Omar Qirem announced as new PRCA MENA Chairman and ICCO Middle East President

Omar Qirem, Chief Executive Officer, Edelman Middle East will succeed Loretta Ahmed FPRCA, CEO Middle, Turkey and Africa, Grayling at the head of the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) MENA, the leading PR association for the region.

 

Upon assuming this role, Omar will also take over from Loretta as the region’s champion at the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO), the global PR association. Omar will be one of five Regional Presidents at ICCO, led by overall President Elise Mitchell and Chief Executive Francis Ingham. ICCO membership includes over 3,000 PR and communications agencies in 66 countries.

 

Upon being announced, Omar Qirem said:

 

“I am honored to be taking up the role of PRCA MENA Chairman and look forward to continuing the good work of Loretta Ahmed. My personal commitment is to continue to support our members and communication agencies across the Middle East and North Africa to grow and evolve, while contributing to the development of the industry in the region.

 

“I’m also relishing the opportunity to be the Middle East Region President for ICCO, ensuring this dynamic part of the world has an active role in shaping the global voice of PR.”

 

Loretta Ahmed added:

 

“PRCA MENA is now well established with the support of a strong membership base, a busy programme of events and our third annual PRCA MENA awards around the corner. I look forward to giving my continued support through our own agency membership as PRCA MENA grows and evolves, providing agencies and in-house members across the region with its unique blend of international insights and local events and networking programmes”

 

ICCO Chief Executive and PRCA MENA Director General Francis Ingham MPRCA commented:

 

“Loretta’s contribution as founding Chairman of PRCA MENA and as ICCO’s first Middle East President has been outstanding, and I’d like to thank her for everything that she’s done over the past three years. I look forward to working just as closely with Omar as we continue to represent the region’s PR practitioners, and to grow both organisations’ footprints and activities.”

 

ICCO’s next bi-annual board meeting will for the first time take place in Dubai on Tuesday 12th February, with the annual PRCA MENA awards taking place the following evening on Wednesday 13th February. Sandwiched between these two events, The Holmes Report will be running their Innovation Summit at The Renaissance Hotel in Downtown Dubai.

 

PRCA MENA is the leading PR association for MENA, with a network covering PR and communications across 13 countries within the region.

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Middle East Predictions for 2019

In pod(cast) we trust

Six million people in the UK (11%) listen to a podcast each week according to RAJAR figures, with the BBC billing 2018 as ‘the year of the podcast boom’. And with the number of podcast downloads crossing 2.6 billion globally last year, and radio reaching more households than TV in the region, podcasting is primed to take off over here.

Whilst it is still in its infancy in region, the likes of Gulf News’ Dirhams and Dollars and the Kerning Cultures to name but a few, are creating captive and attentive audiences, that are both building high levels of trust and communities with engaged people. The opportunity for brands is absolute, and it’s those who are thinking ahead of the curve that are already captialising on its renaissance.

A to the B-Roll

B-Roll is often overlooked by PR professionals, but its power to secure TV coverage is huge. With that in mind, I believe in 2019 we will see more emphasis placed on the importance of B-Roll.

In short, B-Roll can determine whether you clinch that slot on a TV or online channel or a journalist pressing the delete button. It can often be the difference between trophy and mediocre coverage and with TV coverage often considered the ‘holy grail’, it should play a vital role in campaign planning. Often overlooked, B-Roll essentially consists of loosely edited footage captured to enrich a story you are telling. Far from being a polished piece of video content, its aim is to provide news broadcasters with a sequence of supplementary footage from which they can cherry pick the content they require to develop their own news story.

So with news teams are often working with limited resources, constantly working against the clock to deliver their news items for the TV bulletins, and broadcasters not always able to dispatch a crew out to cover a story, producing some well-crafted B-Roll could just be the ticket to delivering an impactful, engaging story.

Values Adds

2019 will be the year of the details. Gone are the days when AVEs and “PR values” are being seen as an accurate way to measure the effectiveness of a campaign. There is not one standard measurement that can be applied to all online coverage for instance that suggests one website has the exact same value as another, so there will be more emphasis on the replacement of these archaic forms of measurement and more scrutiny over evaluative measures.

Clients will demand more analysis on results to demonstrate effectiveness. Ultimately, demonstrating a tangible ROI will always go back to the extent to which a campaign can impact the business bottom line. Demonstrating tangible business outcomes will therefore be key.

Live video

Just three years on from the launch of Facebook Live, 2019 will also be a big year for brands growing their use of live video.

Communicators are now using live video to break news, make news, for thought leadership and internal comms exercises. The power of live and the potential it has is huge; not only is this apparent through the level of transparency it offers, but live has a higher level of trust because of its authenticity.

By tapping into communities via social media and wider, brands can create a two-way level to further build advocacy and trust. Higher production values now exist with live video, so gone are the days of shaky Facebook Lives delivered on a smartphone, and in their place are multi-camera live online streams that look slick, high end and are well thought out.

Live videos are not purely the domain for social however. There is a huge opportunity for brands to maximise the currency of live and extend its value beyond social media, and into traditional media, with new sites actively looking for editorial content of this nature. Working the content hard so that live videos also appear on the client’s website as well as pushed the existing client databases are just a few ways to ensure the power of live is realised through the value it delivers.

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markettiers4dc launches end-to-end strategic consultancy as brands admit they are confused by value of podcast

Dubai, 5th December 2018 – markettiers4dc, the specialist communications group, has today launched 4DC, a global end-to-end strategic podcast consultancy. Developed to serve the hundreds of brands actively seeking to understand the opportunity and value of radio-on-demand.

 

The launch of the dedicated podcast company, markettier4dc’s fifth communications service within the group, offers brands strategic consultancy, content development, production and distribution on a global scale. With a focus on building audiences and engagement, 4DC creates branded content through narrative using world-leading audio technical expertise.

 

4DC brings its unique service to the industry at a time of intense global growth. There are now an estimated 73 million monthly podcast listeners in the US* and the industry in China is estimated to be worth over US$7.3billion**. In the UK, last year alone penetration grew by half. Over six million Brits tune into podcasts every week, double the amount listening in 2013.***

 

Cheryl King, managing director, markettiers4dc MENA, explained. “The podcast space is booming. A lot of brands have their toe in the water because they want to be heard but don’t necessarily understand what the best approach is. And, as a service sector, no one is owning it.

 

“For almost 25 years, we have been leveraging audio strategy to help brands create value,” continued King. “Over the last few months, hundreds of clients have come to us and told us they are confused about the opportunity podcast presents and how they should measure success. Today’s launch of 4DC is a direct result of market dynamics, our strong heritage and expertise. The consultancy will enable brands to realise what’s possible when they strategically engage with podcast as a marketing and advertising channel.”

 

The new service launches today with several high-profile clients, including Oracle.

 

Chris Talago, vice president PR and communications, EMEA & JAPAC, Oracle, said, “We believe there’s a lot of potential for podcast. Not only across the Oracle business but also from a multi-territory perspective. We’ve trialled different approaches to podcast creation and distribution but knew it could deliver so much more value. We have every confidence that 4DC’s audio experts will developing engaging content and getting it in front of the right audiences.”

 

4DC will sit as a stand-alone arm of the markettiers4dc group, which currently houses four additional communication services: Through the I, Opinion Matters, Sound Creative, and markettiers.

– ends-

 

*Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 2018

** Research institute run by China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.

*** Rajar Midas Audio Survey, Autumn 2018

 

Contact

For media enquiries, please contact:

markettiers4dc

Leanne Foy

971 (0)4 369 2709

leanne.foy@markettiers.com

About markettiers4dc

markettiers4dc is a specialist communications group with offices across the UK and the Middle East. markettiers4dc was founded 25 years ago by CEO, Howard Kosky, and employees over 100 people. Five companies – markettiers, Through the I, Opinion Matters, Sound Creative and 4DC – operate within the markettiers4dc network offering a broad range of services including:

 

  • campaign strategy
  • media relations
  • live streaming
  • podcasts
  • audience and market research
  • video and web TV production
  • mobile strategy
  • crisis communications

 

From the biggest brands to ambitious start-ups, markettiers4dc is trusted to get its client’s message in front of the right people. It utilises its expertise and trusted relationships across national and local TV and radio, while leading the way in innovative audio, insights & market research and visual audience engagement.

About 4DC

4DC is a global end-to-end strategic podcast consultancy. Launched in December 2018, 4DC, one of five communications companies housed within the markettiers4dc group, offers unique full-service podcast creation and distribution strategy with a focus on building audience and engagement.

 

4DC offers three types of service:

  • 4DC Premium – A full service creation and distribution strategy
  • 4DC Lite – Creation of branded content through narrative and audio technical expertise
  • 4DC Outreach – Development of the strategy and execution to reach audience through third party podcasts
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Advertising Value Equivalents or Ambitious Versatile Experts

When it comes to measurement and evaluation, how confident are you discussing measurement with clients? According to the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) 2017 world report, 83% of respondents in the MENA region still use advertising value equivalents (AVE’s) because they say that it’s expected by clients.

We, as an industry, are ambitious and creative, pushing the boundaries with fresh new ideas; we are versatile with new technologies and strive to keep up-to-date with the latest trends. We also pride ourselves on being experts in our industry. But are we missing a trick when it comes to measurement and evaluation? We produce great work to be measured, and that needs to stand up to scrutiny. But after all of the hard work is over, are we really showing our true value? Are we in fact doing ourselves an injustice when it comes to measuring our campaigns using AVEs?

We are all ambitious when it comes to effective measurement and ultimately delivering client campaigns with demonstrative results, both qualitative and quantitative. So why as an industry do we still feel a need to use AVE? A simple response could be, what’s the alternative? ….Is it our role to demonstrate and provide clients with new and more effective ways to measure?

As a company, we developed a model; Media Influence Index (MII), which measures the actual impact and outcomes of coverage, where coverage is an output. Has the coverage impacted brand sentiment, has it impacted intent to purchase, and has brand advocacy improved? Let us also not forget that some activations aren’t coverage focused, and in those instances, data capture, enquiry, attendance at events and alike are perhaps simpler to measure. We are all acutely aware there are a number of discrepancies when it comes to AVE, the method for evaluating does not hold up to scrutiny, and in a forward-thinking age, where demonstrating an ROI is now business critical, AVEs have not stood up to the test of time.

The challenge therefore is to ensure that in response to a brief we are clear and focused on what the end objectives are. For us, if its data capture, or shifting audience behaviour we need to focus on the routes to market that we know will have tangible measurable results… is it TV and Radio interviews, is it a video package for digital and mobile distribution, or perhaps live streaming with moderated Q&A enabled? For example, our work in the field of live streaming is testament to demonstrative results, allowing us to deliver high impact targeted campaigns, whether B2B or B2C, to core audiences measured by views, dwell time, data capture and enquiry, a technique giving us real metrics.

Let’s believe in ourselves as PR professionals and demonstrate the true value of work by consistently referring back to results that have made an impact on the business.

It all starts at the art of planning clear SMART objectives and developing a campaign to achieve the end goal, but we all work in communications and know this right?  You’d be surprised, over the years, the number of award entries I’ve seen that only reference media coverage (and sometimes flowers) and not the positive impact on the business.

We are experts in our field and can measure if our campaign has had an effect on the business. Did the campaign drive sales or improve client retention? This is real data, leading to better measurement and evaluation which in turn enables us to refine and improve our work, as well as justify our position further up the food chain re importance to the brand. We need to continue to be experts, improving our practices and show our clients a different, more effective way to measure.

We can do this one step at a time and there are a variety of tools available for us, AMEC’s PR Guide to Measurement and AMEC’s Integrated Measurement Framework which both support not using AVE’s and also industry bodies such as PRCA and MEPRA.

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SEVEN STUDIOS SET TO SHAKE-UP VIDEO PRODUCTION INDUSTRY IN THE GCC

Launched by the owners of leading PR agency Seven Media, start-up offers quality social media videos and a new take on corporate story-telling

 

ABU DHABI: The owners of Seven Media, one of the region’s leading PR agencies, have launched a video production company to satisfy a growing demand for quality multimedia content in the region.

 

Seven Studios is now fully operational from a custom-made HQ in Abu Dhabi’s twofour54 media zone – and has already signed contracts to produce video for some of the UAE’s most prestigious institutions as well as a number of international brands.

 

The new company produces cutting-edge social media content, consumer-focused multimedia campaigns, animations and innovative corporate videos across multiple sectors – including government, sport and leisure, entertainment, automotive and hospitality.

 

Seven Studios Co-Owner Gregg Fray said: “The power of video story-telling is particularly strong in the Middle East, with 35% of all online time here spent watching video. There has been a 90% year-on-year increase in mobile watch time and that trend is set to continue, so clearly organisations who want to cut through the noise need to be putting innovative, relevant and shareable video content out in that space.

 

“Seven Media has produced video for its PR clients for some time, but we launched Seven Studios in response to a growing demand for stand-alone video and video-led campaigns to really tailor that service.

 

“Planning Seven Studios and getting it off the ground has been an amazing experience and we’ve employed some of the best creative video story-tellers in the region and put together some exciting material.”

 

Seven Studios currently has a core staff of 10 videographers, editors and animators, led by managing Director Emmanuel Somoglou, the former multimedia editor at The National.

 

More than half of the team are first-language Arabic and have the support of Seven Media’s 65 communications professionals in the GCC. Owned by Gregg Fray and Matt Slater, Seven Media has been named Agency of the Year by the PRCA in both 2017 and 2018.

 

Fray added: “One of Seven Studios’ biggest assets is being able to take its amazing video content to wide audiences through Seven Media’s expertise in social media and relationships with the region’s digital and broadcast media. Ultimately it’s all about story-telling, but organisations and brands want to reach their audiences in a more modern and relevant way.”

 

Watch the Seven Studios showreel here.

 

For more information on Seven Studios visit https://sevenstudios.ae/

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FinTech Abu Dhabi Summit 2018

Following the successful inaugural edition of FinTech Abu Dhabi Summit in 2017, markettiers were delighted to come on board once again to support with maximising awareness around the 2nd edition of the Summit, an event exclusively designed and organised by an international financial centre – Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM).

BRIEF: FinTech AD 2018

Deliver an integrated communications strategy, to further build upon the success of the inaugural edition and showcase ADGM’s commitment to be the FinTech hub in the MENA region, in the lead up to and during the event.

 

The event had several stakeholders involved and included a BootCamp Day exclusively for start-ups, an Innovation Adoption Challenge, Demos by upcoming FinTech firms, Regulatory Roundtable, important government MOU signings, Workshops as well as a Summit featuring distinguished regional and international leaders in FinTech.

 

DELIVERY:

PR & Communications

markettiers delivered a targeted strategy that delivered broad engagement, through broadcast and traditional PR channels, for the two-day event which saw over 1000+ people attend, including  72 media attendees from 22 media outlets.

 

Media Partnerships and Social Media

markettiers also handled all local and regional media partnerships and live social media coverage during the two-day event on FinTech AD’s social channels: https://twitter.com/FinTechAD and https://www.instagram.com/fintechad/

 

Production – Video and Photography

Our production team also covered photography, produced and delivered a video news release and B-roll footage for media outlets, as well as YouTube uploads for the ADGM channel and the highlights and wrap video for social media, which was edited overnight. Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8gHZMPMHRo

 

RESULTS:

Blanket coverage was secured across top-tier local, regional and international media outlets including WAM, The National, Gulf News, Saudi Gazette, Al Ittihad, Al Bayan, Al Watan, Fintech Finance, Forbes Middle East, CNBC, Bloomberg, Abu Dhabi TV, Al Dafra TV, Entrepreneur Middle East, Wamda, Fintech News Middle East, Startup Scene Middle East and Reuters, amongst several others.

 

Positive sentiment was also recorded across social channels with over 150+ posts generated during the two-day event, as well as #FinTech becoming the top trending hashtag!

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PRCA and PRWeek relaunch Fast Track mentoring programme across UK, MENA, and Southeast Asia

The PRCA and PRWeek are pleased to announce that they are launching the 2018/19 Fast Track mentoring programme, now available across the UK, MENA, and Southeast Asia.

Fast Track is aimed at inspiring the next generation of PR and communications leaders to build their expertise and develop as professionals.

Fast Track is available to junior and senior practitioners alike. It is available to agency, in-house, and freelance practitioners, and is completely free of charge. The PRCA is running the programme in the UK; in the Middle East and Northern Africa, through PRCA MENA; and in Southeast Asia, through PRCA Southeast Asia. Fast Track is only available to PRCA members.

Francis Ingham MPRCA, Director General, PRCA, said: “The Fast Track mentoring programme has gone from strength to strength since we launched it. We are now aiming to support practitioners at every level of the industry, be they in the UK, MENA or Southeast Asia, and from a diverse range of backgrounds. Mentoring is a fantastic way of passing on the expertise and knowledge held within the industry, so it would be great to make this the most subscribed programme we’ve ever had.”

The Taylor Bennett Foundation has partnered with Fast Track, a charity that has been set up to tackle the lack of ethnic diversity in PR and communications, which is also a key focus for the PRCA’s campaigning. Alumni of their training programme have been invited to take part, in order to maximise Fast Track’s impact within BME practitioners.

If you, or a member of your team, feel as though they would benefit from being mentored and are a PRCA member based in the UK, MENA or Southeast Asia, please contact itty.alimi@prca.org.uk, outlining:

  • Your biography and current working situation
  • Your professional goals
  • What you are looking to get out of mentoring
  • What professional skills you would like to develop
  • What soft skills you would like to develop

In addition, if you would like to be a mentor, then you can also contact Itty on the email address above with your full biography.

Each structured mentoring placement will last for a period of six months, and will start with a face to face meeting between the mentor and mentee. It will then be followed by monthly meetings, or calls, or Skype. It is expected that each mentor/mentee pair will meet or talk six times over the six months.

When booking any PRCA face-to-face training courses, all mentees in Fast Track can get 10% off the course and a free webinar.

Every mentorship meeting is worth 15 points in the PRCA CPD Scheme to the mentee, with a maximum of 40 points in total that can be gained from being mentored.

ENDS

About the PRCA

Who we are: Founded in 1969, the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) is a UK-based PR and communications membership body, operating in 67 countries around the world. We represent in excess of 24,000 people across the whole range of the PR and communications industry. The PRCA promotes all aspects of public relations and communications work, helping teams and individuals maximise the value they deliver to clients and organisations.

What we do: The Association exists to raise standards in PR and communications, providing members with industry data, facilitating the sharing of communications best practice and creating networking opportunities.

How we do it and make a difference: All PRCA members are bound by a professional charter and codes of conduct, and benefit from exceptional training. The Association also works for the greater benefit of the industry, sharing best practice and lobbying on the industry’s behalf e.g. fighting the NLA’s digital licence.

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Weber Shandwick MENA Announces New Leadership Structure for UAE Senior Management Team

New Appointments see Ghaleb Zeidan Promoted to UAE MD Role Along with Promotions for Rachel Dunn and Noura Al-Sarraj

Dubai, 3rd  October 2018 – Weber Shandwick MENA, one of the region’s leading communications and marketing solutions firms, has announced a new leadership structure within its UAE Senior Management team.

Previously Managing Director for the agency’s Abu Dhabi office, Ghaleb Zeidan is promoted to UAE Managing Director, overseeing operations for both the Dubai and Abu Dhabi offices. Rachel Dunn, previously VP, Client Experience, is promoted to Deputy MD in Dubai and Noura Al-Sarraj, previously VP and Head of Social Impact and Consumer, is also promoted to Deputy MD for the Abu Dhabi office. The changes come following the announcement that after 13 years with the agency, 11 of them in The MENA region, Andreas Keller, Managing Director of Weber Shandwick Dubai, has decided to pursue a business leadership role outside the communications industry.

Reporting into Weber Shandwick MENA CEO, Ziad Hasbani, Ghaleb will be leading the agency’s Dubai and Abu Dhabi offices, as the firm continues its growth and success in the UAE and across the MENA region. With over 16 years’ experience in the communications industry, eight with Weber Shandwick MENA, Ghaleb’s expertise spans across corporate, financial, government and crisis communications.

Hasbani said: “After a very successful tenure leading our Abu Dhabi office, it gives me great pleasure to announce Ghaleb’s promotion to UAE MD. Over the last eight years, Ghaleb has achieved great results, and under his leadership our Abu Dhabi office has grown to become one of the leading agencies in the market. Ghaleb has shown himself to be a very capable leader, and as our industry continues to evolve, I have no doubt he will drive our UAE operation and keep us ahead of the market in terms of offering, efficiency and client focus.”

Hasbani also added: “Rachel and Noura have been with Weber Shandwick MENA for 10 and 14 years respectively; Rachel has managed and provided strategic counsel to key client relationships in the consumer and corporate sectors, while Noura has been a senior strategist and led assignments for government and private sector clients in Abu Dhabi, as well as regional social impact initiatives.  I’m very happy to see Noura and Rachel taking leadership roles as they have both proved themselves, each in their own way, and I’m confident they will add great value and help our clients take advantage of the transforming marcomms landscape.”

On Andreas’ departure, Hasbani said: “It is always sad to see people such as Andreas leave after a long and successful journey. Andreas’ contribution has been instrumental to the agency, and we wish him every success in his new role and thank him for all he has done during his time here. I look forward to partnering with the new leadership team as we take the MENA network to the next stage of its growth and transformation.”

Weber Shandwick MENA’s network comprises 12 offices and affiliates across 11 markets, hubbed out of Dubai. The agency was named Middle East Consultancy of the Year at this year’s EMEA SABRE Awards and Agency of the Year at the MEPRA Awards.

– Ends –

Media Contact:

Rebecca Jackson, Weber Shandwick MENA
Tel: +971 56 466 4581
E-mail: RJackson@webershandwick.com

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HILL + KNOWLTON STRATEGIES ANNOUNCES NEW GLOBAL STRUCTURE

NEW YORK, October 5th, 2018 – Hill+Knowlton Strategies (H+K) announces, effective immediately, the formation of a new leadership team with the appointment of Richard Millar and Lars Erik Grønntun as Global Presidents, reporting jointly to Jack Martin, Global Chairman and CEO.

In addition, we have reviewed the role of SJR in light of its dramatic growth since acquisition in 2013. As a result, we have decided that SJR is best served with a freer role to continue its expansion. From January 1, SJR will operate independently of any one WPP Company, able to collaborate with all – but with a special attachment to H+K on common clients.  SJR will continue to be led by Alex Jutkowitz and Mitch Stoller.

“Both Richard and Lars Erik have proven their exceptional leadership abilities over a number of years in the UK and EMEA respectively and I am looking forward to working with them to accelerate the implementation of a transformation program that maximizes our global resources and enhances our local strengths to deliver world-class work for our clients,” said Jack Martin, Global Chairman and CEO of Hill+Knowlton Strategies.

“I also want to take this opportunity to thank Alex, Mitch and the whole SJR team for their immense contribution to our business. I am certain that the two companies are much stronger and better positioned than they were before we joined forces. I wish SJR the best of luck in the wider group and look forward to our continued close collaboration.”  Martin continued.

Lars Erik has led H+K’s operation across Europe, Middle East and Africa since 2014 and is a senior strategy consultant within corporate communications and public affairs.  Lars Erik is also the senior lead for some of H+K’s top global and European clients, including Equinor (formerly known as Statoil).

“I am honoured to have the opportunity to assume this leadership position,” said Grønntun. “Having led our operation in Europe, Middle East and Africa, I believe that my understanding of local markets together with our international mind-set and reach is transferable to a global stage. I very much look forward to taking a model that has worked very well for us in EMEA and putting it to work at a global scale”.

Richard has led the transformation of H+K’s flagship operation in the UK since 2008 and since 2014 has driven our creative agenda including the formation of the Global Centre of Creative Strategy and the Shanghai Addition in China.  Richard is also the senior lead on clients including adidas Global across all categories.

“The new structure enables us to tap into the best talent regardless of geography or practice. It means that our teams will have access to the latest thinking, strategy and insight to help them shape meaningful and impactful careers and to deliver outstanding creative work. I am excited to be part of this change in partnership with Lars Erik and Jack,” commented Millar.

H+K has offices in more than 40 countries worldwide, delivering award winning campaigns to clients across all sectors and disciplines and with a focus on continued innovation for the industry. Recent innovations include Flight School +, a crisis communications training and simulation tool, Better Impact, a new approach to brand purpose and CSR, and H+K Smarter, a behavioral science unit.

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PRCA MENA to codify best practice with new Client-Consultancy Charter

In response to the changing client-consultancy relations in PR and communications in MENA, and to meet our commitment to uphold best practice, PRCA MENA has launched its new Client-Consultancy Charter.

Developed through consultations with members, the ten-point Charter is intended to help PR consultancies and client organisations work as effectively as possible together, and to avoid the common issues which can damage relationships. Late payments were highlighted as a particular issue for practitioners working in MENA, and therefore the Charter includes specific provisions around late payment.

The guidance also includes more general principles to improve the client-consultancy relationship, including expectation management and appropriate attitudes towards consultants’ time and clients’ budgets.

The Charter aims to facilitate client-consultancy relations where both client and consultancy deliver against key commitments in order to achieve common goals, and where each partner understands and respects the commercial and operational imperatives of the other. It therefore supplements – rather than replaces – legal contracts and agreed outputs and outcomes.

Francis Ingham MPRCA, Director General, PRCA MENA, said: “Agreeing common rules to govern expectations in the client-consultancy relationship is a major step forward for our industry across the region. Constructed after several months of consultation with agency and client leaders, this Charter emphasises the importance of ethical professionalism within PR. I hope that it will inspire even better relationships within our profession”.

Loretta Ahmed MPRCA, CEO, Grayling Middle East, Turkey and Africa, said: “Setting out the ground rules at the start of any new relationship is key to its success and longevity. We encourage our members to issue the PRCA MENA Charter to their clients in the early days of all new mandates – as contracts are signed and scopes are agreed. Terms and timetables are all well and good but getting the framework of the relationship right to build trust and transparency is just as important. This is where the Charter can really help set expectations from both sides – the best relationships are never one-sided after all”.

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