Danielle Barwick, executive director, Fuse MENA, discusses Fuse’s Dubai move, the power of sport in the region, and the importance of cultural nuance…

As the Gulf region cements itself as one of the world's fastest-growing hubs for sport, entertainment, and culture-led marketing, Fuse is doubling down with a new Dubai base. ExchangeWire sat down with Danielle Barwick, executive director, Fuse MENA, to unpack the thinking behind the move. 

Barwick discusses why Dubai offers a strategic gateway into the wider region, how the agency plans to navigate MENA's rich cultural diversity, and the growing role of data in proving partnership ROI. She also addresses how brands can stay relevant and brand-safe amid geopolitical uncertainty, without retreating from the cultural moments audiences care about most…

What makes Dubai the critical next step?

What makes this moment so exciting is that we're seeing the Gulf emerge as one of the most dynamic growth markets globally for sport, entertainment, and culture-led marketing.

Across the region, there's significant investment in major events, new destinations, rights holders, and audience experiences. At the same time, brands are increasingly looking for more sophisticated ways to connect with audiences through the things people are genuinely passionate about.

Dubai is a natural next step because it sits at the centre of that opportunity. It provides access to a diverse talent base, a thriving business community, and a market that is increasingly shaping the future of sport and entertainment across the region.

For Fuse, this isn't simply about opening an office. It's about creating a regional hub for sport and entertainment marketing expertise that serves clients across MENA. We're bringing together global capabilities, specialist talent, and the wider expertise of Omnicom Media Group to help brands navigate one of the fastest-evolving markets in the world.

The opportunity is to combine what we've learned from some of the world's most established sports and entertainment markets with the unique dynamics of this region. Ultimately, our role is to help brands build partnerships that feel locally relevant while benefiting from global best practice.

How will the new Dubai team adapt to localised cultural nuances required to authentically engage MENA audiences?

One of the biggest misconceptions about MENA is that it can be approached as a single audience. In reality, it's a region made up of incredibly diverse cultures, communities, and behaviours, each with their own nuances and expectations.

For brands, authenticity starts with understanding those differences rather than treating the region as one homogeneous market.

That's why building a team with local expertise is so important. We're bringing together talent from the region who understand those cultural dynamics first-hand, alongside specialists who bring experience from some of the world's leading sports and entertainment partnerships.

Being part of Omnicom Media Group also gives us access to a broader network of expertise across the region, which is invaluable when helping clients navigate different markets and audiences.

Ultimately, audiences today are incredibly discerning. They can quickly tell the difference between brands that are genuinely investing in understanding culture and those simply looking to activate around it. Our role is to help brands build partnerships and experiences that feel relevant, meaningful, and authentic to the people they're trying to reach.

Given the massive investments in regional events like F1 and esports, how will Fuse leverage data and tech to measure effectiveness and prove ROI?

As investment in sport, entertainment and gaming continues to accelerate across the region, expectations around measurement are naturally becoming more sophisticated as well.

Brands are no longer satisfied with understanding how many people saw something. They're increasingly focused on understanding what people felt, how behaviour changed, and ultimately what impact a partnership delivered against business objectives.

For us, data and technology play an important role in answering those questions. They help us understand audiences more deeply, identify the right opportunities, and measure effectiveness throughout the lifecycle of a partnership.

What's particularly exciting is the amount of audience data now available across sports, entertainment and gaming ecosystems. That allows brands to move beyond assumptions and make more informed decisions about where they invest, how they activate and what success looks like.

The conversation is increasingly shifting from sponsorship as a visibility exercise to sponsorship as a business growth tool, and measurement is central to that evolution.

Amid the current geopolitical uncertainties, how can brands ensure their sports and cultural partnerships remain impactful and brand-safe?

Periods of uncertainty often reinforce the importance of sport, entertainment, and culture rather than diminish it.

These are the platforms that bring communities together, create shared experiences, and provide moments of connection, even during challenging times.

What we're seeing is that many brands are becoming more thoughtful about how they show up, rather than stepping away altogether. Audiences expect brands to be aware of the wider context, but they also continue to engage with the sports, entertainment properties, and cultural moments they care about.

For some sectors, traditional marketing activity can feel more difficult during periods of uncertainty. Partnerships can provide a more authentic way for brands to remain part of conversations through shared passions and experiences.

That is particularly important for sectors such as tourism, travel, and destination marketing, where partnerships can play a role in rebuilding confidence, attracting visitors, and showcasing the positive stories happening across the region.

Our role is to help clients navigate those decisions by understanding audience sentiment, assessing context carefully, and ensuring partnerships are activated in ways that feel appropriate, relevant, and respectful. Brand safety isn't just about avoiding risk; it's about ensuring a brand has a credible role to play and a genuine reason to be part of the conversation.