Leading social networking site, Twitter, has selected Connect Ads as its sales representative for the Middle East and North Africa region.

The partnership between Twitter and Connect Ads, which has a long legacy in launching global digital ad products in the region, will help expand the availability of Twitter’s promoted products suite of advertising products to marketers in the Mena region later this year.

Under the partnership, Connect Ads will manage all Egypt, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait sales. It will also help develop the Mena market for Twitter and its promoted products through a series of education and training programmes for agencies and large advertisers, a statement from Twitter said.

A dedicated Connect Ads sales team specialising solely in Twitter’s advertising products is expected to begin operations later this year.

The promoted products suite includes products that marketers can use to extend their reach and amplify their message on Twitter, which include promoted tweets, promoted accounts, and promoted trends, which are currently available to marketers in the US, UK, Japan and Latin America.

“Mena is one of Twitter’s fastest-growing regions, and we are seeing significant interest from marketers there who want to use our promoted products to build their businesses and connect with consumers,” said Shailesh Rao, Twitter’s vice president of international revenue.

“Working with Connect Ads gives Twitter a strong partner with a footprint throughout the region and proven digital capabilities enabling us to scale and educate the markets as we introduce Twitter's promoted products. This is the next step in expanding Twitter’s international presence, building on top of our recent launch in Latin America earlier this year,” he said.

“Together, we will offer advertisers new and relevant opportunities to engage the Mena region audiences and drive value for brands and consumers,” said Mohamed El Mehairy, managing director of Connect Ads. “The growth of social media in the Mena region is among the highest in the world, and Twitter is one of the most recognised and utilised platforms in our region.”  

“We are excited to be Twitter’s sales representatives and to consolidate our partnership through bringing our experience in introducing digital companies in the Mena market to our new partner.”

Hanan Abdel Meguid, OTVentures CEO, said: "The choice of Connect Ads to be Twitter’s launchpad in Mena is a continuation of OTVentures' success in limiting the divide between the market needs and the available digital solutions, and the partnership is an affirmation of OTVentures role as leader and pioneer in the digital media solutions, amidst a steadily developing Mena market.” – TradeArabia News Service