Purpose-Driven Engagement: Bridging Values and Innovation in MENA

Olena Lemeshko explores how brands in MENA can combine cultural relevance, authentic storytelling, and technology-driven engagement to build stronger emotional connections with consumers.

New research shows that brands aligned with emotionally heightened moments in live sports can improve ad effectiveness.

As brands pursue efficiency through platform consolidation, many are unknowingly limiting growth. A diversified retargeting stack can improve performance, reduce dependency, and uncover audiences that single-platform strategies often miss.

Memorable experience is the part of the product that survives commoditisation, and it is what gives the customer a reason to advocate, says Darius LaBelle, Managing Director, Middle East at November Five.

Tahir Kheshgi explores how full-funnel strategies help brands capture evolving consumer intent, strengthen search visibility, and drive stronger business outcomes through connected customer journeys.

As Martech stacks grow more complex, the real challenge is aligning platforms, people, and local market realities. As Pooja Nambiar, Global Head of Marketing Platforms at Yugo, puts it, the technology is there to enable, not to dictate.

Marketing measurement has never been perfect, but today’s most successful teams are rethinking how they interpret data, combining MMM, LTA, and incrementality testing to build more reliable frameworks for business growth.

A new OAAA and Kochava study found that OOH advertising delivers stronger measurable outcomes than CTV and broadcast TV, driving higher in-person visits, digital engagement, and sustained consumer action.

As rising costs and audience saturation limit growth inside walled gardens, brands are turning to programmatic advertising, CTV, and independent mobile ecosystems to drive more efficient user acquisition and long-term mobile performance.

Netcore Cloud and The Parent Inc explored how first-party data, behavioural segmentation, and AI-driven personalisation help brands engage millions of parents with relevant, high-conversion experiences across Southeast Asia.