The value of a strong brand

Yesterday, in the heart of Dubai, the Middle East Brand Summit explored the region’s passion for, interest in and understanding of brand. Following the summit, the Transform Awards MENA honoured excellence in brand strategy and rebranding.

The Transform Middle East Brand Summit and Transform Awards MENA successfully celebrated and debated brand development, rebranding and brand positioning in the Middle East for the second year. The awards was marked by a diverse group of winners that reflect the versatility of the region’s branding community and the recognition among businesses within the region of the importance of brand.

Winners at the event included Batelco and Success in branding celebrated and debated at the Transform Awards MENA and Middle East Brand Summit

Yesterday, in the heart of Dubai, the Middle East Brand Summit explored the region’s passion for, interest in and understanding of brand. Following the summit, the Transform Awards MENA honoured excellence in brand strategy and rebranding.

The Transform Middle East Brand Summit and Transform Awards MENA successfully celebrated and debated brand development, rebranding and brand positioning in the Middle East for the second year. The awards was marked by a diverse group of winners that reflect the versatility of the region’s branding community and the recognition among businesses within the region of the importance of brand.

Winners at the event included Batelco and GO Telecommunications, which took home the ‘Overall visual identity’ and ‘Grand Prix’ awards, respectively. Others were honoured for their use of copy style, their successes in brand implementation and their development of new and existing brands.

Brittany Golob, editor of Transform magazine, said: “All of the winners of the Transform Awards MENA deserve the recognition they received last night as they succeeded in a competitive, rigourously-judged field. We are proud to announce the winners of the second annual Transform Awards MENA and wish all of the successful brands our congratulations. It was a pleasure to see the dedication and level of work going into brand development and rebranding projects in the Middle East.”

The Middle East Brand Summit was a true success 100 brand professionals discussed, debated and explored the world of brand communications in the Middle East. The summit began with a look at the way brands build communities among their stakeholder groups. Following that, the concept of innovation was examined as a force for change in the branding industry.

The day proceeded with both discussions of the process involved in developing a brand or a rebrand and of the psychology and emotional impact behind that brand. Explorations of the built environment and of brand language drew interest from delegates, as did a comparison of the objective and subjective decision making processes. A look at luxury and at businesses with a social mission rounded out the day.

Tanita Sandhu, executive director of marketing, brand & communications for Dubai Design District, a speaker at the summit, said: We want to be seen more as a country with soul and spirit, not just for the glitz and the glamour.” Branding, she noted, is a primary means of achieving that shift in the UAE.

For both the Transform Awards 2015 and the Middle East Brand Summit, interest in and quality of entries has doubled since the inaugural event last year. The events held in Dubai yesterday were a mark of the desire by the Middle East’s brand community for further development of its expertise, quality and versatility in rebranding and brand development.

For more information about the Transform Awards or about upcoming Transform events in Hong Kong and New York, email lfoggitt@transformmagazine.net.

The full list of winners is as follows:

Best use of a visual property
Gold – Batelco and Unisono
Gold – Enerya and Landor Associates
Silver – Saudi Arabian Basketball Company and Turquoise Branding
Bronze – Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation and Bellwether
Highly commended – Rise Sports and Omnia

Best brand architecture solution
Gold – Enerya and Landor Associates
Silver – AIYuam and Bellwether
Silver – Dubai Sports City and MBLM
Bronze – GFH and Unisono
Highly commended – Riyad Bank and Brand Union

Best use of copy style/tone of voice
Gold – S’wich and Tonic International
Silver – GO Telecommunications and Bellwether
Silver – Rukn and Unisono
Bronze – Fakih IVF and BrandAid

Best brand experience
Gold – Etisalat and StartJG
Silver – du and Bellwether
Silver – GGICO Properties and MBLM
Bronze – Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation and Bellwether
Bronze – Red Bull Bahrain and Lowe MENA
Highly commended – Waha Capital

Best use of packaging
Bronze – Al Fakher and CBA

Best internal communications during a brand development programme
Gold – APM Terminals Bahrain and Miracle
Gold – Dubai Airports and StartJG
Silver – Ahlibank QSC and Brand Union
Bronze – Duqm Refinery and Omnia
Highly commended – Medeor Hospital and Omnia

Best implementation of a brand development programme
Gold – Men’s handball and 28 Design Consultancy
Silver – Batelco and Unisono
Silver – GO Telecommunications and Bellwether
Bronze – DP and Brash Brands
Highly commended – Fakih IVF and BrandAid

Best implementation of a brand development project across multiple markets
Silver -Malabar Gold and Diamonds and Brand Union

Best creative strategy
Gold – King Abdullah Economic City and Turquoise Branding
Silver – Horizon & Co and Bellwether
Bronze – Aseer Investments and Bellwether
Bronze- Red Bull Bahrain and Lowe MENA
Highly commended – GFH and Unisono

Best brand evolution
Gold – Horizon & Co and Bellwether
Silver – GO Telecommunications and Bellwether
Bronze – AlYuam and Bellwether
Bronze – Asser Investments and Bellwether
Highly commended – Abdul Latif Jameel and Siegel+Gale
Highly commended – Batelco and Unisono

Best strategic/creative development of a new brand
Gold – Hamad International Airport and StartJG
Silver – Roshan and Tonic International
Silver – datamena and Bellwether
Bronze – Duqm Refinery and Omnia
Highly commended – Saudi Arabian Basketball Company and Turquoise Branding

Best brand development project to reflect changed mission/values/positioning
Gold – GO Telecommunications and Bellwether
Silver – GFH and Unisono
Silver – Saudi Arabian Basketball Company and Turquoise Branding
Bronze – Aseer Investment and Bellwether
Highly commended – Horizon & Co and Bellwether
Highly commended- Red Bull Bahrain and Lowe MENA

Best brand consolidation
Silver – AlYaum and Bellwether

Best rebrand of a digital property
Gold – Careem and North 55
Silver – Dubai Sports City and MBLM
Silver – National Bank of Oman and Bellwether

Best visual identity from a charity, NGO or NFP
Gold – CDA (Community Development Authority), UAE and Tonic International
Silver – dnata and Brash Brands

Best visual identity from the energy & extractives sector
Gold – Enerya and Landor Associates
Silver – Setcore Petroleum and Bladonmore
Silver – Duqm Refinery and Omnia
Bronze – Enerji and Unisono

Best visual identity from the financial services sector
Gold – Aseer Investment and Bellwether
Bronze – GFH and Unisono
Highly commended – FGB and Brash Brands

Best visual identity from the healthcare & pharmaceuticals sector
Gold- Fakih IVF and BrandAid
Silver – Medeor Hospital and Omnia

Best visual identity from the industrial & basic materials sector
Gold – King Abdullah Economic City and Turquoise Branding
Bronze – Arkan and Brand Union

Best visual identity from the professional services sector
Gold – Horizon & Co and Bellwether
Silver – Streetlight and Unisono
Bronze – Keita and Omnia
Highly commended – The You Experience and 28 Design Consultancy

Best visual identity from the public sector
Gold – GCC-STAT and OHI Leo Burnett, Oman
Silver – Onwani and Brash Brands

Best visual identity from the retail sector
Gold – S’wich and Tonic International
Silver – Aldar and Mubadala and Latitude Agency

Best visual identity from the technology, media & telecommunications sector
Gold – Batelco and Unisono
Silver – datamena and Bellwether
Silver – GO Telecommunications and Bellwether
Bronze – Carma and Omnia
Bronze – Rukn and Unisono
Highly commended – Rinboo and Tagbrands
Highly commended – Roshan and Tonic

Best visual identity from the travel & leisure sector
Gold – X Dubai & Start JG
Gold – Saudi Arabian Basketball Company and Turquoise Branding
Silver – Boca and North 55
Silver – Hilton Doha and FP7
Bronze – Voyoga and Brash Brands
Highly commended – QFA and FITCH

Best overall visual identity
Batelco and Unisono

Grand Prix
GO Telecommunications and Bellwether