strategy and AI communications and has played a crucial role in developing APCO’s global Digital Practice. Lahad is recognized for his ability to harness emerging technologies to enhance brand strategies and protect client reputations. He has been a dedicated member of the PRCA MENA board for two years and will additionally lead the AI in PR Committee for PRCA MENA.

Commenting on his appointment, Imad Lahad said, “I’m thrilled to be joining the PRCA MENA Board, at such an exciting and challenging time for our industry. The rapid onset and adoption of artificial intelligence and adaptive technologies is changing the communications landscape at lightning speed. With the dawn of the Intelligence Revolution, and the proliferation of technologies at our fingertips enabling anyone to write, post and send anything to anyone in the world, the need for clear and responsible communication has never been more important. In this context, I’m looking forward to collaborating with like-minded professionals on the Board to foster innovation and set new standards for the region’s communications industry.”

James Hewes, CEO of PRCA, said: “Imad’s expertise and leadership in the communications field are well-recognized globally. His role as Vice Chair will significantly strengthen our efforts to advance PR and embrace technological advancements in the region.”

Ahmad Itani, Chairman of the PRCA MENA Board and CEO of Cicero & Bernay Communications Consultancy, added: “Imad’s innovative approach and vast experience in digital communications make him an invaluable addition to the board. His vision will help propel PRCA MENA to new heights.”

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Tata Electronics Appoints Varghese Thomas as Head of Communications

Varghese Thomas has been named as the new Global Head of Communications at Tata Electronics. Thomas brings a wealth of experience to the table, having most recently spent over a year leading investor relations, social media, and global communications initiatives for Greaves Electric Mobility (Ampere), Greaves Retail, Greaves Finance, and Greaves Technologies at Greaves Cotton Ltd. Throughout his remarkable career, he has made important contributions to some of the top businesses in the sector.

Varghese Thomas’s tenure in communications

He started his career in corporate communications more than thirty years ago, having held important positions at well-known companies like TVS Motor Company, where he was a leader for more than seven years. Senior Vice President & Global Head of Communication was the title he eventually attained after joining as Vice President & Global Head of Communication. His astute leadership was instrumental in augmenting TVS Motor’s corporate messaging and worldwide presence.

In addition, Varghese had a noteworthy tenure at BlackBerry India as the Director of Corporate Communications for Greater China and India. His background in public relations and corporate strategy was developed in positions at Cisco, Intel, Genesis Burson-Marsteller, and Weber Shandwick, which further contributes to his expertise in corporate communications.

Varghese Thomas is expected to use his wealth of experience as Global Head of Communications at Tata Electronics to steer the company’s communication strategies, improve stakeholder engagement, and assist with the company’s global growth initiatives.

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Memac Ogilvy Announces Strategic PR Directorial Appointments Amidst Remarkable Growth In The UAE

BPG Appoints Camilla d’Abo as Executive Vice President of Communications and Content

BPG (Bates PanGulf, a division of WPP) has appointed industry veteran Camilla d’Abo as executive vice president of Communications and Content at BPG UAE, bolstering the agency’s senior leadership team as it enters a new era of hypergrowth. With immediate effect, Camilla will take on the position and lead BPG in providing integrated campaigns and high-impact MarCom solutions to clients in the area.

BPG names Camilla d’Abo as EVP of communications and content

Working closely with Darius LaBelle, President of BPG UAE, and other members of BPG’s Group ExCo, Camilla will be in charge of all facets of the communications and social content teams. Some of the top companies in the world, like Warner Bros. Discovery, DHL Global Forwarding, Sony MEA, and KPMG, as well as regional clients like Al Nabooda, Trojena, and Wasl, currently entrust BPG UAE with their communications and content needs. At BPG, creative, communications, media, and customer experience all come together as an integrated agency.

Camilla’s impressive experience in the MarCom industry

With more than 25 years of experience in the local MarCom industry, Camilla has a track record of successfully creating and managing award-winning teams. She will be essential in leading regional expansion, growing the agency’s clientele, and improving BPG UAE’s communications and content offerings. Camilla is the proud founder of multiple award-winning PR agencies in the Middle East. Furthermore, she has founded and managed several of the top ones.

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Here’s what they said

As reported by Campaign Middle East, 

Avi Bhojani, Group CEO, BPG said,

“Our people are our greatest asset, and we are delighted to welcome Camilla d’Abo to Team BPG UAE. A powerhouse of talent and a business leader with a strong track record, Camilla will undoubtedly energise our ‘CX first and Integrated by Intent’ positioning. At BPG, we have built a remarkable agency over the past four decades, driven by our multicultural and multidimensional talent. Camilla embodies our core values, and I have full confidence in her delivering exceptional outcomes for our clients.”

Camilla d’Abo, EVP Comms & Content, BPG commented,

“Having followed BPG’s success story over the past four decades, I am thrilled to be joining at the helm driving the integration of communications and content into the next chapter of BPG 3.0. I believe that being part of a CX focused brand agency with multiple specialist practices is a powerful advantage in the communications sector as we witness digital platforms increasingly dominate the global agenda and attract public interest. I could not be more excited to join BPG in Dubai and look forward to bringing innovative thinking and integrated strategies that make a real difference to the team, agency and clients.”

Darius Labelle, President, BPG UAE, stated,

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Camilla to BPG UAE. Her experience perfectly aligns with our vision for the future. Camilla’s deep understanding of the dynamic regional MarCom landscape and our integrated capabilities will be instrumental in propelling BPG forward. Her commitment to championing sustainable and purpose-driven marketing will be a major asset to our team.”

Read More: GroupM Strengthens India Operations with Appointment of Praseed Prasad as Chief Growth Officer

GroupM Strengthens India Operations with Appointment of Praseed Prasad as Chief Growth Officer

India, 03rd July 2024: GroupM India, WPP’s media investment group, today announces the appointment of Praseed Prasad as Chief Growth Officer. In its newly created role, Praseed will lead GroupM’s growth, marketing and communications. The role is further designed to accelerate GroupM’s growth and strengthen its position as the industry’s leader in media investments and marketing partner.

In his new role, Praseed will oversee strategy and operations for GroupM’s business development, growth, marketing, and communications to clients, employees, and industry audiences. He will work closely with the agency and GroupM leadership to identify growth opportunities, develop integrated solutions that leverage the skills and expertise of the industry’s deepest bench of talent, and effectively communicate GroupM’s value proposition.

Praseed, returning back to GroupM, brings a wealth of experience to this position. Prior to joining IceCream Labs in 2015, he held key roles within GroupM, including heading Digital Trading and overseeing digital investments for all GroupM clients. His diverse background also includes stints at Flipkart, where he ran the Ads Agency Business and led Media and Partnerships, as well as at Google, where he managed Media Operations for EMEA markets and later ran the Google APAC Agency and Partner business.

Prasanth Kumar, CEO – GroupM South Asia said, 

“It is great to have Praseed back to GroupM as Chief Growth Officer. His extensive experience in understanding client needs, strategic initiatives, industry knowledge, and cross-functional collaboration positions will help us enhance our market growth. His track record underscores his ability to navigate complex ecosystems and deliver results. We anticipate that his leadership will directly benefit our clients and the brands we work with, driving innovation and enhancing performance.”

Praseed Prasad, Chief Growth Officer – GroupM India said, 

“I am delighted to return to GroupM where I grew during the early days of my career and spent more than a decade setting up new business units and functions. I look forward to strengthening opportunities for our clients and brands that will allow me to apply my experiences to help grow the GroupM business onwards and upwards. Am excited to collaborate with all the agency teams to help drive our clients’ business impact and deliver them exceptional growth.”

Praseed will be based out of GroupM’s Bangalore office and report into Prasanth Kumar, CEO – GroupM South Asia.

Read more: GroupM Elevates Ashwin Padmanabhan to Chief Operating Officer, GroupM South Asia

Quotient Ventures elevates Adarsh Atal to Group Chief Creative Officer

Mumbai, July 2, 2024: Mumbai based Brand & Communications Solutioning Group, Quotient Ventures (Tilt Brand Solutions and Vector Brand Solutions) today announced the elevation of Adarsh Atal to the role of Group Chief Creative Officer. He was previously Chief Creative Officer at Tilt Brand Solutions.

Adarsh has been with Tilt almost since its launch and was responsible for some of Tilt’s best work across Dream11, Myntra, Livspace, Licious, Ultratech, Instagram, Swiggy, PhonePe, Blinkit, Shopsy, Kohler, Groww and many more.

With this, Adarsh now joins Joseph George, Group Chairman & CEO, Hari Krishnan, Group Chief Business Officer, Michelle Suradkar, Group Chief Operating Officer and Gulshan Singh, Group Chief Strategy Officer in the Group’s new Management Team.

Speaking about the developments, Joseph (Joe) George, Group Chairman & CEO, Quotient Ventures, said, “This is a pivotal moment for us as we embark on the 2nd leg of our Group’s journey. And Adarsh’s entry into the Management Team could not have been timelier. The ability, energy and drive of this new management team makes us extremely well placed to build on what we have achieved in our 1^st leg. And our continued commitment to keep the interest of our clients’ brands and businesses above all else will ensure that we will undistractedly and singularly be driven to consistently deliver strategic, creative and operational excellence in everything we do.”

Added Adarsh Atal, Group Chief Creative Officer, Quotient Ventures, “The last 6 years have been an absolutely delightful journey for us at Quotient. We have created together, won together, stumbled together, grown together. Now, we take all the learnings from the last few years and enter this exciting new phase for Quotient. I am thrilled to be playing my part in making sure this stupendously talented team and their magical work gets all that they deserve.”

Read More: GroupM Elevates Ashwin Padmanabhan to Chief Operating Officer, GroupM South Asia

Current Global and DNA Communications Merge Under New Current Group

The Weber Shandwick Collective has formed Current Group, which will include DNA Communications and Current Global, starting immediately. The CEO of Current Group is Mike Rosich, who was most recently the worldwide president of DNA Communications. An agency statement states that he will oversee Current Group’s operations fully. Under Current Group, Current Global and DNA Communications will continue to exist as separate but linked brands.

Current Global and DNA Communications unify under the newly created Current Group

According to Rosich, the decision was made to maximize specialized strength and knowledge in the areas of culture, technology, health, and wellness. There won’t be any immediate effects on DNA and Current Global’s leadership, and this change won’t result in any layoffs. Rosich has been the General Manager at DNA since 2020 and was named worldwide president of DNA Communications earlier this year. Rosich has continuously produced double-digit growth since joining the agency.

Virginia Devlin, the current global CEO, retired in March. A representative for the agency acknowledged that the role has been empty since her retirement. Since Current’s debut in 2006, Devlin has served as its CEO for the last 18 years. IPG combined the agency’s Current Marketing and Creation to form the current version of Current, which is a part of The Weber Shandwick Collective. This merger took place in April 2019. Renee Austin was promoted to global chief client and growth officer in December at Current, while Jeff Leaf was appointed executive creative director. Demar Anderson was appointed EVP of marketing and business development.

Here’s what they said

As reported by PRWeek, Mike Rosich said,

“There is a lot of equity we have built in both brands, in our clients and in the industry. We do not want to undo any of that. We believe in the strength of both of the brands and the combined strength to do even better work for our clients. Where they do come up, we will ensure we are not coming together on that work.” 

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platformance.io Names Hamza Sarawy As MENA’s Head of Communications

On his appointment, he commented, “ I’m excited to be leading the communications business of platformance.io and its sister entities, a real honor. As the region quickly moves into a hyper-connected tech hotspot of the world, comes media and adtech as a mobilizer voice and this is where we’re well-placed and where i plan to build on.” 

Burson, the newly formed global communications agency officially launches

Burson, the newly formed global communications agency formed by the merger of BCW and Hill & Knowlton, was officially launched on June 13th. The new company is positioned to grow into one of the biggest in the sector and offer a cutting-edge method of reputation management in the fast-paced world of today. Burson’s ability to provide innovative and persuasive solutions for establishing reputational capital is demonstrated by the brand identity and new client and talent offerings that were unveiled today. On July 1, the merger will be completed.

WPP officially launches Burson

In an effort to streamline operations, Burson has made several appointments to global leadership positions and implemented strategic layoffs during the last five months. Along with new programs, products, and a brand identity, the agency has unveiled its innovative approach to reputation management. Burson created a brand-new framework and consulting process to evaluate and oversee client work based on four major pillars: stakeholder beliefs, company actions, communications, and social narratives. The Burson Innovative Portfolio, a collection of goods that use AI technology to solve clients’ problems, provides support for this work.

At Burson India, Deepshikha Dharmaraj will serve as CEO.

New visual and brand identity

Burson unveiled its new visual identity and value proposition through all global channels, showcasing its cutting-edge strategy for reimagining the construction and defense of reputation in the fast-paced world of today. Burson has unveiled a number of products and initiatives to enable its counselors and creators to address clients’ problems in a variety of industries and markets in order to implement this new positioning. Inspired by the ability of light to shed light on situations and highlight opportunities, the company’s new visual identity reaffirms its dedication to providing clients with creative and audacious counseling as well as advisory solutions.

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Specialist agencies under Burson

Throughout the Burson Group, a streamlined suite of agencies with scale across the most transformative industries of today, led by the flagship full-service Burson brand, Burson employs its proprietary approach to reputation. Among them are:

• Axicom is an earned-first global communications agency for tech brands and brands with a tech story.
• Burson Buchanan, which recently rebranded from Buchanan Communications, is a financial communications and capital markets advisory firm.
• Hill & Knowlton is a full-service global firm that has been a successful partner for business and brand transformation, offering solutions for corporate affairs, marketing, and strategic communication.
• GCI Health is a full-service global healthcare agency driven by people.

Burson Innovation Portfolio

The Burson Innovation Portfolio, a collection of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tools that, when combined with human intelligence, enable faster, better insights, precise audience targeting, and culturally relevant creative, forms the basis of this work. These solutions, which are essential parts of WPP Open’s AI-powered marketing operating system, PR Studio, comprise five suites that cater to a range of customer needs:

• The Sonar Suite, which uses social narrative intelligence to predict and assess risk.
• The Decipher Suite, which forecasts the effects of both aggressive and defensive messaging, the significance of regional and global themes, and the emergence of new cultural trends.
• The Creators’ Suite, which identifies online information supply and demand as well as narrative white space to produce audience-specific content at scale.
• The Fount Suite uses an aggregated view of the data over a campaign’s lifetime to measure and optimize performance, and the Specialists’ Suite trains Burson’s AI tools on particular industry sectors.

Along with launching its new learning academy, Burson is also focusing on client leadership and skill development to guarantee that teams are trained on a consistent, global, “one Burson” approach and are exceptionally well-versed in counseling clients both now and in the future.

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The Burson Academy offers curricula under four pillars:

• Craft of Reputation Management, with a focus on writing, media relations, issues management, and creative.
• AI/Innovation, for advancements in data & analytics, AI.
• Burson Innovation Portfolio, and new methods of working.
• Leadership, for career navigation, management, and leadership growth.

Here’s what they said

Corey duBrowa, formerly BCW’s global CEO said,

“Businesses and organizations are operating in a constant state of complexity and uncertainty, marked by rapid advancements in technology, economic volatility, wide-ranging activism, and social and geopolitical turbulence. A strong reputation grounded in action, communicated clearly and creatively, and deployed as capital across stakeholders will enable clients to succeed in this environment. Reputation is a company’s most valuable asset for enhancing perception and growing performance, preference, valuation and return.”

Global Chairman AnnaMaria DeSalva stated,

“In today’s complex operating environment, business leaders are converting pervasive risks into opportunities for innovation and value creation. The Burson Innovation Portfolio, which draws on the technology strengths of our combined agencies and WPP, reflects our promise to combine artificial and human intelligence in ways that help our clients succeed at the intersection of risk, creativity and reinvention. Leading companies are already leveraging these solutions to build and protect reputation in highly material situations. We are committed to both our clients and our employees that Burson will be an engine for their growth and for the enablement of the transformations that the world needs now.”

Read More: Publicis Groupe wants to cut through exaggerated AI promises with ‘BSBot’

Kaizzen collaborates with RedBeryl for enhancing strategic communications

Kaizzen, an integrated communications agency, has announced a collaboration with RedBeryl, a leading luxury lifestyle management firm. With a focus on thought leadership, reputation management, and brand awareness, this partnership seeks to improve RedBeryl’s communication strategy, which in turn will strengthen the company’s growth initiatives. RedBeryl provides access to the best events, experiences, and a committed group of lifestyle specialists.

Kaizzen partners with RedBeryl to elevate strategic communication strategy

RedBeryl provides unmatched access to the best events, a committed group of lifestyle specialists, and the greatest experiences. Motivated by a desire for perfection, RedBeryl opens doors to a higher life and makes every second count. The founder, Mr. Manoj Adlakha, was committed to providing excellent membership services in India and crafted unique experiences that would leave a lasting impression. This commitment is reflected in the company’s vision.

RedBeryl’s vision

RedBeryl bases everything they do on its core values, which include exclusivity, personalization, attention to detail, and exceptional service. Their goal is to create unique experiences that showcase each member’s uniqueness, and this mission is guided by these values. Through their partnership with RedBeryl, Kaizzen is able to expand the range of industries in which their clients are represented, including corporates, start-ups, lifestyle, HR, and technology.

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Here’s what they said

Commenting on being awarded this mandate, Vineet Handa, CEO of Kaizzen, said,

“We are incredibly excited about this strategic partnership with RedBeryl. Their dedication to creating exclusive and personalized experiences positions them as a leader in the luxury lifestyle management sector. Our goal is to amplify RedBeryl’s visibility, enhance their brand reputation, and engage in meaningful conversations with the media. We look forward to contributing to their communication strategy and supporting their growth trajectory.”

Expressing enthusiasm on the collaboration, Manoj Adlakha, founder and CEO of RedBeryl, said,

“At RedBeryl, we believe that life should be full of unforgettable moments. Partnering with Kaizzen resonates with our aim of providing our valued members with unique, tailored experiences. We are delighted to collaborate with Kaizzen, and their expertise in strategic communications will significantly raise our market visibility and support our ambitious growth objectives.

He added,

“Over the past 16 years, Kaizzen has established itself as a leading multi-practice and full-service PR and digital media agency. We are confident that our expertise will significantly enhance RedBeryl’s public relations and brand reputation, delivering maximum ROI for them.”

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