OMD, the media network part of Omnicom Media Group, will launch its new event series, Sense, with a conference in Dubai this Wednesday. It will reveal and explore new ways to build closer bonds with consumers and stakeholders. Titled (De)Code H, the invite-only event will bring international thought-leadership and best practices to discuss the relevance, importance, and management of trust, empathy, psychology, and ethics in business and corporate relationships.

Business and marketing have turned cold – driven by data, algorithms, and artificial intelligence, often looking at people not as human beings but as mechanical ones. The result is a growing disconnect with people falling ever more out of love with advertising. It’s urgent to change focus and consider the warmer side of data if organizations are to create a deeper bond and get closer to consumers and, more broadly, business partners.

(De)Code H will take place at the Museum of the Future, with an anticipated audience of senior business, marketing, advertising, and media executives. It will feature Nathalie Nahai, author, consultant, lecturer, and human behavior expert, and Chrissie Hanson who is OMD’s global chief strategy officer. Andrew Campbell, Brand Finance’s MD for the Middle East, and Seb Hernoux, OMD’s chief data and technology officer will also be addressing the audience for a session. Together, they will take the audience on a journey towards a better understanding and application of human motivations and behavior, valued experiences, and a fairer value exchange.

Going beyond today’s reality and priorities, OMD's Sense series explores the impact and implications of emerging trends, fresh thinking, and innovations on people and brands. It focuses on strategic considerations that transcend marketing and affect the broader business, aiming to give its stakeholders a rich knowledge experience and a sense of direction.

“The past two years have accelerated change and deeply affected businesses everywhere. They’ve also given us the time and reason to rethink what knowledge to share and how with our business partners. The result of this reflection is the Sense series and the first theme. Decoding human behaviors, to better understand and work with them, is a major step forward for businesses and brands as it leads to greater affinity, trust, and attention,” said Saleh Ghazal, Managing Director at OMD UAE. “Our expert panel of speakers will explore this endeavor from their own unique perspective to provide insights and guidance for our business partners to make their next strategic move towards higher business performance. Balancing tech with human insights and psychology, using more physical and emotional metrics, will get us closer to people. From this, we’ll be able to develop more effective, sustainable, and balanced relationships for our client's brands.”

W Group, a company owned by W Ventures Holding, has come on board as the event’s exclusive partner. With its subsidiaries Hypermedia and DigitAll, offering cutting-edge Out-Of-Home media, and digital and experiential solutions. The company keeps innovating to create tech-rich, impactful, memorable, and engaging brand experiences, backed by data analytics and real-time measurement.