O2 Network, the only independent communications network in the Middle East, announces the opening of its latest agency, O2 Branding. Based in the company’s headquarters in Dubai, the new entity will be the fourth agency of the O2 Network, joining O2 Public Relations (O2PR), O2 interactive (O2i) and O2 Marketing Communications (O2MC).
O2 Branding will offer all inclusive branding services such as brand management, strategy design and development, and brand activation and revitalization. The new agency will also offer clients advice on brand presentations, conduct company-wide branding workshops, and hold seminars on quantitative and qualitative research strategies.
O2 Branding grew out of the understanding that brands are organic in nature; an insight that is reflected in their mission to create ‘Living Brands’. The agency recognizes that brands look, speak, and behave according to their surroundings. In order to ensure an integrated brand culture, O2 Branding will draw upon the expertise of the entire O2 Network, including interactive, PR, and advertising agencies, to offer clients integrated communication solutions. According to various global marketing studies, most multi-national companies today are looking for agencies that offer these complete marketing and communication services rather than agencies that specialize in one particular domain.
Commenting on the ‘Living Brand’ approach, Mohammed Johmani, O2 Network’s Managing Director, said:
“To create living brands, we align brand strategies to consumer touchpoints. O2 is unique in its communications approach because of its fundamental understanding that people interact with brands and experience them through multiple channels, which translate to the practices of marketing, public relations, and interactive digital media, all of which contribute to shaping certain characteristics of a brand. This approach ensures a comprehensive platform for the creation of an attuned brand culture. ”
The core value of O2 Branding is the motto ‘Believe’. Before a brand comes to life, a company must commit itself full-heartedly to the campaign and the creative concept. The consumer must also believe that the brand will deliver on what it promises. Campaigns that can do this will be successful, and the process starts with believing in yourself, your publics, and your brand’s value to the marketplace.
The O2 Network has actually been practicing branding internally for the past few years, although increased demand has motivated the network to expand upon its services by opening up a new agency. The launch comes just six months after O2 Network announced the opening of two new offices in Saudi Arabia, bringing the network’s total operations across five countries and seven cities. O2 Branding has offered its services to elite government, public and private sector clients throughout the region, including local government entities such as the UAE Foreign Investment Office and the Abu Dhabi Emiratization Council.
These activities become even more important considering the fact that strong brands have managed to resist the effects of the global financial meltdown and maintain a profitable standpoint. According to a study conducted by Business Week magazine in association with Interbrand, Top 100 international brands—companies like Coca Cola, IBM and Microsoft—represent around $ 2 trillion worth of business, and are examples of companies that are able to persevere through tough financial times. However, even strong Middle Eastern brands like Emirates Airlines, Al Jazeera Television, and Zain Telecommunications, didn’t make it into the Top 100. O2 Branding will help regional companies move into this top-tier category.
“O2 Branding will help regional Arabic brands solidify their presence on the international scene, capitalizing on market trends and overcoming challenges posed by market fluctuations,” added Johmani.
Nermin Habib, Creative Strategist for O2 Branding, said:
“The essence of our approach is to believe in a brand even before it is created. As brands’ lives unravel to accommodate their surroundings, believing and seeing their full potential is the constant amongst continuous change. This is how we give rise to believable brands.”