October 2018

ASDA’A BCW wins Gold Stevies for work on GEMS, Ford, Arab Youth Survey and declared Middle East PR Agency of the Year

ASDA’A BCW continues its winning streak at the International Business Awards 2018 – known as ‘the Stevies’. The agency collected a total of 28 awards, with five Gold, 10 Silver and 12 Bronze medals in the PR Category, including a Gold for PR Agency of the Year for the Middle East region, and a special ‘Grand Stevie’ for being the ‘Most Honoured Public Relations Agency’ globally.

‘We See Genius in Every Child’, an initiative for GEMS Education, clinched two Golds, for ‘Marketing: Consumer Services’ and for ‘Reputation/Brand Management’, along with two Silver awards for Corporate Communications and Community Relations.

Ford Middle East’s ‘Women in the Driving Seat’ campaign, which focused on the recently-lifted ban on women driving in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, won the Gold in the ‘Communications or PR Campaign of the Year – Global Issues’ category.

The 10th Annual Arab Youth Survey was awarded a Gold Stevie for ‘Best White Paper or Research Report’ for the 2018 edition ‘A Decade of Hopes and Fears’, which chronicles the findings of the survey on the region’s largest demographic, Arab youth. The Agency’s pioneering thought leadership initiative also took home three Bronze awards for ‘Communications Research’, ‘Global Issues’, and ‘Public Service’.

Projects by ASDA’A BCW that earned Silver and Bronze Stevie wins include the launch of Jebel Jails Flight: The World’s Longest Zipline for Ras Al Khaimah Tourism and Development Authority (RAKTDA); Dubai Fitness Challenge; Zabeel House MINI by JumeirahTM; work on the Global Education & Skills Forum and Global Teacher Prize 2018 for Varkey Foundation, and the Emaar New Year’s Eve event, Light Up 2018 Downtown Dubai at Burj Khalifa.

The International Business Awards are the world’s premier business awards programme, with the 2018 edition receiving 3,900 entries from 74 nations.

Sunil John, Founder & President of ASDA’A BCW, said: “This year has been one of change and growth for us as an agency, both regionally and globally. What remains consistent throughout is our endeavour to raise the bar of excellence within our industry. Our focus has always been on delivering the highest quality for our clients, and we’re delighted to have our team’s fantastic work and dedication recognised at such an esteemed international platform.”

The Grand Stevies are awarded on the basis of a points system, with a Gold Stevie win counting for three points, a Silver Stevie win for two points, and a Bronze Stevie win for 1.5 points. ASDA’A BCW was declared the ‘Most Honoured Public Relations Agency’ with an impressive total of 53 award points.

This year’s International Business Awards ceremony and gala dinner took place at the InterContinental London Park Lane Hotel in London on Saturday, October 20th.

Pearl Initiative partners with ASDA’A BCW to promote ethical business behaviour across the Gulf

 

The Pearl Initiative, an independent non-profit organisation promoting a corporate culture of accountability and transparency in the Gulf Region, has signed a Memorandum of Engagement (MoE) with ASDA’A BCW highlighting their commitment to enhancing corporate accountability and transparency in the region.

The agreement was signed by Carla Koffel, Executive Director of the Pearl Initiative, and Sunil John, Founder & President, Middle East, ASDA’A BCW.

Commenting on the MoE, Carla Koffel said: “We are grateful to be working side by side with one of the leading PR consultancies in the Middle East to promote the adoption of strong corporate governance practices by businesses operating in the Gulf Region. Their commitment to supporting our cause will contribute to the expansion of our reach and highlight the significance of a corporate culture of accountability and transparency as a key driver of business sustainability.”

Sunil John said: “Corporate governance, accountability and transparency are the pillars of successful businesses. We are happy to engage in the Pearl Initiative’s activities to raise awareness on the value of ethical business and to promote the highest principles of corporate accountability and transparency in the Gulf region.”

Founded in 2010, Pearl Initiative is a Gulf business–led organisation promoting a corporate culture of accountability and transparency as a driver of competitiveness and sustainable economic growth across the Gulf region of the Middle East.

The organisation develops programmes and publishes regional research reports and case studies, with aims to influence the regional business and student community towards implementing higher standards of corporate governance within the Gulf region.

Founded in 2000, ASDA’A BCW is the leading PR consultancy in the Middle East, employing nearly 200 professionals across 10 wholly-owned offices and seven affiliates in 15 countries throughout the Middle East & North Africa.