Superbrands 2017

2017 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2017

The Elite app

SUPERBRANDS MOBILE APPLICATION TO AID IN CUSTOMER REACH

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Welcome to a niche club

Superbrands winners hold a special place in the hearts and minds of loyal customers, founded on the USP of these brands and how they choose to market themselves in a world inundated with options

“Being selected as Brand of the Year 2017 by Superbrands is a recognition of our dedication to providing superior healthcare outcomes, compassionate care, and a sincere commitment to the overall well-being of the community.”

Prasanth Manghat CEO, NMC

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feature published in 2013 by Forbes magazine highlighted top characteristics of the world’s most successful brands, and while audience knowledge inevitably topped the list, brand

uniqueness was the second of seven factors considered.

The best brands in the world spend countless man-hours and billions of dollars searching for something that is essentially simple, yet infinitely valuable and

hard to decipher — what makes a brand unique in the eyes of the customer, for it is this very characteristic that builds trust and brand loyalty, sometimes for life. Apple’s relentless pursuit of delivering products that pack-

age cutting-edge technology and seamless design; Domino’s Pizza’s 30-minute delivery or a pizza free; and Rolls Royce’s timeless advertisement from the 1960s of the loudest sound in their car being generated by the ticking

of its electric clock are just a few succinct examples of how stellar products and a bit of savvy marketing help brands claim their spot in the pantheon of greats.

Today, that savvy marketing has only increased exponential-

ly as have the number of brands.

And while some are recognised instantly, others leave customers more confused than anything else. Choice can sometimes be SEE LEAD ON PAGE 2

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2017

Superbrands app broadens customer reach Superbrands Elite mobile application to be an integral part of every winning brand’s sales and marketing tools

EVENTFUL NIGHT FOR SUPERBRANDS WINNERS Superbrands 2017 saw 64 leading brands claim top honours at a grand gala held at the Intercontinental Hotel Festival City on September 17. We share select snapshots from the show

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uperbrands, the independent authority and arbiter of branding, announced the launch of Superbrands Elite — an app that offers shoppers exclusive discounts, promotions and information from the world of Superbrands. It is a natural progression by Superbrands in recognising and honouring the UAE’s strongest brands, offering them a more direct and instant connection with their customer, helping them increase brand awareness and drive footfall. Customers in turn are assured they receive exclusive sales, discounts and other promotional offerings that are exclusive only to Superbrands Elite customers.

“Thanks to the internet and smartphones, the world is more connected than ever,” says Mike English, Director, Superbrands Middle East.

“This has transformed our shopping experiences and our expectations of the brands we love. We wanted to extend our support to the Superbrands by offering a new platform through which they could reach a wider audience, leading us to launch an easy-to-use, simple app — Superbrands Elite.

“This app is limited only to consumers in the UAE and will

offer promotions, discounts and offers that are exclusive to our Superbrands Elite app users and over and above those available in stores.”

The Superbrands Elite mobile application is expected to become an integral part of a brand’s set of sales and marketing tools. Targeting iPhone and Android smartphone users in the UAE, as well as other GCC based consumers visiting the UAE, Superbrands Elite is available for free download on

iOS and Android devices. The mix of consumers include people hailing from different nationalities, income bracket and gender, as they search for the ultimate deals in the UAE. Superbrands Elite will also help to serve an additional platform to support various sales and marketing objectives.

The Superbrands Elite app is available for free download on Android and iOS devices.

More than 64 Superbrands have already joined the programme

ranging from fashion brands, electronics, jewellery brands, restaurants and food products to hospitals and pharmacies, petrol pumps, Government organisations, banks and exchange houses.

Once downloaded, customers simply have to register once and they will be able to avail the exclusive offers. “We are extremely proud that Superbrands UAE has taken the initiative of developing this app for Superbrands,” says English.

HOW THEY SCORED

“T Eros Group has always understood the importance of marketing and meaningful relationships with customers, suppliers and employees. The Superbrand vote reflects our efforts over the past four decades, and reaffirms our commitment to deliver the X-factor in customer experience: delight.”

Niranjan Gidwani CEO, Eros Group

Achieving the Superbrands status is a well-deserved endorsement of the quality of services we provide, and the strength of the relationship we have built with our customers, clients and our own employees over the past 21 years.”

Saud Salim Al Mazrouei Director, Hamriyah Free Zone Authority

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Welcome to a niche club a negative. “The multitude of brands is perplexing for consumers,” says Mike English, Director, Superbrands Middle East.

SUPERBRANDS: BENEFITS

“With new brands being added to the market every day, how does the consumer decide what brands are going to last and what brands stand above the rest?,” explains English. Superbrands helps make an informed decision.

Recognised as the international arbiter of excellence in branding, independent consumer and business research help the body identify the biggest, best and most valued local and international brands within specific sectors. “Superbrands analyses how brands promote themselves and how true their ethos is to branding excellence,” says English.

“The consumer knows that when they see the Superbrands logo

and seal, the brand displaying it is truly a great brand with reliable products and services.” In order to be a true Superbrand, a brand has to have three attributes, he says: “Firstly, consumers must feel comfortable with the brand; second, customers must trust the brand; and finally, the brand must always deliver what it promises.”

To be voted as a Superbrand is a “powerful endorsement and evidence for existing and potential customers, the media, suppliers, investors and employees of each brand’s exceptional status.”

The distinctive advantage that Superbrands brings to its winners is that it is the only interna-

tional programme that is truly independent, says English. “Brands cannot apply to become a Superbrand — they are chosen by our voters,” he explains. “The USP is recognition by a jury of their peers (see box on voting).

As an independent organisation promoting branding discipline, Superbrands has “played a strong part in creating awareness about the whole branding process by identifying, recognising and rewarding branding excellence in the UAE since 2000”, says English. “There is currently a strong trend amongst brands in the UAE to adopt a more professional and consistent approach to branding.

Consistency is the most important part of this as consumers get confused if this is not happening.

“We have also seen a lot of change in the way brands have been communicating with customers, establishing stronger and faster rapport with their buyers,” he adds. Yet, what are the main associations for customers when they see the Superbrands logo?

“We commission research from time to time on just this question.

The latest research shows that when asked ‘When you see the Superbrands logo on a product, are you more likely to buy that product?’ 81 per cent of respondents answered ‘Yes’.”

he Superbrands programme has always relied on branding experts to score brands against given criteria to arrive at a final list of qualifying Superbrands in a country. We recently expanded the scoring from our 15 or so experts to a broader system where CEOs and marketing directors of all candidate brands get to score the other brands.

“We take note of every brand in all categories in a given country and that list contains thousands of brands.

We have to bring this down to a manageable number so we discard very small brands or those that are too niche. In the UAE this year we came down to a shortlist of 1,241 candidate brands after our Council members had individually scored the brands.

The difference this year has been that, at that stage, we also sent the list to the CEOs and marketing directors of these brands and invited them to score the other brands online.

“The results from the new system have been fascinating.

As "glamour" brands failed to qualify, brands that really mean something to individuals on a day-today basis have seen strong improvement. Of 1,241 candidates, just 58 became Superbrands.”

— Mike English, Director, Superbrands Middle East

A Gulf News sponsored supplement published, printed and distributed by Al Nisr Publishing LLC on behalf of Superbrands

GULF NEWS COMMERCIAL PUBLISHING PUBLISHER — COMMERCIAL PUBLISHING Anshuman Joshi | PRODUCTION EDITOR — COMMERCIAL PUBLISHING Sankar Sri Pillai | ART EDITOR John Catherall | DESIGNER Pranith Ratheesan | DEPUTY CHIEF SUBEDITOR Priya Mathew SUBEDITORS Krita Coelho, Riaz Naqvi | OFFICE SECRETARY Ma Cecelia Jyrwa | ADVERTISEMENT SALES MANAGER Shahida Khan | PRE-PRESS SUPERINTENDENT Sarder Bakiruddin | PRE-PRESS OPERATORS Yousaf Naeem, Shirantha Mendis

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2017

UAE EXCHANGE

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NINE YEARS A WINNER

hen winning becomes a habit, the passion for excellence is more. The same applies to UAE Exchange, the leading global money transfer, foreign exchange and payment solutions brand, which was honoured with the title of Superbrand for the ninth consecutive year.

The award was conferred after a meticulous criterion set by the Superbrands Council that comprised the brand’s supremacy, longevity and customer loyalty in the UAE market.

“It is a delight to be recognised for our incessant efforts in enhancing customer experience through premier services,” said Abdel Kareem Alkayed, Country Head for UAE Exchange-UAE. “We thank the jury members for bestowing us with the award and encouraging us to continue on the path of innovation and excellence.”

Abdel Kareem Alkayed, Country Head, UAE Exchange-UAE receives the Superbrands title during the 13th Annual Superbrand Award ceremony

UAE Exchange, established in 1980 and headquartered in Abu Dhabi, has today grown into one of the widest accepted globally networked remittance brands and a pioneer in digital adoption. It has spread its wings across five continents – from Americas to Oceania – and operates in 28 coun-

NMC

FOUR SUCCESSFUL DECADES OF GROWTH

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ew Medical Centre (NMC) was started in 1975 as a pioneer project in the private healthcare sector in the UAE, soon after the nation was formed. NMC was founded by Dr B R Shetty, who, while working as a pharmacist in the UAE, spotted an opportunity to found private sector healthcare in the country.

Spanning the globe

Built over the last four decades, Dr Shetty’s healthcare operations today span ten

countries and treat over 5 million patients annually.

The flagship, NMC Health was the first healthcare company from the GCC to list on the London Stock Exchange and is now a part of the FTSE 100 Index, with a market capitalisation in excess of $7.5 billion.

Today, NMC Healthcare is the UAE’s largest private healthcare provider and has a presence of over 75 facilities across GCC, Europe and Latin America.

NMC employs over 2,000 doctors who offer their competent

tries with a strong network of over 800 branches and more than 200,000 agent locations in above 160 countries.

The brand also offers digital services including prepaid cards, online money transfer facilities, mobile-based applications and kiosks in many major markets. Over and compassionate care to over 1,000 patient beds.

NMC is a pioneer in a number of areas — it was the First UAE company to manage a UAE Government federal hospital, the prestigious 208 bed Sheikh Khalifa General Hospital in Umm al Quwain.

NMC has been awarded contracts to look after the health of visitors and employees at Sheikh Zayed’s Grand Mosque, at the Crown Prince’s Court and at ADNOC.

Hospital for women

It is today the world’s third largest fertility services provider with a presence in five countries and performs almost 20,000 cycles per annum. NMC set up Abu Dhabi’s first private women’s hospital, BrightPoint Royal Women’s Hospital, and is

9,000 professionals, representing 40+ nationalities, collaborate every day to ensure consistent and enriched customer experience is delivered across multiple channels, bringing complete delight to more than 15 million customers worldwide.

This customer-centric ethos combined with a quality-driven approach, constant innovation in products and processes, and the deployment of latest technological advancements across all retail operations and digital channels sets the brand apart from its peers.A member of prestigious associations like the World Economic Forum and United Nations Global Compact, UAE Exchange has also been globally recognised and awarded for its corporate citizenship, customer service initiatives and business excellence.

the UAE market leader in providing long term critical care and homecare services. Today, NMC is among the world’s six largest healthcare providers outside the US.

NMC Trading

Dr B.R. Shetty ventured into distribution in 1976 and today, NMC Trading is one of the largest distributors in the UAE, being the exclusive marketers of iconic brands such as Nivea, Nestle, Unilever, 3M, Pfizer, Sanofi and Samsung among many others across the pharmaceuticals verticals.

It also includes medical devices, consumables and equipment, personal care, food and beverage, household care and home improvement, education and veterinary and stationery products.

DULSCO

CLAIMING TOP PRIZE THREE YEARS IN A ROW T here is something inherently inspiring about being told that your company has, once again, been chosen as a UAE Superbrand.

Firstly because, as a company with over 82 years’ worth of experience in the regional business environment, Dulsco has been doing this for a while – and been consistently up against some stiff competition, so it is clearly working in the right direction. Secondly, and more importantly, the award brings together 64 of the UAE’s most successful companies — all identified because of the quality that is their benchmark, the reliability that defines them, and the distinctive products and services that set them apart. Dulsco is proud to be a part of this group.

Key player

Since its establishment, Dulsco has come a long way, becoming a key player in the UAE’s economic development and an important contributor to the country’s social development. The company has grown dramatically, overseeing what is today a workforce of over 12,000 employees, and offices that are spread across the entire country, in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Fujairah, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah.

Dulsco is also ahead of

the game with its commitment to the UAE environment and carbon reduction targets.

For instance, Dulsco handles over 2,000 tonnes/day of municipal solid waste to landfills in Dubai alone, and now focuses on environmental solutions like source segregation, recycling, gasification, and incineration (among other technologies) across the country.

Dulsco’s experience across the people solutions market in the country is also exten sive, and it offers end-to-end people solutions to meet the needs of clients in all industry segments, whether they are multinational or local companies.

Inspiring brand

All of this reinforces why Dulsco is so excited by this recognition — for three years running, no less. It means that 82 years of Dulsco’s hard work, investment, growth and innovation have been recognised as contributing more broadly to the UAE — to both its success and its future.

Dulsco could not be any prouder of being a part of an inspiring collective of brands that are committed to the country through this year and beyond.

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DUCAB

POWERING THE REGION FOR CLOSE TO FOUR DECADES

By Ashish Chaturvedy Marketing Manager, Ducab

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ucab has grown into a global leader in the development, design, manufacture, marketing and distribution of copper and aluminium wire and cable products for the energy, general construction, industrial, defence, transport and specialty industry verticals. With five manufacturing facilities in the UAE, Ducab has a manufacturing capability of over 115,000 metal tonnes of high, medium and low voltage cables and 110,000 tonnes of copper rod and wire per annum.

Since 1979, Ducab has supplied electrical cables to a number of landmark projects in the region including the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Metro, Emirates Palace, Burj Al Arab, Atlantis the Palm and Yas Marina Circuit in the UAE, and Central Bank of Oman, and the Dilmunia Health Centre in Bahrain.

Ducab is proud to of having supplied the ‘Office of the Future, the world’s first 3D-printed office here in the UAE, with approximately 10 kilometres of cables and wires.

Ducab takes pride in providing quality-assured product ranges that adhere to strict global standards. As a respected UAE national company and a leading cable provider, Ducab believes that apart from ensuring our products meet these standards, it also has a responsibility to educate others on the importance of using standards-compliant electrical wir-

Ashish Chaturvedy, Marketing Manager, Ducab

ing and cables. In 1997, Ducab was the first cable manufacturing company in the world to become ISO 14001 certified, to

receive ISO 9001 Quality Management Standard certification and to be awarded the Emirates Quality Mark Award.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2017