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It isn’t the first of its kind in the world. Microsoft, Panasonic, HP, Fujitsu and a few others have all done it before. Fujitsu even has a hand held device also called the iPAD!

Apple’s iPad doesn’t have earth-shattering features. It may not be particularly user friendly and the after-sales service may leave a lot to be desired.

So what is all the noise about?

It is the ‘thought’ behind everything Apple does. Every Apple creation has been more than just a device. It’s about benefits as well as features. It’s about the strength of human alignment directly proportional to the length of ownership and experience.

Another simpler way of putting it is that every Apple creation is about the Apple brand. The power within the Apple brand lies in its intuitive ability to gradually build a unique bond with its owner. Not only do you not mind the electronic intrusion into your life you positively adore it. This is branding in its most supreme form.

Interestingly every Apple experience has been designed around the core of Zen Buddhist theology. Steve Jobs is a Zen Buddhist since 1975. He practises it not only in his own life but also in his creations.

These are the definitive, deliberate manifestations which are seen in the Apple brand. They show how the greatest brands can be a powerful manifestation of the human condition.

Today we announced that we are strengthening our presence in Dubai, through a strategic partnership with Madison Dubai, the independent advertising agency led by Tarek Ghannam.

You might think it seems an odd time to open in a market that’s still in shock from the effects of the 2009 slowdown. But that’s precisely where we see an opportunity and where we’re finding a lot of interest from our clients and partners in the region.

For us the Middle East market is entering a new phase: where there will be a much stronger emphasis and requirement from clients on strategic brand thinking and powerful brand expression.
When the gold rush was at full pace it was all a bit too easy for branding consultancies. All that was required from them was a catchy name and a nice logo and hey presto, the client was delighted and everyone could pat themselves on the back as yet another seemingly successful and competitive new brand was born.

That was then. This is now.

After the gold rush things are a little different. Many of those brands that had an easy ride are finding that it takes something more than a logo to create a brand that people will love. That’s music to our ears and we’re excited about the opportunities to help existing brands reinvent themselves to be more competitive and also help get new ideas off the ground.

The brands that will survive and thrive in this era will be the ones that take branding seriously and create genuine market differentiation and genuine customer preference. They’ll create brands that are as powerful on the inside as they are on the outside of the organisation. Brands that know what makes them special and know exactly what they stand for.

The Middle East will continue of course to take its place at the global economy ‘top table’ as the world recovers, and we expect that some of the iconic brands our children will talk about will have their roots there. We love the boldness and ambition of the region – nothing is impossible and dreams come in XXL size.

Today we announced that we are strengthening our presence in Dubai…

Merry Christmas.
We’d like to; but we can’t; because we are a global company, miniscule (about 50 people) but global nevertheless. It’s inevitable therefore that many of the people who work for us or with whom we deal aren’t too bothered about Christmas.

They may be Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist, or Zoroastrian and so on; or for that matter people of no faith at all. All of them love the holiday season — don’t we all, but their religious affiliations lie elsewhere.

That’s one of the things about being a global company, even a tiny little one like Saffron – you’ve got to learn to watch it.

So

Happy Holidays everyone!
PS: No offence. Nothing personal.

BBVA, you choose…

Huge cultural organizations are increasingly becoming global brands – the Louvre moving into Dubai is an example. Three or four very well known universities now have campuses all over the world. These aren’t campuses in the traditional sense, they are franchises – the word ‘Columbia’ or ‘Harvard’, for instance, will be treated as a franchised brand. Not all of it will be a good thing. But if it means that first rate education or culture can be made more widely accessible , it’s not all bad either. And branding is the means by which it will happen.

Some argue that this will mean an increasingly homogeneous and bland world. This is not true. No matter how globalised the world is or becomes in terms of universities, galleries, or whatever we are talking about today, there will always be new companies, new people, new ideas that pop up. Even the ubiquitous Starbucks is now re-styling many of its outlets as neighbourhood coffee joints with only a small Starbucks endorsement.

So I don’t think we need to worry about a world in which everything is the same everywhere. Like culture itself, successful brands are forever changing and adapting – producing a new experience for their audiences. Cultural organisations that can harness the power of brands will benefit hugely over the coming decades because their brand will clarify what they do and what they stand for to a broad audience. This will provide the means to keep young artists in business, preserve ancient culture for future generations, bring international sport to remote locations and so on. Branding, it could be said, is the greatest gift commerce has given to culture.