Campaign Middle East’s annual Agency Faces to Watch are the region’s most sought-after awards in the creative world. For young professionals, these awards are a great way to showcase their creative excellence, build their industry reputation and help them progress in their careers. They also help employers identify the brightest upcoming talent.
Programme and courses:
With the Middle East having some of the highest internet penetration rates and social media use around the world, a degree in Digital Marketing is growing in relevance. Several reports released last year have also shown that ad spend is at an all-time high in the region with ripe potential for expansion. The Master’s Degree in Digital Marketing from Heriot-Watt University Dubai’s Edinburgh Business School (EBS) is designed to position students as marketing professionals through its market relevance and concentration of concepts and techniques.
The programme is specifically tailored to develop professional career readiness and include collaborative projects with industry partners. In addition, it offers students the flexibility required to cater to their interests within the field. Students have the option to match their interests and career pathways by selecting two-course options, one each semester. The courses reflect both digital marketing skills such as social media management, database design and website development, and management competencies including strategy, entrepreneurship, consumer psychology, legal aspects and project management.
Through addressing gaps in the use and application of digital technologies and marketing, the programme reflects the University’s keenness to promote leadership in the marketing field and ensure the next generation of leaders are equipped with the relevant and necessary digital and soft skills to succeed in marketing.
Reason for collaboration with Campaign:
With Campaign Middle East representing young marketing and communications professionals in the region and being a prominent voice for the field, Heriot-Watt University Dubai found a great match between the objectives of the award and the University’s programmes. Since both seek to support young talents in furthering their career amidst an exciting and rapidly transforming field, Heriot-Watt University Dubai is therefore pleased to partner with Campaign for the second time to run this competition for ambitious professionals in the region.
Professor Paul Hopkinson, Associate Head of Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University Dubai and Academic Lead for Heriot-Watt Online, said: “I’m pleased with our renewed collaboration with Campaign on the annual ‘Agency Faces to Watch’ awards, hosted by Campaign and sponsored by Heriot-Watt University Dubai.
“I’m delighted to announce our five winners including four winners – one in each category (Creative, Digital, Media and PR), who will each be awarded a 30 per cent scholarship, as well as an overall winner who will be awarded a 100 per cent scholarship to Edinburgh Business School’s M.Sc. in Digital Marketing.
“The choice was undoubtedly challenging as we were presented with several high-quality submissions. After much consideration, our winners this year are as follows:”
Full 100 per cent scholarship winner
Yasmina Raydan
Strategic planner, Leo Burnett
Yasmina displayed a strong combination of passion for her profession. Her desire to give back to society, which strongly aligns with Heriot-Watt University’s values, has made her a natural choice for the 100 per cent scholarship. She clearly articulated her motivations for wanting to study for the MSc degree and how she would use the knowledge and skills gained to the benefit of her clients, her team and the community at large. Yasmina showed an appreciation of the dynamic and complex environment in which digital marketers operate and showed a strong desire to be a force for positive change.
30 per cent scholarships winners
Creative Category
Aarushi Mittal
Creative director, Precise Communications Design
Aarushi displays a real passion for the creative side of marketing, instilled at young age, which she has channelled into multiple avenues, including her own business. It was the combination of creative talent and entrepreneurial spirit, strongly aligned with HWU’s mission, which, in the end, swayed the judges. We have no doubt she will make a positive contribution to the programme and the University.
Digital Category
Jana Amache
Senior media executive, Havas Media Middle East
Jana showed strong passion and clear recognition of key trends and developments within the industry in the spheres of analytics and experiential marketing. She presented a strong justification for how she will apply her learning from the MSc programme to enhance her client relationships. Combined with Jana’s awareness of key trends, which is a key skill within a rapidly growing field such as digital marketing, as well as her passion to contribute to development within these areas, we are certain that Jana will make valuable contributions to the programme.
Media category
Sara Fares
Senior planning manager, PHD
Sara presented an eloquently written submission that addressed the tension between performance marketing and brand building and the need for a hybrid approach. A desire to resolve this tension and be an agent for change supported by the knowledge and skills acquired from the degree convinced the judges to award the scholarship. We are pleased to congratulate Sara and we are excited to be part of her journey in being an agent of change.
PR category
Bianca Riley
Account director, Atteline
Bianca displayed enthusiasm in abundance. What struck the judges was Bianca’s strong desire and commitment to use the knowledge and skills gained through the degree to contribute to the development of future professionals through her current professional body and educational connections. The judges were left in no doubt that Bianca will use the scholarship to positive effect, both in terms of her career and those of others.
Award Ceremony at Heriot-Watt University Dubai
