From Bland to Brand: Longe Black helps the businesses find their voice 

Reinventing the art of luxury branding: “Having a logo or catchy tagline isn't enough to create a successful brand in this day and age.”

A sometimes underrated but equally important component of marketing is brand development. Branding uniquely resembles the idea of a fancy cake: everyone oohs and aahs over the icing (ads and promotions), but without a solid foundation (brand identity), it's just a crumbly mess. Unfortunately, many businesses overlook this crucial ingredient, like a chef who forgets the flour. In today's cutthroat market, creating a distinctive brand is more important than ever, giving small businesses a chance to rise above the cookie-cutter competition.

Egyptian based company, Longe Black, is a new powerhouse in town and is all about branding, a term not merely used to just slap a label on products; they're creating identities that set their clients apart from their competition. Longe Black is Egypt’s finest branding firm and business consultant, one that works on developing identities for luxury businesses and achieving international standards with each and every client. Co-founders Mohamed El Samman and Nour Nadim took a circuitous route to get here, with El Samman swapping petroleum engineering for the glitz and glam of luxury brand management. Meanwhile, Nadim – an architect and interior designer – discovered his true passion lay in branding. Together, they've built up a portfolio worth billions and has ultimately led to rewriting the rules of branding, proving that when it comes to branding, Longe Black is the way to go. 

Global technological booms

2.3 billion people can't be wrong - social media is where it's at. With so many folks scrolling and tapping, it's no wonder that social media marketing has become the new king of the digital jungle. But what about branding? Is it still relevant in today's fast-paced world of memes and viral videos? Some say no, that the old ways are dead and gone. But others argue that brands still wield incredible power, not just in markets, but in shaping the very fabric of society itself.

“In today's highly competitive business world, it's essential for companies to establish a strong and recognizable brand identity that sets them apart from their competitors. Our team works closely with our clients to develop a customized business strategy that aligns with their goals and values. We analyze market trends, consumer behavior, and the industry’s best practices to create a roadmap that guides our clients towards success.”

As El Samman puts it, branding goes way beyond the tangible products one would be selling, “having a logo or a catchy tagline isn't enough to create a successful brand. To thrive, businesses need to develop a comprehensive strategy that takes into account their goals, values, target audience, and industry trends. That is where we come in, offering a range of business branding services that are designed to help companies build a memorable brand identity. We understand that branding is one aspect of a company's overall success and that a strong brand needs to be supported by a solid strategy and functional design. We mold a brand that is both visually appealing and has a clear message aimed at the target audience.” This goes to say that Longe Black is not just a branding firm but rather an entity that shapes the true essence of businesses and guides them to success by diving deep into their core and maneuvering their strategies for business development.

Before establishing a brand strategy, it is crucial to grasp the fundamentals of branding, which refer to the relationship with the target audience and the actions taken to build and preserve it. Longe Black’s retailer branding services are geared towards clients who target high-end clientele, understanding that their aim is to match international standards of excellence in their day-to-day operations. “We pay meticulous attention to every detail of the branding process, from creating an international brand name to building a compelling brand story that resonates with global audiences. Believing that crafting a coherent and unforgettable brand experience is essential for our clients to stand out in their industry and attract the right consumers.”

“Our brands are timeless and unique, and they are able to withstand all business challenges confidently. We take pride in our ability to help our clients create a brand that truly stands out in their industry and that will continue to grow and evolve with their business.”

The power of effective brand management

Building a strong and favorable reputation for a brand is the aim of brand management in order to enhance sales and market share. In the end, this will assist businesses in developing a distinctive identity for their products and services in the market. It ought to be underlined that developing a strong brand identity necessitates comprehension of several facets of a firm before taking action.

“Even beyond strategy, our team works to create a functional and visually appealing design that brings our client's brand to life. We have worked with numerous mega clients such as La Vista Developments, now Lavistates, Felopateer Palace, Bassma Boussel Holding, Ramy Radwan’s Impactyn, and Orascom Development. We can confidently say that we have greatly impacted these brands by adding our strategic planning and functional design.”

Social media marketing serves as a versatile tool that successful organizations employ for a variety of purposes, including lead generation, customer acquisition, branding, customer retention, competitor analysis, and more. As social media marketing is currently three times less expensive than traditional channels, it can also be very cost-effective.

Nowadays, practically all companies have branded social media accounts on the main platforms. Not always, though, many marketers thought social media marketing was a passing trend in the early days of social media. More businesses are now embracing social media to reach their intended demographic and produce high-quality leads without spending the usual amounts required for conventional marketing platforms.

An ongoing process of assessing brand perception and learning how to impact it is also through brand management. This enables you to nurture brand trust, attract devoted customers, and improve brand awareness by raising the perceived worth of what you are selling. Customers, stakeholders, workers, followers on social media, and even competitors that come into contact with a brand will form their own connections based on how it is managed. “In business, success can be measured in different ways; while some focus on the number of transactions and sales, others build their success on the equity and customers’ loyalty. Brands rely on creating a connection with customers that goes beyond mere transactions; customers often feel a sense of belonging to a brand, resulting in either a deep love for it or a strong dislike.”

How the brand stands out and appeals to customers in a unique way that distinguishes it from other brands in the market is important. Businesses should focus on building a brand identity to reflect the values that resonate with their customers, rather than trying to outdo competitors in terms of creativity or dominance.

HE Magazine: a success story

One of Longe Black’s recent clients is indeed HE Magazine. The desire to rebrand and create a stronger identity that reflects the magazine’s values and resonates with readers was the driving force behind this partnership. El Samman describes the magazine as a strategic partner, one that reflects the heritage of the country by being a pioneer in promoting international levels of quality in Egypt. The former engineer confesses, “the rebranding of HE magazine was a challenging task as we aimed to upgrade a magazine that reflected the country's history while creating something timeless and powerful that balanced local quality and talent with global standards. We wanted to create a magazine that could compete with any luxury magazine across the world while also showcasing the unique character and talent of Egypt. Through this rebranding, we aimed to elevate the magazine's status and establish it as a leading voice in the industry.”

With a clear target audience, a unique brand positioning, and a consistent brand message, Longe Black wanted to intricately review and change the brand strategy based on the market and consumer behavior. This includes defining the magazine’s target audience, creating a unique brand positioning, and developing a consistent brand message. “We wanted to extend the magazine's lifestyle mindset to social media platforms by creating engaging digital content that easily connects with the audience, maintaining the magazine's strong positioning by establishing a strategic presence on all social networks. This involved creating a minimalistic approach to content creation that aligned with the magazine's aesthetic - still being engaging and interactive for the audience.”

Despite the challenges and the long and tiresome journey, the company aligned itself with one ultimate goal: maintaining the standard of quality service. Mohamed El Samman concludes, “through this journey, we learned valuable lessons that helped us grow and improve as a team, and we remain committed to delivering exceptional service to our clients. Despite the challenges we faced, we are proud of the journey we took and the results we achieved.”