CANNES: Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG), a leading integrated media group from the MENA region, hosted an inspiring week at this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity with insightful talks, a line-up of exciting performances and the launch of Billboard Arabia.
The SRMG Beach Experience represented the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s creative hub at the global festival. From June 19-22, SRMG gathered over 3,000 guests, reaching a global audience of more than 1.65 billion across digital channels.
Industry leaders, trailblazers, entrepreneurs, international media, and advertising and tech companies were given insight into SRMG’s expansion strategy, and the creativity and innovation taking place across the region.
The company brought together some of the best and brightest minds for a series of dynamic discussions on the opportunities and challenges in the MENA media landscape, the impact of AI on creative industries, the power of community in building iconic brands, and the rise of the region as a thriving music and venture capital hub.
Speakers included media, tech and advertising leaders such as SRMG’s CEO Jomana R. Al-Rashid, co-founder and CEO of Brut Guillaume Lacroix, CEO of VaynerMedia Gary Vaynerchuck, CEO of Omnicom Media Group MENA Elda Choucair, co-founder and chief technology officer of Anghami Elie Habib.
Additionally, entertainment and creative titans, such as standup comedian and TV star Mo Amer, the most awarded creative in the Middle East Ali Rez, and co-founder of production house Good People Ali Ali, focused on the importance of captivating storytelling and authenticity in delivering relatable and inspiring content to audiences.
This year, SRMG reached another milestone in its growth strategy through a partnership with Billboard.
The new music platform, Billboard Arabia, is dedicated to celebrating Arab artists and spotlighting their stories, cultures and experiences. Over the next year, Billboard Arabia will introduce several charts, music awards, live events and exclusive content in one centralized location.
To celebrate the announcement, SRMG provided a platform for artists from the region to showcase their talents on a global stage at the festival. The SRMG Beach Experience held live concerts by rising Saudi sensation Mishaal, and regional Khaleeji hip-hop artists, including DJ Outlaw, Moayad, Jeed and Flipperachi. For the second edition of MENA Night, Naïka, Elyanna and DJ Rodge took to the stage for unforgettable performances.
Another key aspect of SRMG’s transformation strategy is to empower the next generation of creators and innovators. Therefore, for the first time, SRMG held the Saudi Young Lions competition, providing an opportunity for the winners to compete in the Global Young Lions competition.
The Saudi Young Lions’ winning team, Reema Ibrahim and Shoug Abdullah, made history by placing in the top seven of over 450 creative participants from around the world.
SRMG’s partnership with the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity makes it the first-ever official festival representative of Saudi Arabia. This partnership reflects SRMG’s commitment to elevating the regional media ecosystem by showcasing the opportunities and highlighting the creativity and innovation coming from the MENA region.
