Riyaz Wani - Communicate Online
Riyaz Wani

Brand building in the age of AI: when the algorithm becomes the customer

For decades, brand building was fundamentally about winning human attention. Brands fought for shelf space, search rankings, advertising real estate and, increasingly, social feeds. The objective…

INSIGHTS

Social-first marketing in the GCC: Why the Gulf is moving faster than global trends

Social media is no longer simply another channel in the marketing mix. Globally, brands are moving towards a social-first model, where platforms such as TikTok, Instagram,…

INSIGHTS

AI is taking over MENA’s creator economy — and it’s just getting started

AI adoption among creators is no longer an experiment. Across the global creator economy, artificial intelligence is becoming part of the everyday production stack, helping creators…

INSIGHTS

G42 unveils AI-designed Tour de France helmet, relaunches Helmetverse

G42 has partnered with UAE Team Emirates-XRG and MET Helmets to unveil a new AI-designed cycling helmet that will be worn by the team during Stage…

NEWS
Branded

From Homepage to Doorstep: How Lenovo’s Omnichannel Campaign with Amazon Ads Drove Success During Peak Shopping Season

By Communicate Staff

Transparency in the storm: How the GCC managed crisis communication

By Hoda Rizk

Ounass expands into physical retail activations with Stage

By Communicate Staff

Aramco remains Middle East’s sole entrant in Kantar BrandZ global top 100

By Communicate Staff
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The $11 billion market the world can’t ignore

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) advertising market, now estimated at between $9 billion and $12 billion, has entered a decisive phase of global relevance.…

CANNES-LIONS

Bayut, dubizzle launch campaign celebrating UAE’s growth and leadership

Bayut and dubizzle, part of the Dubizzle Group, have launched a new campaign titled “Proud of the UAE”, bringing together leading figures from the country’s real…

NEWS

AC Milan, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority unveil Emirati Eid Al Adha collaboration

Italian football club AC Milan and Dubai Culture & Arts Authority have unveiled a special creative collaboration with Emirati artist Fatema (Fay) Alkaabi to mark Eid…

NEWS

Sephora and Gap are rebuilding fashion around creators—And it’s changing everything 

A structural shift in how consumers discover and buy fashion is forcing global brands to rebuild their commerce strategies around creators, with companies such as Sephora…

INSIGHTS

Sheikha Latifa’s $272M bet: Can Dubai become the world’s creator capital? 

In a major push to future-proof Dubai’s cultural industries, Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has launched the ‘Creative Sector Resilience Portfolio’, a multi-pronged…

INSIGHTS

From ‘Add to Cart’ to ‘Convince Me’: New TikTok report signals retail shake-up

A new global trends report by TikTok points to a decisive shift in consumer behaviour, with audiences moving away from impulse-driven “little treat” spending toward more…

INSIGHTS

The Gulf was saving global luxury—Then the Iran war changed everything

In May 2025, the GCC luxury industry appeared to be one of the brightest spots in global retail. A Chalhoub Group report described the region’s personal…

INSIGHTS

The AI apocalypse and adtech reshapes Gulf marketing decision making

If the first wave of CPG performance marketing in the Gulf was about discovering intent, the next wave is about delegating decisions. In Saudi Arabia and…

CPG-FMCG

Marketing with empathy: How brands can navigate strategy in the Gulf during geopolitical tensions

As geopolitical tensions linked to the Iran conflict reshape the Middle East’s economic and psychological landscape, brands operating in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) face a…

INSIGHTS
Trends
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