The IAA has announced the second of its Professional Development Series of courses. The four-part “Connect with digital or face extinction” will be held on April 20 at the IAA’s Dubai Media City offices, and will be led by Dimitri Metaxas, executive regional director of digital at media company Omnicom Media Group; Souheil Soueid, an account manager at Google; and Kieran O’Sullivan, general manager of digital marketing agency Impact Proximity.
The one-day course is aimed at junior to mid-level communications practitioners, and will cover how brands can best use digital, the role of social media, effective search marketing, and the basics of planning and executing a digital campaign.
The course is part of the International Advertising Association UAE Chapter’s Professional Development Series, which is aimed at IAA members and the wider industry. The series aims to complement existing sources of training and to develop a wider set of skills in younger members of the media and marketing communications industry.
Sullivan will give a presentation entitled “Effective digital – when does digital work, and why? He will use the session to unpick the sometimes-baffling options when selecting channels and executions with a finite budget. He will also help teach attendees how best to take a creative idea and integrate the work as part of a through-the-line campaign. The session will address both digital-only campaigns and integrated campaigns.
Metaxas’s presentation will be on “The social media phenomenon.” A digital evangelist, Metaxas will address how people are now as empowered in their communications as corporations have traditionally been, and the brand and business implications of this media democratization. He will look at how social media represents a new paradigm that can even extend into the offline world. Metaxas will look at how our lives and businesses are changing because of social media, and will discuss new social media models and services, using global and regional case studies.
Google’s Soueid will talk on “Search marketing 101.” The session will look at how the Web has democratized both marketing and access to information. It will cover trends in the region’s online media and online advertising, and how to maximize return on investment using Google’s AdWords platform and the search giant’s free products.
In Sullivan’s second presentation, entitled “Get on board with digital or die a slow death,” he will clear up and define some of the jargon that can baffle digital noobs. After helping attendees distinguish a captcha from a cookie, and an information architect from a user experience designer, he will explain why these terms – and more – are important. His session will point attendees in the right direction on the road to becoming digital giants in their own right.
Delegate fees start from a competitive AED 500, in line with IAA policy, and group discounts are available for bookings of more than three delegates. For more information and to reserve places, call 04 390 3232, or e-mail .