Written by: Zizie Rosli, Head of Global Business, Vibes Media Lounge
Born in an era when VHS tapes and floppy disks were the high‑tech treasures in our homes, yet still out of reach for many, I was fortunate enough to witness how quickly the world began to accelerate. I still remember the newspaper delivery guy dropping off stacks in our neighbourhood, each one hiding inserts; I’d get excited to flip through it and uncover the day’s promotion – still have no idea why. Meanwhile, my mom would tuck the paper away in the coupon section, planning to use the deals later (which, of course, somehow never happened).
And now, here we are. In a time when consumers across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the broader UAE expect immediacy, relevance and seamless interaction, the world of media and advertising in the UAE isn’t just evolving. It’s sprinting. Overseeing business across the GCC and Asian markets has taught me to genuinely appreciate how technology can simplify what once felt impossibly manual. What used to be massive spreadsheets, endless email chains and manual scheduled windows for ads, have been replaced by tools that bring everything together, trigger the next move and respond in the moment.
At the heart of this shift sits AI. Not in the sci‑fi, distant‑future way many once imagined, but in the small, practical ways it supports how we think, connect and create. It’s the silent engine that helps us understand behaviour faster and anticipate needs before they’re even spoken.
At Vibes Media Lounge, we don’t treat artificial intelligence as a trend we’re trying to keep up with. We treat it as an extension of how we listen. A tool that allows us to make experiences feel more considered, more human and more personal. We steer clear of producing just another wave of content in a world already saturated with noise.
We’ve moved past generic ad slots and mass‑audience blasts. We use AI to craft messages that feel like one‑on‑one conversations. Our systems digest behavioural signals. Behind the scenes of this transformation are the machinery of personalisation and automation. First the data. Then the audience. Then the ads. And we test them all.
In practice, we might roll out fifteen ad visuals for one campaign. Each tailored to a specific group, a different language, or a moment in the day. Creative freedom isn’t held back anymore by budget or logistics. Automation takes care of the routine. The result? Brands feel seen, audiences feel heard and campaigns actually deliver.
And the magic doesn’t stop at creation. While yesterday’s ad took days to launch, ours go live in hours, adjust in real time and change on the spot. Automation isn’t optional anymore.
Yet, AI doesn’t replace us. It amplifies us. Because at the end of the day, what matters isn’t how smart the engine is. It’s how real the connection feels. It’s how someone stops mid‑scroll, notices a moment made for them and chooses you.
Looking back, I used to wait for the newspaper delivery guy, flipping through inserts as if a deal was hidden inside them. Detecting, anticipating, hoping. Today, I watch our systems detect, anticipate and deliver with precision. What was once my childhood curiosity is now the methodology we harness. The coupons of the past have evolved. Theirs were paper and time‑bound; ours are digital, dynamic and powered by intelligence. And that evolution is my story at Vibes Media Lounge. And It’s the story of every brand that’s ready to be more than simply seen, ready to be truly known.
Until our next global chapter—From the desk of worldwide canvas of Vibes Media Lounge, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi