Third OMD Creative Masterclass draws record attendance

More than 330 marketing professionals spent the day discussing how they could use mobiles, music and filmed entertainment to get closer to their audiences.

Organized by OMD, the region's most awarded media agency network, and London-based C Squared, organizers of the Venice Festival of Media and publishers of Cream Magazine and Media & Marketing, the event featured an impressive line-up of international speakers including Charlie Stopford, head of media at Nokia Global Activation, former European Unilever media director, Alistair Hill, senior analyst at mobile measurement specialist M:Metrics, Paul Bay of Citizensound and Nigel Waller, chairman of the Branded Content Marketing Association.

Charlie Crowe, CEO of C Squared Holdings, started with the significance of mobile phones as a communications channel, highlighting innovative and effective international case studies.

"Mobiles, Music and Movies are more than a catchy alliteration. They are an increasingly important alternative to traditional media approaches," he said.

Charlie Stopford looked at Nokia both from a brand and media channel perspective, using the example of its New Year Eve campaign, which was held across five cities, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Berlin, Rio de Janeiro and New York, connecting five million people via Internet and mobile phones.

Rounding off the mobile session, M:Metrics' Alistair Hill provided ample evidence that mobile phones were a medium few could ignore, painting a vivid picture of the audience the device delivers and providing a few surprises along the way in terms of age and gender.

Paul Bay of Citizensound showed how brands can and must have sound, or at least an association with this key sense, using du as an example from the region. Nigel Waller talked about how advertisers are using branded entertainment thanks to its targeting opportunities.

Regulations in Europe have recently been loosened and are almost non-existent here, which means the Middle East is a fantastic testing ground for branded content.

"Because we operate in a world where consumers and advertisers need to navigate a high media clutter, today is about new channels and new formats,"

"This event is about winning consumers' hearts and minds by getting closer to them.

It is about physical proximity, particularly through mobiles that are fast becoming an extension of us, and emotional proximity, through the engagement levels branded entertainment generates."

OMD's regional managing director, Eric Bequin, said.

"The OMD Masterclass is a great initiative as it brings international knowledge, best practice as well as innovative ideas to the region," commented Mohammad Itani, communications channel director of Dubai Holding.

"Because media is no longer about just planning and buying but integrated communications, the whole industry needs such an event to push advertisers, agencies and media to work together and improve on the current standard in media and advertising."

"What makes the OMD Creative Masterclass so valuable is that it provides us with great insights and inspiration for future activities," added Visa CEMEA's Kerry Lee Bowen. "The speakers OMD lines up do bring a fresh dimension and perspective."

The third OMD Creative Masterclass was produced in association with Rotana Media Services, Fox Movies, Arabian Business and Kassab Media. Plans are already being drawn for the fourth OMD Creative Masterclass later in the year.