As part of its regional expansion plan, OMD has opened its newest office in the Sharq district of the Kuwaiti capital. This will enable the marketing performance company, as OMD dubs itself, to better meet the growing needs of its current and future clients in Kuwait and strengthen its relationships with its local stakeholders further.
In addition to several regional advertisers, OMD manages a growing portfolio of Kuwaiti brands including the recent addition of Al Babtain Group, whose businesses include the Nissan and Infiniti dealerships. The new office provides all of OMD’s services, from insights to planning, from buying to performance marketing and from content marketing to advanced analytics, across the full spectrum of brand communications.
The new office is headed by Tro Taslakian, a 15-year veteran of the media industry. A long-term resident in Kuwait, he has progressed from assistant planner in 2001 to acting GM of Optimedia in Kuwait, working on both local and international brands in a wide range of sectors. These include automotive, confectionery, casual dining and food products. Mr Taslakian reports to Wissam Najjar, OMD’s Regional Managing Director for the Lower Gulf, Levant and Emerging Markets.
“Tro has an impeccable track-record that combines technical expertise with local fluency. He is ideally placed to ensure OMD’s product blends international best practice and local relevance, two key contributors to performance. Kuwait is not a new market to us as such and we believe that it does and will continue to offer exciting opportunities, both for local advertisers and beyond. This direct presence ensures that our team in Kuwait is fully empowered to stimulate growth for its clients’ brands. After our opening in Qatar a couple of years ago, this is the latest step in a broader expansion plan for the OMD network in the Middle East,” explained Mr Najjar.
“Kuwait has a lot of ambition and companies here have long demonstrated their talent in achieving success at home and abroad. We’re designed to support them in these endeavors and play a significant part in their growth. As clients’ needs and market dynamics evolve, our agility and responsiveness make us the ideal partners for ambitious brands. OMD’s cutting-edge approach and expertise will be a great addition to the market,” Mr Taslakian commented.
