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ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, the region’s leading Public Relations consultancy, has received the 2018 In2 (Innovation & Insight) SABRE Award for ‘Thought Leadership in PR’ for its annual Arab Youth Survey 2017, for a record third year running.

The SABRE Awards are organised annually by The Holmes Report, the authoritative voice of the global public relations industry, for PR consultancies and clients operating in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.

Recognised by global think tanks and international media as one of the most important pieces of research on the attitudes and aspirations of the region’s largest demographic, the award was announced just as the Agency prepares to unveil the findings of the 10thedition of the annual ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey on May 8, 2018, in Dubai.

The In2 SABRE EMEA Award recognised the ninth ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey 2017, which revealed that optimism had dropped among young Arabs across much of the region and indicated a widening divide over hopes for the future between those living in the wealthy GCC states and those living elsewhere in the region. This was reflected in the main theme of the survey, “The Middle East – a region divided”.  The Survey is based on findings from face-to-face interviews with 3,500 Arab men and women aged 18 to 24, from 16 nations across the Middle East and North Africa.

Sunil John, founder and CEO of ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller and President, Middle East, Burson Cohn & Wolfe, said: “Our annual Arab Youth Survey has time and again presented defining social, cultural and political trends that shape the region. As a pioneering and independent study, the Survey’s findings bring invaluable insight for governments, businesses, policy makers and civil society. The third consecutive win for our annual Arab Youth Survey at the 2018 In2 SABRE Awards underlines the strength of this powerful initiative, which is recognized by our peers across EMEA markets as best-in-class.”

The findings of the ninth ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey formed the basis of a comprehensive suite of media collateral, including its Top 10 Findings, press releases, high-level presentation, sharable videos and the in-depth White Paper, which includes commentary by internationally respected analysts who provided context to the findings. All material can be downloaded at: www.arabyouthsurvey.com

Coverage of the survey recorded over 500 known print, online and broadcast coverage hits, gaining a total print and online reach of 273 million. On social, the Survey recorded over 2.6 million impressions on Twitter with over 38 million #ArabYouthSurvey hashtag impressions, and 19 per cent fan growth on Facebook with a total reach of over 8 million.

The In2 SABREs recognise excellence in various categories of innovation and insight—with an emphasis on content creation—as well as PR agency management and marketing. The Awards will be presented on May 23 at the In2 Innovation Summit at the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam.

ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller is honored to feature among the best of the best in the PR Week Global Awards shortlist. Our campaigns have made the shortlist nine times across seven categories, including three campaigns nominated for Best Campaign in the Middle East & Africa.

Congratulations and best wishes to all. We look forward to an exciting reveal in May.

Here’s a full list of nominations:

Category: Public Sector Dubai Fitness Challenge: 30×30 Dubai Corporation for Commerce and Tourism Marketing Agency: ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller

Category: Consumer Launch Dubai Font: A New Form of Expression The Executive Council of Dubai Agency: ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller

Category: Best Campaign in Middle East/Africa                           9th Annual ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey 2017 Proprietary Thought Leadership Campaign                                                                      Agency: ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller

Dubai Font: A New Form of Expression The Executive Council of Dubai                                                                              Agency: ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller

Energy with Impact Abu Dhabi National Oil Company                            Agency: ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller

Category: Global Partnership Dubai Font: A New Form of Expression The Executive Council of Dubai Agency: ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller

Category: Global Integration 9th Annual ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey 2017 Proprietary Thought Leadership Campaign

Category: Global Impact 9th annual ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey 2017                                                  Proprietary Thought Leadership Campaign

Category: Global Citizenship                                                                       9th Annual ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey 2017                                                  Proprietary Thought Leadership Campaign

Burson Cohn & Wolfe (BCW), a top-three global communications agency, has announced the appointment of Sunil John, Founder & CEO of ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, as President of BCW’s Middle East operations.

BCW was created in February through the merger of Burson-Marsteller & Cohn & Wolfe, leading PR agencies owned by WPP, the world’s largest communications services company. At BCW, the fast-growing Middle East region will be a separate division, with John joining the global leadership team alongside Chris Foster, President, North America, Scott Wilson, President, Europe & Africa, Francisco Carvalho, President, Latin America, and Matt Stafford, President, Asia.  All regional leaders will report to Donna Imperato, Chief Executive Officer of BCW.

“This is a powerful leadership team that will drive integration and growth at Burson Cohn & Wolfe and lead BCW on our mission to become the best integrated communications agency in the world,” said Imperato. “They each have proven track records in leading strong regions and excellence in client service, are deeply respected in their markets, and bring the right integrated expertise and mindset to the roles – the mindset needed to complete a seamless merger and continue pushing the boundaries of integrated communications.”

John said: “With a population of 350 million people, some 60 per cent of whom are under the age of 30, the Middle East is a dynamic region poised for exceptional growth across all sectors and markets. The scale of the new BCW network, our focus on ever greater integration, and now our flexibility as an independent regional entity will give us a distinct advantage in pursuing exciting opportunities across the region.”

The new company’s brand identity and online presence will be unveiled shortly. Until then, Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe will operate under their existing branding.

ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller was founded by John in 2000 as an independent agency. In 2008, WPP acquired a majority-stake in the firm, which joined the Burson-Marsteller network. Today, BCW’s Middle East operations employ 160 professionals across 10 wholly-owned offices and seven affiliates in 15 countries. The firm provides services to governments, multinational businesses and regional corporate clients and institutions, and is the leading PR consultancy in the region.

The agency produces the annual ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey, one of the most important and widely-cited pieces of independent research into the region’s most important demographic, its youth. Now in its 10th year, the Survey is an invaluable source of information on the hopes, fears and aspirations of young Arabs aged 18-24 in 16 countries.

The PR industry is evolving but must demonstrate to the public that it is a positive force for truth, accuracy and the free and open exchange of ideas in a changing media landscape. That was the key takeaway from the opening session of the In2 Innovation Summit MENA, held in Renaissance Downtown Hotel, Dubai, today.

Hosted by the region’s leading public relations agency, ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, the panel, titled PR & The New Trust Equation, gathered experts from the fields of communications and the media from the region.

Introducing the session, moderator Sunil John, founder & CEO of ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, warned that that the media landscape was at a tipping point, with the rise of fake news and algorithm-driven content creating echo chambers and threatening to further erode trust between the public and media, governments and organisations. “Big tech is not neutral,” he said. “Some people are comparing its influence to ‘big tobacco’ of old. Do we need regulation to deal with that? That is one of the big questions of the day.”

Asked “who is more trusted? PR or news media?” panelist Brian Lott, Head of Corporate Communications, Mubadala, said that despite the rise of fake news, he thought the public still believed in media more than PR, adding that communications had a big role to play in rebuilding trust. “Our challenge is to drive people to more authentic and truthful content,” he said. “People want truth … they want reality, not unreality. And PR has always communicated that reality in an interesting and compelling way. With advertising being viewed more skeptically, we have an opportunity to take advantage of that.” Faisal J Abbas, Editor-in-Chief of Arab News, warned that new media platforms were undermining the legitimacy and reputation of traditional media. “My question from this region is, why is it you are tolerating terror propaganda on these outlets? The reality is children are being radicalised, they are being sent to fight in Syria,” he said. “With the great reach and impact that social media has, there must be a great responsibility.” But he warned that the role of censor or regulator should not be played by government, and that the platforms themselves should better police their content.

Valerie Tan, Vice President Public Relations, Social Media, Internal Communications, at Emirates, said media had much more to lose in the current debate. “People have always understood that PR and advertising has an agenda … now they realise that news outlets come with an agenda, too.”

Paul Holmes, Chair & Founder, The Holmes Report, warned that the biggest danger came not from fake news itself but from attacks on legitimate news stories. “There’s a concerted effort to portray legitimate journalism as fake news,” he said. “This is a huge problem for the media and for us in PR, undermining the credibility of both.” He added that PR practitioners have “a moral obligation not to pollute those channels, social and mainstream, with our own fake news”.

Switching towards the PR industry’s own reputation, John cited the demise of Bell Pottinger, the British PR firm that went into administration following a much cricticised and racially charged campaign in South Africa. He asked whether PR firms had a moral choice to make over which clients they represent. “Many agencies were involved in so-called ‘dark arts and spin’ … two phrases I hate,” he said. “But in Bell Pottinger’s case, their downfall came from within – they were expelled from the industry body PRCA for bringing the industry into disrepute.”

Holmes said that Lord Bell, the former chairman of Bell Pottinger, had “a view of PR being untenable in the modern world.” He added: “The divide between what is good PR and what is moral and ethical is, today, for the most part invisible. They are congruent in a way they never were 30 years ago. Ethics has to be at the heart of what we want to do. It’s possible to do honorable work for bad companies. Equally it’s possible to do dishonorable work for good companies.”

Abbas, however, criticised the industry for “being on the defensive” over the allegations of ‘spin’.  “We need to agree that perhaps most of the world looks at the PR industry as lobbyists,” he said. “You are hired on behalf of client, not the people, and you are paid to do a particular job, and they want value for money.”

Tan said that PR was still struggling to shake off its negative reputation. “PR has some way to go to convince we are not ‘spin doctors’. People know PR comes with an agenda, but it shouldn’t be a negative, it’s actually very helpful,” she said. John added there was a responsibility for PR professionals and media to ensure a free and honest exchange of ideas.

Holmes insisted that the industry was not just about maximising profit but also about relationship building and emotional intelligence, something John agreed with, saying: “Reputation is the most precious commodity in the world we live in today and as PR professionals, it’s important we protect that for our clients and our brands.”

Returning to media, and media literacy, the panellists agreed more needed to be done in educating the public on how to separate good news from bad, before Abbas wrapped up the session with a plea for the industry to not lose sight of values. “If you want the truth, read the media; if you want the exposure, work with bloggers and influencers.”

ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, the leading Middle East PR agency, has announced that Erica Alkhfaji has joined the Agency as Director of its Finance Practice. Her remit will include managing specialist PR services including investor relations, communications surrounding transactions & IPOs and regulatory filings, as well as driving new business growth and managing relationships with blue-chip clients in the financial sector.

Sunil John, Founder & CEO of ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, said: “Erica brings to our Financial Practice a wealth of experience in this crucial sector. Her experience, expertise and industry contacts will be invaluable as we expect a big surge in activity in this sector over the coming years.”

Alkhfaji said: “With global players increasingly looking at the Middle East for growth, local firms looking at market listings, and governments throughout the Gulf seeking to privatise large enterprises, the outlook for the already vibrant finance sector is extremely healthy. I’m excited to be working with the team here in the Middle East in building on ASDA’A BM’s excellent reputation for providing world-class financial PR.”

Alkhfaji was previously Executive Director at EKP Consulting, working with PwC to write investment and trade-related research reports and digital content and with Google to conceptualise and implement innovation projects that created stronger relationships between the company and its stakeholders in the UAE. Earlier, she was Managing Director at FTI Consulting in Dubai, leading corporate communications programs as well as IPO communications, investor relations and media relations for global, regional and local organisations in MENA.

Prior to moving to the UAE, Alkhfaji was a director with Burson-Marsteller, New York where she advised clients including AIG, Bloomberg, Discover Financial Services, H.J. Heinz and Intel Corporation.

Alkhfaji is on the executive board of e7 Daughters of the Emirates, which aims to bring together young Emirati and expat women living in all seven emirates to teach them leadership skills and help them create social impact projects. Alkhfaji holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California.

Social media campaign for Avaya ENGAGE also takes top prize in big night for the Agency at 9th Gold Standard Awards in Hong Kong

 ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller won top honours at the internationally renowned 9thGold Standard Awards held in Hong Kong last Thursday, (November 30), being named ‘Middle East Consultancy of the Year’ and winning the ‘Social Media Communications’ category for the campaign ‘New ways to connect with #AvayaEngage’.

In winning the ‘Social Media Communications’ prize, the agency was lauded for its innovative use of digital channels to engage with stakeholders of the multinational technology company, Avaya, and to drive footfall to its global showcase event, Avaya ENGAGE.

“Today, the recognition of our work is transcending our traditional regional boundaries,” said Sunil John, Founder and CEO of ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller. “The Gold Standards, the most prestigious awards of their type in Asia Pacific and the Middle East, recognise the best of the best, and we are thrilled with our wins, which recognise the world-class standard of the work we do. Our team works tirelessly to produce work of the highest quality, and such recognition only fuels our passion to deliver excellence” he added.

With five dedicated practices – Brand Communications, Enterprise & Technology, Financial, Public Affairs and Corporate – and 11 wholly-owned offices across the region, ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller is the agency of record for regional businesses, governments and multinationals alike. Throughout 2017, the Agency has invested in strengthening its expertise, with major hires at its Dubai HQ, including the recent addition of former National editor Hassan Fattah as managing director, and increasing personnel and resources across regional offices.

The strengthened team has allowed ASDA’A BM to compete across every sector and market in which it operates. Core new business wins since January 2017 include ADNOC, the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, VISA, Roche Diagnostics, HTC and the UAE Federal Tax Authority, to add to the stellar work with existing clients such as Ford, Nestlé, General Electric, Emaar,  Abu Dhabi Financial Group, GEMS and other organisations across regions and sectors.

Now in its ninth year, the Gold Standard Awards are organised by Public Affairs Asia – a network for senior government relations, corporate affairs and corporate communications professionals operating across the Asia Pacific and Middle East region, to showcase excellence in corporate public affairs, strategic communications, citizenship and stakeholder engagement. This year, the platform received more than 300 entries across all categories, exceeding past records.