The Brand Union embraces 2010 with optimism and evolution
The Brand Union Middle East announced new team appointments and major client wins pointing to a strong and exciting 2010.
The Middle East offices, based in Dubai and Abu Dhabi enjoyed a strong new business performance in 2009, adding 17 major clients across the region including an up market brand experience for Lexus showrooms to ZonesCorp, a new age industrial zones corporation which is contributing to Abu Dhabi’s vision 2030.
The team also strengthened enduring and valuable client relationships across the region with brands such as Sorouh, Al Hilal Bank and Tawuniya.
Hermann Behrens, CEO of The Brand Union Middle East, said:
“Despite the downturn, many companies are continuing to invest in their brand and there is a growing realisation that strong brands are more resilient in tougher times. As a leading brand consultancy, we constantly drive innovation, optimism and embrace new opportunities. We ultimately seek constant improvement in the way we work, and what we deliver for our clients.”
Globally, The Brand Union continues to go from strength to strength winning agency of the year in both the UK and India for 2009. With a robust new business performance in the past year, the agency added major clients across the group including the newly merged Bank of America and Merrill Lynch, Blackrock, several project wins for JTI and Coca Cola, and was appointed the global lead design agency for FMCG giant Reckitt Benckiser. The longstanding global relationship with Vodafone was also strengthened with the recognition of The Brand Union as the brand custodian for Vodafone UK.
The Brand Union is now looking forward to evolving the business to ensure clients are at the centre and aligned with the agency’s internal guiding principle of ‘Brand Mastery’.
The Middle East team is now bolstered with Iain Webster and Tanita Sandhu taking on new roles as Executive Client Directors. Webster and Sandhu will lead integrated teams around clients across a growing regional client base and join the executive team of Hermann Behrens, Michael Hughes, Matthew Laubscher and Rashida Boghani. Toby Southgate moves to the USA to take up the role of Managing Director of The Brand Union New York.
“We are always focussed on attracting and nurturing the best talent across the group and in the region and this provides a vehicle for building ownership, community, teamwork, and an all-around consultative culture in today’s fast-paced, often virtual, work environment,” says Behrens.
Duncan James also moves into a new role of Consulting Director and several new appointments in the client service, strategy and design team will also be made in the next few months to support the agency’s growth.
