<h1>Dubai International Financial Centre</h1>
<p>Managing an iconic global brand, from brand strategy to campaign execution</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>PROJECT OVERVIEW</p>
<p>Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is one of Dubai’s iconic property developments and a key contributor in building the Middle East’s financial services industry. The world’s leading financial powerhouses have chosen to set up their regional offices within DIFC, due to its prestigious international reputation and access to emerging markets.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>ROLE</p>
<p>Dragoman was appointed as DIFC’s long-term brand management agency, to roll out the existing brand guidelines and provide campaign support on a retainer basis. Dragoman is a true partner in developing DIFC’s brand and marketing strategy from the ground up and executing these through all online and offline touchpoints. Each project links the communication strategy back to DIFC’s commercial objectives, to ensure effective campaign ROI.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>CAMPAIGN: NO. 1</p>
<p>DIFC has achieved strong growth and occupancy figures over their 15 year lifespan. Dragoman was asked to communicate these statistical achievements and give them market context, in an engaging and visual way. The ‘No.1 campaign’ was DIFC’s first integrated marketing campaign. It aimed to raise brand awareness in key markets and generate new business leads. The campaign also spoke to existing DIFC tenants, confirming they were located within Dubai’s most prestigious financial community and amongst global industry leaders.</p>
<p>Dragoman implemented a ‘seeded’ campaign approach, communicating one key achievement message each week, across a 12 week period. The bold typographic style presented key statistics in a bold and engaging way, celebrating their achievements through a playful numerical infographic. The campaign generated 23 million impressions, 85,000 clicks and 115 quality new business leads, with a never-seen-before conversion rate by the Business Development team.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>CAMPAIGN: HARNESSING LOCAL TALENT</p>
<p>DIFC wanted to support the UAE’s 2021 Vision of empowering local talent, supporting SMEs and promoting entrepreneurship within the country. Dragoman and the team at DIFC conceptualised the Harnessing Local Talent (HLT) competition. A national campaign aiming to attract local designers and homegrown brands, with the winners given the opportunity to set up a retail presence in The Design House, DIFC’s dedicated space for SMEs. The campaign ran across paid digital, social media, print, PR and environment branding, with strong targeting on creative audiences and the SME community. The campaign’s creative style visualised the many different aspects of design craftmanship, aimed at enticing SMEs from diverse sectors. Dragoman worked on the communication architecture and endorsement strategy, recommending that the HLT competition be linked back to the DIFC masterbrand. This enhanced DIFC reputation for supporting entrepreneurial talent and fostering creativity. HLT is now in its second year, with an 82% increase in leads. The initiative was so successful that it is currently sponsored by the Dubai government’s cultural department, which has led to further funding and national exposure.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>CAMPAIGN: DIFC ART NIGHTS</p>
<p>DIFC hosts Art Nights, a community event showcasing local and international art. Attracting nearly 4,000 people each season, Art Nights hosts artists, art enthusiasts, collectors and trendsetters who come to see both the outdoor installations, as well as the latest exhibitions by DIFC’s prestigious galleries. The event had run for 5 years before DIFC approached Dragoman. They wanted to increase exposure to new audiences and double the number of attendees. Dragoman was responsible for setting the theme each year, as well as conceptualising and executing the campaign. Under the theme ‘Bridging the Gap’ in 2018, the event aimed to create a more immersive environment between the artists and attendees. To further position DIFC as a destination of art and culture, Dragoman closely aligned Art Nights with the DIFC masterbrand, sharing a colour palette and incorporating DIFC into the event’s name, rather than using a sponsor endorsement structure. The 2018 event was a glowing success and increased footfall by 210%, as well as increased sales by the galleries located at DIFC.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>PROJECT OVERVIEW</p>
<p>Brand governance<br />
 Brand strategy<br />
 Design systems<br />
 Brand rollout<br />
 Brand communication<br />
 Brand management</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>