An Innate Eye for Innovation

KARACHI: Duha Shabib, founder and managing director of Not-A-Cliché, started her professional journey as a financial analyst and investment banker after completing her MBA in Finance and Marketing Communications from American University in Cairo.

Boasting an innate eye for innovation and forward-thinking strategy, Duha Shabib moved to Dubai to join a reputed communications agency.

With a keen interest and insight into consumer habits and behaviour, she went onto joining the reputable and sought-after firms in Dubai as communication and social media expert.

Not-A-Cliché Consultancy is a Dubai-based hybrid communications agency specialising in social media, digital marketing, creative solutions and branding.

“Not-A-Cliché is a boutique agency, which is what a lot of small businesses and brands look for. Our small and dedicated team is well-trained and experts in helping small businesses and startups, with limited budgets, put together a 360 communications plan. Small businesses are always on the lookout for agencies like ours with young talents and fresh ideas,” Duha claims.

Duha says starting her own communications agency was not a ‘novel’ idea. “What matters is your ability to always be creative and think outside the box,” she says.

“The market is saturated with boutique communications agencies but the ones that succeed or stand out are the agencies that add a new wow factor in terms of ideas and approaches,” she adds.

“As I mentioned before, the idea is not new, but we are confident we can offer creative solutions and new ideas to small businesses and upcoming brands, adding to that being experts in influencer marketing due to our strong connections with top influencers and VIPs in the region,” she adds.

Duha is currently looking into adding “Celebrity Management” to her portfolio of services.

“The UAE is a main attraction to celebrities regionally and internationally,” she says.

Duha believes that one of the UAE’s strongest points is the robust business infrastructure that supports entrepreneurs and investors. She says that the UAE is a country that encourages the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises.

“[The UAE’s] welcoming business environment attracts a lot of entrepreneurs to start their own businesses due to the available resources and the support businesses get from the system.”

Duha recalls that how she started her business on a small scale. “We were two employees only when we started the agency and now we are a team of 10. I will always be thankful to the close people who believed in me and pushed me to take this step at times where I was down and thinking of shifting careers and relocating. It is very important to always surround yourself with people who will know how to push you to your limits,” she says.

Duha Shabib says bringing and believing in young talents and working as one team were her “key decisions that ensured the success of her business.”

However, it isn’t all work and no play: Duha loves to keep active and start her day with yoga or Pilates and can be found designing jewellery or travelling with her camera during her spare time.