MEA Women in Business Awards 2017

10 MEA MARKETS / Women in Business Awards 2017 , KU170004 Adpro Communications has become known for its clear-cut creative edge, client and staff stability and a select brand base. Rana Hamarneh, its Managing Partner, has held several positions, sat on several boards, and enjoyed several memberships across many different boards and companies. We invited Rana to tell us more about herself and the firm, finding out what makes them successful. Most Influential Women in a Communications Agency 2017 Since its inception in 1991, Adpro Communications set foot on a sure winning strategy of growth, making a reputation for itself over the years as one of the leading market players in Jordan and the region. With a solid media function that is continuously ranked amongst the top in the Kingdom, the firm services brand and media clients under the same roof. Adpro takes pride in having launched some of the kingdoms most successful brands and success stories to date. Today, some of Adpro’s successful campaign case studies are being taught at Universities in Amman and Dubai. Lead by Mrs. Rana Hamarneh, Managing Partner, the road ahead for Adpro will see more firsts, more wins, and more success stories. With close to three decades of varied experience in the creative, strategy, media and advertising sector, Rana is one of the most influential figures in the advertising industry. She has been very instrumental in taking her agency through major consecutive wins, and is known today for producing some of the most awarded and memorable campaigns in Jordan. Before joining Adpro, Hamarneh worked with several renowned agencies after which she moved on to co-found Jordan DDB. Rana played a major role in taking the local campaign levels to different heights, winning her country the first International award, the silver Keith Reinhard Award. In the year 2000, Hamarneh moved on to accept an even bigger challenge. Her position as the Managing Partner of Adpro Communications, an associate of BBDO, opened new doors for her; an opportunity that allowed her to put her marketing, strategic, media and creative experiences at work. Leading the sector with many firsts, Hamarneh’s achievements were clearly noticed with identifiable and remarkable total communication solutions and strategies that transformed the businesses of Al-Ghad Newspaper, Umniah Telecommunications, Capital Bank, Housing Bank, Nuqul Group, Fine Tissues, and Queen Rania Al-Abdullah Award for Excellence in teaching, to name a few. In 1996, Rana participated as a jury member in the first regional Keith Rheinhard Award in Dubai, and in the Pikasso D’or award in Paris in 2005, and Beirut in 2014. She was the first Creative Director in the Middle East to participate in the “Art of Advertising and the 1994 Clio Awards” satellite world net dialogue that took place at the American cultural center in 1994. Hamarneh has held several positions, sat on several boards, and enjoyed several memberships such as; A member of the Jordan Advertising Association, a member in the leadership network, a member on the brand committee of Injaz, a member of Young Arab Leaders, a member in Business and Professional Women- Amman. Rana sat on the board WNB17 02 of the International advertising association, Nuqul Automotive and is currently a board member at INJAZ. Discussing her experiences, Rana tells us what changes she has seen, both in the firm and within the industry it operates with regards to women, as well as the challenges she has encountered as a woman working in the corporate environment. “The industry in general has experienced impactful shifts that have drastically changed the way the industry operates, however the more it changes, the more it delves deeper into its foundations, and while technological advancements have played a major role in creating this change, for us, the core is in the idea, it’s in the story we want to tell, activated and evolved across several media, traditional, non-traditional and/ or digital. Leading an advertising agency is very challenging irrespective of your gender really, competition is high on all fronts as we not only compete with other agencies but more so with our clients’ competitors. Many women in Jordan work in the communications field and they are excelling… I believe that there are more than ten communication agencies that are led by women here in Amman. It is no wonder that women tend to excel in this field as we are natural communicators and great analysts, ask any husband and they will tell you that. But for anyone to succeed irrespective of gender or the field; vision, agility, resilience, passion, commitment and a strong value system are what make for successful business people.” Looking ahead, Rana discusses what the future holds for the business and whether there any specific projects or upcoming developments, whilst also outlining her goals regarding her own career and how she plans to reach these goals. “As the market in the region and the world become more and more unpredictable, I believe that agencies in general need to look at things from a different point of view, de-construct to reconstruct, visit the business model and evolve. We should keep an eye on the world without losing focus of the local perspective. “The digital world has with no doubt changed the way brands look and interact with consumers, many brands will be more compelled to start acting like entertainment companies and think about a plot and a story to tell. So here at Adpro, the future for us holds more ground breaking communication solutions and our never ending endeavor to look for new and better ways to service our clients, bring their promise to life and narrate their story in a compelling way.… it’s always going to be the big idea and the story we tell, however, we need to keep finding new ways to bring them to life.”