AD Ports Group, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Reimagining trade, AD Ports Group

Company: AD Ports Group, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Company Description: Through organic growth and partnerships, AD Ports Group has developed over the years into an integrated premier enabler of trade, industrialisation, and economic diversification. Established by Emiri Decree and owned by ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies with a broad portfolio of major enterprises spanning key sectors of Abu Dhabi’s diversified economy.
Nomination Category: Marketing Campaign Categories - Industry
Nomination Sub Category: Marketing Campaign of the Year - Corporate Reputation/Professional Services
2022 Stevie Winner Nomination Title: Reimagining trade | AD Ports Group
  1. Which will you submit for this nomination, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the nominated campaign or program, OR written answers to the questions for this category? CHOOSE ONE:
    Written answers to the questions
  2. If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
  3. If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this second question: Describe the genesis of the nominated campaign or program: the reasons it was initiated, the challenges it was created to address, the problems it was developed to solve, etc. (up to 250 words):

    Total 173 words used.

    Since its foundation in March 2006 as a ports business, the company expanded into complementary offerings across trade and logistics. Standing out amongst the big global players, it became a critical part of Abu Dhabi's economy. Visionary leadership, justifiable ambition and a highly skilled workforce meant that the Group was looking forward to its next era. The organisation had undergone a restructuring process that had separated its business into five different units, in keeping with the ambition to become a world-class trade player. By providing the brand with a more human approach, the Group was differentiated from its major global competitors The challenge The brand needed to convey an integrated group, a business with a mission to grow from a respected regional player to a world-class global organisation. On the one hand, the brand needed to signal to the world that the organisation was a cohesive group of diversified businesses beyond the services of the port. On the other hand, it needed to leverage a differentiated positioning that would make it stand out.

  4. If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this third question: Describe the development of the campaign or program: the planning process, the goal setting, the creative and media development, the scheduling, etc. (up to 250 words):

    Total 221 words used.

    To get a full picture of the industry and the organisation, our consultants ran an in-depth immersion on location in Abu Dhabi. This covered employee workshops, client interviews and visits across the Groups' sites, including the port, terminals, labs, headquarters and industrial sites. As a result, we understood that as a consequence of a rapid portfolio expansion, AD Ports Group's visual identity had become obsolete and inadequate. In order to bring the new brand to life and communicate it across different channels, we recommended a new visual identity that reflected the new Group's reality addressing it to both local and international presence. The new identity needed to balance simplicity for recognition, with boldness, to live in a wide variety of environments. Creativity & Innovation The ship's wheel symbol - a key part of the original brand identity and hugely recognisable in Abu Dhabi - was given a modern update. This allows it to live more easily across the many touchpoints required by a global brand, both digital and physical. This optimisation was the main influence on the development of a bespoke typography and other graphic devices. ­The main graphic device, the 'radar', reinforces the idea of ships' movements as they go in and out of ports, highlighting Abu Dhabi's central global point of trade between East and West, North and South.

  5. If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this fourth question: Outline the activities and concrete results of this campaign or program since the beginning of 2019. Even if your initiative started before 2020, limit your response to activities and results since the beginning of 2020 only (up to 250 words):

    Total 248 words used.

    Activities: Discovery Phase January – March 2020: including C-Suite interviews, workshops and strategy sessions Brand Strategy and Architecture April – June 2020: including competitor analysis and brand architecture benchmarking July – September 2020: C-Suite and Board alignment and approvals. Design phase October – December 2020: revisions and refinement including design system implementation Messaging Framework January 2021: Decision Tree Analysis and Design System approvals Other April 2021: Bespoke typography commissioned and brand guidelines begins August – September 2021: Brand Guidelines and Typography finalized and approved. October 2021: Bynder implemented and populated November 2021: Brand Launch Results Highest Ranking New Entrant Brand in the UAE: As part of the Brand Finance 2022 annual report on the most valuable and strongest UAE brands, AD Ports Group received the highest rank of a new entrant, valuing the brand at US$440 million "The logistics and maritime brand Abu Dhabi Ports is a part of ADQ's portfolio which consists of a wide variety of brands across energy, healthcare, hospitality, financial services, and real estate. With a brand value of US$440 million, the brand is a key enabler to drive integrated global trade to the United Arab Emirates and Abu Dhabi." 7 Awards at Transform Awards MEA Our new brand identity received 7 awards at the Transform Awards MEA which globally recognizes best practice in corporate, product and global brand development work. Additionally, we were honoured with the overall Grand Prix award to celebrate the transformative power of branding and rebranding in the region.

  6. If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this first question: Specify the date on which this campaign or program was launched:

    Total 27 words used.

    Campaign Landing page https://www.adportsgroup.com/en/reimagining-trade

    Campaign Film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igQvjtmeDus

    Campaign Planhttps://onbrand.adports.ae/transfer/b463479df5aa221192d853f136a7e89858f2c1a29b2b76bf3fbbe2d2f10c10c8

    Campaign Results report https://onbrand.adports.ae/transfer/94c9986f0d3240826a36b9e534fb1c6b032a3299f54c7941b238c8f056a81213

     

Attachments/Videos/Links:
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