Khaled AlShehhi, Executive Director of Marketing and Communication for the UAE Gov Media Office wins the World Media Award for Content Leadership & Innovation

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]London – 2nd August, 2022 – The World Media Group today announced that Khaled AlShehhi, Executive Director of Marketing and Communication for the UAE Government Media Office, is the winner of the World Media Award (WMA) for Content Leadership & Innovation for 2022. This honour is awarded to the individual recognised by peers for talent in creating exemplary content-driven campaigns that demonstrate brand bravery, creativity, and innovation. AlShehhi will receive his special award at this year’s WMA celebration in September.

Both Co-Chairs, Hamish Goulding, Group Head of Brand Strategy at HSBC and Ritu Lakhanpal, Managing Partner at McCann Worldwide, along with Belinda Barker, Chief Executive of The World Media Group, agreed that AlShehhi had upended the rules of government communication by placing creativity at the essence of his leadership to deliver a level of impact and effectiveness not often seen in public institutions.

AlShehhi has been at the helm of many award-winning creative campaigns including the transformation of the Burj Khalifa into the world’s largest donation box, reaching 4.6 billion people and raising over 1.2 million meals for those most affected by Covid. However, campaign effectiveness is just one part of this story; AlShehhi has transformed the way a government entity approaches communications by making creative excellence the essence of its function. It’s clear the UAE media office behaves like a brand, not an institution.

AlShehhi’s ground-breaking initiatives to support the Middle East’s first mission to Mars including ‘Double Moon’, a regional-first projection stunt, and a limited-edition passport stamp made of Martian ink for visitors arriving in the UAE, showcase this unique creative approach. Likewise, ‘A winter through my eyes’, a short video showing the beauty of UAE from the perspective of a blind person, pushes the boundaries of traditional tourism content.

“The calibre of candidates for the 2022 Content Leadership & Innovation Award, who are nominated by the World Media Group’s members, was exceptional this year. They each demonstrated innovation, creativity and brand bravery in their campaigns, so it was a tough decision,” said Belinda Barker, Chief Executive, The World Media Group. “Khaled AlShehhi impressed our judges with the sheer breadth and depth of the campaigns he has delivered, as well as demonstrating creativity, boldness and pushing the boundaries of communications and marketing in what can often be a dry sector.”

“The World Media Awards showcases the very best in content marketing, so I’m delighted to receive the award for Content Leadership & Innovation,” AlShehhi said. The UAE believes the impossible is possible and has spent the past fifty years imagining, designing, and executing a new vision for the country that is unlike anywhere else. But it takes more than policy and vision to change society.

“My goal has been to transform the way the UAE Government communicates by producing original innovative and creative content that positively impacts the lives of people locally, regionally and globally, so it’s truly an honour for me – and of course my team – to see our work recognised by our peers.”

AlShehhi will receive his award during an exclusive live ceremony at the Ham Yard Hotel in London, on Thursday 8th September 2022, where the final category winners will also be announced. The winner of this year’s prestigious Grand Prix Award will also be announced on the night, joining previous Grand Prix winners London & Partners, Malaria No More UK, Shell, Sonos and Tata Motors as the ‘best of the best’.

#ENDS#

About The World Media Group – Championing International Trusted Journalism

The World Media Group is an alliance of leading global media organisations united in providing trusted and renowned journalism. Its members include The Atlantic, BBC Global News, Bloomberg Media, The Economist, Forbes, Fortune, Insider, National Geographic, Politico Europe, Reuters, The New York Times Company, The Smithsonian, TIME, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, and associate member Euromoney, and partners Permutive and Smartology. To find out more about the World Media Group, please visit www.world-media-group.com.

About The UAE Government Media Office

The UAE Government Media Office has been recognized as one of the most awarded government entities winning awards at some of the most prestigious shows including Cannes Lions, One Show, The Webby Awards, New York Festivals, AME Awards, Loeries Awards, Dubai Lynx and WARC. The office prides itself on being one of the most creative marketing functions in the world, surpassing classical brands when it comes to creativity and effectiveness.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

My Media Life – Natalie Lam

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NATALIE LAM IN CONVERSATION WITH ARIF DURRANI, MEDIA CONSULTANT

Welcome to My Media Life, where we chat with the movers and shakers in the worlds of business and marketing to find out what the media industry means to them, their advice for those starting out today, and personal insights into their sources of inspiration and motivations.

This month, we’re delighted to be joined by Natalie Lam, Chief Creative Officer for Publicis Groupe across APAC and the Middle East. Based in Hong Kong, Natalie leads a creative community of 3000+ people across Publicis’s various agencies in markets across the world. Below are extracts from our longer conversation – you can watch the full interview above or listen to the podcast here.

What does the media industry mean to you?

It means everything. Even though I’ve been in Hong Kong for more than a year, I still go check out The New York Times – it’s still my ‘go to’ to get a more balanced perspective in the world.

What’s, what’s one piece of advice that has helped in your career?

There are so many, but that I got early on was ‘listen well’. I was just starting out and was wondering why [sometimes] my work would get recognized and [other times] it wouldn’t. There didn’t seem like there was rhyme or reason. Back then, it was very hierarchical and as a junior – you did everything your seniors told you and people rarely bothered to explain. Often, we’d try everything and then cross our fingers and hope something would work!

After a long time of this guessing, I got the advice ‘listen well’ in one of my reviews. I’ve learnt to really listen to every single word that every single person says, and then put what they say and what the outcome is together. ‘Listen well’ was really good advice for me.

What’s your favourite thing about your current job?

Cultural tourism. Every single market is so different, so diverse. Every team is so different, the personalities are different. Cultural tourism is how I describe my experience. You can basically travel around the world just by being on Teams calls. Over the last two years, every time I talked to a team from a different market, I learned something new; I learned a little bit more about the culture.

It’s not the same as being there, which is so much more multi-dimensional, but I’m talking to people and observing them, their mannerisms, their little jokes and then habits, their expressions. There are endless things to learn. It’s just fascinating.

What advice would you give to people starting a media or marketing career today?

I think they’re extremely blessed yet extremely challenged. Blessed because they have endless resources influences and tools at their disposal 24-7, on demand. That’s also a huge challenge because you don’t have time to make your own decision. So how do you have a strong point of view and see things with clarity. What’s your voice? What’s your thing?

Back in the day when we didn’t have any of these limitations, I thought it was quite helpful in having a focus and in making up your mind, making your decisions, your choices. It was up to you rather than all the infinite availabilities, which can be sort of like false signals out there.

What would you describe as your personal secret talent?

I can make very complicated things pretty simple. I think it ties into that advice of ‘listen well’.  Whenever there are a lot of conflicting opinions going in different directions, I’m pretty good at taking a step back and prioritising; I look at what is most important to start with, then focus and set some kind of clarity, rather than being overwhelmed.

Where do you get your daily news from?

Unfortunately, nowadays, everybody is stuck in echo chamber. So, my blend is The New York Times, local news, a little bit of BBC, a little bit of what all my friends and family are sharing – it’s a little bit of a mash up.

For me the headlines [from The New York Times and BBC] represent the western view. I think The New York Times does editorial in such a brilliant way. I go to the style section, T magazine, to try to keep up with the latest in terms of lifestyle and culture. With the BBC it’s a slightly more European way of looking at things; a non-US way of looking at things.

Where do you get your creative inspiration from?  

It’s everywhere. I’m such an observant person, so there are a lot of things from everywhere that trigger me. I’m someone who likes to find little anomalies in the world. Whether it’s a little fun habit of someone sitting next to me, a small joke or, a something a bit amusing in our daily lives, social media, my friends and family, my parents, my colleagues, or big world news. It’s everywhere – real life. There’s so much inspiration all around from people, from culture, from the physical world.

Which media brands are most important to you?

The New York Times, Instagram – I use Instagram for a lot of inspiration. I’m obsessed with style, design, fashion culture so I follow a lot of photographers, artists and filmmakers. Instagram’s that source for me. I also listen to a lot of podcasts – you get soundbites and little stories, news, a collection of different things, both global and local.

How do you switch off from the always on culture we have?

I improvise with making food. I like making things and getting my hands dirty. There are two things that I can’t live without – an air fryer and an instant pot. A good stew that usually take a long time, I can now make in 30 minutes. At the opposite end of the spectrum, I cook guilt-free, oil-free, crispy fried food. I also try to exercise – I do yoga and take walks. If I have time, I listen to audio books or watch a film, but those times are very hard to find nowadays!

Finally, who or what inspires you?

I always respect original thinkers, people who have a very strong point of view and very strong conviction in what they believe in, because I think that the world is so overwhelmed with choices, with influences, with voices and hype and trends. It doesn’t matter, what they do, it could be a creative, it could be a big name, it could be a performer, an author, or someone who doesn’t have a glamorous job. If they have strong convictions rather than following the trends, those people inspire me.

Film is one of my favourite pastimes. Some of the classic directors and filmmakers from the sixties, seventies, nineties – have that power, that creativity, that originality. It’s hard for the newer generation of directors to replicate that impact. How do you bring in something new? It’s really a big challenge nowadays.

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The State of the (Dis) Union: Editors’ Perspective

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]After years of geo-political, social and economic unrest, it’s time to take stock. But how do we rise above the discord to build a positive future? That’s the question we posed to our panel of top international journalists at the World Media Group’s latest Smart Briefing. Chaired by Spriha Srivastava, International Executive Editor, Insider, Inc., our guests included William Booth, Bureau Chief, The Washington Post; Faisal Islam, Economics Editor, BBC News; and Jeremy Kahn, Senior Writer, Fortune.

Changes in the post-pandemic world

Srivastava began by asking the panel what they thought the biggest changes had been to the world since the pandemic. The Washington Post’s Booth said the Covid crisis had demonstrated just how unpredictable the world is. “I felt the pandemic would be six to 12 weeks. I thought there would be a booming economy after it was over with so much pent-up desire for products and travel,” he said. Now, with questions around how long military action in Ukraine will continue, a new UK prime minister on the horizon, and the ongoing effects of economic recovery, the future is even more unclear.

Faisal Islam, BBC News’ Economics Editor, believes what’s happening now is the result of multiple overlapping crises with some common causes – the post-pandemic situation, the Russian-Ukraine conflict causing the energy crisis; market crises as a result of debt and rising global interest rates; and a potential resurgence of the unresolved Eurozone crisis. He says the contradiction of public and private high debts, which would normally be dealt with by lowering interest rates, and speculation, which requires high interest rates, is causing stagflation.

Signs of a recession are showing across multiple sectors, including tech. According to Jeremy Kahn, Senior Writer, Fortune, the big US tech companies are doing all their planning based around the idea of a deep recession, reflected through hiring practices and, in some cases, lay-offs. “I think they feel that there’s going to be this substantial downturn, and that’s what they’re preparing for it,” he said. “Certainly, the foot is off the accelerator in terms of any venture investment.”

Srivastava asked Booth whether we were heading for a recession here in the UK. “The government needs to get inflation under control and get the economy going, but one of the biggest issues is the profound labour shortage,” he said. While Britain wants to manufacture again, it’s lacking the workforce required to do. This becomes a huge problem when globalisation is no longer working the way it should do.

The move away from globalisation

Kahn says that globalisation has been forced to take a large step back compared to the pre-pandemic days: “When you see what’s happening with Ukraine, it has only reinforced that there’s a decoupling in the world. It’s not just one world. Yes, there’s still trade but it’s becoming much more balkanised.”

The reality of this can be seen through Booth’s anecdote about the fate of the UK fish and chips industry. During research for a story, he realised there has been rash of fish and chip shops closing as a result of the various crises. “Energy prices are killing them,” Booth says. “They get all their fish from Russian trawlers and the British government is about to slap a 35% tariff on Russia and white fish. Cod and Haddock aren’t available in the English Channel; British fisheries, despite Brexit, aren’t very productive and don’t produce the fish that goes into fish and chips.”

Added to that are issues with sunflower oil coming from Ukraine, and Indonesia blocking palm oil exports prioritising their own domestic consumption. Booth expects these domino effects to have an impact for months or years to come until we sort out a new economic world order.

He suggests one solution may be a return to a more regional economic alliance model, similar to the NAFTA, agreement, which joined the United States, Canada and Mexico. The UK version of that, he suggests, would be the UK plus Europe, Eastern Europe, and some of northern Africa, where each region would specialise in producing a specific commercial output to trade with the others.

The commitment to net zero

When Srivastava opened up questions to the audience, one of the areas of interest around the environment and, in the wake of the current economic and political issues, whether the commitment to net zero had fallen to the bottom of the agenda? Booth said he felt the COP26 commitment to go completely net zero in some economies in such a short space of time was incredible. He said its success, however, was sure to be affected by the economy. “Watch what happens when the price of gasoline goes up five cents a gallon in the United States, then see how good Joe Biden’s word is – or Boris Johnson’s,” he says. “It’s easy to make promises, but whether countries hold towards the vision will be a major story of the next decade or two. It has to start happening and you can do it all in the last week.

A sliver of optimism for the future

So, is there any hope on the horizon? That was the question from another audience member. According to Islam, there’s going to be a big wave of investment, some of it likely to be strategically supported by government. In the UK, which Islam says is not even in the top 20 on the league table of robot density in manufacturing, he sees a huge opportunity for investment.

Booth is also optimistic and points to the advent of the RNA vaccine as a “mini minor medical miracle,” referring to the relatively unproven technology that was used, and how it delivers a template for future medical innovation. “Remarkable techno change will happen where we least expect it and we’re not in such a bad place,” he says.

Islam believes that the current wave of defence spending, could be revolutionary for Europe: “If all of this money that’s now going to defence as a result of Putin can be channelled in the same way it was in Silicon Valley to help the economy, that’s pretty interesting stuff,” he said.

Kahn agrees that there’s a chance for “tremendous investment” in the area of defence, and to help with the issue of labour shortages. “There’s the potential for automation and robotics to accelerate but it takes a lot of money, and it takes time. It won’t solve this problem within a year, but if we come back in 10 years’ time, it might be that the fish fryers aren’t there because it’s all been done by robots,” he said.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

World Media Awards 2022 Shortlist Announced

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Rising Star’ entries wow the judges as the quality of overall submissions increases

London, Wednesday 29th June: The World Media Group has announced the shortlist for the 2022 World Media Awards (WMAs), which showcase the best in international content-driven, cross-border advertising. The awards attracted interest across APAC, EMEA and the Americas with entries from Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, UK and the USA.

This year saw the entries double in both the Automotive and Social Good categories, while Technology & Telecoms entries increased by 175% compared to last year. The judges were impressed by the strong showing of entries in the new ‘Rising Star’ category, introduced this year to recognise talented individuals who are making a significant impact to the creativity and effectiveness of content-led advertising strategies early on in their careers.

The shortlist, which includes renowned brands from across 40 different organisations, was determined by an international team of 39 heavyweight jurors from leading advertisers, agencies and publishers. The jury’s make up reflects the importance of collaboration between all three parties when creating effective content-driven marketing campaigns. This year’s Co-Chairs were Hamish Goulding, Head of Global Brand Strategy, HSBC and Ritu Lakhanpal, Managing Partner IPG MEDIA BRANDS. The full list of judges can be seen here.

Damian Douglas, President of the World Media Group and Managing Director EMEA, TIME said, “The World Media Group’s mission is to champion international trusted journalism and support the creation of engaging content – both editorially and commercially. We are delighted to see how many entries demonstrate the true power of storytelling through content-driven advertising in the right media environment. The number of impressive submissions for our new ‘Rising Star’ category is also encouraging – the future of the industry is clearly in safe hands!”

World Media Awards Event

The final category winners will be announced during an exclusive live ceremony at the Ham Yard Hotel in London on Thursday 8th September 2022. Shortlisted entrants will receive two free tickets to join the celebration as guests of the World Media Group, and additional tickets will be available for purchase. The winner of this year’s prestigious Grand Prix Award will also be announced on the night, joining previous Grand Prix winners London & Partners, Malaria No More UK, Shell, Sonos and Tata Motors as the ‘best of the best’.

€750k Worldwide Advertising Campaign for Winners

In addition to presenting awards to category winners on the night, the World Media Awards offer a unique prize. The winning entries are amplified in a worldwide advertising campaign valued at more than €750k running across the World Media Group’s leading international media brands. Members comprise The Atlantic, BBC Global News, Bloomberg Media, The Economist, The Financial Times, Forbes, Fortune, National Geographic, Insider, Politico Europe, Reuters, The New York Times Company, The Smithsonian, TIME, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.

 

The 2022 shortlist is as follows:

Automotive

Brand / Campaign Entered by
Hyundai – A Better Way Warner Bros. Discovery with Havas Media Group
Hyundai – Journey To Ithaca BBC Studios (BBC StoryWorks)
Volkswagen – The New Polo Challenger Series: Conquering New Stadiums PHD Germany

Brand / Media Partnership

Brand/ Campaign Entered by
Accenture – Accenture Exchange Series And Partner Content Financial Times
De Beers Group – Okavango Eternal National Geographic
Infosys – The Sustainability Project Economist Impact
InLombardia and Grana Padano – Masters Of Lombardy BBC Studios (BBC Storyworks)

Corporate Influencer

Brand/ Campaign Entered by
A.P. Moller – Mærsk – The Upside Of Integrated Logistics Havas Business
EY – World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Mediacom
Hitachi – COP26 Climate Change Innovation Reuters
Infosys – The Sustainability Project Economist Impact

Financial Services

Brand/ Campaign Entered by
Banco Santander – FootballCan 2041 Arena Media and Havas Spain
Citi – Treasury & Turbulence – Sanctions: The Makers & The Breakers Euromoney Institutional Investor
ING Wholesale Banking – Progress With Purpose The Trust: The Wall Street Journal | Barron’s Group
Lombard Odier Group – Revealing The Unexpected Value Of Nature Banque Lombard Odier & Cie SA
UBS – Tackling The Climate Crisis With The Visionaries Of Tomorrow T Brand, the content studio of New York Times Advertising

Lifestyle & Luxury

Brand/ Campaign Entered by
Johnnie Walker – The Ones Who… Keep Walking OMG Africa
Monkey Shoulder Whisky – ‘From Mixing Cocktails To Mixing Metaverse Beats’ iProspect Global
The Macallan & Bentley – Sharing Mastery: An Extraordinary Journey Into The Future Robb Report
Walpole – Love Letters From Britain BBC StoryWorks

Media & Entertainment

Brand/ Campaign Entered by
Reuters – The Source Reuters
Sony Pictures Entertainment – Spider-Man Swings To Global Success OMD EMEA

Rising Star

Aimee Carpenter Carat UK
Cristina Correa POLITICO Europe
Georgina Marshall BBC Studios (BBC Global News Advertising Sales)
Ella Solomon Wavemaker

Social Good

Brand/ Campaign Entered by
Banco Santander – FootballCan 2041 Arena Media and Havas Spain
For(bes) the Culture – State Of Black Entrepreneurship Forbes
Hyundai – Journey To Ithaca BBC Studios (BBC StoryWorks)
Infosys – The Sustainability Project Economist Impact
‘Girls Are Ready’ Red Border by TIME

Technology & Telecoms

Brand/ Campaign Entered by
Deutsche Telekom – Project Futureproof: From GenZ For GenZ Mindshare GmbH
Samsung – Creating Sustainably T Brand, the content studio of New York Times Advertising
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3: Unfold Your World Starcom Worldwide
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra – The Phone Of The Year Captures The Man Of The Year Starcom Worldwide
Webex by Cisco – Powering Through The Pandemic With Mclaren Merkle B2B

Travel & Tourism

Brand/ Campaign Entered by
Brand Scotland – Many Brands Make Light Work – Collaboratively Building Scotland’s Brand At COP26 Carat UK
VisitScotland – Slow Up In Scotland The Walt Disney Company
Visit Sweden – Discover The Originals Mindshare

For full details of shortlisted entries go to https://world-media-group.com/awards/2022-shortlist/.

About The World Media Group
Championing International Trusted Journalism

The World Media Group is an alliance of leading global media organisations united in providing trusted and renowned journalism. Its members include The Atlantic, BBC Global News, Bloomberg Media, The Economist, The Financial Times, Forbes, Fortune, Insider, National Geographic, Politico Europe, Reuters, The New York Times Company, The Smithsonian, TIME, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, and associate member Euromoney, and partners Permutive and Smartology. To find out more about the World Media Group, please visit www.world-media-group.com.

 

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My Media Life – Daryl Lee

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Daryl Lee, Global CEO of IPG Mediabrands and president of this year’s Cannes Media Lions

Welcome to My Media Life where business leaders chat to us about what the media industry means to them – from insights into their own career path and tips for those starting out today, to which media they personally connect with and why.

With the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity about to begin for the first time in three years, we’re thrilled to be joined by Daryl Lee, Global CEO of IPG Mediabrands and president of this year’s Cannes Media Lions.

Below are extracts from our longer conversation; you can watch the full interview above, or listen to the podcast here.

What does the media industry mean to you?

Change. I love change. I found my way into the media business from consulting and a creative agency, and they were both really focused on clients and brands and business. I love the business of our clients and building brands.

What media does is take all of that and smack it in the middle of wherever change is happening. I used to think that was accidental, but now I realise that’s the nature of media because it tracks culture – it tracks good and bad culture – it tracks entertainment, it tracks human beings’ changing views of what they’re interested in. That’s what media is; that’s how you attract audiences. So, the fact that you combine all these brands and businesses and all the things I love about the world in general, and then the pace of media, which is: Change, get ready for it, immerse yourself in it, be the first into it.

What’s the one piece of advice that has helped in your career?

I’m going to give you two. I’ve become a CEO, but I’m a strategist at heart and strategists love their lunchtimes because no-one schedules a meeting, and you can do some work, so the best advice somebody gave me is never lunch alone.

Make sure that every time there’s a lunch in your day – you’re going to talk to somebody new; you’re finding out something new. Somebody walked past my office once and said, “This is the third day in a row I’ve seen you hunched over your laptop over lunch. Get out, meet people.”

There’s always somebody who wants to have lunch with you, as a media agency leader. I get to meet people, but I also get to think new things – there’s going to be some new supply chain optimisation person, for example, who I only meet for lunch because I need to eat. And then you learn something new about the tech ecosystem. Or you meet somebody who’s looking at a new audience. Or you just meet somebody who’s got something interesting going on in their lives. Keeping your mind open to that is important.

The other thing I was told was to speak up. That’s my advice to people when they walk in here: Speak up; we can’t answer a question you don’t ask.

What’s your favourite thing about your current job?

I love being a coach. I use this metaphor a lot. I’m not a big sports fan. IPG Mediabrands has 13,000 people around the world. We have these two big brands, UM and Initiative, and then we have specialty brands that support them. So, we have a blue team (Initiative) and red a team (UM) that play different fields, play different games at different times.

This is not something as a strategist I expected to love because I love the analytics of business, I love the analytics of media, I love the idea of optimising your investments against business objectives. All that I love, but actually, people can’t be optimised in that way. People can only be inspired and led.

I love the opportunity I’ve been given, which is to think about what I need to do to be a leader, as opposed to a boss. And my model is coaches, because what coaches do – they bring out the best in people; they put them in the right position. They move them out of position into a new position. And there’s always a clear bias towards the team versus the star. Occasionally you get distracted by having the star on a team, but I think you always learn that the team is stronger than the stars.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in a media or marketing career today?

Well, I don’t need to give them advice to speak up because with this generation there’s no quietness! I think it’s ‘really be creative’ because the opportunity now, like never before in media and I think in business, is to find new connections, find new combinations.

I like to say creativity is everybody’s business, which wasn’t always the case. There’s no longer ‘there’s the science guy’, ‘there’s the art guy’, or ‘there are the people who do the hard analysis’ or ‘here’s the people who think conceptually and creatively’. I think we all have to be creative. The pace of change requires it, but the openness in business makes it possible. So, no matter where you are, no matter where you’re starting, if you see something that can be created, speak up, let’s do it.

What would you say your own personal secret talent is?

Optimism. I’m a very idealistic person. I grew up in South Africa, which was disaster into miracle. Somebody told me the other day I’m a strong optimist. People come and say: house on fire …client’s leaving…we didn’t win this…we didn’t run a campaign in the middle of December that was about holidays. And I’m like: “First of all, let’s acknowledged the pain, and secondly, we’ll find a way to make it a positive. We’ll find a way to make it up.” So, I’m very optimistic.

I was very easily bored [as a child] and so I did a lot of theatre – we called it ‘candlelight theatre’. We would go around to retirement homes and do a lot of Monty Python, which in South Africa was super weird, but I have a deep sense of performance. I don’t use it [everyday], but when I need to, it’s very helpful.

With media agencies, because we do so much pitching, we speak to CEOs and CFOs way more than creative agencies do now. There’s that sense of when there’s a performance, show up with a performance and make it a performance. People have come to see a show not a conversation. Because it can’t just be the work we do. They’re looking to an agency for something – it’s got to be an emotional experience otherwise they could just get it from looking at a report.

Where do you get your own daily news from?

I have my four, the big four, which is Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New York Times and the Financial Times. Not in that order, actually in reverse order – I end with the Wall Street Journal. I sometimes start with the New York Times if something big is happening in the world, but usually the Financial Times… although, I don’t want to read any more about Boris Johnson. Can I say that I’m just done? It’s just enough!  And then Politico. I am a news junkie.

In terms of lifestyle, which media brands are most important to you?

I do a lot of streaming. I’m a big Prime video guy. I think HBO Max and Prime have managed to carve out a position of more interesting, more thoughtful content. Netflix does the great content spectrum. I do watch CNN. I have secret vices, like Below Deck – it’s a Bravo reality TV show about people who work on luxury yachts and they’re the team below deck, and it is just bad for you and unstoppably addictive. And a lot of sport – we saw the most amazing tennis in the last two weeks and I’m looking forward to some new tennis coming. It is interesting how you don’t say NBC / ABC anymore – you say HBO Max, Prime Video. Peacock is a great brand and Vudu, is a brand in my life.

How do you switch off from being always on?

Gardening! I have a garden, I go biking. We have a house that’s two hours north of New York City – it has a huge yard that I try to keep up, poorly, so I love that. I love being out. I’m not sure I’m ‘tree bathing’ or forest bathing but something like that happens to me when I’m out in nature.

The other day I was like, “My roses are not performing as I would like.” I remember thinking my grandfather spends an awful lot of time talking about roses. What is his problem? But this is what’s happened – I’ve now become someone who really cares about my roses.

Finally, who or what inspires you?

Nelson Mandela. To come from one of the first black lawyers in the country, then banned, then imprisoned 27 years, worked in a quarry in this awful jail cell and then came out and was a unifier and built a rainbow nation with warts and all, but still just this grace. To come out and have such grace. So, he inspires me, always. You read his writings and he was obviously raised in a particular way, which built a character. And he worked on his character.

It’s such an interesting thing. We had a meeting in Majorca the other day to get the global leadership team together and Tony Nadal was there, Rapha Nadal’s uncle and coach. He came to speak to us, and I asked him, what makes the difference from a good tennis to a great tennis player? And he said, “Someone who works on their character.” Not someone who has great character, but someone who works on their character to become better. And I think that’s what Mandela did that.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Nigel Robinson on his role as World Media Group Chair

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Nigel Robinson, Global Account Director & Managing Partner at Mediacom, is the World Media Group’s new Non-Executive Chair. Picking up the mantle from Gordana Buccisano, Nigel supports our mission to champion the values of international, trusted journalism. Nigel’s experience managing global client relationships and leading international network teams for MediaCom brings a unique perspective of the brand / agency / publisher relationship. We chat to Nigel about how he hopes to facilitate a better understanding of the value publishers can offer brands, based on a currency of insight and understanding.

What do you bring to the role of World Media Group Chair?

I’ve spent 30 years working with major clients and brands, thinking hard about what they want to achieve and working out how agencies and publishers can help them. Being in the engine room of one of the world’s leading agencies, working with some of the most advanced clients in the world, you really do get to see and understand what challenges clients are grappling with and the solutions they’re looking for.

I want to bring that know-how and experience to the role of WMG Chair. I see it from an agency perspective and a client’s perspective, as well as from a publisher’s perspective, and I want to connect these groups to help clients grow their brands and drive their businesses forward.

What are the biggest challenges clients are grappling with today?

Everyone is working out how to use data effectively. We’re all aware of the fundamental changes happening around personal identity in a Cookieless world and this means advertising context becomes one of the solutions to that challenge. This is nothing new and, like fashion, it’s coming back into vogue again. The World Media Group and its members are all about publishing quality content; their high-quality journalism creates so many incredibly powerful contexts for advertisers to capitalise on and there’s a greater value being attached to this now.

Similarly, attention has become a very big theme recently. Clients increasingly appreciate that reach is only effective if it comes with audience attention and they’re asking agencies to plan for reach + attention and to quantify its value. This focus on “attention planning” is again, hyper-relevant to publishers like the World Media Group members, whose super high-quality content is being consumed closely and deeply by their audiences. Quite rightly, advertisers are placing a premium on this right now.

Brands and clients are always hungry to understand their categories, their audiences and how their brands fit into the world. Publishers have so much to offer in terms of how they understand people and audiences and providing the context for brands to be seen in and operate in. This is super high value, and that currency of insight and understanding is a great way of connecting brands to publishers.

How can publishers help solve these issues?

I want to help publishers understand this value and tell that story by creating their own narratives and solutions to these challenges and opportunities, which will resonate with brands and brand owners. Having worked with a breadth of clients, I believe I can help publishers articulate their best solutions to increase their value to brands and that’s a big part of what I want to accomplish as the World Media Group Chair.

In a world of snackable content, what role does in-depth content play?

Whether you’re talking about a business audience or a Gen Z audience, consumers’ attention spans have shortened, and we’ve all become used to this very short-form, snackable, slightly clickbait content. For me, when it comes to understanding the value and the role of more in-depth content, there’s also an ethical side to consider.

In the “Twittersphere world”, there’s a danger that we lose the depth of communication. What is the real story? What are the real facts? What’s the real trend here? That’s where high-quality, trusted journalism is needed. As a society, we should nurture it, support it, and make sure it maintains a place in our world.

Quality journalism is not only incredibly valuable to the industry, but also to society, and we must make sure we don’t lose it. Businesses have become more aware of their impact on the world and want to operate in a responsible way, which is why I believe this point can grow in importance.  The World Media Group brands offer a platform for businesses to tell their stories at length, within a trusted, credible environment.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Inaugural Inclusion & Trust in Media Survey 2022

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The World Media Group (WMG) together with The Third Culture and the Brixton Finishing School would like you to participate in our first-ever industry survey on Inclusion & Trust on the commercial side of the media industry. If you work in the advertising industry, on the client or brand side, in a media agency, a creative agency, or at a media company or if you are thinking of a career in the sector, we would like to hear from you.

Our goal is to better understand culture, diversity and inclusion in general and then specifically how that impacts on the WMG member organisations compared with other media companies.

We want to use the survey results to provide us with an idea of how we might be performing in driving inclusion and trust and we would like to set benchmarks for the future.

The survey is being conducted in accordance with UK GDPR, the Equality Act 2010 and the Data Protection Act 2018. Responses are anonymous and will be treated as aggregates and used for research purposes by World Media Group board members to drive positive action in the area of diversity and inclusion.

There is a link to an external site at the end of the survey where you can enter a lucky draw to win a £100 Amazon voucher as a thank you for filling in this survey in accordance with the World Media Group Privacy Policy. Data will not be stored or used other than for the purposes of the lucky draw and will be deleted after the draw.

This survey is being conducted with the help of The Third Culture, a management consultancy that is focused on the area of organisational culture, diversity and inclusion.

Brixton Finishing School is an award-winning employment programme that offers a range of free online and in-person courses designed to upskill and support the employment of talent from underrepresented backgrounds.

Thank you for your support.  To take part in the survey click HERE[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Are marketers doing enough to encourage sustainability? Belinda Barker

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The desire to become a more purpose-driven business is one of the positive trends to emerge from the pandemic and brands are becoming increasingly more progressive in their outlook. Last week’s Advertising Week Europe had a whole track dedicated to Purpose & Practice, and while purpose can encompass many things, it’s clear that in today’s climate, any purpose-driven business strategy must have sustainability high on the agenda.

The World Media Group’s members have been covering climate change and sustainability for years and continue to play a critical role in holding companies to account as organisations chase Net Zero ambitions. While ‘Profit, People and Planet’ is high on the agenda at board level, the question is, how is the media and marketing industry doing overall, and can we do more to effect change?

To read the full article published on Mediatel click HERE[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Key Takeouts: Advertising Week: Purpose and Profit: What It Takes to Deliver Both

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The World Media Group hosted a lively discussion at Advertising Week Europe yesterday around how Purpose can drive business transformation and profits. Duncan Chater, Managing Director, Europe at Bloomberg Media chaired a panel featuring Sue Unerman, Chief Transformation Officer, MediaCom; John Rudaizky, Partner, Global Brand and Marketing, EY; and Louisa Harris, Head of Sustainability and Systems Change, Brandpie.

Chater opened up the conversation by pointing out that while purpose-driven business had been a hot trend to emerge from the pandemic, inflation and energy price rises have recently risen to levels most consumers have not faced before. The discussion centred around how can companies navigate these uncharted waters to deliver continued profit with Purpose. Here are some of the takeouts from the World Media Group’s panel.

  1. In the current climate, sustainability needs to be a consideration of any purposeful business plan. While Purpose isn’t just about sustainability, context is important, and this generation is responsible for making the necessary changes before it’s too late. For a business to have a vital purpose, everyone who’s contributing to it needs to acknowledge that. If a business doesn’t operate in that context, it’s very difficult to get Purpose right.
  2. Organisations need to stop focussing on the competition and how to dominate the marketplace. Instead, we need to acknowledge there are big challenges that we must all face and share. The greatest success may come from moving from a competitive advantage to being a trailblazer and opening up sources to allow for radical collaboration.
  3. A brand is, what a brand does, and Purpose is about what the business does. Any business strategy must be purpose-driven, connecting to your total stakeholder ecosystem. Whether that’s around a D&I strategy or sustainability, your business will be impeded, if you don’t deliver on these things. This is not about conforming to regulations; it’s about seizing new opportunities. Profit will come from doing the right thing in business, not from a sense of compromise.
  4. In 2021, 87% of UK FTSE 350 companies had a Purpose statement in their annual report yet only 9% of them measure their progress against that purpose statement. There needs to be a more integrated conversation between a commercial brand and its sustainability strategy to ensure that short term returns are measured and balanced with the issues the brand is aligned with.
  5. It’s important that, as an industry, we push back against any brands that are telling stories but aren’t living the reality. Partnering with media owners who can represent the groups you are trying to advertise to, and creating content in collaboration with experts who represent your target audience, can make all the difference between making an ad and providing authentic content that delivers real value.
  6. The World Media Group brands need to be held accountable because we have the power to influence people through our audiences and have a responsibility to convey the story of the way we want the world to be. Advertising has always had the privilege of leading the world through the imagery it sets; when it comes to Purpose, we have the opportunity as organisations, and as an industry, to make a real difference.

The full session is available on demand here for Advertising Week Europe attendees.

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Join the World Media Group at Advertising Week Europe

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]After a two year hiatus because of the pandemic, Advertising Week Europe returns to London this week and the World Media Group and our members are delighted to be participating in a variety of panels and events. If you’re attending Advertising Week, come along and join us. The sessions featuring World Media Group members and our partners are as follows:

Tuesday 17th May 

11:40 AM Forces Of Influence 2022 – Stage 6 – The Boardroom Stage

Atlantic Brand Partners has uncovered the five Forces of Influence that are continuously shaping our world, our industry, and our customers’ lives in order to give brand leaders a deeper understanding of the newest trends, behaviours and ideas. Find out more.

1:20 PM The Future of AI – Stage 3 – The Tech Lab Stage

Bloomberg Technology Columnist Parmy Olson joins the panel to ask What does the future of AI look like? We ask the people leading and involved in businesses pushing the boundaries of AI. While we all know that artificial intelligence will change business forever, how will this happen? And what will it look like? Find out more.

1:40 PM Take Action Now To Support Underrepresented Talent To Thrive – Stage 6 – The Boardroom Stage

A panel featuring NABS, Brixton Finishing School and the ADcademy, Media for All (MEFA) and Outvertising on their recent research partnership. Sharing insights on the experiences of marginalised people in our industry and our plans for a brighter future, together. Find out more.

3:40 PM  Building A Culture Of Marketing Effectiveness – Stage 1 – Great Minds Stage 

Duncan Chater, Managing Director, Europe, Bloomberg Media joins this panel about marketing effectiveness. Only half of organisations have a marketing effectiveness roadmap, according to the inaugural IPA Effectiveness Culture Monitor. But those organisations who do so feel more empowered to deliver great marketing and aligned with the aims of their business. Whether you have a roadmap or a toolkit to ensure effectiveness, what truly works when it comes to transforming businesses? Find out more.

4:20 PM BBC News: Dispatches From Ukraine – Stage 1 – Great Minds Stage 

The inside story of BBC News’s coverage of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This is a BBC Studios session, on behalf of the international, commercial part of BBC News. During the first weeks of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, global audiences turned to the BBC to experience the frank and fearless journalism of the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet and Anchor and Correspondent, Yalda Hakim. In this interview, they’ll lift the lid on the past few months of reporting from Kyiv and Lviv, two cities under siege. Find out more.

Wednesday 18th May 

10:20 AM The Sustainability Imperative: How Your Brand Can Take the Lead – Stage 6 – The Boardroom Stage

Implementing a sustainability strategy is a commercial imperative to ensure that your business model and operations are resilient enough to thrive in the long-term. Communicating these sustainability efforts openly, transparently, and authentically is critical. 

This Reuters panel will provide valuable insights and case studies from clients’ sustainability initiatives, using branded content, that is underpinned by the core Reuters principles of integrity, independence, and freedom from bias. Find out more

11:40 AM Can Marketing Lead the Sustainability Agenda? – Stage 1 – Great Minds Stage 

Bloomberg’s Group Head of Sales, David  Bradford joins the panel to discuss why driving a sustainable transformation is one of the greatest challenges facing business. Does marketing have the right to play a leading role? Iris invites big thinkers from outside Adland to give CMOs advice on the changing role of consumers into ‘citizens’, how to see sustainability as ‘the new digital’, and understand the opportunity circular economy, smart product switches and even pricing can play in driving a sustainability agenda. Find out more.

12.00 PM The Science and Art of Content for the C-Suite – Stage 5, The Market Place Stage

Join The Financial Times as they present The Science and Art of Content for the C-Suite with Joanna Harrison, Head of Thought Leadership, Alpha Grid and Janet Wagner, Senior Director, Columbia Threadneedle Investments.

12:15 PM The New, Responsible Rules For Advertising – Stage 3 – The Tech Lab Stage

Join Permutive’s CEO and co-founder, Joe Root, in conversation with Michael Gewirtzman, Global Programming Director at Advertising Week Europe, to hear about the impact of privacy on advertising and why publishers and advertisers need to activate audiences responsibly to rebuild consumer trust. Find out more.

12:50 PM The Power Of Immersive To Transform Your Marketing – Stage 4 – The Creative Showcase Stage

Marketeers continually face the challenge of how to engage effectively with their target audiences, cutting through the clutter to remain relevant to consumers.

BBC Studios’ Head of Interactive, Tom Burton, joins the panel which explores the power of immersive events to engage with audiences in rich, meaningful, and new ways. Discussing best-in-class project examples with leading marketeers, this talk covers the value of ticketed brand experiences, and key learnings for brands looking to develop projects in this space in the future. Find out more.

1:20 PM  The Future of TV & Measurement – Stage 3 – The Tech Lab Stage

Grab your seats for a packed panel of advertising industry leaders for a lively debate moderated by Business Insider’s Lara O’Reilly on the future of TV advertising and how consumer attention should be measured across every screen. The great measurement debate will feature the premiere of Samba’s latest State of a Viewership Report from the UK and Germany, which shares what viewers watched in the first quarter of 2022 and how their shifting consumption patterns are changing the future of advertising. Find out more.

1:40 PM Purpose and Profit: What It Takes To Deliver Both – Stage 6 – The Boardroom Stage

The pandemic accelerated trends and placed more responsibility on the corporate sector. In this panel, presented by the World Media Group, we discuss the importance of a purpose driven vision and strategy. Duncan Chater, Managing Director, Europe at Bloomberg Media leads the discussion around how Purpose can drive business transformation and profits, alongside the challenges and opportunities business leaders and marketeers face along the way. 

The conversation will centre around the journey brands must now take to redress the balance to move towards a world that’s more progressive and demanding. Find out more. 

2:35 PM Convene & Curate: How Forbes Harnesses Community To Drive Conversation & Change  Stage 6 – The Boardroom Stage

Alex Wood, Managing Director of Europe at Forbes, will discuss how the business media brand is tapping into the power of global communities – from Under 30s to Billionaires – and building mission-aligned brand partnerships to drive meaningful systemic change and spur conversations around sustainability and social responsibility. Find out more.

2:50 PM Finding the right model to support original, independent journalism – Stage 2 – The Innovation Factory Stage

With ambitions to reach 15 million subscribers, The New York Times aims to be the essential subscription for every curious person—from news to cooking to games to sports. Fueled by the subscription-first approach, The New York Times has developed an innovative advertising model with a privacy-forward and premium ad ecosystem that supports The Times’s high quality journalism. delivers measurable impact and helps brands make their mark on the world. Find out more.

3:20 PM Brands, News & Gen Z – Stage 3 – The Tech Lab Stage

This is a BBC Studios session, on behalf of the international and commercial part of BBC News.

Get under the bonnet of what makes Gen Z tick, their relationship with global news providers and tips for brands in how to communicate to them.

They only communicate online, they are less brand loyal, they are entitled and self-focused; How much do we really know about Gen Z? In this session we aim to break down a few common myths and misconceptions about them. As part of a new piece of thought leadership, BBC News has surveyed 12 global markets, to find out what makes this cohort tick. Find out more 

3:30 PM Catching the Spark: Conversations With Journalists – Reporting On Innovation – Stage 2 The Innovation Factory Stage 

“Marketing is about innovation” to quote former Vice Chair of GE (General Electric) Beth Comstock. So it follows that journalists who write about marketing must write about innovation. But how do reporters define innovation? What is worth their attention and why do they dismiss some stories that seem to meet the innovation brief?

Join a panel of top marketing journalists including Lara O’Reilly Media and Advertising Editor, Insider, as Propeller Group’s Director of Content and former journalist Branwell Johnson turns the tables and gives some top editorial gatekeepers a grilling. Find out more.

Thursday 19th May 

9:20 AM Great Minds Morning Debate: This House Believes Your Carbon Footprint Doesn’t Really Matter – Stage 1 – Great Minds Stage and Streaming To The Studio – Stage 7 – Amazon Ads Studio 

Giving up meat, taking fewer flights, using public transport – for years the responsibility for the climate emergency has been focused on our own personal choices.

But let’s address the 35 billion carbon tonnes of gorilla in the room – we’re not the problem. Even if we eliminated 100% of our emissions for the rest of our lives, it’s estimated it would only save 1 second’s worth of emissions from the global energy sector. So does our carbon footprints – a strategy popularised by Adland — really matter? Find out more.

10:10 AM The Future Of TV: Will You Survive Or Thrive? Stage 4 – The Creative Showcase Stage 

Streaming is now firmly entrenched in people’s viewing habits. But never before has there been such a wide option of brands, services, channels, and ways to watch. With so many choices available and increasingly data-driven ways to serve viewers in advertising, this is a time of great change.

What does this mean for the future of TV and the ads that live in it? In this debate, the participants will discuss the future of TV advertising, how brands should be engaging with it, how it can and should evolve, and what creative agencies need to be doing to drive innovation in the space. Find out more.

11:00 AM – Make Inclusion Meaningful – Stage 6 – The Boardroom Stage

Brands can only really understand how to reach inclusive audiences, customers and communities when they do that themselves. Many companies have begun this work under the heading of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), but this broad categorisation has been criticised for lack of nuance. How should brands look at inclusivity today in Europe? This session brings together experts in the space to tackle everything from language to KPIs. Not just for inclusion specialists, this discussion aims to equip marketers and agencies with new tools to make their work more inclusive and successful. Find out more.

1:30 PM – A New Era Of Responsible Advertising – Stage 3 – The Tech Lab Stage

The rules of advertising are changing. Consumers are concerned about how their data is being used in advertising, regulators across the globe are closing in, and browsers are blocking third-party data. Now more than ever, advertisers need to develop responsible marketing practices that protect consumers’ data.

The decisions that brands and agencies make today will impact consumers and businesses alike. Join Permutive’s Head of EMEA, Advertiser & Agency, Chloe Gilman & Agency Partner, Izzy Jenkins, in this keynote session to get the context, insight and actions you need to effectively execute advertising in the future. Find out more.

3:40 PM Bloomberg’s Levelling Up Scorecard – Stage 1 – Great Minds Stage

In 2019 Boris Johnson won an election with two promises: Complete Brexit & Level Up Britain. The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill was introduced into Parliament on 11 May 2022 with the objective of spreading wealth & opportunity across the UK, closing the gap on the most deprived areas and the richer region of London and the SE.

Bloomberg has produced an exclusive data analysis to track the government’s own policy paper on levelling up and tracked the metrics on all 650 constituencies in the UK, comparing their performance to London and the South-East since 2019. Find out more

For more information about buying passes to Advertising Week Europe, please visit https://advertisingweek.com/event/aweurope2022/[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]