Appointments

Following two years of significant year-onyear growth, independent agency Digital Ape is launching its Creative Studio, and has announced that it will be headed by

former head of Studio MENA at Yahoo.

The studio will bring a fresh, publisher-first approach to campaigns as brands seek co-creation opportunities for their content campaigns, says Digital Ape. It will offer creative solutions grounded in the agency’s ethos of “Always create great stories”.

“Joining Digital Ape at such a pivotal time for brand storytelling

EMAN KHALLOUF,

is what excites me. The industry is fundamentally changing and the old models just don’t apply anymore,” said Khallouf. “This shift in how we communicate means we have to tell more effective stories that not only resonate with the audience but can reach them more naturally without the client necessarily paying for distribution. That’s something publishers have been doing for centuries.”

“From her early days at Maktoob, Eman has acquired a comprehensive understanding of how Arabic content online has grown and developed,” said Digital Ape CEO Bébhinn Kelly. “That, coupled with her experience at Yahoo, gives her a unique perspective on the value of online content, and more importantly how we can use our proprietary data systems to enhance our clients’ ability to directly reach their customers.” Hill+Knowlton Strategies (H+K) has appointed as MENA regional director, Health+Wellness as part of the agency’s strategy to further support the national health agendas of the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Cook will work within the MENA region to drive the practice forward, focusing on behavioural science, regional healthcare opportunities within government and health groups, and on topics including mental health and childhood obesity. He will report directly to Bashar Al Kadhi, CEO, MENAT.

Commenting

MIKE COOK

on his new role, Cook said, “Having been in the region for almost 25 years it gives me great pleasure to join such an accomplished team and agency. I have taken on this role to grow the practice by bringing my expertise and knowledge in the healthcare and wellness space. I relish the challenge and look forward to the future by helping H+K continue to be the leading healthcare agency in the region.”

Cook joins H+K from Majid Al Futtaim Healthcare, where he held the position of marketing director, and prior to that he was the marketing director at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi as part of the launch team. He brings with him more than 18 years of marketing experience within the Middle East with Fortune 500 companies in healthcare, telecoms, FMCG, retail and finance.