Qatar National Broadband Network partners with Omnicom Group agencies

OMD and TBWA\RAAD will deploy a fully integrated communications strategy for broadband in Qatar

Dubai, December 11, 2012 – Qatar National Broadband Network Company (Qnbn) recently tasked OMD and TBWA\RAAD, two Omnicom Group agencies, to deploy a fully integrated communications strategy across the country.

A shareholding company wholly owned by the Qatari government, Qnbn was set up with a mandate to enable accessible high-speed communications. One of the first government initiatives of its kind in the region, Qnbn reflects Qatar’s Vision 2030 to transform the country through investment in advanced technologies to knowledge based society making Qatar the best connected country in the GCC and one of the most connected in the world.

OMD and TBWA\RAAD will work together on implementing fully integrated communications activities to help Qnbn raise awareness on the benefits of broadband.

“We aim to achieve a 95% nationwide coverage of high-speed fiber optics broadband (100+ Mbps). It will help empower the nation by bringing both community and enterprise its benefits, including enhanced delivery of services, cost savings, increased competitiveness and improved sustainability,” said Jamil Beyhum, Senior Director Marketing Communications at Qnbn. “Both TBWA\RAAD and OMD understand our vision and business model. With their strategic approach to communications, we aim to reach out to all in Qatar and educate businesses and individuals alike on the transformational benefits broadband will bring to them.”

“This project is particularly exciting for us and one that will have a significant impact on Qatar’s economy,” Fadi Chamat, General Manager at OMD Lower Gulf, commented. “We are thrilled to partner with Qnbn and bring in both our media and category experience and knowledge to contribute to their success.”

This is the second account win for OMD in Qatar in as many months. Earlier, the communications planning agency was appointed by the Doha Film Institute, including the campaign for this year’s Doha Tribeca Film Festival.

About Qnbn:
Qnbn is strategically vital to Qatar’s future development serving the wider digitization agenda of the country. Through its visionary and collaborative approach to the market, Qnbn will help to empower the nation with high-speed broadband fiber access to citizens and businesses alike. Qnbn aims to have maximum nation coverage in line with the Qatar ICT Strategy 2015. The next generation fiber optics network will become exponentially faster, bringing community and enterprise benefits of enhanced delivery of communication services, cost savings, increased competitiveness and improved sustainability. Recent research shows that doubling the broadband speed increases an economy’s GDP by 0.3%. Qnbn will focus solely on the deployment of a passive network infrastructure, providing equal and open access to operators to offer choice for the end-user and efficiently leveraging existing and new infrastructure in Qatar.

About OMD:
OMD, a global media network part of the Omnicom Media Group, is the largest and most innovative media marketing company in the world, with more than 8,000 employees in 97 markets serving many of the most successful and well-known global brands. It has been rated as the Most Creative Media Agency by The Gunn Report for Media for an unprecedented six consecutive years. Named Media Agency of the Year by Campaign Middle East in 2011, it has also received several global accolades, including the title of Adweek’s Global Media Agency of the Year for 2008, 2009 and 2011. OMD MENA also led the Effectiveness Index in the region, produced by WARC and Effie Worldwide in both 2011 and 2012.