Advertising alums show how human creativity remains key to audience engagement

Two graduates of Canadian University Dubai (CUD) are proving that human creativity remains a driving force in modern marketing, blending advanced technology with their talent for communication to rewrite the rules of audience engagement. Both alumni of the university’s BA Communications in Advertising program, Hala Nsour and Mahdi Shafiei, have emerged as pioneers in fields that barely existed when they graduated and are now transforming their respective domains: artificial intelligence and TikTok marketing.

Mahdi  Shafiei, a graduate of CUD’s Communications in Advertising program, is the founder and CEO of Trifid Media, an agency built around TikTok that has helped clients generate more than $100 million in sales

Hala’s journey began in the glamorous world of luxury fashion, working with names like Givenchy, before developing content strategies for projects associated with Dubai royalty. Always looking to be part of the next big thing, Hala joined nybl. This AI startup deploys science-based artificial intelligence solutions across sectors that underpin society, such as energy, healthcare and agriculture. Taking on the role of Marketing Manager at the age of 24, Hala was centre stage at a time when the technology was met with scepticism and uncertainty.

Hala Nsour, a graduate of CUD’s Communications in Advertising program, is now Chief Marketing Officer at nybl, an AI startup that deploys science-based artificial intelligence solutions across sectors