MMA IMPACT Dubai 2020 announces Smarties Awards winners

The world’s largest mobile and technology marketing trade association recently organized its must-attend annual event MMA IMPACT Dubai 2020 Forum at Five Palm Jumeirah with well renowned speakers from the region to enable marketers to drive innovation and endure business value in an increasingly dynamic and mobile connected world. MMA IMPACT Dubai marks the only event in the region geared towards mobile marketing technologies.

The major part towards closing the day’s event was MMA’s Smarties Awards Ceremony showcasing some of the best winning campaigns in mobile for 2019. A celebration of the markets most innovative work, as well as tackling the ROI of creative in mobile, the measurability of creative and the judge’s favourites, where best practices have been used to full effect.

The few major awards of the evening were Recommended App won by EXPO 2020, Technology Enabler of the Year won by INMOBI, Ad Network of the Year won by ADCOLONY MENA. Agency to Watch award was won by FUTURE TECH MEDIA and Agency of the Year was won by UM MENAT while RAKBANK won the Advertiser of the Year

MMA’s team of industry experts took a closer look at ‘skilling for the new norm’ and its perspective in digital pathways and skills of the future. The panelists debated the usage of data and automation tools such as fraud prevention, neuroscience, omni channel tools as well as a broad undertaking in the UAE economy to understand the specific digital skills that will take UAE forward as industries progress and digitize.

 Melis Ertem, MENA Country Director, MMA said, “MMA’s main proposition is to lead the future of marketing and thus we created a great line up of speakers on the most important components of business paradigm: DATA.  Here’s no doubt that technology has fundamentally changed marketing; today’s marketers need to think like data scientists, understand the fragmented customer buying cycle and deliver better returns to the business than ever before. This while managing a plethora of new digital channels and the challenge of bridging the digital skills gap. Adaption to the ‘Third Connected Age’ – the shift from search and e-commerce and mobile and social to AI, IOT, Voice Interfaces and 5G – has become undoubtedly key.”

Ertem also gave insights on the new findings of the State of the Industry Report of MMA & WARC. Mobile budgets have increased since last year, with 51% now spending more than a quarter of their budget on mobile. For the majority of marketers, mobile budgets are expected to increase over the next year. Over the longer term, the proportion spending more than 25% of their budget on mobile will almost double by 2020.

 Some of the other topics and best cases revealed in the region were on – ‘Mobile Gaming In The Region’ by AdColony, ‘Unleash Data For Marketing Led Growth’ by OSN and MMA revealed ‘How To Get Your Organization Fit For MARS’ where in the marketing world, Mobile, Analytics, Real-Time and Social media (MARS) have transformed everything. Twitter touched upon – “How To Engage Users On Social Media while Michelin shared insights on ‘Experience As The New Currency On Brand Love.’ The event was sponsored by Adcolony, Adjust, Affle, DGC Dubai, Du, FutureBright Group, Marketing Mania, mFilterIt, NABD.

Melis further stated, “The mobile phone has forever changed the interaction between consumers and brands delivering a closer, personal, powerful and pervasive marketing platform. Brands have the opportunity to leverage this once-in-an-era transformation by leading the imperative for marketing change and adopting proven, peer-driven and scientific best practices, without compromise.”

MMA has been doing events in the region but this year especially the new committees will roll out providing the industry with local numbers and free education in terms of measurement and research.

“At Impact Dubai 2020, we strive to enhance your marketing and mobile efforts to create genuine relationships with your consumers. With a marketer-led agenda, Impact brings together marketers and experts ready to share tangible takeaways and tactical lessons on how to drive business success. Lock arms with us as we #ShapeTheFuture™ of marketing.” Concluded Melis.

Location Based Services or Targeting

Bronze Award
McDonalds and Blis & Studio M for “McDonalds Food Trust, Jeddah KSA”

Silver Award
Etisalat and InMobi & Initiative for “Etisalat WaselGo”

Silver Award
RAKBANK and MEmobfor “Pay Now Moments”

Gold Award
RAKBANKand InMobi & UM MENAT for “Rak Foodie App Launch”

See the complete SMARTIES MENA Awards 2019 winners list here.

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