Pay-TV network OSN has appointed new digital and creative partners to support its strategic growth across key markets in Middle East and North Africa during 2015.
Flip Media comes on board as digital agency while Leo Burnett is the new creative agency. Starcom will continue to serve as the media agency for OSN for the current year.
While Flip will drive all digital activities, Leo Burnett will support OSN in the strategic planning and development of creative market-specific campaigns covering print, television, out-of-home, radio, retail and below-the-line platforms.
David Butorac, CEO of OSN, says in a statement: “Our strategy for 2015 is to strengthen the growth we achieved during 2014 across all key markets in the MENA region, through a focus on providing exclusive and premium content, and leveraging advanced technology platforms to offer ‘anytime, anywhere’ TV experiences. The potential for pay-TV to make further growth strides in the region is tremendous, especially with the audience being increasingly discerning about their television consumption preferences. Flip and Leo Burnett presented strategies that are aligned to our organisational growth goals. We are confident of taking our subscriber outreach in the region to the next level this year through our new partnerships”.
Hamad Malik, chief marketing officer of OSN, adds: “We were seeking partners who could assure us a strong balance of creativity and strategy to meet our market-specific growth objectives. We called for agencies with a definite understanding of the market and our target audience, as well as clearly innovative and fresh perspectives on how to further strengthen our subscriber engagement and new growth. With OSN focusing on social media engagement, Flip, as our new digital agency, brings domain knowledge on pay-TV and a strong regional network. Leo Burnett, likewise, has an impressive network in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, two of our fast-growing markets, which was underlined by the evidence-based insights they shared on how we could maximize our reach. Starcom has executed some exceptional work for us in the past, complementing our marketing and business goals. By working with our partners, we aim to define 2015 as one of the milestone years for OSN”.
In a tightly contested pitch for digital agency, Flip Media emerged as the preferred partner for their significant operations in Saudi Arabia, advanced reporting and monitoring solutions, and strong strategic support. Flip Media will manage all the digital activities of OSN across the region in 2015.
Kareem Monem, managing director of Flip Media, says: “We are thrilled to be joining forces with OSN, the industry leader in broadcasting. The digital landscape in the MENA region today is an ever-evolving, fast-growing digital sphere that is rife with opportunity and by selecting Flip as their digital agency of record, OSN have confirmed their commitment to digital excellence and to reaching a whole new audience via multiple digital channels.”
The pitch for the creative agency was equally closely contested with Leo Burnett winning the OSN account through the remarkable insights they presented on how to maximise its footprint in Saudi Arabia and Egypt through a creative yet strategic approach. Leo Burnett will execute the first campaign for OSN on the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, which is brought live and exclusively to the region by the network.
Kamal Dimachkie, executive regional managing director, Leo Burnett adds: “We are delighted to be collaborating with OSN, the number one premium entertainment provider in the region. This high profile win underscores Leo Burnett’s leadership position – as a full-service, integrated advertising network. More importantly, it is a strong testament to our innovative HumanKind philosophy and ability to craft powerful, creative ideas that truly move the needle of influence. We are excited at the prospects that lie ahead”.
