Dubai-based independent communications group Mojo has launched a media planning and buying wing.
Mojo Media will be headed by Azhar Siddiqui, previously managing director of Magna Global, which is part of the IPG/MCN network. He joins the group as managing partner of Mojo Media through a joint venture agreement. The new wing complements the group’s branding, design, advertising, digital and PR offerings.
Kurt Blanckenberg, group managing partner at Mojo, said: “Azhar is among the most respected media planning and buying professionals in the region. The intelligence he applies to campaigns consistently delivers powerful and award-winning results. Our partnership not only brings a new service offering to Mojo clients, but also strengthens the collective intelligence of all our businesses. We are delighted to welcome him to the group.”
Siddiqui added: “What really excites me about Mojo is the opportunity to develop a much smarter media model which delivers better results for our clients. The magic lies in the power of our integrated services. Lots of agencies say they are integrated, but few have the heavyweight know-how to deliver it. Whether our clients choose to work with one or all of our service divisions, they all benefit from the group’s combined intellectual horsepower.”
Siddiqui has more than 15 years of experience in the Middle East, working with major global and regional clients such as Unilever, McDonald’s, MasterCard, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and Aldar.
The move by Mojo is in line with the group’s integrated specialisation strategy and essentially means that Mojo is becoming a full-service operation. Siddiqui, who has previously worked for both UM and OMD, said: “Clients say they want the communication process to be more integrated, but you can’t do that if you have separate business plans and separate agencies. Mojo is one team, it’s one way of looking at things. It’s fully integrated.
“On a personal level, I have a deep interest in communications as a whole and I want to learn beyond what I know. From my side I wanted to explore, learn and grow my knowledge of the broader communications discipline.”
