Dubai: Award-winning, integrated agency BPG (Bates PanGulf, part of WPP) has launched brand-new digital platforms that reflect its ‘Customer Experience first, Integrated by Intent’ positioning and growing regional footprint. The launch coincides with the opening of BPG Arabia, the agency’s new headquarters in Riyadh, to strengthen services for a growing roster of clients in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Avi Bhojani, Group CEO, BPG, said: “Delivering exceptional customer experiences is table stakes for today’s successful businesses. And in a world powered by digital experiences, a brand’s digital assets are meant to give an almost physical experience. That's why we're incredibly excited to unveil BPG’s new platforms to coincide with the opening of our new Riyadh office. Dynamic, interactive, and user-friendly, BPG’s new digital platforms offer seamless access to information, resources, and engagement opportunities. We built them to be a living, breathing extension of Brand BPG, reflecting our culture, values and vision. As we embark on an exciting new chapter in the Kingdom, we're confident that our enhanced digital presence will forge stronger connections and sustainable success. For TeamBPG, it’s onwards and upwards."Valli Lakshmanan, President, BPG Arabia and Chief CX Officer, BPG added: “BPG Arabia is another milestone on the BPG 3.0 journey. We look forward to becoming the leading partner for homegrown Saudi brands, propelling them to greater heights aligned with the goals of Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s ambitious roadmap to achieve greater economic diversification, growth and prosperity for all. The new BPG digital platforms, with designs reflective of the times we live in, will foster conversations we have with our clients and community. Bolstered by over four decades of experience in the region, we are here to create meaningful and memorable brand experiences for Saudi businesses.”The new BPG website showcases the full spectrum of the agency’s capabilities - from data-driven marketing strategies that tap into dynamic audiences, to AI-powered personalization that creates truly individualized brand interactions. The agency’s expertise delivering MarComms for a multitude of sectors – from retail and real estate to logistics and finance has been showcased, along with its burgeoning client portfolio of global leaders and regional success stories.BPG is hosting a two-day ‘Integrated by Intent’ workshop later this week to equip its teams with the knowledge and skills necessary for a holistic, CX-powered approach to MarComms. Industry leaders such as Mariagrazia De Angelis, Managing Director at Landor & Fitch MENA, Sasan Saidi, CEO of Wunderman Thompson NYC, Sunil John, former President - Middle East and North Africa (MENA), ASDA’A BCW, and Ravi Rao, former CEO of GroupM MENA, will delve into topics such as human-centric marketing, media transformation and principles of great partnerships. The workshop aims to equip Team BPG with a robust "Integrated by Intent" toolkit, enabling seamless and impactful brand experiences for clients.

In today's video Interaction on Adgully Middle East, we welcome Avi Bhojani, the CEO of BPG Group. With over 40 years of experience in the Middle East industry, particularly in marketing services and media, Bhojani brings a wealth of knowledge about the region's dynamics and opportunities. Since assuming the role of CEO in 1991, he has demonstrated strong leadership and strategic vision, guiding the organisation through various transformations and expansions.During his conversation with Adgully, Bhojani delved into the significant impact of AI on marketing services, recognizing its potential to enhance efficiency and effectiveness while emphasizing the enduring importance of creativity in the industry. He discussed the transition of marketing services to a customer experience-focused function, with technology and digital channels playing a pivotal role in driving growth. Despite the transformative power of AI, Bhojani emphasized the ongoing need for human innovation in the industry.Bhojani also highlighted BPG's 3.0 initiative, which aims to enhance customer experience strategies across multiple markets by prioritizing innovation and client relationships. His emphasis on the role of culture in organisational success reflects a holistic approach to leadership, recognising the importance of collective efforts and values within BPG.The expansion plans into Saudi Arabia demonstrate BPG's strategic ambitions and readiness to capitalize on emerging opportunities in the region. Leveraging its expertise and operational capabilities, BPG aims to deliver high-quality customer experiences in Saudi Arabia, tapping into the country's potential for disruption and growth.For more insights from this industry veteran, watch the video.<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/757IqmL5oiU?si=FcMz0owVblW1-SyI" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Award-winning, integrated agency BPG (Bates PanGulf, part of WPP) has announced several senior-level appointments to drive its regional growth and substantial new business wins. The internal promotions and new hires are across the agency’s comms, media, and creative teams. With these investments in talent, BPG has grown its talent pool in the UAE by 45%.Spearheading the agency’s momentum on integration are former Business Director Benjamin Schwartz who has now been promoted to VP, Client Services and former Senior Business Director Mara Carpencu Pop, now promoted to VP, Communications Services.An advertising professional with 14+ years of experience in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, Ben has previously worked at global network agencies (BBDO, TBWA, Ogilvy) on global brands such as Nestle, Lenovo, PepsiCo and Ford. Mara brings 15 years of all-round experience in PR and MarComm to her role and has led integrated communications campaigns for global and regional clients, across tech, business solutions, telecom, travel, real estate and consumer brands.BPG’s newly promoted Creative Directors Aaron Leung, Ahmad Al Otaibi and Nicolaas Van Der Merwe collectively bring decades of regional expertise to their roles, having worked on accounts like Porsche, HSBC, Nike, Harvey Nichols, Kraft, Coca-Cola, Toyota, Ford and more, as well as regional powerhouse brands such as NEOM, FAB, Aldar, E&, and Government of Dubai.Within BPG’s Client Servicing team, Sarah Rizvi has been promoted to Account Director. BPG’s newly promoted Account Managers include Avanthika Sivakumar, Oliver Harb and Sriyaa Shah. In the Comms team, Stanislava Burianek has been promoted to Senior Account Director and Iman Fathi Dawod to Senior Account Manager.Avi Bhojani, Group CEO, BPG said: “BPG has clocked up exceptional growth numbers in recent years, energized by its ‘Integrated by Intent’ positioning and customer-centric culture. This growth is driven by our people, who are our greatest strength, and we will continue to invest and reward our talent, coupled in the unique Culture at BPG, that empowers talent and enables them to take complete ownership, within a broad framework that is consistent with BPG’s offering. I cannot be prouder to lead TeamBPG into the next stage of our evolution, confident that we will leverage our creativity, knowledge, and more than four decades of regional expertise to deliver exciting outcomes for our clients.”Darius LaBelle, President, BPG UAE said: “BPG has opened January 2024 by securing several high-profile clients and unique mandates across sectors including automotive, culture, F&B and finance. A solid pipeline of existing business supplemented by exciting new business wins testify to the success of BPG’s ‘CX first, integrated by intent’ positioning. We look forward to our newly promoted team members defining future growth and evolution in our product and our culture, shaping a year of breakthroughs and boundless possibilities.”

Award-winning, ‘integrated by design’ agency in the MENA region – BPG (part of the WPP Network) has announced senior-level appointments to drive the agency’s renewed focus on customer experience, in addition to hires across PR, media, UX, content and creative.Research by Gartner has revealed that experience-led businesses have 1.6x higher brand awareness and 1.7x higher customer retention. BPG is working at the inflection point of data, customer, creative, communications and brand to deliver real outcomes for customers, with value and growth for clients. Strong customer experiences can generate positive business impact in 2022 and beyond.Darius LaBelle joins BPG as EVP/Chief Client Officer to lead the agency’s CX, digital, creative, and strategy products. Darius has two decades of experience in strategy, brand, business growth and CX across consumer, healthcare and B2B brands in Asia, the Middle East, the US and Australia. He has worked with agencies such as BBDO, Ogilvy, Havas and Sapient and for brands like Emirates, Aldar, AbbVie, Sanofi, 3M, ANZ. Before joining BPG as Chief Client Officer Darius was based in New York, where he helped launch Havas Health CX, a data-led experience agency.Ramy El Sakka joins BPG as SVP/Chief Creative Officer. Ramy started his career with J Walter Thompson Cairo, working on brands such as Nokia, Nestle, Lipton, HSBC and Cadbury Adams, and winning pitches for Vodafone and Egyptian Tourism. Ramy has worked with Leo Burnett Cairo, DDB Dubai and BBDO UAE, to lead brands such as Orange, PepsiCo, Henkel, Glad, Etisalat and Lipton Ice Tea. He played a major role in charting DDB’s success and has won numerous awards for the agency. A project he is proud of is “Lucky or Not” for Etisalat which was awarded best film of the year by Vimeo and exceeded set KPIs.Avi Bhojani, Group CEO, BPG said: “BPG is an Integrated by Design’ agency where creative, communications, media, data, CX and content converge under one roof. This gives brands the freedom and ability to plan and execute their marketing with the customer truly at the centre. We are increasingly seeing that customers expect more from every interaction they have with brands across multiple touchpoints. I’m confident that Darius and Ramy will leverage their CX and creative expertise and BPG’s 40-year market insights in the region to deliver exciting outcomes for brands and clients both from the government & private sectors.”