As data privacy regulations and shifting consumer expectations reshape the digital landscape, contextual advertising is stepping out from the shadows and into the strategic spotlight. That was the consensus at a panel session during Campaign’s Breakfast Briefing: Talent and Technology 2025, where industry leaders from across the MENA region unpacked what’s next for targeting, trust, and tech in advertising.
Moderated by Nader Bitar, Director of Digital Solutions at SRMG, the session brought together Hussain Abdrabalnabi, Executive Director – Marketing & Digital at Alat; Abdelnabi Alaeddine, Regional Director – Digital & Partnership at UM MENAT; Sherry Mansour, Managing Director – MENA at Seedtag; and Yasmeen Al-Turk, Advanced DOOH & Digital Supply Lead at GroupM MENA for a future-facing conversation rooted in performance, privacy and purpose.
Contextual advertising in a post-cookie world
With the end of third-party cookies looming again, the panel opened with reflections on how contextual is no longer a fallback – it’s a foundation.
“When Apple launched iOS 14, 30 per cent of user tracking was gone overnight,” said Abdelnabi Alaeddine. “The industry needed a shake. Agencies had to stop relying on easy audience segments and rediscover intent through context.” He added that AI has redefined what contextual means: “It’s no longer about placing a banner on a vaguely relevant page. Today, we use algorithms to match high-value personas with high-quality environments.”
This shift is as much about education as it is execution. “Marketers are now building clean rooms, fusing first-party with syndicated data. Even CPG brands are moving from ‘male, female, 18–44’ to behaviour-led segmentation,” said Alaeddine.
The new contextual also aligns with the region’s need for privacy-conscious yet culturally nuanced campaigns. “Cookies may be staying for now, but the mindset has shifted. The industry is finally equipped to do targeting without tracking,” he added.
Redefining brand safety and suitability with contextual advertising
Brand safety has long been a concern – but according to Yasmeen Al-Turk, it’s time to evolve how we define it. “We were over-blocking. Entire websites were excluded for mentioning COVID, even in entertainment or regulation notices. We lost scale chasing a single version of safety.”
She emphasised that relevance should be measured by the brand’s values, not just automated filters. “We now build client-specific inclusion lists and benchmark suitability case by case. One campaign’s red flag might be another’s core message,” she explained, adding that GroupM’s SPO strategy helps strike the right balance.
Sherry Mansour echoed this, noting how sentiment plays a key role in Seedtag’s contextual AI model: “If a news article mentions war in the context of a movie or a spike in gold prices, the AI can assess the emotional tone, not just the keywords.”
The takeaway? Suitability isn’t one-size-fits-all. “Let the brand set the benchmark,” said Alaeddine. “Don’t let platforms define it for you.”
Connecting behaviour, technology and values
While targeting gets more advanced, the panellists agreed that values still drive loyalty – and younger audiences are holding brands to higher standards.
“Gen Zs lose trust fast,” said Hussain Abdrabalnabi. “You can’t fake values. You have to live them inside the organisation before reflecting them outside. That’s when relevance becomes real.”
He added that contextual alignment isn’t just tactical; it’s reputational. “If your brand stands for body positivity, like Dove, you can’t be seen next to content that contradicts that – even if the metrics look good. Values and placements must match.”
On personalisation, the shift from demographics to behaviours is key. “Look at what users do, not who they are on paper,” said Hussain. “I’m Gen X and love TikTok. Behaviour is more predictive than age.”
Alaeddine noted that 2025 marks a turning point in MENA: “We’re seeing mid-sized brands adopt advanced segmentation. They’re not just selling products – they’re building relevance. And for that, you need data, content, and creativity working in sync.”
From metrics to meaning
The panel concluded with a clear call to action: contextual relevance is not optional – it’s essential.
“Brands that win will use relevance without compromise,” said Bitar. “They’ll pair the right stories with the right audiences, at the right moment, across the right content – and they’ll do it with values and creativity leading the way.”
As the panelists agreed, this isn’t just about optimising campaigns. It’s about reshaping what meaningful marketing looks like in a region that’s rapidly rewriting the rules.
