Today, we're talking with Joe Lipscombe, Partner at The Romans, who delves into his journey, insights, and aspirations as he navigates the dynamic landscape of strategic communications in the Middle East and beyond. Lipscombe started in journalism, writing for big names like Forbes and Bloomberg. He then moved into strategic communications, joining Ogilvy in 2015 and rising to Executive Strategy and Creative Director for PR in the MENA region. He recently joined The Romans as a partner in Dubai, helping expand their presence in the Middle East. The Romans, headquartered in London with over 120 employees worldwide, opened their Dubai office in 2022 after successful ventures in New York and Amsterdam. In this interview with Adgully Middle East, Lipscombe discusses his journey and goals in navigating strategic communications in the Middle East and beyond.Please share your professional journey. What have been the highs and lows professionally?I landed in the region as a journalist, where I was able to cover most markets, learning the culture, people, ways, and means. That fascination hasn’t left me. I love the region, warts and all. After almost a decade with Ogilvy, where I was able to grow as a creative and strategic leader in a major global firm, I’ve taken on this new challenge at one of the most exciting agencies in the world today. Throughout that time there have been highs and lows. I keep the lows closer than the highs. And I anticipate many more of both.You have recently joined ‘The Romans’ as a Partner and Head of UAE. What are your roles and responsibilities?Bring one of today’s most exciting, independent PR stories to life in the MENA region. The Romans are a unique agency. In a sea of acquisitions, mergers, and agency ecosystems, The Romans believe in investing in great people and great culture so we can deliver great work for great clients. There is none of the fluff and none of the drama. It’s been refreshing to see that story be so well received. Now it’s mine and my team’s responsibility to translate that for this unique and diverse market.What has been your primary focus within the industry for the past decade? How do you approach problem-solving within the industry?Before joining The Romans, I was the Executive Strategy & Creative Director for Ogilvy PR across MENA. I spent the best part of a decade at that agency, learning my trade, working with top talents, and contributing to some really exciting, transformative projects in the region. All of those—Expo 2020 Dubai, Qatar World Cup 2022, New Suez Canal 2015, et al.—have their own unique challenges in such a fast-paced and ambitious region. While I don’t subscribe to a standard way of solving problems, I do believe that, as an industry, we can often take briefs at face value when in fact we should be exploring the root cause of challenges more closely. As we commoditise our industry more and more, we often skip important strategic and exploratory phases and head directly to solutions and execution. I strongly believe much of the value we provide as an industry is in the diagnosis, thought, and planning phases of any major project.Can you provide examples of some of the projects you have been involved in with large brands and institutions?As I mentioned before, I’ve been very fortunate to work on some of the biggest projects and entities in the region over the past ten years. Expo 2020 Dubai at a global level, the FIFA Qatar World Cup through Qatar Foundation, the New Suez Canal launch in Egypt, several Public Investment Fund launches, and many others. I find each brings its own unique challenges and opportunities and would argue each has contributed massively to the social, economic, and cultural structure of the region.As a marketer, if you’re contributing to projects with that level of influence, you can’t ask for much more.What kind of transformations have you witnessed in terms of digital and AI, within the region?Marketers are so keen to jump on trends they often forget to check if they’re landmines. But, we’re experimental, and that should be applauded. I can’t confidently say I’ve witnessed seismic changes in the industry at the hands of AI. But ask me again in five years.How do you approach developing an integrated public relations and advertising campaign tailored to meet the cultural sensitivities and preferences of the UAE market?We cannot reveal all our secrets. What we do is ensure our teams are diverse, skilled, deeply ingrained in local culture, and we trust them explicitly with major briefs and clients.Can you provide an example of a successful PR and advertising campaign you led in the UAE, highlighting how you navigated any regulatory or cultural challenges specific to the region?I led the campaign that won UAE PR Campaign of the Year in 2023 at MEPRA- ‘The Alternative Alphabet with GEMS Education’. It altered how educators teach mental health and wellbeing to our youth. It’s still somewhat a taboo topic, particularly when children are involved. But the education provider was an open and excellent partner and we were able to do something meaningful in a really beautiful way.
