50+ Industry Leaders and Marketers Gather to Explore Social-First Strategies Across the Middle East
Cairo, Egypt – December 18, 2025 – Augustus Media, the region’s leading digital media company, successfully hosted the first edition of its industry event series, Local Influence: Regional Impact, in Cairo. The event brought together more than 50 industry leaders, marketers, and creatives to discuss the growing power of local partnerships and the importance of understanding regional nuance in today’s MENA media landscape.
The event highlighted Egypt’s rapidly evolving marketing and media ecosystem, positioning the country as a key hub for creativity, storytelling, and innovation. With its rich cultural heritage, diverse audiences, and accelerating digital consumption, Egypt continues to offer significant opportunities for brands and creators to build authentic, locally resonant campaigns with regional impact. Speakers emphasized that the market’s deep cultural insight, paired with a new generation of digitally native talent, makes Egypt a driving force for scalable, social-first storytelling across the Middle East.
The event opened with a keynote speech by Shady Mazhar, Managing Director of Augustus Media Misr, who introduced Augustus Media and its portfolio of brands, including; Lovin’, Smashi’, and ODEUM and outlined how each plays a distinct role within the company’s growing regional ecosystem, delivering meaningful impact through community-led and creator-driven storytelling.
Panel 1: From Fields to Feeds: Crafting Viral Moments in a Social-First World
Moderated by Nada Abdrabou, Senior Content Director at Augustus Media Misr, the panel explored the types of content and trends that resonate most with regional audiences in today’s fast-moving digital landscape.
Panelists:
- Hany Hathout, Sports TV & Radio Presenter
- Mahmoud Shoukry, Choreographer, Founder & CEO of GOODSPACE Studios
- Nada Abdelkader, Senior Manager, Lovin Cities
Panelists shared insights on tailoring content to local culture, trends, and audience behavior, highlighting the importance of authenticity, relevance, and timing in building engaged communities.
Key takeaway: Mindful social media engagement, staying ahead of fast-emerging trends, and protecting creative integrity are essential to long-term success in a social-first world.
Panel 2: The Influence Effect: How Creators and Rising Stars Shape Audiences and Brand Decisions
Moderated by Farah Abdelkarim, Content Manager at Augustus Media Misr, this session examined how creators and emerging voices are shaping audience behavior and influencing brand strategy across industries.
Panelists:
- Noor Mantis, Influencer
- Amin Yacout, Account Director
- Malak Nazir, Writer & Host, Lovin Cairo
The discussion focused on the evolving role of influencers in driving trust, relevance, and purchasing decisions.
Key takeaway: Emerging creators play a critical role in shaping audience perception and brand outcomes, making strategic influencer partnerships essential for brands looking to drive authentic engagement and measurable impact.
“It was a pleasure to host the first edition of our Local Influence | Regional Impact event series and welcome pioneers from across the digital media ecosystem. Our speakers shared valuable perspectives on content creation, sponsored work, and the evolving media landscape. This event also marked our end-of-year celebrations and capped off a remarkable year for Augustus Media Misr. We saw strong audience growth across Lovin Cairo, Lovin Alex, and Lovin Red Sea, alongside the successful launch of Lovin Sahel, which has already shown promising traction. We are closing the year on a high note in terms of revenue and remain excited about the opportunities ahead. We are confident there are many more impactful stories to tell and milestones to achieve.”
Shady Mazhar, Managing Director, Augustus Media Misr
About Augustus Media
Augustus Media is an award-winning Middle Eastern digital media company based in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar. The modern media company has been designed to adapt and evolve to this perpetually changing media environment. Augustus Media network includes: Lovin’, Smashi & ODEUM as its media brands. Lovin, a local news and entertainment platform present in 22+ cities, known for bitesize news, viral content and community stories. Smashi, a regional content platform with 13 verticals including Business, Gaming, Sports, and Entertainment, and home to live-streamed UAE League matches. ODEUM, the company’s content production powerhouse specializing in high-quality video, branded content, animation, and audio.
Augustus Media 