ABG Roadmap

Last year saw the ABG focus on a number of important initiatives, such as Media Measurement, Knowledge & Capability Development, DEI, Digital Media Self-Regulation, and E-Commerce. This year – with greater members’ input – we want to grow our key pillars to new heights.

MEDIA MEASUREMENT

Effective planning for reach demands answers to some crucial questions for advertisers and content platforms, and our work on the UAE Media Measurement project will provide useful industry insights. The ABG X-Media committee has proposed the following measures for a UAE Audience Measurement solution:

1. Craft and agree a scope and approach for this measurement system
2. Consider dependencies affecting a UAE measurement solution – such as, but not limited to, the industry measurement initiative in KSA, presence of any existing such measurements such as the Nielsen Ad Ratings, implications of TCIP and Data regulations such as GDPR, fragmentation of ad dollars across media vendors etc.
3.  Agree and put in place a governance mechanism for this project
4. Agree a funding mechanism for the project – including the seed funding needed to kick off the project.
5. Draft and roll out the RFP to invite solutions for this measurement
6.  Committee is in place and work is ongoing

Next steps:

• The RFP process has been completed and we have selected two vendors
• The board’s PoV is to get UAE broadcasters to share their views on proposals
• Thereafter, the board will select the best vendor
• Vendor work timeframe to be confirmed and phase 4 goals
• Vendor’s findings will be released to members initially, and then the wider industry

KNOWLEDGE AND CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT

1. We have started 2022 strongly by launching a major partnership with IPA UK to bring their global training to MENA, and help marketers drive change in the ad industry
2. Throughout 2021, our LEAD initiative kicked off the dialogue on issues of influencer marketing transparency through roundtable discussion with industry stakeholders to understand challenges and opportunities to promote an ethical and responsible way of working.
3. The ABG defined and published an Influencer Marketing Charter, and promoted charter guidelines to raise awareness at a panel discussion at MENA Effie and at Effie Awards. This year we will publish the report, continue to promote the charter and run activation campaigns
4. We plan to host sessions with university students, on topics such as Sustainability/CSR purpose, AI and digital comms and influencer marketing and look to get members companies involved to speak at universities.
5. We will conduct research on consumer trends and digital self-regulation providing data insights that can be used to improve transparency and accountability
6. We have formed a Dispute Resolution Committee

What you can do is have your managers speak at sessions/events, share your market insights and engage with the next generation of advertising and marketing talent.
What we can do is promote the findings from the research to raise industry knowledge and development

Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

1. The ABG launched, together with UN Women, the UAE Chapter of the Unstereotype Alliance with the aim of tackling gender stereotyping in advertising and instilling new corporate values that promote equal opportunities in the workplace, and showcasing women and men in positive role model contexts
2.  The ABG has prioritised DEI and Unstereotyping through our partnerships with WFA and UN Women
3.  DEI is an important agenda for UAE and GCC regulators as the goal is to increase women’s participation in the private sector workplace, and in senior leadership positions. We need to capitalise on government support and member company initiatives, to drive the agenda through our own HR departments.
4. On March 9, the UN Women SDG5 Global Summit will highlight the role of the private sector in advancing SDG5: The Topic will be: Removing Barriers to Women’s Economic Empowerment and make calls to action for future role models, supporting the Alliance and eliminating stereotypes.

What you can do is inform us of your DEI programmes
What we can do is promote them to raise industry standards

Digital Media Self-regulation

The ABG is focusing on the following key areas:

1.  User experience: making sure advertising online is the most useful possible and the less disruptive as possible, this will reinforce user’s trust in online advertising and avoid installs of ad blockers online.
2.  Prevention against Ad Fraud/ Ad Piracy and efforts to reinforce brand safety: ensuring advertising dollars online are spent with trustful and quality publishers and protecting brand safety.
3. User Privacy in a changing online ad ecosystem: the ABG wants to make sure members are kept up to date with evolving international standards on user privacy in order to protect regional businesses and consumers. A plan is due to be implemented this year.
4. Form Privacy committee in Feb 2022: The ABG Board invites all its interested Members to propose nominees for the ABG Privacy and Data Protection Committee, which will comprise between 9-13 members

What you can do is shape the agenda, drawing on your insights and expertise What we can do is promote the agenda

SUSTAINABILITY

COP26 focused world attention on the global climate emergency and with the Middle East hosting the next two summits (COP27 in Egypt, COP28 in UAE), we have good opportunities to drive the Sustainability agenda forward. The ABG partnered with the WFA’s Planet Pledge last year and we will work closely together on next steps in 2022.

What members can do:

• Outline the areas where you would like to see further change across the industry
• Tell us how your company is tackling specific environmental issues and reducing your carbon footprint

What we can do is promote these initiatives through our SM channels and website, and keep members informed of latest

WFA research and developments, and wider industry initiatives, as ESG continues its rise in corporate importance. We plan to host a Sustainability webinar at the end of March to elevate purposeful brand marketing, and outline WFA’s global and regional research findings.

E-COMMERCE

It won’t be news to you that the world has gone digital. But what is still unfolding is how best to drive ethical and responsible best practice in e-commerce. This is where the ABG comes in.
What you can do is outline the steps your company is taking to introduce robust e-commerce measures
What we can do is share best practices with our members to raise industry standards