TITLE: CEO of Horizon Holdings
YEARS IN THE ROLE: 3 years
YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 30 years
YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: 26 years
POWER ESSAY: The impact and economic power of a brilliant idea, by Horizon Holdings’ Mazen Jawad
We continue to see agency brands combine, merge and disappear from holding companies, as if advertising agencies don’t have distinct cultures, histories, operating philosophies, and points of view, but are just shifting collections of people, capabilities, office locations, and lists of clients. Critics claim that CMOs only care about metrics and performance.
We disagree. FCB recently celebrated its 150th anniversary, and in a couple of years we’ll be celebrating the 50th anniversary of our ‘Horizon Holdings’ in the Middle East, and the 70th anniversary of Golin globally. All of these milestones have been made possible because we continue to evolve, learn, transform, adapt, innovate, and expend all of our resources to remain relevant to and engaged with both our clients and the consumers they serve.
As our global CEO Tyler Turnbull said, “There’s no denying the wider trend toward consolidation, but there is a massive difference between our industry having fewer agency brands and the idea that those brands matter less. Strong brands will have more value than ever.”
We believe in brands because we are a brand, not a business unit in a consulting company. Our brand is based around our belief in the economic power of a brilliant idea that impacts culture, changes minds and behavior, and can even make the world a better place. That’s why clients who work with us view the business of creativity as an investment, not a cost.
“The best agencies empower their employees to shape their companies and become proud of the brands they represent.”
This is not just ad agency propaganda. The latest IPA report says that 79 percent of financial analysts value a company’s ‘brand and marketing’ equity over ‘technology’ or even ‘profit’. That perspective is clear when we review some of the most significant global pitches in the past year, as clients continue to hire both large global agencies and newer, more agile challenger agencies with strong brand identities and creative approaches. The power of data and new technologies, such as AI and machine learning, are now accessible across the scale of agency sizes and are not confined to the global holding companies.
Our business is about people. The best agencies are filled with the best and brightest talent, which is the same for the most successful brands, and that is why agency brands will always matter and why we continue to invest in our people.
At my home in MENA, we expect strong and steady regional economic growth through 2025. We continue to navigate our own set of challenges and opportunities, including political tensions, issues of nationalisation of assets, the education and training of our young people and the increasing branding sophistication of our consumers and our clients.
But despite these challenges, we’ve enjoyed great success in our region with innovative, creative and engaging new campaigns for global clients, such as DHL and Lipton, and for local brands like the advocacy/aid group, The Children of Female Prisoners Association.
We believe that our region, our clients and our people deserve the hard work, integrity, creativity, and passion that we deliver to our clients and our communities, to lay the groundwork for the success of our future generations. That’s why it’s crucial to invest in programmes and initiatives to attract and develop a diverse and inclusive team of young talent, and we will continue to partner with educational institutions, vocational training centers and government agencies to make this future a reality.
The best agencies empower their employees to shape their companies and become proud of the brands they represent. That combination invariably leads to the best work. And that’s what every CMO should want, from Dubai to Detroit.
CAREER HIGHLIGHT
Creativity is the engine that drives our Never Finished story: from the DHL “Yesterdelivery” campaign that generated US$43mn in ad value, to the Nissan “Test Life” activation in Kuwait that generated +27 per cent increase from footfall to test drives and sales to, the Lipton “Ramadan Nights” campaign that extended those traditional gatherings in Saudi Arabia far past all previous KPIs. We believe brilliant ideas have the power to drive the bottom line, acting as an economic multiplier that grows our clients’ businesses and builds their reputations.
RAPID FIRE
Focus for the next 12 months?
Our clients – always.
Buzzword we need to kill?
“We’re looking for a digital agency.”
Top lesson learnt in 2024?
Numerology.
What worries you the most?
Polarised global politics.
Biggest blessing in your life?
My daughter.
Value/principle that matters the most?
Integrity.
Next travel destination?
Somewhere on the Horizon.
Who do you look up to?
Our Executive Chairman, Rafic Saadeh.
What are you reading?
Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future.
Favourite hobby?
Travel & Discovery.
Top tip?
Never stop exploring.
