On July 24, TBWA\RAAD hosted its exclusive Edges 2024 event, welcoming clients, partners, and journalists to explore the most meaningful cultural shifts influencing the region.
The event, curated by TBWA's cultural intelligence unit, Backslash, offered attendees an immersive experience, highlighting how brands can align with these shifts to ensure sustained relevance and growth.
During the event, participants engaged in a series of unique activities designed to bring these cultural edges to life, creating memorable moments that underscored the importance of staying attuned to cultural dynamics. The discussions provided actionable insights on leveraging these shifts for strategic brand growth, and explored opportunities to capture a greater share of the future.
Catherine Bannister, Chief Strategy Officer at TBWA\RAAD, led the discussion, emphasizing the significance of Edges, stating, “The Edges are TBWA’s global and regional insights into what consumers and customers are experiencing today, how their world is created, how it is changing, and, in some instances, how they view history and heritage.”
Aneeta Aby, Senior Strategist at TBWA\RAAD and Backslash lead cultural spotter for the Middle East, provided concrete examples from the region and triggered speculations for clients’ brands, adding: “Culture makes the people, and brands are defined by people at the end of the day. So moving forward, Backslash is here to help our clients identify cultural shifts so they can remain relatable and relevant in this fast-paced digital age. We aim to understand the noise and triggers that identify behaviors and industry changes.”
Clients expressed their appreciation for the event’s inspiring content.
Daniela Barrionuevo, Regional Category Head at Henkel, shared, “The session today was very inspirational. It’s beneficial to step out of our day-to-day business and get inspired by global and regional trends, which we can integrate into our brand strategy to connect better with our consumers.”
Jankari Ram Kasara, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Arabian Automobiles Company, commented, “Thank you to TBWA and Backslash for inviting us. The presentation was mind-boggling, and we have taken back elements to apply in our professional and personal lives. We look forward to working closely with Backslash in the coming months to enhance our workplace’s efficiency and innovation.”
Lekha Vasani, Manager of Brand & Marketing Communications – Consumer at du, stated, “I’m thankful to TBWA for organizing the Edges session. It was very insightful, providing brands like du an opportunity to learn more.”
The Edges 2024 event marks the beginning of a series of thematic sessions that TBWA\RAAD will host in the future, focusing on specific and relevant topics for brands and markets. These events will continue to provide valuable insights for brands looking to capture a greater share of the future by aligning with enduring cultural changes.
