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Getting your brand strategy correct is not the main issue when it comes to branding in Dubai.
It is well known that creating a brand requires you to deliver consistent messages to your customers, partners and markets. That consistent message needs to be correct from both a display and feeling perspective of your brand. It doesn't just stop at a Logo. Your branding defines the nature, the feel and the emotion of your company, if you create the right brand strategy you can expect your staff to be on message, your customers to build familiarity with your brand and for you to find your position in the market. Far more than a simple Logo your branding is your print, your advertising, your office décor, your furniture its even the coffee you serve and the cups you use to serve it. That's why finding the right branding company in Dubai has always been such a challenge. There are millions of graphics agencies but very few "Branding Companies".
I have just been through the process of branding our company and I would like to share my insights on this tricky topic and getting the job done in Dubai.
It helps if, from the very start when you are developing your brand strategy that you get all of the details and input from your key stakeholders. The term "Brand Consistency" certainly dominates other issues such as the details of the strategy and even how you communicate it in the Dubai Market.
Firstly you should have the right Brand Strategy partner; this is my 10,000 foot view of the companies in the Dubai market although I would certainly encourage you to meet with as many companies as possible that can deliver the whole package, if you know more companies please comment on this post. Firstly I would encourage you to ensure that you are choosing a company that knows the local market. There have been a number of brand stuff ups in Dubai simply because western companies don't understand meanings and connotations of a brand in the Arabic speaking world. A number spring to mind, Dubai Donkey and Dog Cables are two that spring to mind instantly. Your brand needs to communicate to both the local Arabic market and the international market.
Ensure that your branding company knows what they are doing, if they don't ask you a ton of questions about your company, your internal policies, your recruitment policies you can be sure you have a graphic designer working on a brand not a brand strategist.
I have experience of a number of companies in Dubai, this is my own personal opinion based on my own experience, and no I don't work for G&K or any of the others but I have used most of them. I won't list them all; I will list the ones I think are really capable of getting the job done in Dubai and leave it as that.
G&K
A big agency with an international feeling, they employ competent people and understand branding and naming. I sometimes felt that they were weak on the softer elements that I needed to take into account such as building branding (interior design) and some of the merchandising questions I had. You should certainly entertain a conversation with G&K if you are going through the branding purposes. www. gkdesign.com. Multiple UAE customers but international rates, be prepared to spend.
Zamman
Well respected in the Dubai market, I have used them a number of times on different projects although not the most recent as the budget really didn't give me the luxury. They are consistent and they have a good grip of local branding combined with that international agency feel. If you want to get it right and you don't have the budget constraints I have, get on the phone to Zaman www.zaman.ae - They have of the major brands in the local market, including Etisalat, NBD, Jaguar and others under their wing.
MkIX
A recent intro to Mk from my side and I have been impressed with their work. When it comes to getting the job done they are very effective, maybe not as brand aware as some of the others but good with marketing. If you need the job done and need marketing services again I would certainly enter IX into the fray.
Brand Union
Well known globally through their branding of Vodafone, although capable of doing the job I must admit I have personally found them to be incredibly arrogant and not the most pleasurable of people to do business with. It could just be that I got to meet the wrong people on the wrong days and I really have only met with them a few times. They have global reach and should be considered if you can stomach the ego.
When you have your partner in place they should be able to guide you through the difficult job of gaining consensus and management commitment for a branding strategy that works in the local market.
Here is a way to go about it.
1 Brand strategy in absolute authority: Interviewing all of the senior management team in your company. Get their input into the branding document; of course your document based on their input is less likely to be challenged by day-to-day brand managers.
2 Make sure that key company managers own the document: Interviewing all of them allows each to provide feeback and helps distribute the ownership. Building consensus is key. Acknowledge each contribution in your document with credits.
3 Ensure that the management commit to the process. Its not good debating branding strategies if the powers that be kick it out because purple is their favourite colour. Give the main managers an opportunity to inject some language into the final document, or give them the final review to complete.
Remember: Your brand strategy is only worth the commitment you can get to implement it. Having the right partner behind you is one step, if you are still lost you may consider using me to help you drive this process.
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Dubai, UAE - Minerva the leading
distributor for wireless broadband technologies was recently awarded by
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