V&S Entertainment, UK-based Production and Distribution Company behind the top rating pre-school series EVERYTHING'S ROSIE (78 x 11') has announced the long-term co-production agreement with Al Jazeera Children's Channel, (JCC) for the third series of their CGI show.

The two organisations have a successful track record and the deal will see V&S and JCC continue to co-produce and co-fund future series of EVERYTHING'S ROSIE, aired on BaraemTV. BaraemTV is the first Arabic TV channel in the world dedicated to preschoolers. Following its launch in 2009 by JCC, BaraemTV airs for 17 hours a day and is specifically designed to help children develop social and vital life skills. Funded by the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development the channel delivers high quality, inspiring and engaging entertainment, promoting positive content.

BaraemTV recently celebrated their 4th anniversary and in November 2012 has launched Baraem Europe.

Stephen Corner, Chairman of V&S Entertainment comments: "We are delighted that BaraemTV see Rosie as a long-term commitment and will continue their co-production investment following on from Series 1 and 2. JCC's involvement for a third series is unprecedented and will continue to ensure that EVERYTHING'S ROSIE goes from strength to strength, positioning the series as a first-class International success story."

EVERYTHING'S ROSIE has proven to be a huge hit for the channel and was one of the first international co-productions to air on BaraemTV, who have a worldwide footprint in the Arabic language.

JCC's Acting Director of Sales and Media Rights, Rashed Al-Qurese Almarri said: "We have worked closely with the team at V&S on Everything's Rosie Series 1 and 2 to provide our audience quality content that will assist them in their discovery and development process in their formative years. We are looking forward to continuing our long and prosperous relationship with V&S as Rosie is a great role model for our young audience and the series has established itself as a mainstay on our channel."

Rosie has a huge following in the Middle East, she is every little girl's best friend and every little boy's ideal big sister. Packed with humour, fun and a real sense of adventure, the show aims to stimulate the senses, fuel the imagination and is full of messages to help pre-schoolers understand the world around them as they grow up and face new everyday situations.

Chris Parker, leading British writer, heads up a team of 5 script writers for EVERYTHING'S ROSIE which also features a soundtrack scored by composer Mike Moran who has worked with Disney, Jim Henson and music legends including Sir Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Queen.

The series has been sold in over 150 territories worldwide including RTVE Spain, Canal Panda Portugal, FRANCE TV France, RAI & DEA Kids Italy, TVO and SRC Canada, ETV South Africa, TV2 Norway, RTE Ireland, YLE Finland, HRT Croatia, RTV Slovenia, CYBE Cyprus and ETV Estonia.

Qsoft Company Ltd., a YouTube partner and the production company behind the successful 'Al Bernameg' with Bassem Youssef, is getting ready to launch its brand new project 'Tube Star Network' (TSN).

TSN has realized the substantial amount of untapped potential talent in the MENA region, which has led the creators of TSN to focus on discovering these talents via an online platform by supporting them with the future potential that small screen stars be born out of them.

TSN will be open for video submissions starting March 17th and is scheduled to officially launch in June of this year.

The platform will aim at discovering online YouTube talents as well as managing them until they become one of MENA's stars.

Talents will be asked to create channels on YouTube and subscribe them into the network and make a video submission to show their talent.

Nick Law, Global Chief Creative Officer of R/GA will Chair the prestigious London International Awards 2013 Digital Jury in Las Vegas in October this year. As Global Chief Creative Officer, Nick is responsible for the creative vision of R/GA, the New York-based agency for the digital age. He guides teams of visual designers, copywriters and interaction designers as they create award-winning work for many Fortune 500 companies.

He also ensures that R/GA stays true to the company’s unique legacy of collaboration between world-class creative and ground-breaking technology. 

Since 2001 Nick has played a significant role in shaping R/GA’s creative vision. In that time, his work has won numerous international Awards and has been widely published in the United States, the United Kingdom and Asia-Pacific. Within a year of joining the company, he was promoted to Vice President of Visual Design and shortly thereafter, named Executive Creative Director on the Nike account, an account responsible for some of the industry’s most innovative and high profile work. 

Of Chairing LIA’s Digital Jury, Nick said, "It's a great privilege (and lots of fun) to be the Chair of this year’s LIA Digital Jury. Our industry is going through such a volatile and confusing transition; deciding what work is smart, creative and appropriate will be no simple task. 

I'm sure we'll return home after judging exhausted and inspired." Barbara Levy, President of LIA said, “Nick is a multi-award winning global creative talent. Under his guidance R/GA was named the 2012 LIA Agency of the Year and was awarded a Grand LIA. This year, every Digital entry will be judged, by all the Digital Judges, on-site in Las Vegas. This is no small feat and we are very pleased that Nick is able to take time out of his hectic schedule to lead the process”

Y&R Dubai, part of the Menacom Group, has won the coveted 'Agency of the Year' title at the Dubai Lynx Awards for the third consecutive year, making it the most awarded agency in the region and in the advertising festival's history.

The Agency also picked up the Grand Prix in Design for Land Rover's 'Personal Extinction Prevention Book' as well as a handful of Golds in Direct for their work with Dubai-based Quint Magazine, titled 'Dubai's got Culture'.

Y&R Dubai's final tally was one Grand Prix, three Golds, 10 Silvers and six Bronzes across multiple categories including: Print, Outdoor, Radio, Design, Direct, TV and Mobile.

The winning work was created on behalf of clients such as Land Rover, Harvey Nichols, Red Cross, American Garden, Brax, Gulf News and Diamond Foil. 

"Winning Agency of the Year at Dubai Lynx is a truly outstanding achievement," said Nadine Ghossoub, Managing Director, Y&R Dubai. "To bag this honour for three years in a row is testament to our creative consistency as an agency. Most of our awarded work is for clients who have been with us for many years and these long standing relationships have enabled us to push the creative boundaries for their brands even further," she added.

Y&R Dubai also came second in the Network of the Year competition at Dubai Lynx 2013 and in 2011 was ranked third most creative agency in the world by the Big Won Report becoming the first agency from the MENA region to make it into the top 10.

Honoured as 'Agency of the Year' for the third consecutive year, the Y&R Dubai team celebrates their win at the Dubai Lynx Award ceremony.

Oxford Business Group (OBG), the global publishing, research and consultancy firm, has appointed Jana Treeck as its Regional Director for the Gulf.

In a move which marks a promotion, Treeck takes up her new post from Malaysia where she worked as OBG's Country Director. Since joining the Group, she has been instrumental in helping OBG expand its operations across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and Asia. 

During her time in the Gulf, Treeck secured contributions from some of the region's most prominent figures, including the Deputy Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Sultan of Oman Qaboos bin Said Al Said and the Ruler of Ras al-Khaimah Sheikh Saud bin Saqr al Qasimi. She also played a pivotal role in facilitating interviews with international representatives, such as the Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon and the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union Jean Ping.

Treeck, who has a Masters Degree in English Literature and Information Science from Dusseldorf University, said she was thrilled to take on a new challenge with OBG at a regional level. 

"Our publications have earned a reputation among investors as a valuable source of business intelligence on the developments taking place across the sectors of the Gulf economies," she said. 

"I am delighted to be playing a part in steering the Group's coverage of the GCC at a time when up to date and accurate information has become more important than ever for investors." 

OBG's CEO Elizabeth Boissevain said the experience Treeck had gained during her six years leading OBG's projects across the continents would prove valuable in her new role. 

"Jana brings with her a wealth of knowledge about how business is done across a broad range of countries, including Oman, Dubai, Libya, Malaysia and Brunei," she said. 

"I am confident that her expertise and enthusiasm will give our coverage of the Gulf states a major boost as we shine the spotlight on their diversification efforts."

OBG's reports are produced following more than six months of on-the-ground research by a team of the Group's analysts. The publications, which Treeck and the OBG teams will be preparing over the coming months, will include interviews with leading economic and business figures from both the local scene and international community. 

The reports will act as guides to the many facets of the countries, including their macroeconomics, infrastructure, banking and sectoral developments. They will be available in print form and online.

Social media literacy has well and truly transitioned from fringe concern to a MENA business must-have, according to the most comprehensive survey of its kind ever conducted.

According to a study by Dubai School of Government's Governance and Innovation Programme and SAP focusing on Arab youth, 86% of respondents believe social media empowers entrepreneurs. 

Acclaim was forthcoming from 90% for its potential to boost branding and marketing, from 86% for the ability to tap into wider markets and from 85% for its customer engagement credentials. 

84% believed social media could inspire entrepreneurial spirit within a company. 

The study also found that 81% agreed that national social media policies would facilitate a better use of social media in the workplace. 

"Respondents have been overwhelmingly positive about the role of social media. Despite having few stable economies in the region today, the most active part of the Arab population, its youth, are increasingly feeling empowered. Our on-going research over the past two years has shown that more than 50 million Arabs are actively connected through social media and primarily use the platforms to change social and business realities in their countries," said Fadi Salem, Director of the Governance and Innovation Programme, DSG.

The study, which examined the effectiveness of social media in promoting social advancement, job creation and business growth across the Arab region, collated data from close to 5,000 respondents in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Lebanon, Oman, Egypt and Jordan. 

"Social media is no longer a curiosity but undeniable business imperative," said Sam Alkharrat, Managing Director, SAP MENA.

"It is crucial that business-leaders adapt accordingly. Constructive dialogue across workplaces, markets and among individuals - combined with the unprecedented ability to gather, analyse and act on data in real-time - is an immensely powerful and influential opportunity to unlock previously unthinkable levels of innovation."

Etisalat announced the launch of its eLife TV iPad App, becoming the first operator in the region to offer this facility to its customers. The announcement was made on the sidelines of Etisalat's participation at Broadband MEA 2013.

Subscribers will now be able to watch eLife TV on their iPad, computers or laptop whether at home or on the move over WiFi or Etisalat's super-fast Mobile Internet. 

eLife TV on iPad and PC includes live streaming of more than 150 live TV channels, including premium sports channels such as Al Jazeera Sport, Dubai Sports and Abu Dhabi Sports channels.

Customer will be able to enjoy a full week's worth of Catch Up TV for hundreds of live TV programmes that they may have missed, on their smart tablet or web browser. Rented On Demand Movies from eLife TV will also be available for iPad and PC web browsers. 

Another great feature is that customers can now easily tweet from within their eLife TV iPad App and web app about live TV programmes or On Demand Movies that they are watching. They can also post it on their Facebook page and share it with their friends.

Speaking on the new service, Rashed Majed Al Abbar, Vice President of Home Product Marketing, Etisalat, said, "We noticed that our customers are now spending more time on their tablets and personal computers. This led us to develop this new app that extends the superb eLife TV experience even to subscribers on the move. The live streaming of High Definition Live TV channels will allow for interactive entertainment, as subscribers can hit the pause button while watching an OnDemand movie on TV and resume watching it on their iPad. It will also become easier to share content with friends on social media platforms and set reminders to watch live TV shows on your iPad. Sports enthusiasts can also enjoy their favorite live matches whether they are at home or outside."

"We are very pleased to offer this very unique service that offers a comprehensive and interactive eLife TV experience on iPad. The app experience also allows access to what you get from your TV subscription, including your user profile favorites and bookmarks," said Al Abbar.

International Expo Consults (IEC), a division of UAE's multi-faceted business conglomerate - Falak Holding, states that 'Family Entertainment Centres' (FEC) will play a vital role in supporting the retail sector in the region.

IEC is the organiser of DEAL 2013 (Dubai Entertainment Amusement and Leisure' show), the largest show for the themeparks and amusement industry in the Middle East.

DEAL show has grown exponentially and the show ranks second only to IAAPA. 

The company is expecting over 250 exhibitors from across 33 countries and the 2013 edition of the show also expects to attract over 7000 trade visitors. Exhibitors last year have signed contracts worth over $220m. 

These contracts were for all the equipments, rides and other innovative products and projects that were being rolled out during the course of the year.

'DEAL 2013' is the region's annual focal point for all stakeholders in the amusement and related industries looking for a successful entry or greater growth in the region. The event is scheduled to take place from April 23-25, at The Arena, Dubai World Trade Centre. 

With last year's show generating a record number of exhibitors and visitors, and most of them pledging to return, DEAL 2013 is expected to witness an even larger gathering of key players and visitors in the amusement industry from Europe, US, Middle East, African, Mediterranean and Asian countries among other geographies. 

Abdul Rahman Falaknaz, Chairman of IEC, stated, "We are in the Middle East and we know that due to the climate we cannot have outdoor theme parks through-out the year as in other parts of the world. We have to be logical in our approach and take into account cost benefits and feasibility analysis. We have to create facilities indoors for a 365-day approach so that people can enjoy the facilities throughout the year, regardless of climate." 

"Leisure in general is an important component of malls: it brings families and their kids together. The trend is towards 'the new age retail entertainment' where a large retail entity supports an entertainment zone that includes not just rides but cinemas, food and beverages among other forms of entertainment," added Mr. Falaknaz.

DEAL 2012 welcomed several of the amusement industry's leaders, with regional and global names such as Amusement Services International (ASI), Warehouse of Games, Zamperla, Moser Rides, PRO-FAB, Brunswick, EOS Rides, Polin Waterparks and Pool Systems and Rainbow Productions among several other industry leaders from across the globe.

"This year looks promising for our industry as most amusement operations have registered a growth in revenue and footfall year on year. We are confident that the amusement industry in the region is heading in the right direction. FEC's are key service anchors that support the many retail developments within the Middle East. It helps such developments to attract and register family footfall. Consumers can today make their retail purchases from their smart devices. However, the key differentiator that drives people to the brick and mortar retail stores is not just the product but also the other leisure & entertainment facilities within a mall," said Mr.Sharif Rahman, CEO, IEC.

"Some of the malls with the FECs have recorded a substantial increase in earnings in the last few months. The reason for this surge in earnings is due to the influx of tourists from other regions and also the volatility in other markets. We foresee the industry to grow at a rapid pace in 2013 and beyond. The FECs will perform even better during the next few quarters due to the change in the climate and forthcoming vacation season. FEC's actually complement the retail industry to a large extent and without FEC's the whole retail puzzle is largely incomplete. There are several new projects coming up in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman and the region is set to witness a remarkable growth in the entertainment sector in the near future," added Mr. Rahman.

"Ages 2-12 are the biggest spenders on the entertainment segment but the past couple of years have seen a strong emergence of the market between the ages of 14 and 21. Industry experts said indoor entertainment was the best performing segment in the amusement parks market. Indoor theme parks are here to stay. You can go to an outdoor theme park about twice a year, but you're more likely to go to the mall every week and therefore the indoor theme park will grow at a phenomenal rate in the near future," concluded Mr.Rahman.

Ketchum Raad Middle East, headquartered in the UAE, is the regional division of Ketchum, and is responsible for offices across the Middle East and North Africa. The awards will be presented May 30 in Barcelona as part of the 2013 EMEA SABRE Awards.

“Ketchum can credibly claim to be the largest public relations agency in the EMEA region, with 29 offices and 29 affiliates providing comprehensive regional coverage.” Holmes also cited the firm’s strength in developed markets like Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K., as well as “impressive growth” in emerging markets like Russia, the Middle East and Africa” - Holmes Report editor-in-chief and CEO Paul Holmes  

Ketchum, one of the world’s leading communications firms, was named EMEA Consultancy of the Year by the Holmes Report, a leading publication in the global public relations industry. The recognition encompasses the entire Europe, Middle East and Africa region and headlines a list of individual geographic honors.  Ketchum Raad Middle East, headquartered in the UAE, is the regional division of Ketchum, and is responsible for offices across the Middle East and North Africa. The awards will be presented May 30 in Barcelona as part of the 2013 EMEA SABRE Awards. 

Of the award, Holmes Report editor-in-chief and CEO Paul Holmes wrote, “Ketchum can credibly claim to be the largest public relations agency in the EMEA region, with 29 offices and 29 affiliates providing comprehensive regional coverage.” Holmes also cited the firm’s strength in developed markets like Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K., as well as “impressive growth” in emerging markets like Russia, the Middle East and Africa. 

Ketchum senior partner and CEO Rob Flaherty said, “The Holmes Report’s analysis underscores many aspects of our network that position us well for the future – award-winning client work, strong new business success, depth in all major and emerging markets, and scale that makes us the market leader. This honor is an important and highly visible validation of how we operate.”

David Gallagher, Ketchum senior partner and EMEA president, added, “This recognition reflects the hard work, innovation and commitment of Ketchum colleagues in EMEA and beyond. I'd like to personally congratulate and thank all of the clients, colleagues and business partners who make our continued success possible.”

These award wins follow a number of high honors bestowed to Ketchum in 2012. Last year, Ketchum was honored with the European Excellence Award for Agency of the Year and was named Large Consultancy of the Year by PRmoment at the inaugural Golden Hedgehog Awards. Ketchum and IBM took home the Best of Silver Anvil Award and Platinum SABRE Award for the best campaign of the year, and Ketchum won more Silver Anvils and Americas SABRE Awards than any other firm, with 10 total Anvils and six Gold SABRE Awards. Earlier this year, Ketchum and its clients took home three PRWeek Awards.

New research from JWT MENA and Tunisiana, a leading mobile operator in Tunisia, documents how the Arab Spring has profoundly shaped the socio-political environment—made evident by changing Tunisian consumer mindsets. These findings, which are the first of their kind, were presented by Hubert Boulos, head of planning at JWT MENA, and Hazem Kaddour, planning director at JWT North Africa, at this year’s ESOMAR Best of MENAP. This new “Social Individualist” consumer embraces the need for both belonging and individual self-expression, creating new venues of personalization for advertisers to explore.The 2013 ESOMAR Best of MENAP event in Dubai promotes the advancement of international market research, with a focus on new insights garnered across the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan region. The identification of the “Social Individualist” consumer resulted from JWT MENA’s study of over 500 adults and 25 focus groups, led by a team from JWT Tunis.

In post-revolution Tunisia, there is a record level of self-optimism and self-confidence throughout the country, compared with pre-Arab Spring opinions, even if things appear to be unpredictable. The need to share with others is complimented by the growing social norm of tolerance and respect for other individuals’ opinions. This major shift in consumer lifestyle and characteristics is identified by a rising need to be understood, but within the paradox of building one’s individuality within the context of their social group.

“This mutual respect for connecting with others, and hearing and being heard marks a great opportunity for marketers to enter the conversation and facilitate the sharing of thoughts”

The post Arab Spring consumer has new interest in not only being heard, but in being the one everybody listens to and follows. The need to be social, which brings in the vital importance of home, family, and friends, is therefore considered essential in order to stand out and gain influence through one’s self built social ecosystem. For 90% of those surveyed, home is the center of their world—these consumers are growing an audience of loved ones in order to express themselves and influence others.

Youth in the country agree it is more important to show your differences and views within your group than to be a passive participant. While 80% feel a need to influence others and become the center of interest, a staggering 90% agree/strongly agree that other individual’s opinions deserve tolerance and respect.

This mutual respect for connecting with others, and hearing and being heard marks a great opportunity for marketers to enter the conversation and facilitate the sharing of thoughts. Hyper personalization and the ability of an individual to put himself/herself at the center of his/her world will be key for brands, especially in the telecommunications industry, looking to tap this newly evoked mindset.