Observer unveils first Omani book on brands

Seeking to distil the practical wisdom of brand builders, TOP BRANDS is a product of one-year field research and complements the Omani Products Campaign.

According to the CEOs and brand strategists quoted in this publication, TOP BRANDS is a must-read for marketing executives, brand managers, media people and particularly students and academicians. The book is wonderfully illustrated with brand logos and photographs of Omani products, CEOs and business owners.

Dr. Abood bin Hamed al Sawafi, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Sohar University, says he is very happy with an excellent coverage of Sohar University in the TOP BRANDS. To him, this publication is a goldmine of information on Omani brands and the need of the hour is to build on the success of this effort to produce similar publications subsequently.

Sponsored by Oman Mobile, the book opens with insightful messages from Minster of Commerce and Industry Maqbool Ali Sultan, Undersecretary for Commerce and Industry Ahmed Hassan al Dheeb, Head of Oman Chamber of Commerce & Industry Salem Said Al Ghattami, and Director General of Industry Hilal bin Hamad al Hassani.

The book has been designed to create and lead a debate on branding issues for Oman as well as to create an enhanced sense of pride in the Omani youth on account of the fact that their country has produced an array of strong international brands. Packed with groundbreaking ideas, thought-leading case studies across a range of industry sectors, the book traces the achievements of leading Omani brands and comprehensively investigates their branding strategies to unearth key success factors.

A first of its kind for Oman, TOP BRANDS is first and foremost a celebration. At a time when Omani entrepreneurs face growing competition from global brands following Oman's accession to WTO on November 9, 2000, it is hoped that this publication will establish a global identity for Omani brands and promote the importance of strategic brand management in the country.

The research for the book included a comprehensive one-year field survey of Omani brands across a wide range of economic sectors.

Written by Hasan Kamoonpuri, a senior Oman Observer journalist and Associate Editor of OMAN MONEYworks, TOP BRANDS is full of fascinating stories of business success. Another book by the same author, Success Stories of Omani Entrepreneurs, published in 2004 was a huge success.

The author proactively likens the brand to an iceberg, with smaller visible and larger invisible facets. The larger and invisible facets of a brand such as quality, R & D, corporate culture, stakeholder relationships, technology, service levels and human touch are more critical success factors than the visible facets such as brand name, logo, and advertising. While competitors can easily replicate the visible aspects of the brand iceberg, its intangible aspects such as brand-driven corporate culture, developing and deepening customer relations and caring for brand touch points can not be copied and hold the key to a brand's enduring appeal and competitive advantage.

The book is richly detailed and aspires to be a comprehensive exploration of Omani brands and can very well serve as a barometer for the state of brand management in the country. TOP BRANDS is so well researched that it can safely remain the definitive work on this subject for years to come.