Marketing Director, DHL Express Middle East and North Africa
years in current position: 2
years with current company: 10
previous jobs: Prior to DHL I worked at Memac Ogilvy & Mather for six years, and before that at a local events and PR agency.
recent campaigns: DHL MENA eShop app.
What is your goal in your current role?
My goal is to grow the role of marketing for our brand across the region. This region is very unique in how it shares a language and a culture.
I think this provides some great opportunities for brands across MENA.
Do you have a guiding principle?
We do; it is an internal elaborate strategy that we all collectively work towards.
How do you make agency relationships work?
Honestly, I believe in the good brief. I don’t think there is anything that beats that yet. I try my best to provide as good a brief as possible. But I also don’t like a client-agency kind of relationship. I prefer partnerships; I prefer us to be in it together.
What work do you wish you had done?
There is a lot of really good work out there that you always wish you were part of. But I think we have a good plan for the future.
Who inspires you professionally?
When I started at the agency, I had a manager who was a great inspiration. She was very generous with her knowledge and very patient with young talent.
What is the biggest challenge in marketing at the moment?
I think that one of the biggest challenges is how to reach the right type of audience and grab their attention. Today it is quite important to get your targeting right because the mediums available today provide you with the luxury of doing that. I say it is a challenge, but it is also a great opportunity, because you also learn insights and get real data.
What can we expect to see from you and your brand in the next year?
I think we will have a good marketing year next year. I also think you will see us actively reaching out to consumers and not just businesses. I think next year is going to be good for us.
Recent achievements
Launched a new product, developed a regional restructure, worked on developing a customer programme that takes into account all touchpoints.
Rapid fire
Who are you following?
Every Little Thing podcast.
What are you craving?
Sushi.
What are you hiding from?
Social responsibilities.
What are you playing?
Oddworld.
What are you listening to?
Reggae.
What are you reading?
The Laws of Human Nature.
What are you watching?
Comedies.
What is your good habit?
I’m detailed.
What is your bad habit?
I’m impatient.
Agency reference
Reham Mufleh, general manager, Horizon FCB Dubai
Najwa leads the business bravely, which happens to be one of our core values at Horizon FCB. We have worked together since June 2020 when we started working with DHL as a lead agency for the MENA markets.
When there is a professional who champions change, transformation and innovation, and who is strategic in her thinking yet brave in her approach, I believe she should be on the Game Changers list.
Prior to 2020, DHL was generally perceived as offering courier services only, while in reality the brand has so much to offer that is yet to be unveiled in the MENA region. When we first started working with DHL in 2020, we learned that the client wants to change this perception and reposition the brand image to reflect a more innovative and comprehensive offering.
Najwa is the person who is championing this change while holding on to the brand equity and its values. She singlehandedly manages and coordinates between all marketing efforts from the centre, liaising with teams in the different markets to ensure the brand’s objectives and KPIs are achieved.
The collaboration I am most proud of is the launch of the DHL eShop app in the region. Specifically, how we revealed it through different insights for the North African markets, and the GCC ones later on. The product is an e-commerce platform that allows shoppers to browse and shop for their favourite brands from the USA in an easy and convenient way. We developed a unique and humorous approach to tackle the North African market and another creative approach for GCC shoppers to bring the simplicity of online shopping to life through the tap of a finger. Together with the client, we created the perfect equilibrium, bringing data, creative and technology together to drive awareness and action, and exciting people to download and use the app.
Najwa is a very reasonable, straightforward and fair client. She works with her agency as a strategic partner, which is very empowering and motivating. She is hands-on, yet she gives the creative freedom to the team to produce work that stands out, shines and delivers results.
With every project working with Najwa, we learn more and more about the world of DHL and its offerings. Like us, DHL is a Never Finished company, rich in innovative and relevant products and services that bring joy and excitement to our lives.
Next we are working on a new, exciting product to be launched in a couple of GCC markets soon. We aim to have a long-term relationship with Najwa and DHL, so hopefully more and more is yet to come.
