Brand image is about deepening the customer’s attachment with your brand. It is basically the consumer’s perspective of your business. In today’s digital age, it is important to go all out when it comes to marketing. You can use witty tweets, trendy hashtags, popular tags and so on to impress potential customers and increase traffic at your brand. With every company using similar tactics, you need to shine a little brighter if you want to make it in the fast growing UAE market. Here are a few things that you need to keep in mind while sculpting an infallible brand image in the UAE.
- Consider different perspectives
Now, before deciding anything else, you need to know your exact target demographic. Putting across your vision is an important aspect of the brand building activity, but it is equally important to make sure you acknowledge different kinds of perspectives. You have to make sure that you are selling what your target demographic would like to own/consume in a manner which positively engages. If you want your business to turn into a luxury brand, you have to make sure that your product quality is top notch and that you market it elegantly. UAE is a melting point for 200+ nationalities. So, if it is a brand that has an appeal to the general public, irrespective of nationalities, then the pitch revolving around the overall image should be neutral while keeping cultural and religious aspects in mind.
- Be You
A major chunk of UAE’s population is aged between 25-60 years which makes it a lot more open for new businesses. The younger generation provides rewarding opportunities for industrial as well as commercial activity. UAE is a hub for people with different styles and tastes. A wide variety of product types, global cuisines and so on cohesively co-exist. Also, taxation for any imports in the UAE is only 5% which makes it all the more desirable to to build a business here. It is undoubtedly a meeting point for different types of businesses given the global audience which makes it more important for you to stand apart.
The best example for this would be Zara. People from all over the world shop from Zara majorly because you get high end clothing at affordable rates and its aesthetic. Notice the Gucci-like logo. Zara has a whole section only for basic t-shirts or sweatshirts but it also has a section for elegant dresses and party gowns. Zara has managed to stand out by building its brand image as one of the top brands in the fast-fashion segment selling affordable versions of Gigi Hadid’s closet. It makes the middle class believe that they can dress like a supermodel if they want to while also making sure that the upper middle class feels superior by shopping from Zara’s exclusive section. This is why you need to sculpt your business into a brand while staying on-brand with your roots.
- Mission and Vision
Just like any popular brand , you could sculpt your brand image the way you want to. Having a mission and a vision in place is critical to brand building. A more recent example would be the UAE based brand, the Giving Movement. This brand’s vision revolved around the idea of giving back to the community. They launched in the middle of the pandemic when consumption of athleisure wear in the global market was relatively low. They saw an overnight increase in demand because of a smart strategy – they sculpted their brand image by mixing athleisure with sustainable fabric and giving back to the people in need. This brand became a success because the founder, Dominic-Nowell Barnes had a clear mission and made sure that the consumers shared the company’s vision.
- Don’t let trends dilute your values
Nowadays, there are new trends coming up every other week. Keeping up with these trends could be a task but at the same time, it is what the consumers are seeking. For example, if you have an interior designing firm, you can use the ‘20 pictures,2 videos’ trend to increase your reach. Use aesthetic pictures, add trending hashtags, add a description of your company in the caption and post it on Instagram. Such a reel could end up showing up on everyone’s explore pages and in turn, increase your brand reach and brand value. Such publicity could be exciting but make sure that while keeping up with these trends, your brand does not lose the essence of its identity. It is crucial to move fast but it’s also crucial to be true to yourself.
Yes, shoppers in UAE are very brand conscious. So you need to make sure that your brand is attractive enough to pull customers and convince them that it’s worth their time and money. This will surely not be an easy road and having a professional brand marketing agency can help you do things right and avoid that PR nightmare no one wants. A brand consultant in the UAE can provide you with guidance not only with brand creation but also with matters related to company formation in UAE, business planning and marketing.
