The PR landscape in the Middle East is very dynamic and diverse, with many global organisations looking to start or strengthen their PR activities in the region, while dozens of PR agencies of all sizes strive to attract clients with different services and solutions for their business needs. Organisations usually have to choose between global agencies, with an extended network across the world, and an impersonal approach to client management, or smaller, local agencies that have a more personal touch, however, a more limited reach. But what if they didn’t have to choose between the two?
Dubai based integrated communications agency Active (Digital. Marketing. Communications) has recently signed a co-branding agreement with Hotwire PR, a global PR and communications consultancy, making Active the official and exclusive partner agency for Hotwire in the Middle East region. Through this partnership, Hotwire has extended its global network of offices to twelve across ten countries, as part of a strategy to offer clients pan-regional communications support and global opportunities for its staff.
This partnership gives Active the support and access to the very best that the communications industry has to offer, while maintaining our DNA and independence. Working closely with Hotwire, we can effectively tap into a much wider network of prospects, services and skills and provide our regional client base with a broader range of solutions to their communications needs.
For the two agencies, this is a huge milestone on their evolution, as Active is only the second such independent agency to partner with Hotwire in their global network. For the PR and Marketing sector, it is a further sign that the big agencies still see the Middle East as a viable and interesting region to extend their scope and services to.
But more importantly, it adds another dimension to clients looking for an agency with the dynamics, drive and value addition of an independent agency, while at the same time benefiting from the support, access and capabilities across various service areas of a big agency, that some clients feel more confident with.
Clients understandably want to work with the best partners throughout the world. By aligning our award winning team with Hotwire’s strategic presence in Europe, North America and Australasia, we can bring a compelling alternative agency model to the once size fits all global agency model.
We are building a global agency that has all the benefits of the large networks without all of the politics and inconsistencies they are saddled with. Our global solution is built around shared values, ideals and agendas. Having a global view in different markets, we get to share opportunities and ideas with a far wider community of local experts and provide opportunities to our clients to expand their horizons and to move into new geographies.
It also gives our existing client base further scope to increase their activity through the agency, by gaining access to some of the most innovative tools around digital and social engagement and campaigns. Furthermore, this partnership presents a great opportunity for our existing and potentially new team members to work and experience our profession in other markets, as well as benefit from international training programs.
By having the benefits of consistency and ease of partnering that you would expect from a single brand solution, as well as the local strategic thinking and on-the-ground experience, clients get to experience the best of both kinds of agencies.