Wafa is the editor in chief of Sketchbook magazine and founder of Obai and Hill design/branding agency. When I first met her through my friend and LCC classmate Luma Bashmi my first impression was far from what I believe now. Back then I thought she was an ordinary girl. Now I believe that she possess a rare bussiness accumen.

It is no secret that print media is having a hard time surviving these days (that might or might not be true as I believe that it is still easier to monetize on print that it is on digital). That was even truer in mid 2009 when the Lehman Brothers’ crisis was still all the rage. Things looked particularly gloomy in London. Wafa & co launched sketchbook magazine, a magazine built by young contributors with lots of talent but little experience in the field. This magazine is still surviving today, and is definetely on the rise. It has evolved to much more than a magazine, encompassing many relevant desciplines and least we forget that its’ success has paved the way for Obai and Hill.

Sketchbook’s (and Wafa’s) initial success was not just a lucky strike. Behind it apart from the usual heaps of determination, one can see two very crucial business elements for startup businesses.

a)The product was excellent. I can not stress that enough. Sketchbook magazine, being a fashion magazine created by illustrators, is as hand-crafted as a magazine gets. The magazine has its own niche and is very well targeted, thus the conversion rate between consumer awareness and action (not always purchase) should be very high.

b)Sketchbook definetely run one of the most successfull digital PR campaigns I have seen. I don’t know if that was planned or not, but damn was it well executed. Their first issue was The Fashion Bloggers’ issue. By creating great content featuring selected Fashion Bloggers ( that are very influential in the fashion industry ) they managed to build relationships and leverage them from the very start. They received an influx of traffic and links and having an excellent product and dedicated contributors, they managed to convert those one time visitors to regular visitors building a significant following.
Many professionals would claim that they are new media experts. Wafa and co maybe not be as technical as Rand Fishkin (nobody really is) but when it mattered they made the right choices creating maximum value for their business.

I watch their moves closely, Wafa being quite outspoken and sharing a lot through her FB and Twitter. I see the business developping and I’m very glad to watch her make correct business decisions. Wafa is definetely one to keep on eye on for the future.