Episode 31:Creativity in Communications in the Middle East
This 31st episode of the The Brief , The Cannes Festival of Creativity in June, provides a perfect backdrop to explore the celebration of creativity in the Middle East. With several representatives from the region attending, this episode dives into how regional creativity stands up against global campaigns.
In this episode of MEPRA's #TheBrief podcast, also offers insights into the MENA region's unique perspective on creativity.
Host:
Joe Lipscombe, Partner, The Romans
Joe Lipscombe is leading the transformation of The Romans in MENA. Here, he brings his hands-on, unconventional leadership skills to solving complex business problems across the MENA region, championing new and innovative ways of creating disproportionate value for clients and agency.
Joe is a cited author on published scientific research on the neuroscience of storytelling and has delivered major keynotes on the same, including at the UN’s Global Goals Week. He is a two-time Cannes Lion winner, Lynx Innovation winner, Sabre winner, and current holder of the Campaign of the Year Award for UAE, Qatar, and Jordan. He was Memac Ogilvy PR’s youngest ever member of The One Club for Creativity.
The Romans has been awarded Agency of the Year every year since 2018.
Guest Speakers:
Judy Bakieh, Senior Integrated Communications Manager, Gambit Communications
Canadian Syrian marcomms professional focused on managing and activating Gambit Communications’ social influencer and experiential campaigns across the region, from identifying the right profiles to fit clients’ needs to activating them and generating ROI.
Multiple-Award Winner whose integrated campaigns at Gambit have picked up Gold trophies at both the MEPRA Awards and PRCA Regional Awards. She is also the winner of the prestigious Cannes PR Young Lions competition for 2023 and was named PRCA Rising Star of the Year 2023, Campaign Middle East Account Person of the Year 2022, and PRCA Highly Commended Digital Professional of the Year 2022.
Razan Karim, Senior Communications Director, HAVAS Red ME
Within a decade of working in the Middle East’s ever-evolving Communications field, Razan has gathered thorough agency experience servicing a wide range of clients across key industries – including major global players. Today, she works with an understanding of the trends and cultural influences impacting consumer mindsets and behaviors in this particular region, and simultaneously has developed strong relationships with fashion and lifestyle media and influencers. Having been with Havas PR since 2016 after working at Leo Burnett, Razan now handles the communications for CH Carolina Herrera in the Middle East region, while overseeing Havas’s portfolio of luxury fashion and lifestyle brands.
Hfu Reisenhofer, Senior Communications Manager, GEMS Education
Senior Communications Manager, GEMS Education
A versatile and award-winning storyteller, writer, and content creator, Hfu has two decades’ experience in journalism, media relations, PR, and corporate communications spanning the travel, tourism, publishing, and education sectors. Hfu joined GEMS Education’s communications team – declared In-house Team of the Year at the 2023 MEPRA Awards – in 2018 and has spent the last six years promoting GEMS schools in the UAE and further afield. Prior to that he worked at Dubai Tourism, where he launched and led the department’s global press office and creative newsroom. Before his switch to communications, Hfu spent 10 years working in the media industry in the UK, China, and UAE as a journalist and editor.
Produced by LPME Studios. www.lp.me