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 Company: ASDA'A Burson Marsteller, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Company Description: Over the last 16 years, ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller has earned its reputation as the Middle East’s leading public relations consultancy and the benchmark of PR practice in the region. The company’s growing list of prestigious clients and high-profile industry awards reflect this position. ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, a WPP company, has 11 wholly owned offices and reaches into 18 Middle East nations.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Public Relations Agency of the Year in the Middle East and Africa
Nomination Title: ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller: The benchmark of PR consultancy in the Middle East and North Africa
Tell the story about what this nominated agency achieved (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:
For ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, the largest PR consultancy in one of the world’s
most strategic and fast-growing regions, the last 18 months have been
exceptional. During one of the world’s most tumultuous economic periods, the
agency has elevated its practice in existing areas of strength, activated new
disciplines to anticipate market needs, and delivered quality results for the
regional governments, global and local businesses and NGOs it counts as
clients.
Delivering results: The agency continues to grow from strength to strength in
public affairs. In January 2008, the United Arab Emirates government tasked
the agency’s Public Affairs team to direct its communications around labour
rights, one of its most sensitive subjects, by managing the UAE’s Colombo
Process conference and the Gulf Forum on Contractual Labour. In January 2009,
the Dubai government looked to the agency to manage media relations and
positioning for its official response to the ongoing economic crisis.
ASDA’A B-M’s counsel is also sought by international and regional leaders,
with its Technology practice leading a high-profile campaign around Microsoft
Chairman Bill Gates’s UAE visit, and its Financial practice managing
communications for Saudi Aramco’s first, US$1.2bn IPO for petrochemical
facility Petro Rabigh.
The agency is also successful at implementing multi-nation campaigns across
the diverse Arab world. Its August 2007 – January 2009 campaign for the Rolex
Awards for Enterprise provided the world’s oldest philanthropic programme with
a 300 per cent increase in applications from 16 Arab nations, thousands of
column inches in coverage across the region, relationships with academic and
government leaders and a well-attended awards event.
The Corporate team delivered a bumper harvest for clients including the
world’s tallest building, Burj Dubai. The April 2008 milestone of the Burj
Dubai achieving world-leading status, launched by an ASDA’A-managed exclusive
tour of the tower with The Sunday Times, and ABC News’ first live broadcast
from Dubai in February 2009, from the 160th floor of the tower, rank among its
leading achievements.
Elevating practice: The agency distinguishes itself from its peers by raising
the bar for the practice of public relations in the region. In November 2008,
it launched the first and most comprehensive attitudinal survey of 18- to 24-
year olds in six Middle East countries and the US, UK and Germany. The
landmark research into the hopes, fears and aspirations of the Arab world’s
largest demographic, provides useful insights for policymakers, business and
academia, and is the only significant proprietary research commissioned by an
agency in the region.
New disciplines: The agency’s new digital practice (launched in 2009) has
already enabled clients to better navigate and utilize the online world. The
May 2009 Festival at the Dubai Mall, a marketing effort to increase footfall
at the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destination included a
significant online component. The agency’s Festival@theDubai Mall microsite,
YouTube channel and Photobucket page recorded thousands of independent views,
contributing extensively to the month-long campaign.
ASDA’A B-M’s 17-year reputation, its unique insights into the Arab world, and
its strengths in quality implementation continue to propel the agency ever
higher.
List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:
http://www.weforum.org/en/events/ArchivedEvents/WorldEconomicForumonMiddleEast2009/index.m
For the sixth consecutive year, ASDA’A B-M supported the
annual meeting of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East, from May 15-17,
2009, at the Dead Sea in Jordan. ASDA’A B-M manages the positioning of the
Forum and its leadership, media accreditation and registration, monitoring and
analysis, onsite media management and press office responsibilities for more
than 200 regional and international journalists.
http://www.ameinfo.com/175255.html (Announcement of the launch of the newly
integrated ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller and the official announcement of the Arab
Youth survey results)
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/expat-powerlist/profile/1190?clr=2&sort=industry
(ASDA’A B-M CEO named one of the most influential
expatriates in the Gulf, May 2009)
http://www.arabyouthsurvey.com/index.html Full content of the Arab Youth
Survey, including details of its November 2008 launch
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/GMABig/story?id=7035696&page=1 The Good Morning
America episode with anchor Chris Cuomo live from Dubai aired March 9, 2009
http://www.holmesreport.co.uk/story.cfm?edit_id=9973&typeid=3 Industry bible
The Holmes Report’s report card on ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller
http://content.yudu.com/Library/A18kbe/MediaWeekMiddleEast7/resources/4.htm
ASDA’A B-M client list keeps growing in 2009, news coverage
http://www.youtube.com/user/dubaimallchannel, the Dubai-Mall branded
YouTube channel created by ASDA’A B-M, incorporating 10 agency-commissioned
videos of mall elements and festival activities.
Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader of this nominated agency:
Sunil John, CEO of ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, has been at the heart of the
public relations business in the Middle East for nearly two decades. He has
shaped ASDA’A B-M to be the benchmark of public relations consultancy,
advising regional governments, global and local corporations and NGOs.
Sunil, who serves on the National Advisory Council for the College of
Communication and Media Sciences at Zayed University and is the UAE National
Chair of the International Public Relations Association, was named one of the
50 most influential expatriates in the Middle East. He is also Vice President
of the IPRA Gulf Chapter.
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