Dubai, UAE, April 2, 2014: Initiative MENA, a regional media communications network, has marked its first quarter of 2014 operations by securing three new accounts. The agency, which operates several offices throughout the Gulf and Middle East, and is part of MCN, has picked up the new accounts of SACO in Saudi Arabia, Sohar Ports in UAE and Vileda in Lebanon.
“We are delighted with Saco, Sohar Ports and Vileda’s decisions to partner with us and we are looking forward to a long lasting relationship with these brands. These partnerships are the result of a transformational journey that started in 2013 at Initiative and the result of the hard work and dedication of our teams across the region,” said Ramzy Abouchacra, Regional Managing Director, Initiative MENA.
Initiative MENA won the pitch for SACO – the leading hardware retail and wholesale business in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – in a contest that saw them go up against seven other companies. The agency was successful in outlining a comprehensive marketing strategy to the client and has now been engaged to handle activities that surpass media planning and buying. Part of Initiative’s brief was to identify innovative communications solutions for SACO that reflect its creation of complete home-improvement solutions at its customers’ convenience. SACO currently operates 20 retail outlets in 12 cities throughout KSA, with over 45,000 different products across 13 specialised departments.
Mohamad Abureida, Marketing Manager at SACO said, “Initiative was able to demonstrate a proven track record of getting results. The case studies we were presented with revealed that the agency thinks out of the box to create a greater audience reach and spread brand messages further across a variety of platforms. It is clear that they have a research driven and proactive approach that secures results for their impressive portfolio of clients.”
Winning the Sohar Port account, a deep-sea port and free zone in Oman was the second Q1 triumph for Initiative MENA. The agency will be handling an integrated media campaign for local, regional and international markets targeted towards a B2B audience, with an emphasis on raising awareness and lead generation. Initiative’s team welcomes the challenge that involves, targeting niche sectors across different industries and markets.
Edwin Lammers, Sohar’s Executive Commercial Manager comments, “Sohar Ports is taking the next step towards bringing its message of opportunities to the rest of the world. This has to come with a fresh image and a clear strategy. We have chosen Initiative to take this message to the right audience. Their global reach and expertise in our key markets made them the right partner to complement our marketing efforts.”
The third success for Initiative MENA since January was winning the Vileda account in Lebanon. The organisation went head-to-head with two other agencies in the country to acquire the German household and cleaning products company, which is a brand of the housewares division of Freudenberg Group. Initiative will provide an integrated media solution to the brand.
“We are convinced that Initiative is the right organisation to represent us during this year and to keep our name positioned as the number one household cleaning brand in the region,” said Jimmy El-Homsy, Vileda Brand Manager.
