5 Minutes With… Hasan Fadlallah
In an ever-evolving global marketplace, Brand Lounge founder and CEO Hasan Fadlallah champions a holistic approach to brand strategy.
His method integrates different elements to ensure brands not only stand out but also connect meaningfully with audiences.
As the UAE-based agency navigates the complexities of the GCC and MENA regions, he shares with LBB’s Olivia Atkins how a deep understanding of local nuances, combined with a forward-thinking approach, is key to creating brands that are both globally competitive and locally resonant.
LBB> Why do you think brand strategy should take a holistic approach? And how do you ensure that elements like purpose, innovation, culture, and image are seamlessly integrated into the strategies you develop for clients?
Hasan> Brands are inherently multi-dimensional, so a holistic approach just makes sense. Our ‘dimensions of differentiation' philosophy, refined over the last 20 years, embraces complexity and allows for a multi-faceted practice.
Branding began as a simple visual differentiation – with the very literal branding of cattle. But it’s evolved with mass media and new technology. A brand can be a product, a city, or even a person – it's no longer just about what people see, it is about how the brand makes them feel. The pandemic emphasised the role of purpose and culture in branding, when brands had to connect with people during challenging times. We try to integrate purpose, innovation, culture, and image into every strategy.
Purpose drives everything we do, while a focus on innovation means we can explore growth non-traditionally. Having an awareness of cultural relevance helps us to understand where we can engage employees and audiences, and visually embodying a brand will always be an important aspect within the strategy. While we continue to grow with AI and other emerging technologies, applying a holistic approach ensures that clients are prepared for today and for the future.
LBB> How do you go about embedding a brand’s purpose into its strategy in a way that resonates authentically with both internal teams and external audiences?
Hasan> Purpose is the cornerstone to our entire approach; it’s our starting and end point. Without a clear understanding of a brand’s 'why', it's impossible to address the 'how, what, when, and where' in a comprehensive brand strategy.
Over the years, we've adapted to more of a co-created method, involving close collaboration with senior brand management to retain the client’s vision. Involving our partners throughout the process – including having regular meetings – means we guarantee that the brand strategy is actually useful and not just another document gathering dust.
The process is designed to uncover a brand's purpose, which then becomes the guiding star for creating the strategy and brand identity – and long-term means it will resonate more with internal and external teams. It’s important to rally everyone around purpose because a good internal company culture radiates externally. And can help it to become truly influential. Seamlessly integrating purpose can improve customer loyalty, employee engagement, and grow the business sustainably.
LBB> Innovation is often a buzzword, but in practice, how do you embed genuine innovation into a brand’s strategy to ensure it stays ahead of the competition?
Hasan> Innovation is so much more than just a buzzword, it's fundamental to our philosophy – and forms one of four pillars around how we approach differentiation. We approach innovation holistically, and consider tech innovation in products and services and how business models can be transformed.
We begin by rigorously analysing the market analysis to stay ahead of trends. Then, we work with our partners to nurture innovation into their mindset and in-house culture, which can include challenging established norms and encouraging bold, creative thinking.
As advocates for rapid prototyping and concept testing, we’re committed to failing fast, learning quickly, and iterating effectively. And we’re constantly looking beyond the immediate industry for inspiration.
LBB> What role does understanding and aligning with a brand’s culture play in your strategic approach? How do you make sure that culture is reflected in the brand's external image?
Hasan> It’s crucial for our strategies. Creating a brand culture has only become more important in recent years, especially post-pandemic. We’ve analysed brand behaviour of over 500 CEOs and business owners, and found that they are concerned with employee wellbeing, mental health, and aligning to their company purpose.
Culture is the bedrock of a strong brand. A brand's employees provide a vital link between the company and its end-users, who are the face of the brand. Every customer interaction should represent the brand. Which is why I’m adamant about building great companies by focusing on building great teams.
That’s why we’ve set up ‘Brand Lounge People’, a guideline for setting good branded culture practice. We design and implement culture programs, workshops, employer branding strategies, advocacy strategies and other initiatives that challenge company culture.
LBB> How do you see the role of design in shaping and executing brand strategies? What makes design a critical component of a successful brand strategy?
Hasan> Design is crucial for brand development. It’s a visual language that brings a brand's image to life and reflects a brand's purpose. Design is the storyteller of the brand strategy. It's a tool that articulates and 'dresses' the strategy, providing a reference point for end-users and customers to grasp who you stand for.
True differentiation comes from creating a comprehensive visual language that translates the brand strategy into a memorable experience. It goes beyond visual design and requires figuring out how to land creative impact. We lean on the five senses to bring brands to life – even creating sonic and scented branding experiences. Engaging the senses makes brand experiences more immersive.
Our audiences experience multi-sensory manifestations of our brands because of our thorough strategies that create lasting impressions and greater, more emotional resonance.
LBB> As a founder/CEO, what is your leadership style, and how does it influence the strategic direction and creativity within Brand Lounge?
Hasan> My leadership style has evolved over the years, as I’ve adapted to market and industry changes. Being the founder of a service-based, human-centric business, I understand that effective leadership requires me to empower my team, be adaptable and continuously learn.
I try to lead by example and practise what I preach. It’s about building the right culture and embodying Brand Lounge’s principles. Which includes stepping out of my comfort zone and challenging the status quo – something I encourage my team to do also.
At Brand Lounge, we’ve cultivated an environment that values creative thinking and innovation. This keeps us agile, future-looking and aware of how to optimise value for clients and ourselves.
LBB> What is your formula for working with clients to ensure their brand stands out in a crowded market? Can you share some key principles or steps you follow to achieve standout success for your clients?
Hasan> We’re focused on maximising value. We want to open our partners’ eyes and show them possibilities they might not have considered. Partners are always telling us they would have hired us earlier and kept us longer if they knew the value we’d bring.
We deliver standout success to our partners by being comprehensive and precise. It requires us to dive deep into their business, industry, and target audience to find insights that will form the bedrock of the strategy. Then, it’s about identifying and amplifying what differentiates the brand and making this known. We design the brand strategy with the brand's purpose at its core.
This approach guarantees that our clients’ strategies are tailored to their specific needs and means they have a genuine right to win in the market. We aim for innovative but achievable strategies that create lasting success. We work very closely with our partners to ensure buy-in and alignment at every stage. And of course, pursuing measurable results is vital so we define clear, achievable goals and regularly assess progress – providing partners with actual evidence of their brand's growth and success.
Adhering to these principles means our partners can stand out in a crowded market and maximise their brand's potential while driving tangible business growth.
LBB> In the context of the GCC and MENA regions, how do you navigate the unique cultural, economic, and social nuances when developing brand strategies for local and regional brands?
Hasan> We’re good at navigating the unique nuances of diverse markets. Our culturally diverse teams are fully immersed locally and they’re integral to the markets we serve. This helps us to grasp subtle differences across cities, countries, and regions, which helps with developing authentic, resonant brand strategies.
We blend our regional insights with global best practices. In the GCC and MENA regions, this means leveraging the digital scene and technological innovation, whereas in India and Mauritius, we adapt our strategies accordingly. We adopt a sensitive approach to economic diversity. We strike the balance between global consistency and local relevance to ensure our strategies resonate wherever they're implemented.
Lastly, we're attuned to the rapid pace of change in global markets, with evolving social norms and economic priorities. Our strategies are flexible and allow brands to adapt as markets evolve. We aim to develop brands that are authentically local yet globally competitive, bridging regional expertise with international appeal.
LBB> What specific considerations or adaptations are necessary to resonate effectively with audiences in these diverse markets?
Hasan> We adopt a multifaceted and forward-thinking approach. We don't plan for today; we strategise for the future, and consider emerging trends and technologies to ensure our strategies have lasting relevance.
We leverage our understanding of local cultures and consumer behaviours. This linguistic and cultural fluency, combined with our insights into economic landscapes and demographic make-ups, allows us to create strategies that are effective and adaptable.
Our team's diverse background helps us bridge local nuances with global best practices. We're adept at navigating the unique economic contours of different countries – from the oil-rich Gulf states to the North African markets and beyond. Blending local insight with global perspective makes our strategies culturally resonant and internationally competitive.
Through anticipating future developments and understanding current realities, we craft brand strategies that are robust, flexible, and poised for long-term success in an ever-evolving global marketplace.
