BPG's strategic transformation nets big business wins across UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman

On the back of an unprecedented volume of new business wins, award-winning agency BPG (Bates PanGulf, part of WPP) is undergoing a strategic transformation aimed at strengthening its specialist consultancy services and meeting client needs.

Underpinned by a digital-first, integrated by intent positioning, the transformation aims to create a simplified, silo-free organisation; ready to seize opportunities across the Mena region. Revenue from these recent wins alone will clock over $6 million.

Avi Bhojani, group CEO of BPG, said: “Three pivotal moments have shaped BPG over the last three decades. In 1995, BPG 1.0 was born after winning an integrated mandate from the Dubai Government to build and execute Dubai Shopping Festival. We evolved into BPG 2.0 in 2003, after winning mandates for public advocacy in Iraq. It’s now time for BPG 3.0 after a significant, game-changing creative win in Saudi Arabia, crowning a host of wins through 2022. We are transforming into an agile integrated agency, able to scale up swiftly to meet client demands and deliver disruptive work in a fast-evolving commercial landscape. With our client-centric strategy and execution, we look forward to building and strengthening many more MENA brands in 2023 and beyond.”

A host of multi-sectoral business wins will supplement a robust pipeline of existing work in 2023.

Notably, this includes Jumeirah Group after BPG bagged the remit for design, content, and creative for the global luxury hotel company. The agency’s multi-year remit with one of the Sultanate of Oman’s larger banks includes delivering brand, advertising, content, and CX across the country, as well as supporting regional expansion.

BPG’s wins in fiercely competitive pitches against global network and independent agencies are a testament to the power of its compelling integrated with intent offering.

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Other significant recent new business wins include GROHE, Kwai, Titan Eyewear, and Zayed Sustainability Prize in the UAE and Assima Hospital, Dhaman National Health Insurance, Ooredoo Telecom and Weyay Bank in Kuwait. Mandates encompass integrated marketing, communications, influencer marketing, creative advertising, branding, media services, digital and performance marketing, social media, and content management.

BPG will continue its expansion trajectory in 2023, with 15 key hires across PR, Media, UX, content, and creative in the UAE. The agency’s strategic transformation is powered by a reimagined structure and business processes to deliver silo-free, location-agnostic and client-focused integrated solutions.

Solutions such as the BPG CX Multiplier harness the power of data, technology, creative, and strategy to fulfil customers’ needs. Notably in 2023, BPG will offer productization to meet specific client needs, priming the agency for greater scalability and success.

To ensure successful execution, Souheil Arabi has been promoted as chief operating officer at BPG Group. Souheil will oversee BPG’s Mena-wide expansion, consulting and productisation initiatives, in addition to consolidating the Kuwait practice. A BPG veteran since 2001, Souheil has built BPG Kuwait into the nation’s leading agency, in demand for award-winning, digitally savvy integrated solutions, developed and delivered by a multicultural team.

Arabi said: “We are excited to welcome 2023 with a well-articulated vision, clear execution plan and disruptive work with some incredible clients and brands. BPG’s success has been built on our continuous evolution and collaborative culture. With this transformation, we go a step further: leveraging technology to create an agile, integrated and collaborative platform, built around exceeding client needs and creating customer delight, keeping our customers’ needs at the heart of all that we do.”

Darius LaBelle has been promoted to president of BPG UAE and Viju Varghese has been promoted to president of BPG Kuwait. Ketaki Banga has been appointed chief communications officer, and Mark Soufiar has been appointed chief media officer. Aaron Arthur is now chief creative services officer, overseeing Kuwait’s creative output as well as building a cloud-based remote services offering. Ramy ElSakka, chief creative officer will oversee all branding, creative and content output out of Dubai.

LaBelle said: “Our teams, structure, and services are designed to build on the BPG CX Multiplier, through which we use data and human insights to deliver targeted personal messages across digital and physical channels. We can truly put customers at the heart of both our strategy and our product by leveraging integrated teams in content, comms, media, data, experience, and brand on every brief. It’s an exciting proposition, as evidenced by our 2022 successes and new business wins.”

BPG is working on a unified customer experience through its full-service hubs in Dubai and Kuwait, supported by remote talent from North America and Europe to Egypt, Lebanon, India, Indonesia and the Philippines. Its strategic transformation is inspired by culture, powered by data-driven insights, human by design and integrated by intent. Born in Dubai more than four decades ago, BPG has always been part of the growth and evolution of the MENA region. Its silo-free culture integrates all its disciplines, from advertising and public relations to media buying, digital marketing and more, into a unified offering built around customers' needs.

• Business
• Dubai