Dubai International Financial Centre

Harnessing Local Talent campaign — 82% increase in leads

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Project overview

DIFC wanted to support the UAE’s 2021 Vision of empowering local talent, supporting SMEs and promoting entrepreneurship within the country.

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What we did

Dragoman and the team at DIFC conceptualised the Harnessing Local Talent (HLT) competition. A national campaign aiming to attract local designers and homegrown brands, with the winners given the opportunity to set up a retail presence in The Design House, DIFC’s dedicated space for SMEs.

Dragoman worked on the communication architecture and endorsement strategy, recommending that the HLT competition be linked back to the DIFC masterbrand. This enhanced DIFC reputation for supporting entrepreneurial talent and fostering creativity.

The campaign ran across paid digital, social media, print, PR and environment branding, with strong targeting on creative audiences and the SME community. The campaign’s creative style visualised the many different aspects of design craftmanship, aimed at enticing SMEs from diverse sectors.

The campaign produced an 82% increase in retail leads for DIFC. The initiative was so successful that it is now in its second year and is currently sponsored by the Dubai government’s cultural department, which has led to further funding and national exposure.

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PROJECT DELIVERABLES

Insights
Brand architecture
Communications strategy
Design
Animation
Campaign management

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