Brand Management
Expertise/
Differentiation, Loyalty and Trust
The brand of an organization acts as its mirror, reflecting its values, culture, and objectives to the world. It's not just a logo or a name but the entire experience stakeholders have with the company. A strong brand differentiates an organization in the market, builds customer loyalty, and establishes trust.
Importance of a brand strategy?
Brand strategy development directly influences consumer perception and loyalty, which are key drivers of revenue and market share. A well-developed brand can better differentiate products or services in a crowded market, and foster customer loyalty, leading to repeat business and referrals. Additionally, strong brands can attract better partnerships, investment opportunities, and talent. Investing in brand development is therefore not just a marketing expense but a strategic investment in the company's financial health and long-term growth.
My experience with brand development?
Throughout my career, I've been involved in numerous complex brand development and transformation initiatives. Starting as a designer working on designing brand identities, I progressed to managerial roles where I led brand development projects end to end. Notably, I launched the Coldwell Banker brand in Lebanon and led the Brand and Design unit at the Commercial Bank of Qatar during a brand evolution that received international acclaim. At Hamad Bin Khalifa University, I developed the brand strategy for the university and its 15 entities, elevating it to a recognized national brand. Currently, I am engaged in the global launch of a new tech start-up brand.
Approach
My approach to brand development, while adaptable to the brand's stage and organizational type, is usually structured into a four-phase process. This ensures a comprehensive and strategic foundation for brand growth and engagement, aligning closely with organizational goals and market demands. Each phase—Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Experience, and Evaluation & Optimization—serves a unique purpose in the brand journey, ensuring a cohesive and impactful brand identity and experience.
Research
The first phase of brand development is critical for understanding the organization's current market position, culture, challenges, and competition. It involves comprehensive market research to uncover insights about potential customers, market trends, and brand opportunities. The goal is to gather actionable data that informs the strategic direction of the brand.
Strategy
Building on insights from the research phase, this stage focuses on developing the brand's core identity, including its personality, architecture, visual identity, core values, and messaging framework. It's about creating a cohesive strategy that aligns the brand's vision with its market positioning and audience expectations.
Experience
This phase involves bringing the brand to life through both internal and external activations. It includes launching the brand to employees and the market, driving engagement through targeted marketing efforts, and ensuring consistency across all touchpoints. The brand experience is designed to create meaningful interactions that build brand loyalty
Evolution
After the brand has been launched, this phase focuses on measuring its performance against set KPIs and gathering feedback from stakeholders. It's an ongoing process of refining and evolving the brand strategy and experience based on real-world interactions and market dynamics, ensuring the brand remains relevant and effective.
Aligning Marketing Framework with Brand Model
Correctly establishing brand architecture in alignment with the business model is essential, as it underpins all marketing communication activities and is fundamental to the brand's development. This strategic framework is particularly crucial for medium to large organizations with multiple entities, products, or services. An overly complex or inappropriate model can jeopardize the entire brand, dilute its messaging, and lead to unnecessary operational costs, emphasizing the need for a well-thought-out brand architecture strategy.
“I had the pleasure of working with Houssam on various projects. His dedication, proactive approach, and professionalism greatly contributed to our team's success. Houssam's expertise in communication and marketing is evident in the exceptional results he consistently delivered. His commitment and active engagement were truly commendable”
Dr. Dena Al Thani, FRSA
Academic | Research & Innovation Advisor