https://arab.news/23ebk
DUBAI: Regional advertising group Middle East Communications Network has launched a dedicated influencer practice in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkiye to help clients across the group鈥檚 agencies, including FP7McCann, MullenLowe, UM, and Weber Shandwick.
Rami Gholmieh has been appointed to lead the practice as the regional director of influencer marketing, while Razan Zahra will serve as director of influencer relations.
鈥淎t the heart of our influence practice lies a commitment to two fundamental principles: effectiveness and efficiency,鈥� Gholmieh told Arab News.
鈥淭he challenge lies in creating balance between leveraging channels to encourage content sharing and investing into paid promotions. Ultimately it requires a nuanced approach, tailored to the specific objectives and audience dynamics of respective brands.鈥�
The practice takes a 鈥渄e-siloed鈥� approach to help agency brands across the group deliver influencer marketing campaigns, according to MCN.
L: Rami Gholmieh, regional director of influencer marketing. R: Razan Zahra, director of influencer relations.
The influencer marketing industry is rapidly growing, with 76.9 percent of marketers saying influencer marketing is a top priority, and 46.2 percent increasing budgets last year, according to a 2023 survey.
The growth and evolution of the industry is partly the reason why MCN chose to launch a dedicated practice now despite influencer marketing having been around for years.
With 鈥渢he evolving dynamics of consumer engagement and brand interactions combined with new platforms and changing consumption patterns, a dedicated and fully integrated practice within the broader ecosystem is required to create tailor-made solutions for our clients,鈥� the company said.
As the digital and social media landscape becomes more complex, MCN鈥檚 influencer practice aims to help brands by 鈥渦nderstanding the social voice, (acquiring) knowledge of real-time cultural insights, (and) possessing platform expertise, the ability to co-create, and journey awareness,鈥� concluded Gholmieh.