As part of Campaign Middle East’s The Annual 2024 issue – which also features in-depth lists such as the Top 20 news stories, Top 20 media milestones, Top 20 movers and shakers, Top 10 Pitches and Top 20 integrated and digital campaigns – the editorial team compiled a list of notable news from within the adtech domain through the year.
From Google’s U-turn on its decision to eliminate third-party cookies sparking conversations on opt-ins, personalisation and privacy to discussions around the precision and reach of connected TV, contextual advertising and generative AI, here are some of the top announcements from the region’s adtech players that caused a buzz through 2024.
Google: Earlier this year, Google decided to offer users the option to either turn cookies ‘on’ or ‘off’ through a one-time prompt – a choice that can be adjusted at any time – instead of eliminating third-party cookies, which are tiny packets of information or code that track users and their behaviour on the internet. Campaign Middle East spoke to several marketers who discussed the impact this would have on their ad-buying strategies, personalised campaigns, targeted advertising, attribution models and tracking.
Criteo: In November, global tech company Criteo partnered with data collaboration platform LiveRamp to enable the use of the platform alongside Criteo’s Commerce Yield monetisation tool. This combination offers access to high-value audience segments built on both online and in-store purchase data, improved reporting of sales data across all channels, enhanced retailers’ first-party targeting, boosted attribution capabilities of their media networks, and supported retailers’ ability to raise revenue from retail media.
Equativ: In October, Equativ revealed its partnership with Azraq, a UAE-based NGO focused on environmental conservation, to promote sustainable advertising in the UAE. Through initiatives such as mangrove planting, coral reef restoration and clean-ups, the partnership helps clients offset advertising campaign emissions.
Incubeta: Global digital marketing group Incubeta adopted Gemini for Google Workspace for its entire workforce, providing the generative AI tool en masse for all its 800 employees in October. Gemini for Google Workspace provides a range of capabilities, using generative AI to support document summarisation, idea creation and productivity enhancements, as well as unique search abilities and image creation by embedding itself into Google Workspace.
DXTA Technology: A subsidiary of W Group Holding, DXTA Technology, struck a strategic partnership with Strike Ads in August, which secures exclusive representation of Gameloft in the GCC region and, through this representation, opens avenues to engaging, experiential, interactive and memorable ‘gamified’ marketing opportunities.
Mubashir: ITHCA Group, an Omani investment group dedicated to supporting tech advancements, invested an undisclosed amount in Mubashir, an Oman-based digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising network, to facilitate Mubashir’s growth plans and bolster its adtech advancements, including leveraging data analytics, automation, and AI to meet consumers where they are in the physical world and offer real-time targeting capabilities to advertisers.
Aleph: In June, global adtech company Aleph, which connects more than 26,000 advertisers with an audience of more than 3 billion consumers worldwide through partnerships with the world’s leading digital platforms, strategically expanded its ‘One Brand’ initiative into the MENA region. The initiative streamlines services for its clients and opens avenues for market expansion, multi-service cross-selling and strategic mergers and acquisitions.
Memob+: Data intelligence company Memob+ has upgraded its AllPings platform, empowering marketers with precise location intelligence and detailed audience insights. The new software as a service (SaaS) offering allows brands to increase sales, capture greater market share and drive footfall up to 20 per cent higher.
AdScholars: This year, AdScholars introduced AI-DEO, an AI-powered video ad format that enables highly accurate contextual targeting that ensures better audience engagement. It also revealed a slew of partnerships with measurement platforms to offer enhanced attention metrics and brand lift studies.
ArabyAds: ArabyAds announced the soft launch of Household Graph – a next-generation audience targeting solution that enhances the reach and precision of connected TV (CTV) and mobile advertising campaigns. The beta release for select partners enables insight into household dynamics, behavioural patterns and individual preferences, allowing brands to target both households and specific individuals with accuracy.
MiQ: In May 2024, MiQ expanded its partnership with Pixability to boost YouTube advertising in the region. MiQ uses Pixability’s proprietary brand suitability solution, bolstered by its data science and trading capabilities, to ensure brand-safe and relevant advertising on YouTube.
Seedtag: Contextual advertising company Seedtag acquired Beachfront, a US-based sell-side ad platform built for CTV and streaming, incorporating Beachfront’s premium inventory and expertise in CTV advertising into Seedtag’s existing contextual advertising solutions, allowing clients to deliver privacy-first ads across multiple channels.
Pixis: In early 2024, Pixis.ai and Channel Factory partnered to empower advertisers to maximise return on investments (ROI) with smaller budgets. The partnership offered advertisers a combination of Channel Factory’s existing AI technology with Pixis.ai’s AI capabilities to increase operational speed, accuracy and quality and decrease time to market, resource requirements and costs.
Yango Ads: Digital marketing platform Yango Ads unveiled its Internal Creative Bureau – a team of more than 300 international experts who can create and localise marketing materials in more than 75 languages – offering services including static and animated custom banners, copywriting and social media marketing (SMM) content, search engine optimisation (SEO) audit and analysis, and video, motion graphic and 3D objection generation.
WebEngage: Sobha Realty partnered with marketing automation firm WebEngage to improve customer engagement and unlock a new level of personalisation, leveraging AI to reshape how buyers experience the Sobha brand.
Read all the lists from Campaign Middle East’s The Annual issue here.
