Change forms an inextricable and inevitable part of our lives.
We are born, we live, we die. This is a fact. To a greater or lesser extent, we accept, reject or embrace change as it affects us, moment to moment.
Companies are made up of people and are living organisms, changing, growing and implementing new actions and activities as a response to change. Some of these changes are huge: as a result of a merger or takeover for example. Other actions signal change, for instance when a new CEO comes on board, inevitably a new broom sweeps change throughout the company.
In Qatar, Qatari companies are changing as a result of the huge economic growth which is very much part of the economic landscape affecting every facet of our lives. Companies are regrouping and re-engineering themselves to take advantage of the many opportunities which exist, both now and in the future.
One noticeable change which is occurring in the boardrooms of many family trading companies is the realisation that, in order to grow and meet future needs, as well as to capitalise on the inherent equity and goodwill in their companies, families need to move towards a more corporate structure, to develop a formal exit and/or growth strategy whether by IPO, trade sale or Joint Venture as they seek to expand.
Once the Management consultants have provided the blueprint for reorganisation and implementation of best practice systems and processes, it is then the turn of branding and communication agencies such as grow to create everything from the new Corporate Identity to a new communications positioning and differentiation platform in line with the new Vision, Mission and Values. The creation of a full suite of corporate communications collateral is next as part of this synergistic rollout, whether it’s corporate brochures, websites or sales and marketing materials and paying attention to the development of brand guidelines and sub brands for the future development needs of the company as it rolls out enhanced products and services.
Other companies here in Qatar urgently require everything from a facelift (an evolution of their existing logo) to a complete overhaul, as their present communications collateral is simplistic at best and downright amateur at worst. It is strange that parts of the Qatari business community, so brand aware when it comes to their cars, changing to a new model when it suits them, do not invest in their company brands. Surely they recognise that a strong, powerful brand will increase their market share, their profits and lower their customer acquisition costs. Why is it then, that the development of new brands, corporate communications, advertising and design is price-driven and not quality-driven?
We believe this is a fundamental error and will cost Qatari companies dearly over the long term as they seek to position Qatar on the global business landscape. This is a problem endemic throughout the business environment – witness the collapsed roads done on the cheap here in Doha, and one must reach the conclusion that in order to be competitive, as against other GCC countries, for foreign direct investment, the best industry joint venture partners and legacy developments must be established.
To be perceived as a luxury business destination or regional financial hub, a quantum leap in business practices towards a quality-driven business culture must prevail.
Perhaps there is an issue of lack of trust in their strategic communications partners, as identifying optimum communications strategies is presently reliant more on subjective rather than objective analysis. Or maybe historically the perception of success and acknowledgement and thereby the process of reward has been price-driven and not quality-driven? As an example of this, the design of Annual Reports here in Qatar has traditionally been undertaken by printers who charged nothing for their design but instead added their design time cost to the printing price.
Some companies are now becoming more aware that the Annual Report is a marketing tool and should be invested in to communicate their company’s past successes as well as their future strategies to reinforce their brand positioning with stakeholders, employees, peer groups, investors and financial analysts. So the role of design and branding to reflect and communicate the company’s brand and therefore enhance its reputation has increased substantially in importance and relevance.
Companies increasingly realise that their positioning and differentiation lies in their brand and how they articulate and communicate their brand promise on the journey to all customers and not in their quality, price, distribution or manufacturing as these become more and more standardised and equal across industries (i.e. these elements won’t present a point of difference anymore if your competitors are offering the same prices and quality). Hence the rise of branding and the increasing changes taking place as companies jockey for position on the communications horizon.
The lesson here is change and grow now, or rest forever.
And invest in your brand! |
