Brand builder

In the morning I can consult with one of the biggest property developers. In the afternoon I can have tea with one of the biggest hotel operators, and in the evening I can have dinner with one of the biggest FMCG companies," says Hermann Behrens, managing director of Enterprise IG. "I enjoy the diversity and mix of business strategy, and creative."

As more companies in the region start to realise the power of branding, companies like Enterprise IG, one of the four top branding agencies in the world, get a fair share of the numerous opportunities presented by rapidly growing emerging markets. Behrens believes this interest took off about seven years ago as companies like Emaar, Emirates Airline and Mashreq - the subject of a recent rebrand - started to polish their brand image. Now, however, he says branding is more important than ever due to a number of key drivers in the regional market.

"One is to make companies in a competitive and growing market able to compete so they are realizing they have to invest in their brands," says Behrens.

Companies in the region are also beginning to grasp investment opportunities outside their home country which, Behrens says, forces a company to examine its brand and its ability to survive in international markets.

"They need to evaluate things like: ‘what if we go into a joint venture partnership? What if we want to acquire a company offshore? If we're going to go to a market we don't understand, does our brand work in that market? How does that brand work with the other partner?' Geographical expansion has become very important," he says.

Whereas many brands might be very successful at home, this can fall apart when transferred into foreign markets. Strong brands in the local market are not necessarily strong brands in the global market, explains Behrens. And while current businesses in the region focus on expanding in emerging markets where there's opportunity to leverage skills, funds and resources available in Dubai, Behrens says this is also changing.

"Soon emerging market opportunities will also become over-private and companies will ultimately want to compete in international markets. Jumeirah's a good example of that and Emirates Airline has done an incredible job in building their profile in London, New York and Australia," he says, adding that while the Dubai-based carrier has developed into a global airline, it is also fast becoming a globally recognised brand.

According to Behrens, there are three phases in branding. First it's early adoption and investment in the brand. The second phase entails examining how branding enables future expansion of a business. The third and current phase, he says, is being driven by local businesses looking to create greater critical mass to become bigger and stronger brands globally. The future, however, holds a fourth phase as Behrens predicts that the market will be dominated by mergers and acquisitions.

"The announcements that have taken place in terms of Dubai Holdings, Emaar, and a number of acquisitions deals that have been embarked on at the moment are going to start the mergers and acquisitions activity growing. What's going on in Dubai now is really interesting, and it would be interesting to see how it translates into Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and other key markets," he says.

In the mergers and acquisitions phase, the brand becomes a key component, says Behrens, as the question of retaining the equity of acquired businesses is considered. This is where Enterprise IG come in.

"We link ourselves right to business growth because that's what we believe brands do," says Behrens stressing that the company, as a strategic brand consultancy, is different to many other companies who claim to be brand consultancies.

"The difference between us and a design agency, which has talented people who can create a logo together and can look at individual personality programming, is that in our minds the market is going towards a strategic branding approach.

"The question for us is how a brand enables future business growth," he says.

Enterprise IG positions itself as a "master brand builder creating branded business growth". Its list of clients includes Vodafone, Limitless of DP World, Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), and Al Rajhi Bank and Riyadh Bank in KSA.

Being a government entity, RTA was a challenging job, says Behrens. The strategy was to create a an integrated brand that represented all aspects of Dubai transport including taxis, buses, trains as well as other transport-related aspects. From a branding perspective, grouping these sections under one umbrella gives a positive image sending a signal to the market that all aspects of transport and mobility are being addressed in Dubai by this one specific, distinct entity.

"When you get a fine it's not great fun is it? But the fact is that the same guys giving you a fine are giving you a metro. This is part of what they call ‘smooth and safe transport for all' in Dubai," he says.

The time frame for creating a brand varies from one company to another, says Behrens. While some branding processes are fast-track, especially when driven from the top with an agenda behind them, others tend to be more complex. Enterprise IG starts any branding project by looking at global and local trends, international best practice, benchmarking against all the competitors, possible positioning within the market, and researching consumer insight.

"We also spend a lot of time talking to the business leaders of various businesses. Once we have the contract or proposal the first thing we look to do is connect straight away with the CEO or chairman," he says.

This research phase, before starting to develop the brand, could take from two weeks up to two months, depending on the project. When working on the P&O acquisition for DP World, Behrens says, because the project was globally-driven, it required the involvement of Enterprise IG in London, and extensive research in Australia, India, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi.