Mohamad Baalbaki, Co Founder & Executive Creative Director, Bold Agency
How difficult is it to found an agency?
Like any other startup struggle, with one Imac on a rooftop, the beginning wasn’t so easy. We started in 2012 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, competing in a market dominated by multinational agencies where creative freedom was not their primary goal.
What motivated you to found an agency?
We saw a gap in the market regarding creativity and localization. Global agencies’ dominance didn’t promote the local content simply because they didn’t understand it. Also, the lack of Ad schools inSaudi didn’t help grow local talents that much. Therefore, our focus was to marry local and international expertise under one rooftop, have the freedom of thinking, and develop local skills; this gave us a natural competitive edge.
How different is advertising in the Middle East as compared to that of the West?
In my opinion, both worlds are the same today. With the dominance of social media and the speed of message delivery, we almost live the same trends and have the same habits and behavior. Therefore, today’s message is more of a universal one, but the channel is different based on people’s preferences in each country. For example, in Saudi Arabia, you can rely on Twitter and Snapchat only to deliver
any message you want.
What is the biggest challenge facing independent agencies?
There are many challenges, the first I would say is access to information. Today research and analytics, and AI are essential to reach people correctly. Another challenge might be in the process. To build an agency from scratch, you need to build a team, make sure you manage your overhead, and create your unique approach, culture, and policies. It is a daily struggle, but it feels good seeing it growing organically.
What advantage does an independent agency have over a multinational?
A key advantage is agility in-process and mobility. Today an independent agency can set its own rule and own policies. They are closer to the market and people internally and externally
What expectations do you have as a judge at the next WINA Festival, to be held in Dubai?
I expect transparency and clarity. Award shows are meant to be authentic. They are meant to help agencies get better and stronger. I don’t expect to get a piece of metal because I paid more, I hope I did well.