Mediaedge:cia (MEC), the leading global media agency, launched a new specialised sport, entertainment and cause marketing business division in the Middle East, known as MEC Access.

At a press conference in Dubai, Charles Courtier, Global Chief Executive Officer of Mediaedge:cia, said: 'The new division will offer clients a one-stop shop for the creation and delivery of strategic partnerships and sponsorships across nine different platforms, including the arts, brand-to-brand, broadcast, cause, celebrity, film, gaming, music and sport.'

Mediaedge:cia, part of the WPP Group worldwide and The Holding Group (THG) in the region, also announced that MEC Access has been appointed by Sony Electronics' sports marketing business in the Middle East and will be responsible for managing the activation of its football sponsorships across the region.

In a short time, MEC Access Middle East has already secured billings of over US$4 million with pan-regional and global MEC clients.

Mark Warne, a key member of the team at MEC Access London, has moved to Dubai to take on the role of Strategy Director in the Middle East.

He will work alongside Planning Implementation Director Leena Kewlani, both of whom will be jointly responsible for the development of the MEC Access offer across the Middle East.

Warne and Kewlani were instrumental in Mediaedge:cia's recent appointment by Sony Electronics in the region and will be fully involved in the programme activation.

Joseph Ghossoub, President and CEO of THG, said: 'There is an increasing need in this market for specialised and unified sport, entertainment and cause marketing services in media management. MEC Access will work across traditional and non-traditional media and provide our clients extensive expertise across all platforms.'

'Globally, sponsorships are growing faster than traditional advertising, and this trend is becoming increasingly visible in the region. Brands will increasingly need to create and own properties and platforms to break through the existing clutter, and showcase their products in a unique and innovative environment,' said Mohan Nambiar, Managing Director, Mediaedge:cia Middle East

'Our aim is to create and develop concepts whereby consumers can actively experience the benefits of a particular product or brand through sponsorships. Our focus is on the consumer's perception of a particular brand, and how they will integrate the product in their lives, to the point that they become brand ambassadors. We encompass all the traditional marketing mix elements within our concepts; with MEC Access, we strive to take this to a whole new level. We are extremely excited about this new regional offer,' concluded Yves-Michel Gabay, International Business and Development Director for Mediaedge:cia Middle East.

Headquartered in London, MEC Access currently employs over 350 specialised staff in more than 30 locations around the world.

Globally MEC Access has already produced award-winning work with clients including BDF, Citi, Colgate Palmolive, DHL, Energizer, Sony Ericsson, TomTom, Visa, Xerox, Virgin Atlantic and Dominos Pizza.

Mediaedge:cia (MEC), a leading global communications planning and implementation agency, has introduced a specialist TV division that will be dedicated to handle all TV media planning and implementation in order to promote consumer brands more effectively.

The new TV Division is the first of its kind in the region, and will provide specialised strategies, tactics and processes in order to further improve its TV planning and buying product, and to enhance the quality of solutions offered to their clients. The new department will handle TV planning operations for all current MEC clients in the region, and will specialise in advertising buying and optimisation, TV research (including both 'soft' programming and 'hard' quantitative analysis), as well as post-buying analysis and corrections.

'There are over 300 TV channels currently available in the region, and as more and more TV channels enter the market, it becomes very difficult to retain expert knowledge of all the different media sources available in the market,' commented Yves-Michel Gabay, International Business and Development Director for Mediaedge:cia Middle East.

'Our TV media strategists will work closely with our media buyers, utilising their specialized expertise to advise which media are more relevant and effective. They will also help re-negotiate better efficiencies with media owners in the future,' he said.

TV Director, Bhaskar Khaund, will head up the new TV Division, and will be responsible for all the TV operations in the new department, as well as the various TV strategists and planners within the team.

'The current TV landscape is evolving very fast. My priority is for MEC to be at the leading edge of this TV evolution. This includes a greater emphasis on plans grounded in both research and creativity, on buying accountability and on becoming dynamic and knowledgeable TV experts for our clients. We will aim at improving each stage of a process, starting with a clear understanding of the communication brief. This process also involves accurate target prioritization, optimised media selections and a move towards buying scientifically benchmarked GRP goals rather than merely airtime,' said Khaund.

'We believe that FMCG clients will especially find this new service very beneficial, as they utilise TV media quite extensively. Our expertise will also greatly help traditional non-TV advertisers, as more of these clients turn towards TV to build stronger brands. The new division provides all our clients with a new centre of expertise, and it is a very valuable tool to optimise each dollar spent, to remain competitive in the market.'

'Interestingly, we believe that through our acquired expertise in this field, we will also be ideally placed to advise media clients and help them navigate successfully through the complex landscape,' added Gabay.

The new TV Division team of experts will also support the regional offices in the MENA region in terms of sharing their knowledge and expertise.

Mediaedge:cia (MEC), a global communications planning and implementation agency, aims to raise the bar in the Middle East's rapidly-growing online advertising market with the announcement of a dynamic new management team for its online division.

The new appointments will further strengthen MEC:Interaction, MEC's online media planning, buying and strategic consulting division.

MEC:Interaction is a full service digital and direct services division, offering planning, implementation, advanced analytics and creative production of all online media campaigns across the Middle East.

'MEC MENA already offers online services and we are now hoping to strengthen our online division as there is huge potential for growth in the Middle East,' commented Yves-Michel Gabay, International Business and Development Director.

'By bringing international standards and practices to the region, there is an opportunity to impress the market, and to actively increase engagement between brands and their customers.'

Andreanne Leclerc, will head up the team as MEC:Interaction Manager, and will be responsible for managing online media planning for all Mediaedge:CIA clients, providing strategic and creative online solutions, and maintaining and developing a portfolio of client relationships.

'My aim is to lead the team in generating a successful online campaign in the region. Our goal as a team is to further educate consumers about the benefits of online media, and to increase media spend,' said Leclerc.

Leclerc has eight years of experience as a Project Manager for Infopresse, a Canadian media company specialising in web, advertising and events. Previously she worked for GAP Canada in management, and is a graduate in Marketing Communications from HEC Montreal in Canada.

The second member of the team is Nawaz Shahzad. Shahzad joins the team as Interactive producer, and will be responsible for managing the development, production and delivery of high quality interactive services for all online campaigns. He will be responsible for managing the development and execution of simultaneous integrated online campaigns, as well as the applications, tools and destinations, including resources allocation, specifications and quality assurance.

Shahzad brings with him more than six years of experience in web marketing and online branding. Prior to joining MEC:Interaction, Shahzad was Senior Manager SEO Marketing at Nurture3, and was responsible for web publishing and search engine marketing across the UK and the UAE. Shahzad was also an Internet Marketing Consultant for EZWSINET, and worked for Sal Soft Technologies in the USA as Web Operational Manager.

Jihane Rassasse joins the team as Online Media Planner to actively seek online media solutions to achieve specific goals for clients, and to efficiently manage day-to-day online media activities for brands. Prior to joining MEC:Interaction, Rassasse worked as a Relationship Manager for Bayt.com in Dubai.

MEC:Interaction's services fall under four areas: Digital (including strategy, sponsorship, online planning and buying, viral marketing and mobile); Direct (strategy, DR planning and buying, data audits, modelling and optimization), Analytics (data capture and analysis, ROI modelling/forecasting, ad serving, research and segmentation) and Creative (web design and construction, advertising, micro sites, gaming, digital experiences and installations).

Mediaedge:cia MENA handles an impressive portfolio of blue-chip multinationals, in addition to leading regional and local companies. Some of its clients include: Canon, DHL, VISA, Sony Ericsson, Ford, Emaar, Citibank and Etisalat.

Media Lab - Mediaedge:cia's (MEC) core consumer insight and ROI division - has been established in the Middle East and North Africa to add further value to client campaigns.

Headed by Nareena Mehra as Strategic Planning Manager, MediaLab MENA will act as a dedicated strategy and resource centre to provide additional industry insight to maximise the value of MEC client's brand communications.

Nareena Mehra has worked with a number of key brands during her eight years in advertising and brand building, ranging from P&G to Qatar Airways, Novartis to Glaxosmithkline.

As a graduate of Smith College in the USA, Nareena started her account planning career at Leo Burnett (US). Nareena then joined Planning at Grey WW in New York, working primarily on health care clients such as Novartis and Eli Lilly before joining Saatchi & Saatchi in Dubai as Senior Strategic Planner for the MENA region. She then headed the Strategic Planning Department at Dentsu Middle East before joining MEC in January this year.

MediaLab MENA is currently a five-person team, focused on supporting all MEC offices in the region by trend watching, providing valuable consumer research and insight, and carrying out strategic investment evaluations.

MEC MENA International Business & Development Director, Yves-Michel Gabay, said: "MediaLab is a valuable service tool of the MEC global network and has been established as a part of MEC MENA's ongoing regional development. The move is yet another show that MEC MENA is growing as fast as the Burj Dubai tower, with 17 new faces alone in 2007 across the network in the UAE, KSA, and Lebanon offices."

MEC also has offices in Oman, Kuwait, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, Bahrain and Algeria, and currently has a total of 190 staff.

MediaLab is based in MEC MENA's Dubai headquarters.

Leading Communications Planning & Implementation Agency, Mediaedge:cia (MEC) MENA, has won a competitive six-way pitch to become Canon Middle East's media handling agency for 2007.

This is a significant win for MEC MENA as a part of a comprehensive three-month pitch process to manage all media planning and buying activity across Canon's 16 key markets in the Middle East, North Africa and Levant regions. Last year, Canon accounted for more than US$4 million in advertising spend in the region (Ipsos monitored figures), with plans to strongly reinstate communications campaigns for 2007 and beyond.

MEC MENA International Business and Development Director, Yves-Michel Gabay, said he was proud to be named media partner to Canon Middle East as the win further extends MEC's involvement with Canon in more than 19 European countries since 2000. This major account win also reinforces MEC's position as Global Media Agency of the Year, named by the USA's Advertising Age and Adweek in 2006.

"Gaining Canon Middle East as a key client is a great coup for MEC MENA," Mr Gabay said. "MEC has been awarded for its strategic handling of Canon in Europe year after year. Add to this our local expertise and proven 'active engagement' philosophy, and MEC MENA is equally well placed to achieve Canon Middle East's goal to further cement its leading brand position across the region."

Canon Middle East Regional Head of Marketing, Mr Mohamed Salama, said: "Canon Middle East was impressed with the MEC MENA team's creative energy behind providing a strategic way forward for our media communications. A further strength is the history MEC and Canon has shared in Europe in knowing our brand, and achieving significant results and industry accolades."

"Canon Middle East is working towards a strong communication campaign in 2007 to build closer relationships with consumers and companies in the region and we look forward to working with MEC on this united approach."

Mediaedge:cia, the first global communications planning and implementation agency, launched its first Middle East Academy in Dubai today as part of its commitment to delivering world-class media planning services to the region.

The Academy was opened at the Emirates Towers hotel this morning by Joseph Ghossoub, Chairman and World President of the International Advertising Association and CEO of Mediaedge:cia MENA; Mohan Nambiar, Regional Managing Director of Mediaedge:cia; and Yves-Michel Gabay, International Business and Development Director, Mediaedge:cia MENA.

The Academy offers comprehensive learning opportunities for MEC's 185 staff throughout the region and at every level from directors to junior executives and newcomers to veteran employees.

'The media landscape in the Middle East is becoming increasingly cluttered and increasingly difficult to navigate,' said Ghossoub, CEO of the The Holding Group conglomerate of marketing services firms. 'There are now more television, radio, print and online channels than ever before, which must be matched by an equally high level of industry expertise. The Mediaedge:cia Academy will address this challenge head-on by raising standards of practice.'

Mediaedge:cia (MEC), recently named '2006 Global Media Agency of the Year' by leading industry titles Advertising Age and Adweek, is witnessing rapid growth in the MENA region, Nambiar said. MEC Middle East, part of The Holding Group, reported 2006 regional billings in excess of USD 340 million.

'In the last few years, MEC has experienced 25 to 30 per cent growth year on year,' Nambiar said. 'A small part of this can be attributed to overall industry growth, but we believe the majority is fuelled by our company philosophy of Active Engagement. Active Engagement differentiates us from our competitors - it is the way we think, work and act.'

'Even the best talent requires constant skill improvement,' Nambiar added. 'We in the industry need to live up to the responsibility of not only training and moulding our junior talent, but also making it possible for our senior talent to take on bigger roles.'

A year-long training exercise, The Academy works on a modular basis, with field experts managing each of the industry-focused modules. Module topics include the importance of media in the marketing function, how to translate marketing objectives into a communications planning strategy, how to drive media research for better strategic thinking and insight generation tools. The learning cycle will also include sessions to improve personal skills and development across a broad range of topics such as team and client management.

Yves-Michel Gabay, International Business and Development Director, Mediaedge:cia MENA, said the MEC Academy is also a strategic response to the dearth of specialist talent in the region.

'Rather than complain about the difficulty of finding the right people, we have chosen to train and attract the right people and give them all the tools they need to do their job better,' Gabay said. 'Mediaedge:cia around the world follows a policy of Active Engagement in all its relationships, not only with clients and media owners but also with employees. We are committed to retaining our industry leadership, which begins with our people.

Our desire is to reach world-class standards in media planning insight and service. No matter where they are in the world, our clients want an international level of service - the same level of service they would receive in New York, London or Singapore.'

Mediaedge:cia MENA handles an impressive portfolio of blue-chip multinationals, in addition to leading regional and local companies. Its current roster, for example, includes Colgate-Palmolive, DHL, Visa, Sony Ericsson, Ford, Emaar and Etisalat.