Omar Abedin: Practice Leader, Brand Strategy & Marketing, Platform01 Consulting

Omar Abedin helps CEOs of GCC-based tech & FMCG companies build brands that drive higher valuations, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Why is it important to build a strong brand from the start of a company?

A brand architecture or identity represents the highest aspirations of the founder (or founders) of any startup company. If they can properly answer the questions “How do I want to be seen in 5 years? Where will I be standing in the consumer’s eyes?”, every action they take, internal or external, can be validated through that lens. Every action taken will either build your brand, or hurt it. Having clarity on where the company and brand need to go, provides guidance and answers to the question confronting founders at every stage of the company’s growth – should I do this right now?

The facts remain – strong brands have better economics, they have higher customer loyalty, they don’t need to negotiate as much on price, and they deliver stronger returns for all stakeholders. There is a ton of research backing this up.

So, anyone not willing to purposefully invest intellectual horsepower, time, money and energy in building a brand from Day 1 is setting themselves up for suboptimal outcomes.

How has marketing and branding changed over the past few years with AI?

Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed marketing and branding by making them more efficient, personalized, and data-driven. Here are a few of the ways AI is reshaping the field and why it’s vital to a business’s marketing and branding strategy:

1. Hyper-Personalization at Scale

• Before AI: Marketers relied on broad segments and generalizations to target customers.
• With AI: Businesses can analyze vast amounts of data to create tailored marketing messages for each customer.
  • Example: Netflix’s personalized recommendations or Amazon’s tailored product suggestions.
• Why It Matters: Personalization builds stronger customer relationships, driving loyalty and sales.

2. Real-Time Insights and Decision-Making

• Before AI: Marketing decisions were often based on historical data and manual analysis.
• With AI: AI tools like predictive analytics provide real-time insights into consumer behavior.
  • Example: AI algorithms can suggest campaign adjustments instantly based on performance.
• Why It Matters: Businesses can adapt quickly to market changes, improving campaign ROI.

3. Content Creation and Optimization

• Before AI: Content creation was time-consuming and dependent on human resources.
• With AI: Tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, and MidJourney can generate text, visuals, and even video content at scale.
  • Example: Dynamic ad creatives tailored to audience preferences.
• Why It Matters: Brands save time and resources while delivering relevant content.

4. Enhanced Customer Experiences

• Before AI: Customer interactions were manual and often reactive.
• With AI: Chatbots and virtual assistants provide 24/7 customer support and seamless experiences.
  • Example: H&M’s chatbot assisting with style recommendations.
• Why It Matters: AI ensures a consistent and engaging customer journey across touchpoints.

5. Predictive Marketing

• Before AI: Marketers often guessed future trends based on intuition.
• With AI: Predictive analytics forecast customer needs, enabling proactive strategies.
  • Example: AI predicting seasonal demand spikes for inventory planning.
• Why It Matters: Businesses can stay ahead of customer expectations and competitors.

6. Data-Driven Branding Decisions

• Before AI: Brand strategy relied on qualitative insights and surveys.
• With AI: Sentiment analysis and social listening tools analyze online conversations to gauge brand perception.
  • Example: AI tools measuring brand reputation across social platforms.
• Why It Matters: Companies can refine their brand positioning based on real-time consumer sentiment.

7. Optimized Advertising Spend

• Before AI: Ad placements were less targeted, leading to wasted budgets.
• With AI: Programmatic advertising ensures ads reach the right audience at the right time.
  • Example: Google Ads using AI to optimize bidding strategies.
• Why It Matters: Companies maximize their ad spend effectiveness.

How important is AI to a business marketing and branding strategy?

AI Is Essential Moving Forward

1. Efficiency: Automating repetitive tasks allows teams to focus on creative and strategic work.
2. Scalability: AI enables businesses to serve personalized content to millions without scaling costs proportionally.
3. Competitive Advantage: Brands leveraging AI can outpace competitors by anticipating trends and customer needs.
4. Data Utilization: AI ensures that vast consumer data translates into actionable insights, not just noise.

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, businesses that fail to integrate AI into their marketing and branding strategies risk being left behind. AI not only improves current marketing efforts but also future-proofs a brand by enabling it to adapt to rapidly changing consumer behaviors and expectations.

Embracing AI is no longer optional—it’s the backbone of any successful modern marketing strategy.

In your experience, what has been the greatest mistake that companies have made when building a brand?

The single greatest mistake in brand building: Lack of a clear Brand Identity & Purpose

• Why It’s a Problem:
  A brand without a clear identity & purpose becomes directionless, reactive, and forgettable. Many companies focus solely on short-term sales and product features instead of defining what they stand for in the long run. This lack of purpose creates inconsistencies in messaging, weakens emotional connections with customers, and leads to diluted brand equity – all of which drive suboptimal stakeholder outcomes in the long-term.
• Example:
  Companies that constantly chase trends without aligning them to their core mission often lose consumer trust. A brand like Apple thrives because its identity & its purpose—empowering creativity through technology—guides every decision.

Share some of the misconceptions when it comes to building a brand.

1. “Branding is just a logo and tagline.”
   • Reality: Branding is about the total experience your customers have with your company, from customer service to product quality and emotional resonance. The visual identity is important, but it’s just one part of the Brand Identity.
2. “Our product is so good, it will sell itself.”
   • Reality: Even the best products need a strong brand to differentiate and build trust. Competitors with average products but excellent branding often dominate markets.
3. “We can appeal to everyone.”
   • Reality: Trying to appeal to everyone often leads to appealing to no one. Successful brands know their target audience deeply and craft messages that resonate specifically with them. Knowing your target consumer better than your competition does is a source of enduring competitive advantage.
4. “Brand building is a one-time project.”
   • Reality: Branding is a continuous effort. Markets evolve, competitors innovate, and customer preferences shift. Brands must adapt while staying true to their core identity.
5. “Discounts build customer loyalty.”
   • Reality: While promotions can drive short-term sales, they don’t build lasting loyalty. In fact, at Careem we ended up “firing” 200K customers who only traveled on promo codes! Loyalty comes from creating consistent value, trust, and emotional connections.
6. “Branding is only for big companies.”
   • Reality: Small and medium businesses need strong brands even more to stand out in competitive markets. This is true for the founders of those companies too. Personal branding is more important for founders in startups and scaleups than in large corporates.
7. “Social media presence equals a strong brand.”
   • Reality: A large following doesn’t guarantee brand strength. Consistency, authenticity, and meaningful engagement are far more important.
8. “A brand can’t recover from failure.”
   • Reality: Brands can bounce back if they own their mistakes, show accountability, and rebuild trust. Case in point: I worked at J&J, where the Tylenol crisis management in the 1980s is still a textbook example of brand recovery. Failure is not fatal. At Careem, we used to have to apologise to someone or the other for half our campaigns, and our customers loved our cheek so much that Uber was forced to buy the company for $3.1Bn. A strong Brand Identity trumps everything, specially in hard times.

4. You also work with established companies. Why are they coming to you today?

Companies seek me out for my ability to turn marketing challenges into opportunities. My expertise in strategy, branding, and customer engagement, combined with my “listening” approach, ensures that organizations achieve sustainable growth and long-term success. Working with me means partnering with someone who is as invested in your success as you are.

Some of what I focus on with my clients:

1. Strategic Clarity:
   I love cutting through complexity to create clear, actionable strategies that drive results. I help companies align their brand vision with business objectives.
2. Global Perspective with Local Insights:
   Having worked across diverse markets, I understand how to adapt strategies to resonate with different cultural and regional dynamics, particularly in the Middle East, North America, Pakistan, and emerging markets.
3. Brand Transformation Expertise:
   I have a proven track record of turning underperforming brands into market leaders by reimagining their identity, positioning, and communication strategies.
4. Customer-Centric Approach:
   I emphasize understanding and leveraging customer insights to craft campaigns and products that truly connect with audiences.
5. Mentor and Guide:
   Beyond just providing solutions, I empower teams by sharing knowledge and fostering growth, making me a trusted advisor to leadership and functional teams alike.

Can you share the proudest moment of your career?

Choosing one moment is hard, so here are the top 5 things in my highlight reel, in no particular order:

1. Successfully managed the global repositioning of the Triaminic brand while leading the brand in North America, delivering 40% growth YoY in a market that declined overall!
2. Created two $10M brands from scratch for a small food company based in Lahore, Pakistan, forcing the dominant market leader to respond and react, always gratifying!
3. Created massive volume & value growth for London Dairy Ice Cream in the Middle East, through a relaunch that still stands 15 years later!
4. Launched 800-Battery in the UAE in 2011, and watched its growth with pride and joy. Today it is a group of companies. I exited a long time ago, but the emotional attachment is still there!
5. Drove Careem to become the most-downloaded app in Pakistan, and helped build a brand that Uber couldn’t beat, so they bought it for $3.1Bn!

www.linkedin.com/in/omarabedin/