Listen to this article
Earlier this week, we attended the Creative Industry Summit (CIS) Annual Festival 2023 at Cairo Business Park. Marking its 9th edition, the event was nothing short of inspiration to creatives all around. Be it for actors, marketers, writers, musicians, or even fashion designers, the event -as usual- brought together an unmatched fusion of creativity and innovation.
So, let us walk you through some of our favorite moments from this year’s festival.
Leading the Way Out: A Timeless Theme
This year’s summit opted for a realistic theme; rather than a utopian one. Titled “Leading the Way Out”, this year’s theme was intended to lead creatives out of the current global recession. By gathering speakers from a myriad of industries and expertise, the annual festival inspired as well as urged creatives to leverage the creative economy in overcoming the financial crisis.
By debunking myths, utilizing new technologies, and reshaping problem-solving strategies, creatives were a step closer to realizing the festival’s mission.
CIS Becomes the New Marketing Goldmine
At this year’s CIS, there was a bigger portion of marketing-centered workshops and talks that broadened the minds of many budding and eager marketers. So, we curated some takeaways that we think can serve as ever-lasting marketing guidelines:
1. Podcasting 101: Ask the WH Questions First
In CIS’s first-ever podcasting workshop, FP7 McCann Cairp’s Creative Director, Alaa El Sheikh, conducted a beginners’ workshop for podcasting where he noted that the initial process of a successful podcast starts with these WH questions:
- What do you want to say?
- Why do you want to say it?
- Who wants to hear it?
El Sheikh also noted that you need not confine yourself to the audio nature of podcasts. You can also engage your audience through video content to capture their attention as well as build a humane rapport with listeners.
2. Marketing Jingles: Accept the Fact that It Won’t Skyrocket -Now or Ever-
Another interesting insight we captured was from Karim Smaha, VP of Marketing; Beyti Juices. While interviewing Samaha about the inner workings of creating a successful jingle, he noted that while creatives exert their best efforts in making a user-centered jingle come to life, they can’t guarantee nor control what happens once it’s introduced to the world. In fact, it’s the organic ripple effect that determines the jingle’s success or downfall!
He also supported his argument using the highly popular music track Satalana; which only went viral when an influencer played it in a stadium following the famed Egyptian football club El Ahly’s victory in Africa’s football championship.
“Most of us as clients go to agencies and say we want this to be epic; we want this to be viral. We don’t do that; we do our best to make it connect. if it cathes fire, it catches fire; if it blows smoke then thats it.” – Karim Smaha, VP of Marketing; Beyti Juices.
3. Content Marketing: Never Assume You Know What the Consumer Wants
When it comes to content marketing, a rule of thumb creatives must follow is that every piece of content should resonate with their audience.
In this panel discussion, all speakers supported this notion in several ways:
- Gather data & conduct market research about your customers
- Make use of influencers and content creators that resonate with your customer’s pain points
- Ensure your content is among the consumer’s interests; not the influencer’s interests
- Choose the platform based on where your customers are most active
“People will forget what you said and did, but not how you made them feel”.- Hagar Bakhtiar, Marketing Director Manfoods- Macdonald’s Egypt.
This panel discussion was held by:
- Hagar Bakhtiar, Marketing Director Manfoods- Macdonald’s Egypt.
- Kareem Abou Gamrah, CEO of Peace Cake.
- Sherif Nour El Din, TV & Radio Host
- Youssef Gadallah, Head of Creative Agency Partnership & Creative Consultancy -GBD Metap- Tiktok
- Marize Sami, Deputy Managing Director, Dentsu MENA
4. Artificial Intelligence: It’s Only Scary if You Keep Thinking It Is
By now, you should’ve at least heard about the rise of AI; if not already used it. And if you’re still skeptical about being out of a job because of it, allow us to change your mind.
Coming to debunk all AI-related doubts for the first time in the MENA region, was Open AI‘s Former Creative Director of Innovation, Roger Werkhoven; whose keynote speech left audiences marveling at AI rather than fearing it.
You might’ve heard about deep fakes or voice scams using AI, but have you taken a moment to consider the kind of success you could have with it? In Roger’s presentation, he noted a handful of different ways creatives can utilize AI:
- Facilitate bi-lingual communications between brands and their customers
- Design stickers, avatars, stories, and visuals that can be mass-produced for campaigns
- Launch audio applications for visually impaired people relying on AI in their day-to-day activities
Roger noted that while many people believe AI could entirely replace human labor, he strongly negated that notion by arguing that machines are only good at their jobs when humans tell them what to do; hence the two must always go hand in hand.
“The real bias is not in our tool; the real bias is in ourselves. We are the real solution” – Roger Werkhoven, Open AI’s Former Creative Director of Innovation.
5. Branding Strategy: Follow The Brand Pyramid Methodology
Last but not least, one of the most insightful workshops we attended at CIS was by Janan Osama, Strategy Director at Matter.
In this workshop, we learned about a framework known as The Brand Pyramid. Typically, a brand pyramid is used to outline a brand’s positioning and identity. It serves as a comprehensive stepping stone to craft a brand’s vision and strategy.
While the framework is globally known, Osama’s workshop focused on three main components: brand purpose, emotional value, and functional benefits. So, let us briefly walk you through them:
- Functional benefits: the products or services a brand offers.
- Emotional value: the intended emotional impact a brand wants to drive -through colors, fonts, logos, etc.-
- Brand purpose: a brand’s mission statement and its core values.
So, whether you’re looking to introduce your brand to your employees or in a pitch meeting, this is a great framework to follow to emphasize all the key points concerning your brand’s strategy.
FP7 McCann Cairo Makes An Exciting Announcement
Among the multitude of workshops, panels, and keynote speeches of the CIS, there was another announcement that took place at the event.
And that was the launch of McCann Health! In a press conference announcement led by Amr El Kalaawy -FP7 McCann Cairo’s Managing Director- and Karen Kamel – McCann Health’s Regional Director-, we witnessed the launch of FP7’s sister company that will be solely dedicated to the healthcare industry.
Being the first of its kind in Egypt, McCann Health will aim to bring the agency’s world-class communication expertise to the country’s healthcare industry in hopes of driving substantial impact and success in collaboration with all stakeholders.
To learn more about McCann Health, click here.
As we bid the 9th edition of CIS farewell,
We eagerly await its 10th-anniversary edition and everything it brings!
If you wish to learn more about the Creative Industry Summit, click here.
