With more than a quarter of a century in the local marketing communication sector, MENACOM Jordan has been an industry leader from the outset, and we’ve been unwavering in our pursuit of excellence and innovation. Our leadership continues to be evident in everything we do—from the way we operate to the award-winning work we produce for our clients.

Of course, a big part of being a leader means lending our expertise to others—and we don’t just mean our clients. We believe in sharing our insights in a way that helps everyone grow and evolve—from local businesses to other players in our own industry. After all, in the world of marketing and advertising communication, competition helps spur innovation, creating a local communication sector that is more modern, agile, and forward-thinking. And that benefits everyone.

That was ultimately our goal behind the creation of our new MENACOM Jordan blog (to complement the launch of our new website). We want to take our extensive knowledge, expertise, and insights and share them with businesses, organizations, and individuals everywhere. In this blog, we’ll be sharing our thoughts on industry trends and best practices, lessons and takeaways from our own work and research, and the latest news from our group and agencies.

But for now, we’d like to kick things off with a few of the big-picture lessons we’ve learned from over 25 years of leadership in the marketing communication sector.

LESSON ONE: Be willing to do what no one else is doing.

It goes without saying that leading often means heading out into uncharted territory. The well-paved route might be the easiest one to travel, but it will never be as fulfilling or rewarding as the one you pave yourself. And leaders are never created by following others. Yes, look at what your competitors are doing; but, more importantly, look at what they aren’t doing. That’s where opportunity lies.

At MENACOM, we have always preferred to forge our own path. We were the first in the market to offer integrated advertising and marketing solutions, the first to introduce market research services, the first to build full-service communication cells for clients, the first to provide automated, digitally driven content services… and the list goes on. By looking for untapped opportunities, we’re able to use our forward-thinking vision to steer the course of the industry.

LESSON TWO: Recognize the importance of long-term partnerships.

No man is an island—and neither is any business. At MENACOM, we believe in forging and nurturing partnerships of all kinds. It was this philosophy that first led us to build an international affiliation with Y&R (all the way back in 1998), and then to partner with WPP in 2003, when we added Wunderman, MEC (now Wavemaker), and Asda’a (now ASDA’A BCW) to our group. These global partnerships have provided us with an enormous advantage in the market, and have lent us exceptional insights and expertise.

But our most important partnerships are the ones we build with our clients. Many of our client relationships span decades, and we work hard to nurture and maintain them through trust, commitment, and open communication.

LESSON THREE: Invest in the right people and tools.

Your people will always be your strongest asset. From the beginning, MENACOM Jordan has consistently worked to attract, develop, and retain top talent. This means seeking out great people and investing in their professional growth, through trainings, certifications, and other learning opportunities. We also work to help our team members find roles and career paths that excite and empower them. In turn, we end up with high-caliber employees who are in it for the long haul.

And while our people are our most important investment, we also believe in investing in high-quality tools, resources, and technologies. In particular, MENACOM has always recognized the value and potential of big data: our agencies have invested heavily in top-notch, data-driven tools and resources that allow us to provide unrivalled insights in the market. Moreover, it has allowed us to compete on a regional and global level—something that was previously unheard of for the local marketing sector.

LESSON FOUR: Let values—not profits—be what propel you forward.

The hard truth is that, to a certain degree, business revenues and profits aren’t always fully in your control: there will always be external circumstances that can impact your financials—from economic recessions to, say, a global pandemic. These metrics are obviously important when it comes to maintaining your operations, but they shouldn’t be your core motivation.

Whatever you do should always be about something bigger than profitability. If you believe in what you’re doing and you’re committed to your company’s vision and values, eventually, you’ll come out ahead. That’s important to remember in the good times and the challenging ones: at MENACOM, that has meant continuously investing in creativity and in causes that matter to us. From supporting humanitarian and environmental causes (through impact-driven work with partners like UNICEF, Save the Children, and the Ministry of Environment) to advocating for the development and advancement of the entire Kingdom (through strategic work with partners like the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities), we will always lend our support and insights to causes bigger than ourselves.

LESSON FIVE: Learn from the past, but keep looking ahead.

It would be easy to sit back and rest on the achievements of the last 25+ years. But true leaders and innovators are always looking for the next challenge, the next great idea, or the next stage of their journey. With a quarter of a century behind us, we’ve already set our sights on the years and decades to come.

And we can’t wait to take you along on our journey.