Marketing and Communications Consultant
Techno Cast Precast
Total years of experience :21 years, 6 Months
TECHNO CAST PRECAST: Marketing and Communications Manager
TCP, a member company of the Saudi Binladin Group, is one of the leading precast manufacturing companies in the UAE and has completed work for the Formula One project in Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Government
Responsibilities:
• Instilling a marketing led ethos throughout the business by developing the marketing and communications strategy
• Researching and reporting on external opportunities including sponsorships, advertising and events
• Managing the customer journey and understanding customer needs
• Developing business opportunities
Achievements:
• Overall management of ATL, BTL, PR, industry events and sponsorship activities
• Prepared and now implementing the organisation's first marketing and communications plan including recommendations about expanding the business outside of Abu Dhabi. TCP has now completed projects for clients in Dubai, RAK and Al Ain which has grown its business
• Setting up of company website (being worked on) and intranet site
• Created the company brochure, prequalification document, and brand guidelines for TCP
• Partnered/Registered with a number of internationally recognised precast concrete associations
Supreme Group has more than fifty years experience in the provision of food, fuel, transport logistics and supply chain solutions to clients who operate in some of world's most challenging environments. Clients include the United Nations, NATO, the US Department of Defense, the UK Ministry of Defence, Turkish Airlines and Maersk.
Responsibilities:
• Managing external communications across the Group in 29 markets
• Overseeing crisis communications management, public relations, sponsorships, events, advertising, branding and CSR activities
• Managing all marketing and communications for the Group’s UK market
• Budget management for external communication activities across all markets and for all UK marketing and communications activities
• Managing an ongoing crisis and briefing owners and MDs on weekly basis
• Writing content for brochures, website which is being updated, fact sheets, press releases, bios etc.
Responsibilities:
• Internal communications, brand management, media relations, sponsorships and corporate responsibility activities
• Planning & executing strategic advertising, communication & sponsorship campaigns & managing their budgets
• Managing employee volunteering initiatives and working closely with NPOs
• Managing the regional launch of the bank’s $129m Liverpool Football Club sponsorship
• Managing the activation & implementation of the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon sponsorship
• Maintaining & developing the master brand, sub-brand, & segment brand identities
• Writing and managing placement of articles internally and externally
• Drafting thought leadership articles for top tier media
• Improving turnaround time of media requests
Achievements:
• Successfully re-launched the new customer value proposition for Priority Banking which saw its customer base grow 41%
• Created & implemented an internal & external communication plan for the bank’s sponsorship of Liverpool Football Club in the region - record media coverage. Additionally the bank formed a partnership with Dubai Reds, the official Liverpool supporters club in Dubai, to provide football training sessions
• Submitted a pitch for ‘Best Mortgage/ Finance House 2010‘ to Banker Middle East & won
• An increase in media coverage of 97% for FY 2010 compared to FY 2009
• Ongoing thought leadership columns in a leading Arabic and English publication
• The bank has branded Dubai Mall’s Ice Rink with the largest indoor advertisement in the Middle East, in addition to providing customers with tailored concessions at the mall
• Partnered with Colliers to hold client & media briefings for the Private Bank’s new mortgage offering - strong positive feedback from clients & significant media coverage generated
• Media request turnaround times improved significantly
Responsibilities:
• Prior to joining Standard Chartered, the bank used an agency to deal with all PR related matters - after joining, all PR activities were handled in-house
• Evaluated, planned & implemented external communication activities for the Consumer Banking, Wholesale Banking, & Islamic Banking divisions
• Prepared & managed budgets relating to external communications
• Partnered with an agency to provide media training to senior management which allowed for accurate positioning and consistency of key messages
• Prepared & discussed interview briefs for and with the bank’s key spokespeople including the regional CEO to ensure appropriate and relevant responses to the media
• Carried out media perception audits to determine views external stakeholders have of the bank, then working on plans to address negative perceptions - 09 showed strong improvements over 08
• Drafted crisis communication plans and holding statements for the bank
• Worked closely with the customer care unit to solve media and customer complaints
Achievements:
• Year-on-year media coverage growth - 44 per cent for FY 2008 verses FY 2007, and a further 51 per cent increase for FY 2009
• Reduced negative media coverage for the bank from 49 mentions in 2008 to 19 mentions in 2009
• The bank regularly benefited from strong media coverage - print and broadcast including ongoing TV and radio appearances
• Through holding media roundtables for the bank’s research team, the economists including Marios Maratheftis are now recognised industry experts
• Worked with Khaleej Times to arrange a 32 page supplement on the bank’s operations in the UAE - distributed to over 100.000 of the paper’s readers with no capital outlay required from the bank
• Managed the addition of a media centre to the bank’s UAE website
• Prepared award submissions which successfully led to a number of awards being won including ‘Best Foreign Bank‘, emeafinance, and ‘Best Foreign Bank‘, Banker Middle East
MCS ACTION: Jan 2007 to Jan 2008
MCS/Action operates an international PR network, and has served a wide range of clients including British Airways, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, BMW, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, Standard Chartered Bank, and Adobe.
Responsibilities:
• Managed Standard Chartered Bank, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and BAE Systems regional accounts and assisted on the MINI, French Tourism Authority and Flora Hotels accounts
• Developed and implemented event ideas and campaigns to ensure strong media coverage
• Drafted English press releases and editorial for clients, including writing a 32 page quarterly internal magazine for Standard Chartered
Key Achievements:
• Media coverage for Standard Chartered increased more than 70% over the same period the previous year. Equally, Rolls-Royce consistently achieved stronger coverage than both of its competitors
• Generated and implemented a plan for the launch of Standard Chartered’s Islamic Banking brand, Saadiq. TV, radio and print media interviews ensured media coverage exceeded US$1.4m
• Created and implemented the launch plan of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe in the Middle East - included creating a video of the Phantom Drophead Coupe driving along the Abu Dhabi Corniche which has been used by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars across all their markets
• Successfully arranged and managed a trip to the UK for 8 key journalists to visit the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars factory in Goodwood, UK
• Asked by one of my clients, Standard Chartered Bank, to join them in-house - agreed by my manager
TRACCS operates a regional network and has served clients from a range of industries including hospitality, leisure and retail, and pharmaceutical.
Responsibilities:
• Worked on the regional Novartis Consumer Health and the Dubai Festival City account and assisted on the Kempinski Hotels account
• Generated event ideas and campaigns and then implemented them to ensure target market reach
• Drafted press releases and editorial to provide clients with consistent media coverage
• Generated brochure content, drafted media invitations, and proof read/ edited client documents
Key Achievements:
• Strong media coverage through press briefings and media interviews
• Record coverage for a client event - included 3 full pages in Emirates Today, 1 full Page in 7DAYS and half pages in Khaleej Times and Gulf Today, and an hour-long interview on Al Arabiya TV
• Posters for Lamisil (Novartis Consumer Health) were placed free of charge in a number of malls and ablution rooms across the UAE which were used to educate the public on foot health
IPC is involved in foreign trade, managing supplies of potassium based fertilisers to a number of international markets and covers 25 per cent of worldwide potash exports.
• Drafted material for the company’s brochure and other sales/ promotional materials
• Contacted media to distribute releases and arrange interviews with senior management
• Proof read/ edited documents, including legal documents prepared by or for IPC