BMW Group's exclusive Mid East media agency office inaugurated at Dubai Media City

To mark the occasion, MMG hosted a gala reception for BMW Group Middle East, its importers and MMG staff on the lawns of its Dubai Media City boutique villa office.

The reception followed a meeting of BMW Group Middle East importers at MMG, chaired by Paysen and attended by Robert Bailey-McEwan, the outgoing Managing Director of BMW Group Middle East, and his successor Guenther Seemann, who was previously Managing Director of BMW Group Greater China and Chief Representative, BMW Group Mainland China.

After unveiling a plaque, commemorating the event, Paysen said: "In the past five years BMW Group Middle East has seen phenomenal growth, with sales of our premium BMW and MINI brands doubling to a total of 10,251 units in 2003. This could not have been achieved without the investment in facilities and hard work of our importers, supported by the exciting, creative and innovative regional marketing concepts implemented by our supplier agencies, the latest of which is MMG."

BMW Group Middle East appointed MMG in May 2003 to handle client servicing of the premium car manufacturer's regional office and importer network and the market alignment of BMW Group's creative advertising campaigns. MMG and its associate media buying house, Media Insight, are responsible for buying for BMW Group's regional office and importers. MMG is also charged with media planning.

"We are the only blue chip client in the region which enjoys the full undivided attention of its creative and client serving agencies," said Bailey-McEwan. "When we decided to restructure our marketing communications, we came up with a new concept in advertising through the appointment of an 'exclusive' client servicing agency. Both MMG and U5, our Germany-based lead creative agency, work on no other account."

Ehab Shouly, Regional Marketing Manager for BMW Group Middle East, said: "As more customer-orientated organisations, our importers require a highly-personalised service from their agency. Our strategy ensures that BMW Group Middle East and its importers maximise their marketing communication resources."

Paysen, Bailey-McEwan and Seemann, the BMW Group Middle East importers and their guests were welcomed to the MMG office by Faraj Yassine, President of MMG, and by members of MMG's staff.

"BMW Group's media approach enables it to benefit from the specialisation of each of its agencies in their own field of expertise and also ensures that its innovative marketing concepts are creatively and efficiently implemented," said Yassine.