ITP | mediaME

ITP

Investment in online and digital platforms key to organisational growth, says survey

Thu, 2011-04-07 11:08 - By

Digital Media, Media Business, Report, Research, Media, Ahmad Bashour, Ashley Friedlein, Digital Cream Dubai, Dubai Internet City, Econsultancy, ITP, Majed Al Suwaidi, State of Digital Marketing in the Middle East and North Africa, TECOM Investments

Investments in digital channels are increasing across the board with 53 per cent of companies planning to increase budgets for mobile marketing, and 51 per cent for video communication, according to a survey conducted by Econsultancy, a global source of independent advice and insight on best practices for digital marketing and e-commerce.

Titled 'State of Digital Marketing in the Middle East and North Africa', the survey findings will be revealed to an audience of 120 digital marketing and e-commerce experts at 'Digital Cream Dubai'.

Supported by Dubai Internet City, member of TECOM Investments', Digital Cream Dubai will be held on 12 April at the Westin Hotel in Dubai. A part of Econsultancy's international series of events, the event will offer a roundtable forum for senior client-side digital marketers to discuss and explore latest best practices on e-marketing procurement, business cases, investment, return on investments (ROI) and supplier selection.

The survey findings reflect a buoyant digital industry that is experiencing rapid growth. On an average, companies are spending 22 per cent of their marketing budget on digital and more than half (58 per cent) are increasing their digital budgets in 2011. This compares to 43 per cent of the organisations that are increasing their overall marketing budgets this year in the region.

Organisations in the region are investing increasingly in search, with 56 per cent of companies increasing budgets for search engine optimisation and 49 per cent for paid search. Around 28 per cent of companies are planning to increase investment in business analytics and web analytics software that is set to enable organisations to effectively understand and measure their return on investments.

Econsultancy is a global community where the world's digital marketing and

e-commerce professionals meet to sharpen their strategy, source suppliers, get quick answers, compare notes, help each other out and discover how to do everything better online. Digital Cream Dubai is run in partnership with Global Event Management that has offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and London.

Majed Al Suwaidi, Director-Business Development at Dubai Internet City, said, "Digital platforms are increasingly being utilized by both small and large enterprises. Organisations are beginning to realize the relevance of tools based on mobile, video and the internet as they provide business value in the long run. Investments in such platforms help businesses and web analytics effectively understand and measure ROI."

Ahmad Bashour, Digital Publishing Director, ITP, and Ashley Friedlein, CEO, Econsultancy, will share the findings from the survey on digital spend, investments, and preferred digital channels by the industry. Attendees at Digital Cream Dubai have a choice of 14 independently moderated roundtables on various digital marketing disciplines including online advertising, social media, email, web analytics and search marketing.

Ashley Friedlein said: "We are very happy to contribute to the development of the digital community in the region by providing ways for people to share expertise and best practice. Digital Cream Dubai provides a unique format that allows attendees to discuss online channel investment, technologies, agency selection and local challenges that they all face in delivering best practice digital marketing and advertising."

At the forefront of the region's ICT industry, Dubai Internet City remains committed to supporting emerging technology trends in the region and continues to play an instrumental role in developing the industry while contributing to Dubai's drive for creating a knowledge-based economy.

Digital Cream Dubai confirms Nokia’s MENA Head of Digital Marketing as Keynote

Tue, 2011-03-29 08:21 - By

editor

Announcement, Digital Media, Events, Media, Ahmad Bashour, Arto Joennsuu, Ashley Friedlein, Digital Cream, Econsultancy, ITP, Nokia

Econsultancy, a global leading source of independent advice and insight on best practice digital marketing and e-commerce, has announced Nokia’s MENA Head of Digital Marketing, Arto Joennsuu, is to keynote at Digital Cream Dubai, on 12th April.

Arto brings 10 years of experience in the mobile and digital sector and will be discussing Nokia’s approach to digital marketing in the region, local challenges and its plans for future investment in the digital channel. Digital Cream Dubai will bring together 120 senior digital marketing and e-commerce experts to discuss best practice online marketing and
e-commerce in moderated roundtable format at the Westin Hotel.

Arto commented “Digital is here to stay so it’s important that both, client and agency side, join forces to create standards and to drive its adoption. Networking and collaboration is vital to harnessing movement and Digital Cream Dubai provides that platform to drive digital in the Middle East forward”.

The event will also feature a joint keynote with Ahmad Bashour, Digital Publishing Director at ITP and Ashley Friedlein, CEO of Econsultancy presenting the results of Econsultancy’s State of Digital Marketing in the Middle East and North Africa survey. The research, carried out by Econsultancy in association with ArabianBusiness.com, will uncover how companies in the Middle East are currently using online marketing and allocating digital spend, exploring the use of digital channels such as social media, search marketing, email and mobile marketing.

Attendees have a choice of 12 independently moderated roundtables on various digital marketing disciplines including online advertising, social media, email, web analytics and search marketing. Attendees will discuss online channel investment, technologies, agency selection and local challenges that they all face in delivering best practice digital marketing and advertising.

Attendees already confirmed include the heads of digital at ITP Publishing, twofour54, Dubai Financial Market, Jumeirah Group, Moevenpick Hotels & Resorts and Nokia, SNTTA Travel & Tours, flydubai, Dubai World Trade Centre and Abu Dhabi Film Festival. Sponsors include LBi, Yahoo! Maktoob, User Vison and Fatwire Software.

Econsultancy has strong international credentials in the delivery of online marketing training and already runs Digital Cream in London, New York and Chicago. As a publisher of best practice reports and how-to guides, Econsultancy’s unique position at the centre of a community of 100,000 members worldwide ensures that it’s training, events and reports offers the very latest, practitioner-led insight.

To request your place at Digital Cream Dubai visit http://econsultancy.com/events/digital-cream-dubai and register your request.

ITP publishing group to launch Middle East edition of Cosmopolitan

Thu, 2011-01-06 10:03 - By

editor

Content Business, Digital Media, Media Business, Product Launch, Media, Ahlan!, Cosmopolitan Middle East, Grazia, Harper's Bazaar, ITP, L'Officiel, Shape, VIVA, Walid Akawi

Jeeran signs up for Nielsen's market intelligence solution in Mena

Sun, 2009-10-18 19:48 - By

editor

Media Business, Media, 7 Days, ITP, Jeeran, Maktoob, Nielsen, Omar Koudsi, Orange Telecommunications, Piyush Mathur, Propertyfinder, Tahir Khalil, The Sarmady group

Effective Measure expands its reach with Regional Headquarters

Mon, 2009-09-07 09:52 - By

editor

Media Business, Media, 7Days, Al Bawaba, Brendon Ogilvy, Effective Measure, ITP, Mark Gatty Saunt, Rob Broadgate, Scott Julian

Effective Measure (www.effectivemeasure.com), the regions leading provider of audience measurement services and technology, today announced the expansion of its global office footprint, with the establishment of a regional headquarters in the UAE.

CNN joins Media and Marketing Show 2009 as the International News Partner

Tue, 2009-09-01 10:42 - By

editor

Media Business, Media, Al Ayyam Publishing, Al Riyadh Newspaper, CNN, Dar Al Sayyad, Domus Group, ITP, Maktoob, Maysoon Abulhoul, Media and Marketing Show 2009, MediaQuest, O3 Productions

Marketing Show Managing Director, Ms. Maysoon Abulhoul

ITP confirms that a number of its titles have folded

Wed, 2009-02-25 11:15 - By

editor

Announcement, Media, Information Technology Publishing, ITP, Kipp Report

According to Kipp Report, Dubai-based publishing house ITP has confirmed that a number of its titles have folded, but declined to comment on the number of staff fired since the crisis it the media industry.

Employees at Dubai-based ITP, the Middle East’s largest publishing house, claim the company has fired a number of staff this week and plans to continue downsizing.

Publications throughout the region have suffered losses due to dwindling advertising revenue caused by the global credit crisis, leading publishing houses in the Gulf to consider canceling or suspending titles.
“ITP continues to maintain a strong, vibrant regional publishing, events and Internet business in the Middle East and India,” wrote a company spokesperson in a statement to the press.

“Today’s market reflects a number of changed priorities and conditions that bring new challenges but also, ultimately, new opportunities. The company is refining its operations to ensure that it continues to meet market needs and provide value to the organizations and people it serves and remains committed to providing media that lead the way,” the statement said.

It is not clear how many staff members have been fired since January 2009, and whether more titles may be at risk of folding.