2016 Middle East Brand Summit

Registration and breakfast

Welcome and open address

Challenger brands vs heritage brands

Energetic new brands often pursue exciting ideas and brave branding strategies, but veteran companies can build upon a wealth of experience when approaching brand communications. How can these types of companies learn from each other? What is the value of experience in branding?

Opening the Middle East Brand Summit, we hear from two brands - one old and well established, the other, young and challenging conventions. 

Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons has enjoyed steady expansion since it was founded in the 1940s. This brand is a family-owned entity, like many older brands in the region, that has managed to hold on to its heritage while adapting for modern customers. 

The power of a strong narrative

This session looks at the power of a clear and authentic narrative – and why it is more important than ever to tell a story that resonates internally and externally.

A strong narrative can ensure organisations stand out in a crowded market.

 And help them to communicate more effectively with the people who matter most to them.

 In this session, delegates can expect to hear different perspectives on the narrative development process and ideas on how it can be cascaded internally through an organisation and shared externally with key audiences.

Moderated by Bladonmore

Transform Tales: The JustProperty story

By putting home and belonging at the heart of its new brand proposition, JustProperty.com borrowed an idea that was already popular in Western markets, and applied it to the unique Middle Eastern environment. By adding multilingual language, inviting images and videos, a new, friendly logo and by improving its user experience, JustProperty.com hoped to communicate a clear brand proposition and to become the UAE’s go-to property portal for those looking to build a life in the region.

Coffee break

The wide world of sports 

The MENA region, and the gulf states specifically, have become a centre for the world’s favourite sports. From handball to football and everything in between, international and local sporting events and leagues are being developed. What can these new brands do to attract an audience among the region’s local population and among expat communities? Can new leagues develop the zealotry among fan bases in longtime sporting communities? How can sports brands connect with young people?

Transform Tales

The Transform conference will be punctuated with a series of short sessions in which delegates will be taken on a brand’s transformation journey.

Lunch and networking

From the ground up: Brand in the built environment

The possibilities of branding when you can incorporate the physical space are endless. Many brands in the MENA region carefully craft their environment to create brand experiences for internal and external audiences. The malls, shops and hotels all exude luxury that has been meticulously planned and implemented. This session looks at how brands can be successfully built within the physical space. Delegates will hear from three speakers offering different expertise on how they create branded environments. The audience can expect to takeaway inspiration of how to create a memorable brand experience. 

Re-imagining mobile experience: a new digital brand for Saudi millennials

Mobile operators have been slow to embrace digital innovation even while over-the-top players like Uber, Airbnb and Spotify have succeeded using digital disruption. Jawwy from STC is a disruptive new digital mobile experience brand for Saudi millennials – it’s a personal mobile service in an app, with the user in complete control and strong social media integration. It’s also the first “negotiated brand” in the MENA region, co-created with the people it serves. This insightful, video-rich presentation will reveal the entire brand development process for a first-in-the-world experience innovation project.

Conference round up and finish

Transform Awards Middle East North Africa ceremony

Tables and tickets are available to this glittering awards ceremony.

To book your place and to find out more, www.transformmagazine.net/awards/mena/