Social media may be entering the mainstream of brand communications but many still struggle to make the experience rewarding for consumers and themselves. Delegates attending the next Omnicom Media Group Media Innovations Forum will learn from award-winning case studies and international experts about the most innovative and effective ways to use social media. The half-day forum, taking place on 26 January 2011, is designed to bring word-class thinking and experience to regional marketing and media decision-makers.

Some 300 advertisers, agency staff and media partners are expected to attend the 2011 edition of the event, produced by Omnicom Media Group, holding of media agencies OMD and PHD, in association with London-based C Squared, organisers of the Festival of Media. Designed to stimulate and inspire, the event will identify how social media can be deployed creatively for brands to engage audiences and activate their communities successfully.

The Omnicom Media Group Media Innovations Forum features international speakers such as media futurist Gerd Leonhard, who will deliver the keynote speech. It will share in-depth case studies from McDonald’s with Patrick Gardner, chief executive officer of Perfect Fools, Toys ‘R’ Us with Argha Sen, regional marketing director for Asia and Intel, through Euan Wilcox, business director of The Upper Storey. The event will be chaired by Charlie Crowe, chief executive officer of C Squared. A panel discussion will allow the audience to get all their questions answered and share their comments with the panel of speakers.

“Some brands will go into social media with the heart, out of excitement, and others with the head, because it makes sense. To make it a success, you need both,” argues Elie Khouri, chief executive officer from Omnicom Media Group MENA. “Because this is a media trend that gives unsurpassed power to consumers over brands, you need both to fully realize the opportunity. This is where the inspiration provided by an event like the Media Innovations Forum comes in, to ensure innovation meets effectiveness.”

He added that engagement is the ultimate goal, one that must transcend numbers. “In the last couple of years, we have gained a solid understanding of what works and what doesn’t,” Khouri commented. “It’s not just about followers, likes or views. It’s about moving the qualitative needle and ensuring the brand value goes up as a result of the activities, spreading through social networks and influencing people over time.”

The by-invitation only event, sponsored exclusively by Choueiri Group, will take place at The Address Dubai Marina Hotel on 26 January 2011.