Abu Dhabi embraces the Emirate's brand identity

Residents of Abu Dhabi and visiting tourists have both embraced the Emirate’s new brand identity and believe it captures the spirit and essence of the destination according to the results of a recent survey carried out by The Office of the Brand of Abu Dhabi (OBAD).

The survey was completed by more than 2,700 people who visited The Essence Collection Exhibition, which travelled to prominent locations around the Emirate of Abu Dhabi throughout May and June 2008.

‘OBAD undertook the survey with visitors to the exhibition as a way for people to express their thoughts, feelings and sentiments about the brand of Abu Dhabi which was launched in November 2007,’ said H.E. Reem Al Shemari, General Manager of OBAD.

‘Our objective with the Exhibition was to showcase the Brand of Abu Dhabi to the people, and to make sure they felt engaged with, and part of, the identity.’

‘Above all, there is a sense that the brand serves as an engagement tool between Emiratis, residents, tourists and visitors – people feel that it bonds communities together, and connects our past with our present.’

Since launching the brand in November 2007 has helped more than 100 organisations across the public and private sector understand and align with the brand of Abu Dhabi. The Essence Collection Exhibition was OBAD’s first initiative to bring the brand to life, for the residents and visitors of Abu Dhabi.

Results showed awareness of the Abu Dhabi brand is higher amongst the population of national Emiratis – with over half of the respondents indicating they were aware of the brand prior to seeing the exhibition. Furthermore 95 percent of total respondents believed the brand accurately reflects attributes of the Emirate.

Survey respondents believe the brand successfully captures a sense of tradition and has a direct link to the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed. As such, many people feel the Abu Dhabi brand is an important platform to help drive international recognition and awareness of the Emirate’s unique offerings.

Getting Involved with the Abu Dhabi Identity

The roadshow helped to launch the national photography competition ‘Abu Dhabi Through Your Eyes’. The competition invited citizens and residents of the UAE to submit photographs that they believe capture the spirit of the Emirate. Competition winners will have their work selected to be used as part of Abu Dhabi’s evolving visual identity and will also receive a range of prizes.

The competition closed on July 31, 2008, and initial analysis of entries has showed:
• More than 2,000 competition entries were received from over 55 nationalities – representing a diverse range of perspectives and interpretations of Abu Dhabi
• The most popular categories of entries to date (in order of frequency) include: Architecture, Landscape, Heritage and People.

Each of the images we have received has a unique story behind it and reflects Abu Dhabi from different angles and perspectives,’ added Ms Al Shemari.