Bob Jaalouk began in Lebanon, in a market that hands nobody an easy first year. The early ventures did not survive. What came out of them was Two Media — a social agency that now runs campaigns for restaurant groups, banks, broadcasters, contractors and some of the most recognisable names on Lebanese television.

He studied business administration in Beirut, then moved into social when it was still treated as an afterthought in the region. Eleven years later, the agency he founded works out of Beirut and the Bekaa, with offices across the Gulf, Iraq, Egypt and Jordan, and an American arm on the way.

The method underneath the numbers is unglamorous: positioning that holds up under scrutiny, a publishing rhythm a team can sustain after the launch energy runs out, paid media measured against revenue rather than impressions, and an account that stays out of trouble once the audience gets large. Bob consults directly with a small number of clients each year. A team of more than thirty handles everything else.