# Acorn Strategy --- ## Pages - [Careers](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/careers/): We understand that our success depends on recruiting and retaining the highest quality people. We have created an environment for... - [Privacy Policy](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/privacy-policy/): PRIVACY POLICY WHO WE ARE The website www. stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging. kinsta. cloud is operated by Acorn Strategy (“we”, “our” or “us”)... - [Our Work](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/our-work/): Award Winning Case Studies. Discover how Acorn Strategy delivers measurable results for our clients across industries. These case studies showcase... - [Insights](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/insights/): Acorn Insights. Acorn Insights is where strategy takes shape and businesses grow with confidence. Our experts unpack industry trends, innovations,... - [Home](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/): PLANT. NURTURE. GROW. We’re a strategy-led marketing and communications agency that blends insights, creativity, and precision to drive measurable outcomes... - [About Us](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/about-us/): Plant. Nurture. Grow. At Acorn Strategy, we help your organisation, flourish, branch out and grow. We are the gardeners of... - [What We Do](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/what-we-do/): Delivering Strategic Impact. From home-grown businesses to global leaders, and multinational brands to government entities, we deliver strategic solutions tailored... - [Contact Us](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/contact-us/): Get in touch today. UAE KSA Australia UK UAE. The United Arab Emirates is the motor of growth in a... --- ## Posts - [GenZ and the Energy Sector: How Zoomers Are Redefining Sustainability Storytelling  ](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/genz-and-the-energy-sector-how-zoomers-are-redefining-sustainability-storytelling/): Spark interest with energy storytelling, turn data into people‑first narratives that prove your promise, build trust, and ignite change with Acorn Strategy. - [Conversations Around AI and Energy: How to Shape Your Narrative  ](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/conversations-around-ai-and-energy-how-to-shape-your-narrative/): Spark interest with energy storytelling, turn data into people‑first narratives that prove your promise, build trust, and ignite change with Acorn Strategy. - [Past, Present, and Future: The Evolution of Energy Communications in the Middle East ](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/past-present-and-future-the-evolution-of-energy-communications-in-the-middle-east/): Spark interest with energy storytelling, turn data into people‑first narratives that prove your promise, build trust, and ignite change with Acorn Strategy. - [Show and Tell: Why Storytelling Could Be the Energy Sector’s Secret Weapon](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/show-and-tell-why-storytelling-could-be-the-energy-sectors-secret-weapon/): Spark interest with energy storytelling, turn data into people‑first narratives that prove your promise, build trust, and ignite change with Acorn Strategy. - [Brand Foolery: How To Pull Off a Memorable April Fools’ Day Campaign](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/brand-foolery-how-to-pull-off-a-memorable-april-fools-day-campaign/): April 1st is always a fun day on social media with brands and businesses joining in on the pranks to... - [Monthly Recap: Marketing Strategy Insights You Can't Miss](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/monthly-recap-marketing-strategy-insights-you-cant-miss/): Welcome to our monthly roundup of all things marketing strategy, brought to you by Genene Webster, Senior Marketing Strategist at... - [Mastering Content Creation: Your Path to Excellence](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/mastering-content-creation-your-path-to-excellence/): Amidst the myriad of priorities for clients, a recurring question stays consistent: “How can we create captivating and engaging content?... - [Creating a well-structured marketing strategy is a bit like using Google Maps.](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/creating-a-well-structured-marketing-strategy-is-a-bit-like-using-google-maps/): For many of us, a world without Google Maps would be chaos. We've become so reliant on it that we... - [Turning the Tables: What Social Media Platforms Can Learn from Digital Marketing Agencies.](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/turning-the-tables-what-social-media-platforms-can-learn-from-digital-marketing-agencies/): Turning the Tables: What Social Media Platforms Can Learn from Digital Marketing Agencies. Ready for a role reversal, social media... - [Acorn Strategy Unveils Focused Realignment Plan with Key Leadership Appointments](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/acorn-strategy-unveils-focused-realignment-plan-with-key-leadership-appointments/): Acorn Strategy Unveils Focused Realignment Plan with Key Leadership Appointments Abu Dhabi, 10 May 2023: Acorn Strategy, the award-winning strategic... - [Acorn Strategy's insights will help you ace the marketing game this Ramadan. ](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/acorn-strategys-insights-will-help-you-ace-the-marketing-game-this-ramadan/): Make the most of the upcoming Ramadan and Eid observance in the MENA region. Connect with your key audiences, build... - [PR 2.0: The Power of Hybrid](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/pr-2-0-the-power-of-hybrid/): Since its inception, the internet has gone on to transform the way we live, communicate, and do business. Online presence... - [Communications: What’s your impact?](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/communications-whats-your-impact/): The numbers are good: strong engagement rate, steady increase in performance throughout the campaign, and sufficient pick up by target... - [Understanding the Power of Culture When Marketing to Your Customers](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/understanding-the-power-of-culture-when-marketing-to-your-customers/): Ever wondered how culture is impacting your marketing success abroad? In this article, Annabel Amann our Head of Client Experience,... - [Evolving Emojis: Designing for the new face of messaging.](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/evolving-emojis-designing-for-the-new-face-of-messaging/): This is the first set of emojis. Recently acquired by The Museum of Modern Art (MoMa), they were designed by... - [A renewed Middle Eastern interest in football sponsorships?](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/a-renewed-middle-eastern-interest-in-football-sponsorships/): A renewed Middle Eastern interest in football sponsorships? Kantar stats say that 63% of people are more likely to do... - [The Classical Laws of Marketing (and why they are immutable)](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/the-classical-laws-of-marketing/): Reinventing the wheel is not always necessary when there are treasured guides to the psychology of marketing and prime examples... - [Using Social Purpose to Boost Brand Engagement](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/using-social-purpose-to-boost-brand-engagement/): Why Social Purpose is an Essential Next Step for your Brand Strategy Social purpose is the use of business principles... - [Why is Tailoring Content for your Global Audience Essential?](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/why-is-tailoring-content-for-your-global-audience-essential/): To translate, localise or transcreate: that is the question? ! Did you know that out of the world’s approximately 7. 5 billion... - [Built on insights: Unveiling Acorn Strategy’s new PR reporting model](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/built-on-insights-unveiling-acorn-strategys-new-pr-reporting-model/): In an evolved media landscape, it isn’t enough to count outputs or simply monitor vanity metrics. It’s what you measure... - [How to use Neuromarketing to Boost Your Next Campaign](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/how-to-use-neuromarketing-to-boost-your-next-campaign/): In this increasingly data-driven world, there’s one area which many marketeers are yet to fully explore (or understand), and that’s how... - [Writing the Way Forward](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/writing-the-way-forward/): Acorn Strategy’s in-house copywriter Omar Khalifa takes a broad look at the emergence of copywriting and why good copy is... - [Social Fatigue: The Struggle is Real](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/social-fatigue-the-struggle-is-real/): Four billion people around the world use social media but, for all the growth and fancy new features available for... - [The Content Amplification Programme | Public Relations | Acorn Strategy](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/the-content-amplification-programme-public-relations-acorn-strategy/): Extending the Life of a News Story: The Content Amplification Programme How to amplify the impact of a good new... - [Behavioural Intelligence](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/behavioural-intelligence/): We have all encountered difficult people and have had to deal with them whether in our day-to-day life or at... - [How Can the Growing UAE Tourism Industry Benefit Your Business?](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/how-can-the-growing-uae-tourism-industry-benefit-your-business/): Expo 2020 Dubai is driving growth in the tourism sector. How can your company maximise the opportunities this will provide?... - [Destination Marketing: Why Seasoned Pros Can Make All the Difference](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/destination-marketing-why-seasoned-pros-can-make-all-the-difference/): Destination Marketing: Why Seasoned Pros Can Make All the Difference Destination marketing is a unique and evolving specialisation, bringing with... - [Using Ramadan Content Insights to Boost Engagement](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/using-ramadan-content-insights-to-boost-engagement/): A Data-based Approach to Drive Ramadan Content Decisions The holy month of Ramadan is one of the most special times... - [New Leisure Destination in Abu Dhabi](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/new-leisure-destination-in-abu-dhabi/): Acorn Strategy was approached to write the marketing strategy and then develop and implement the marketing and communications plan for... - [New Beginnings](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/new-beginnings/): Opening: A Matter of Course The last few days of December are usually the time of year when media agencies... - [Opening: A Matter of Course](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/opening-a-matter-of-course/): The last few days of December are usually the time of year when media agencies around the globe reach into... - [Events: Recovery and resumption](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/events-recovery-and-resumption/): As we write these words, a sixth Covid-19 vaccine has entered the playing field. Mass vaccination programmes have been rolled... - [Decades of Digital Conversation: From A/S/L to Fake News](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/decades-of-digital-conversation-from-a-s-l-to-fake-news/): Unless you’ve divested yourself of worldly affairs and gone to live off the grid, chances are you now have more... - [Acorn Strategy: Ten years of mighty moves](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/acorn-strategy-ten-years-of-mighty-moves/): The year started for Acorn Strategy just like it did for everyone else: a lot of uncertainty, an urgent need... - [You "WFH?"](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/you-wfh/): It took me a few seconds to work out what my friend was asking, in response to the news that... - [Public Relations in 2019: Exploring the Changing Face of the Profession](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/public-relations-in-2019-exploring-the-changing-face-of-the-profession/): How is the profession connecting with the trends of the future? Public Relations or PR is a relatively new industry... - [Marketing Planning for 2019: How to Set Your Strategic Marketing and Communications Priorities](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/marketing-planning-for-2019-how-to-set-your-strategic-marketing-and-communications-priorities/): 8 Essential Tips for Planning Your 2019 Marketing Strategy Successfully Marketing planning is a core component that significantly impacts a... --- ## Projects - [AABF 12th EDITION](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/aabf-12th-edition/): Company AABF 12TH EDITION Office Abu Dhabi Services Marketing and Communications Sectors GovernmentSituation Celebrating its 12th year, the 2021 Al... - [ADIBF 30TH EDITION](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/adibf-30th-edition/): CompanyADIBF 30TH EDITION ServicesMarketing and Communications OfficeABU DHABI SectorsGovernment Celebrating its 30th year, for 2021 the Abu Dhabi International Book... - [FIRST ABU DHABI BANK​](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/first-abu-dhabi-bank/): Company FIRST ABU DHABI BANK Office Abu Dhabi Services Marketing and Communications Sectors Government Situation When the two prominent Abu... - [OMNIX](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/omnix/): CompanyOMNIX INTERNATIONAL ServicesMarketing and Communications OfficeDubai SectorsGovernment Situation Omnix International is a long-standing pioneer of digital transformation solutions in the... - [INJAZAT](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/injazat/): CompanyINJAZAT OfficeDubai ServicesMarketing and Communications SectorsGovernment Situation Injazat is an industry recognised market leader in digital transformation, cloud and cyber... - [WORLD FUTURE ENERGY SUMMIT](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/department-of-community-development/): Company WORLD FUTURE ENERGY SUMMIT Office Dubai Services Marketing and Communications Sectors GovernmentSituation World Future Energy Summit is the Middle... - [ADVANCED TRADE & LOGISTICS PLATFORM](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/advanced-trade-logistics-platform/): Company ADVANCED TRADE & LOGISTICS PLATFORM Office Dubai Services Marketing and Communications Sectors Government Project/ Client Background The Abu Dhabi... - [DUBAI SOUTH ​](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/dubai-south-%e2%80%8b/): CompanyDUBAI SOUTH Office Dubai Services Marketing and Communications Sectors GovernmentSituation Launched as a Government of Dubai project in 2006, Dubai... - [ELITE GLOBAL FRESH​](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/elite-global-fresh%e2%80%8b/): Company ELITE GLOBAL FRESH Office Abu Dhabi Services Marketing and Communications Sectors GovernmentSituation Elite Agro approached Acorn Strategy when they... - [DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/1971/): Company DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Office Abu Dhabi Services Marketing and Communications Sectors Government Situation The Department of Community Development... - [TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION PIONEERS (DED)​](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/1979/): Company TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION PIONEERS (DED) Office Abu Dhabi Services Marketing and Communications Sectors Government Situation Our research of the technology... - [AUSTRALIAN PAVILION EXPO 2020 DUBAI, DPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS & TRADE](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/australian-pavilion/): CompanyAUSTRALIAN PAVILION EXPO 2020 DUBAI, DPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS & TRADE Office Dubai Services Marketing and Communications Sectors GovernmentSituation The... - [ARABIC LANGUAGE CENTRE & DAR AL KUTUB](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/arabic-language-centre-dar-al-kutub/): CompanyARABIC LANGUAGE CENTRE & DAR AL KUTUB Office Abu Dhabi, UAE Services Marketing and Communications Sectors Government Situation The work... - [A’L BAHAR](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/al-bahar/): Company A’L BAHAR Office Abu Dhabi Services Marketing and Communications Sectors Government Situation With the launch of Abu Dhabi’s newest... - [UAEU](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/uaeu/): CompanyUAEUCOLLEGE OF BUSINESS & ECONOMICS OfficeDubai ServicesMarketing and Communications SectorsGovernment Situation UAEU’s College Of Business and Economics (CBE) has been... - [Tabreed](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/1719/): CompanyTABREED Office Dubai Services Marketing and Communications Sectors Government Situation Tabreed were on the cusp of launching a new brand.... - [WCO Global AEO Conference 2021](https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/1363/): Company WCO Global AEO Conference 2021 Office Dubai Services Marketing and Communications Sectors Government Situation Proud hosts of the 5th... --- # # Detailed Content ## Pages - Published: 2021-08-31 - Modified: 2025-05-07 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/careers/ We understand that our success depends on recruiting and retaining the highest quality people. We have created an environment for people to grow and learn, a culture that empowers creativity, innovation, and professionalism. Make Mighty Moves With Us! At Acorn Strategy, we believe great talent shapes extraordinary outcomes. We're constantly seeking passionate individuals who excel in their field while living and breathing our core values: collaboration, bravery, integrity, agility, and curiosity. We offer a dynamic environment where talent thrives, ideas matter, and your contribution makes a difference. Explore our current opportunities and join us in making mighty moves! --- - Published: 2021-04-20 - Modified: 2021-05-18 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/privacy-policy/ PRIVACY POLICY   WHO WE ARE The website www. stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging. kinsta. cloud is operated by Acorn Strategy (“we”, “our” or “us”) so that we may: (1) help direct you to products and services which may be of interest to you; and (2) contact you with information and offers, suggestions and recommendations of products and services which may be of interest to you. Where we use “our site” in this privacy notice, we mean www. stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging. kinsta. cloud Company Names Registered Offices Acorn Strategy FZ LLC Office 307, Building 4, Twofour54, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Acorn Strategy Pty Ltd Suite 1, 219 Canning Highway South Perth WA 6151 Australia   OUR PRIVACY TERMS The information we collect about you Each time you visit our site, we may automatically collect information about you and the device you are using, including: information about which pages you visit and which resources you use on our site information about how you got to our site your internet protocol address known as your IP address which is used to connect your device to the internet your device’s operating system and platform the type and version of the browser you are using traffic data, which is aggregated information about the number of visitors, sessions, users and page visits to our site location data time zone setting weblogs We also collect any information you provide to us directly by filling in any of the forms on our site. If you sign up with us, we may also... --- - Published: 2021-02-11 - Modified: 2025-03-31 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/our-work/ Award Winning Case Studies. Discover how Acorn Strategy delivers measurable results for our clients across industries. These case studies showcase our strategic thinking, creative solutions, and commitment to excellence. Each project represents a unique challenge met with our distinctive approach, demonstrating the tangible impact of partnering with Acorn Strategy. Explore our success stories to see how we can help transform your business challenges into opportunities for growth. All Australia Creative Marketing Operations Public Relations Social Media Strategy UAE No posts found --- - Published: 2021-02-11 - Modified: 2025-03-18 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/insights/ Acorn Insights. Acorn Insights is where strategy takes shape and businesses grow with confidence. Our experts unpack industry trends, innovations, and strategic insights to help you stay ahead. Thoughtfully crafted and forward-thinking, each piece equips you with the intelligence to make informed decisions and drive meaningful impact. No posts found --- - Published: 2020-11-16 - Modified: 2025-05-02 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/ PLANT. NURTURE. GROW. We’re a strategy-led marketing and communications agency that blends insights, creativity, and precision to drive measurable outcomes for your business. From shaping bold strategies to delivering results, we’re with you at every step of the journey. See How Access our collective senior leadership experience. WHY ACORN? We connect the dots with integrated thinking. WHY ACORN? Outcome over output, aligning to your business objectives. WHY ACORN? Leading Integrated Thinking with Smarter Strategies That Work. Unlock Our Integrated Capabilities to Accelerate Your Growth. We offer a suite of integrated services designed to meet today’s complex business challenges and opportunities. With our deep expertise across key areas, we tailor our solutions to fit your needs. Whether your organisation is already towering or whether it’s still taking root, at Acorn Strategy, we help you to flourish, branch out, and evolve. https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=We1hbGQ9e74 Brand Creative Marketing Unlock the power of a distinctive brand identity, elevate your creative impact, and watch your influence thrive. Learn More PR & Strategic Communications Plant the seeds of success, nurture your message, and grow your influence with Acorn Strategy. Learn More Digital Strategy Transform your online presence with our agile, digital-first thinking. Learn More Marketing Operations & Advisory Tailored advisory services, designed to optimise your marketing and communications structure, enhance operational efficiency, and drive sustainable growth. Learn More Our 6-Step Methodology has 350+ Success Stories Our proven 6-step methodology ensures that every strategy we deliver is built for success. We start by framing the problem,... --- - Published: 2020-11-16 - Modified: 2025-04-08 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/about-us/ Plant. Nurture. Grow. At Acorn Strategy, we help your organisation, flourish, branch out and grow. We are the gardeners of your vision, blending creativity with precision. Our strategies nurture each aspect of your entity, ensuring it thrives. We dig deep into data, plant innovative ideas, and cultivate collaborative relationships. Integrity and transparency guide our every move, ensuring your trust is our bedrock. In a world of constant change, we adapt, innovate, and grow alongside you. Together, we lay the foundations for enduring success and create the right environment for your organisation to flourish. Let's create a legacy of strength and growth. Strategic Bench. Our senior business leaders bring over 225 years of combined expertise across marketing, operations, digital, branding, and communications. With global experience spanning both client and agency perspectives, we offer in-depth sector knowledge across public and private industries. Our strategic planning approach is tailored to your business needs, ensuring impactful and results-driven solutions. We Are Fiercely Collaborative. Great ideas thrive in collaboration. We believe in working closely with our clients, partners, and teams to foster shared success. By listening, learning, and co-creating, we turn visions into reality. We Are Boldly Agile. We embrace change with confidence, adapting swiftly to new challenges and opportunities. Our strategic, forward-thinking approach ensures we stay ahead of the curve, delivering solutions that drive lasting impact. We Are Unwaveringly Brave. Bold ideas drive transformation. We take calculated risks, champion creative thinking, and embrace challenges head-on to deliver meaningful, high-impact results. We Are Deeply Curious.... --- - Published: 2020-11-16 - Modified: 2025-03-31 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/what-we-do/ Delivering Strategic Impact. From home-grown businesses to global leaders, and multinational brands to government entities, we deliver strategic solutions tailored to diverse sectors, including healthcare, education, energy, finance, tourism, technology, logistics, and more.   Our Methodology. Your Success. Our 6-step strategy methodology and 4-step integrated implementation methodology are designed to deliver effective, results-driven strategies with integrated thinking. This proven process, backed by senior leadership experience, focuses on aligning strategies with business objectives and prioritising outcomes. It is based on extensive education, industry framework analysis, and over 350 successful projects, providing consistent results for SMEs, regulators, and governments Get in Touch Integrated Thinking. Acorn Strategy’s Integrated Thinking approach ensures that every service works together seamlessly to drive business success. Get in Touch Holistic strategy development that connects communications, brand, digital, and operations. Unified execution across all marketing channels for consistent and powerful messaging. Data-driven insights and analysis that inform strategic decisions and adjustments. Collaborative solutions that combine expertise from all service areas to deliver impactful results. Brand strategy and identity amplification Brand positioning, consumer engagement and creative services Distinctive brand design Creative ideation for campaign and retained services Comprehensive design solutions (digital, motion graphics, publication) Video mastery (animation, editing, post-production Brand & Design. Unlock the power of a distinctive brand identity, elevate your creative impact, and watch your influence thrive. Get in Touch Digital. Transform your online presence with our agile, digital-first thinking. Get in Touch Digital strategy and consultancy for transformation, content and social Marketing Technology (MARTECH) advisory, design and... --- - Published: 2020-11-16 - Modified: 2025-03-31 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/contact-us/ Get in touch today. UAE KSA Australia UK UAE. The United Arab Emirates is the motor of growth in a fast-growing region, and Acorn Strategy was early to recognise the economic, cultural and political influence of the nation. With an office in Abu Dhabi and another in Dubai, Acorn Strategy has built a solid reputation in the UAE market as a powerhouse of strategy-led marketing and communications services. Services: Integrated ThinkingBrand & DesignDigitalPR & Strategic CommunicationsMarketing Operations & Advisory Abu Dhabi. Office C40, Podium 3, Yas Creative Hub, Abu Dhabi, UAE PO Box 769649 hello@acornstrategy. com +971 (0) 2 678 7926 Dubai. 704, Jumeirah Business Centre (JBC) 5, Cluster W, JLT, Dubai, UAE hello@acornstrategy. com +971 (0) 2 678 7926 KSA. Acorn Strategy has expanded to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and our new office at Riyadh Business Front is under registration. We’ll announce its formal opening soon. Services: Integrated ThinkingBrand & DesignDigitalPR & Strategic CommunicationsMarketing Operations & Advisory KSA. Riyadh, Business Front +966 59 2633468 hello@acornstrategy. com Australia. Acorn Strategy’s offices in Melbourne and Perth are positioned to lead the agency’s local and global connections, providing integrated marketing, branding and media strategies, creative communications, and production to service clients in achieving their growth agenda and business expansion. The team work across diverse sectors with experience in tourism, government, arts and culture, education, construction and media industries. Services: Integrated ThinkingBrand & DesignDigitalPR & Strategic CommunicationsMarketing Operations & Advisory Melbourne. Level 10, 440 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia hello@acornstrategy. com... --- --- ## Posts > Spark interest with energy storytelling, turn data into people‑first narratives that prove your promise, build trust, and ignite change with Acorn Strategy. - Published: 2025-06-16 - Modified: 2025-06-16 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/genz-and-the-energy-sector-how-zoomers-are-redefining-sustainability-storytelling/ - Categories: Uncategorized - Tags: Blog The energy sector has long been dominated by polished policy statements and industry jargon, but GenZ is rewriting the rules. This digitally native, socially conscious generation isn’t content with a string of empty promises; they demand hard evidence, real impact, and complete transparency. If energy brands can’t prove their claims, GenZ will call them out, and take their business elsewhere.   A 2021 Boston Consulting Group study revealed that 70% of global consumers now view a company’s environmental and social performance as a core decision-making factor. Even more strikingly, a recent Accenture report found that over 65% of GenZ would boycott brands that fail to demonstrate genuine environmental progress. GenZ isn’t just another consumer segment; they are the watchdogs of our age, determined to expose greenwashing and ensure that sustainability claims are backed by measurable results.   A New Paradigm in Energy Communications  GenZ’s demands are forcing energy brands to adopt radically different communication strategies. The stakes are high:, according to a McKinsey survey, 88% of U. S. GenZ don’t trust companies’ ESG claims, and Bain’s Global Consumer Sustainability Study shows that only 28% of consumers from this demographic trust large corporations to create genuinely sustainable products. In a world where transparency isn’t optional, energy brands must pivot from glossy statements to data-driven, authentic storytelling.   To reliably appeal to a GenZ audience, organisations must embrace:  Scenario-Based Messaging: With geopolitical shifts, exemplified by the unpredictable policy reversals during the Trump administration, brands must build flexible messaging frameworks. This agility is... --- > Spark interest with energy storytelling, turn data into people‑first narratives that prove your promise, build trust, and ignite change with Acorn Strategy. - Published: 2025-06-03 - Modified: 2025-06-03 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/conversations-around-ai-and-energy-how-to-shape-your-narrative/ - Categories: Uncategorized - Tags: Blog Generative AI isn’t just another tech wave, it’s a seismic shift with the power to transform how we live, work, and compete on the global stage. Yet this unprecedented potential carries an often-overlooked cost: energy consumption. Research from the University of Massachusetts Amherst indicates that training a single state-of-the-art AI model can emit up to 284 metric tons of CO2, comparable to five cars’ entire lifetimes. As more organisations race to harness AI, we risk pushing data centre power demands, and their planet-warming emissions, well beyond current tolerance limits.   However, AI is also beginning to prove that it can pay for its own staggering energy bill, by enabling efficiency gains and radical new designs that will allow for the complete re-tooling of our global energy infrastructure. Digital twinning, demand forecasting, asset lifecycle management – AI is already unlocking a raft of sustainability benefits as its capabilities improve and its insights drive new synergies in a global industry racing towards net zero. Highlighting the hard truths, along with the solid gains, is the current assignment for all communications around AI. It’s no longer enough to talk about its “infinite possibilities”; we must prove that those theorteical benefits aren’t coming at the expense of our environment. Building a trustworthy AI-energy narrative means weaving hard data, human values, and strategic foresight into every single message.   The Unfolding Energy Challenge  Estimates from Deloitte suggest data centre energy usage could top 1,000 TWh by 2050, potentially accounting for up to 3% of global... --- > Spark interest with energy storytelling, turn data into people‑first narratives that prove your promise, build trust, and ignite change with Acorn Strategy. - Published: 2025-05-14 - Modified: 2025-05-15 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/past-present-and-future-the-evolution-of-energy-communications-in-the-middle-east/ - Categories: Uncategorized - Tags: Blog Energy communications in the Middle East have experienced a remarkable shift in recent years, reflecting the acceleration of domestic ambitions and the sheer unpredictability of global dynamics. From sudden policy U-turns during the second Trump Administration to growing ESG demands from international investors, energy developers and operators need to be more adaptable than ever. Across countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia (KSA), Qatar, and Oman, governments are aggressively pursuing clean-energy goals, aligning with global commitments, yet aligning them to local conditions. As the region ramps up its renewables capacity and diversifies beyond hydrocarbons, it’s no longer enough to announce big projects. Proving their value to local communities, foreign stakeholders, and an increasingly sceptical public has become a strategic imperative.   Looking Back: Middle East Energy Then and Now  Over the past five years, the traditional, top-down approach to energy communications, driven mostly by policymakers and state-based entities, has evolved into a multi-layered discourse. Factors driving this transformation include:  1. Accelerated Renewables & Clean Energy  UAE: According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the UAE’s solar capacity soared to 5,900 MW by 2023, with large-scale projects like the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. KSA: Saudi Arabia aims to install 9. 5 GW of renewable capacity by 2023, aligning with Vision 2030 goals to diversify its economy. The NEOM mega-project alone highlights the country’s ambition to power entire regions via green hydrogen and solar. Qatar: A major LNG exporter, Qatar is also bolstering solar initiatives like the Al-Kharsaah Solar... --- > Spark interest with energy storytelling, turn data into people‑first narratives that prove your promise, build trust, and ignite change with Acorn Strategy. - Published: 2025-04-24 - Modified: 2025-05-15 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/show-and-tell-why-storytelling-could-be-the-energy-sectors-secret-weapon/ - Categories: Uncategorized - Tags: Blog On the surface, energy might look like a game of nondescript figures - efficiency percentages, barrel counts, kilowatt hours - but behind every statistic lies a story that affects real lives. In an industry where talk of a “global transition” and “sustainability drives” sometimes feels abstract, weaving a human-driven narrative can be the difference between an easily ignored press release and a story that drives meaningful change. Lose the Crowd, Lose Momentum For too long, conversations around energy have been constrained by insider jargon and corporate statements that fail to resonate with everyday consumers and customers. Expert insights and big policy changes matter, but people need to know how change is going to impact them at the household and individual levels. Proving your promise in this sector requires you to reach everyone, from boardrooms to backyards, and show them why energy is more than just numbers on a chart. Straight to the point: According to a recent global survey, over 60% of consumers feel uninformed about how energy decisions affect their daily lives. That’s a huge gap, and a massive opportunity! An Industry Giant Gets It Right Take Shell’s “Powering Progress” campaign in 2024. A few years ago, this might have sounded almost paradoxical, the world’s largest oil and gas player championing a net-zero future, but Shell’s approach demonstrated the power of storytelling. They didn’t just cite carbon stats; they showcased community projects, spotlighted innovation labs, and won prestigious marketing and sustainability awards, including a Cannes Lion. They proved that... --- - Published: 2024-03-27 - Modified: 2025-03-04 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/brand-foolery-how-to-pull-off-a-memorable-april-fools-day-campaign/ - Categories: Uncategorized - Tags: Blog April 1st is always a fun day on social media with brands and businesses joining in on the pranks to give us a good chuckle. Not only is April Fools’ a great opportunity to engage in unique campaigns that drive virality, it’s a great time to connect with audiences in a memorable way. But what exactly is the secret sauce to a good April Fools’ campaign? We’ve picked a few examples for you to take inspiration from, and dissected the variables that make these campaigns a real rib-tickler. Duolingo Have you ever felt guilty from skipping your Duolingo lessons? In this campaign, Duolingo introduced Duolingo Push where they took their famously persistent approach up a notch by giving users a not-so-subtle (and borderline ominous) reminder to take their daily lessons and literally pop out from their phone. This campaign went viral online thanks to their boldness to poke fun at themselves and embracing memes. It ended up becoming the best-performing social posts in Duolingo’s history. Amazon Echo “Petlexa” What are our pets up to when we’re not home? All sorts of things, apparently. In Amazon’s 2020 April Fools’ campaign, we see Petlexa in action – the pet version of Alexa where each squeak, bark, and meow can order food, place orders in marketplace, and even activate automatic ball throwers! This quirky idea tapped into the love for both technology and pets, creating buzz around Amazon's products in a fun way. Logitech Hamsters According to Logitech, calling your mouse a mouse... --- - Published: 2023-08-29 - Modified: 2023-09-01 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/monthly-recap-marketing-strategy-insights-you-cant-miss/ - Categories: Uncategorized Welcome to our monthly roundup of all things marketing strategy, brought to you by Genene Webster, Senior Marketing Strategist at Acorn Strategy. She dives into three game-changing stories that have the regional marketing scene buzzing and rounds up the top insights from each. Sustainability Efforts can Erode Trust & Credibility A priority for every business currently, in the Middle East this has become even more of a central talking point especially in the lead up to COP28 and as being the Year of Sustainability. Reflecting on marketing strategy, it has become a focal part of what and how companies should be addressing this topic. Just like the UAE, putting their plans into action such as The National Sustainability Campaign , and Dubai Sustainable Tourism Stamp; companies should be careful on the topic of sustainability as ‘Sustainability Efforts can Erode Trust & Credibility’. Key take-aways from the article: A recent survey by Inmarsat reveals that respondents feel their competitors place more emphasis on establishing a favourable "green" image rather than achieving tangible and meaningful outcomes. A significant 76% of respondents express scepticism regarding their peers' reporting on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices. Trust is vital for fostering confidence and demonstrating our commitment to sustainability. The importance of data: How to ensure authenticity in our sustainability efforts? It needs to be data driven Marketers need to understand how consumers attribute significance to sustainability - and most people perceive it as a key part of a holistic package. Another approach to ensuring... --- - Published: 2023-08-16 - Modified: 2023-08-16 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/mastering-content-creation-your-path-to-excellence/ - Categories: Uncategorized Amidst the myriad of priorities for clients, a recurring question stays consistent: "How can we create captivating and engaging content? " Unfortunately, there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, but we wanted to share a few tips and tricks that can help you raise your content game. Drawing from our team’s expertise, and more importantly, experience, here are some of our recommendations: Define Your Objectives: What are your goals? Whether it's driving traffic to your website, raising brand awareness, or growing your customer base, well-defined objectives will allow you to curate your content meticulously. 2. Know Your Audience: You can’t be everything to everyone. As the paradox of choice tells us, with the abundance of options out there it requires us to invest more time and effort to make a simple purchase decision, rather than making it easier. Avoid any potentially frustrated customers by truly understanding their desires and aim your content at those who genuinely stand to benefit from your offerings. 3. Master Your Key Messages: As they say, "Content is King". To be able to craft impactful content, you need to first ensure you have clear and purposeful key messages that resonate with your audience, tailored to each channel. 4. Build Your Content Themes: How will you showcase your key messages? Content themes add structure to your messaging. Choose themes that reflect your brand values to build a more effective content strategy. 5. Identify Your Best Channels and Formats: As you plan your content strategy, you need to understand what... --- - Published: 2023-08-09 - Modified: 2023-08-09 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/creating-a-well-structured-marketing-strategy-is-a-bit-like-using-google-maps/ - Categories: Uncategorized For many of us, a world without Google Maps would be chaos. We've become so reliant on it that we rarely leave the comfort of our homes without knowing that we can navigate in real time to our destination. This is especially true in the GCC, where cars are king and new road systems seem to appear overnight. It allows us to choose our destination, the best route, and even the best form of transport. It also highlights any potential delays or diversions. In many ways, a well-structured marketing strategy is like using Google Maps. It sets out your end goal, suggests the best way to get there, and even tries to anticipate any potential challenges or hurdles. Just like Google Maps, a marketing strategy should be a living document that is consistently tracked, evaluated, and updated. It should be flexible enough to adapt to changes in the market or your business. And it should be based on a clear understanding of your target audience and their needs. Without a well-structured marketing strategy, your business is like a ship without a rudder. You may eventually reach your destination, but it will be by chance. And you may spend a lot of time and money going in circles. So, if you want your business to succeed, don't neglect your marketing strategy. Make it a priority and treat it with the same care and attention that you would Google Maps while navigating to your destination. Need help with your marketing communications strategy?... --- - Published: 2023-06-02 - Modified: 2023-06-05 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/turning-the-tables-what-social-media-platforms-can-learn-from-digital-marketing-agencies/ - Categories: Uncategorized Turning the Tables: What Social Media Platforms Can Learn from Digital Marketing Agencies. Ready for a role reversal, social media platforms? Buckle up, because today, we are trading in our student hats and playing professor, giving you a crash course in the lessons we have learned, forged in the fires of digital marketing warfare. We spend our days (and, let’s be honest, many nights) mastering the ever-evolving dance of social media platforms. We have a ringside seat to the ever-changing dance of algorithms, emerging trends and new features. But today, we're flipping the script and posing a provocative question: Can social media platforms learn a thing or two from us, the fearless agencies? While the industry typically focuses on how we can leverage social media platforms, it's time for a paradigm shift. We, the trailblazers on the front lines, possess an arsenal of insights that come from strategizing, experimenting, failing, learning, and ultimately succeeding. We've acquired a treasure trove of knowledge about users' deepest desires, behaviours, and needs. So, let's embark on a journey to unveil what we believe social media platforms can learn from the brilliance of digital agencies. Lesson 1: Fan the Flames of Customization I’m fascinated to see how brand identities shape our strategies, enabling us to craft tailored experiences that resonate with specific audiences. However, I've noticed a concerning trend: there are severe limitations on ad and content customization across platforms. Picture a world with more versatile ad formats and content customization options, allowing brands to... --- - Published: 2023-05-23 - Modified: 2023-05-23 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/acorn-strategy-unveils-focused-realignment-plan-with-key-leadership-appointments/ - Categories: Uncategorized - Tags: Blog Acorn Strategy Unveils Focused Realignment Plan with Key Leadership Appointments Abu Dhabi, 10 May 2023: Acorn Strategy, the award-winning strategic and integrated marketing communications agency, has announced a focused realignment of teams to drive growth and success for clients. Furthermore, the agency has elevated key team members to reinforce its capabilities and accelerate progress. The restructuring reflects the agency's shift towards a consulting mindset, with the Account Management function now transitioning to Client Servicing. This change is expected to streamline internal processes and workflows, ensuring that clients' needs and expectations are managed and exceeded. To lead this transition, Nitin Nambiar has been appointed Director - Client Servicing. Nitin is a highly experienced communications strategist with a passion for driving results. The agency's Social Media team has expanded remit to Digital team, with Paul Parsons taking the helm as the newly appointed Digital Director. Paul is a digital strategist who’s 17 years experience spans multiple regions, from the Middle East and Africa to the Asia Pacific. Another key aspect of the restructuring is the appointment of Rebecca Wilson as Client Success Director, a new role that focuses on enhancing client satisfaction and adding value to partners. To align with the industry's increasing overlap and merger of content and media, Acorn Strategy has combined its PR and Editorial teams, now led by PR Director Natasha D'Souza. Commenting on the restructuring, new appointments and promotions, Kate Midttun, Founder and CEO of Acorn Strategy said: “With this realignment, we aim to be at the... --- - Published: 2023-03-09 - Modified: 2025-03-04 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/acorn-strategys-insights-will-help-you-ace-the-marketing-game-this-ramadan/ - Categories: Uncategorized Make the most of the upcoming Ramadan and Eid observance in the MENA region. Connect with your key audiences, build stronger relationships, and leave a lasting impression! Leverage Acorn Strategy's insights to get ahead and position yourself for success. This Ramadan and Eid 2023, create meaningful connections by sharing messages of kindness and unity. Focus on building relationships and fostering community, rather than selling. Use our insights to navigate the marketing landscape and bring your vision to life. Celebrate togetherness during this period and make a lasting impact! According to Meta research, Ramadan 2022 saw a surge in interactions related to togetherness and community in the Middle East region on Instagram. This is your chance to reinforce your brand's purpose and values that resonate with your audiences. With 13 years of experience creating Ramadan campaigns, Acorn Strategy shares its top recommendations for marketers this year. Don't just make an Ad; narrate a story.   With two-thirds of shoppers watching videos online, it's a powerful tool for brand storytelling. Moreover, 65% of shoppers spend more time watching video content during Ramadan and Eid, making it critical for reach. Offer personalised products and gift suggestions.   71% of shoppers agree that personalised recommendations make their Ramadan shopping easier. Focus on the personal touch with content that targets vital audience groups.   Partner with content creators.   59% of shoppers are likelier to trust a brand that partners with a trustworthy creator during Ramadan and Eid. Therefore, collaborate with creators who align with... --- - Published: 2022-08-04 - Modified: 2022-08-10 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/pr-2-0-the-power-of-hybrid/ - Categories: Uncategorized Since its inception, the internet has gone on to transform the way we live, communicate, and do business. Online presence ceased to be complementary and brands that stayed offline quickly learned a hard lesson, especially once the pandemic hit. Internet penetration and digital transformation rates reflected this new reality, forming a solid foundation for a new era for public relations. Welcome to PR 2. 0. For decades, the success of a PR campaign was centrally controlled by traditional media channels, and whilst tactics used by traditional public relations may still help you secure sufficient brand coverage in an industry magazine or on a TV channel, this can have little to no impact over the digital world. By contrast, digital PR gives you access, and sometimes control, over much more: digital marketing, reputable backlinking, social media, earned media, influencers, and the list goes on. So, is this PR 2. 0? The answer is no. Acorn Strategy describes Public Relations 2. 0 as the best of two worlds – a hybrid of both traditional PR and digital PR - for maximum integration, reach, exposure and organisational impact. Ok, great. So, what does this mean? The simple answer to this question is this: no longer should organisations be limited by just traditional media channels to convey a brand’s messages effectively. Rather, they must put their efforts into ensuring a brand is present and presented positively on the traditional and digital media channels its target audience uses. For example, by using a hybrid, traditional... --- - Published: 2022-03-28 - Modified: 2022-03-28 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/communications-whats-your-impact/ - Categories: Uncategorized The numbers are good: strong engagement rate, steady increase in performance throughout the campaign, and sufficient pick up by target media. Yet, something isn't right. The campaign hasn't yielded the results these numbers were supposed to produce, and the media engagement figures don't justify it. Having a closer look at different campaign assets to understand what went wrong isn't much help either - these assets weren't assigned their own objectives. And this is why we all need the right characteristics and metrics to measure success. In marketing and communications, this is the reason we have measurement at all. Measuring the impact of communications is not an arbitrary exercise in the pursuit of flattering statistics. It is meant to guide us into better and smarter ways to tell our stories, to ensure they have power, purpose, and direction. Over the last 11 years, our team with a combined experience of over 400 years has poured hours into the analysis and assessment of what makes powerful marketing and communications. Perhaps before even a decisive and directional strategy, the objectives and purpose with which you set out to do marketing and communications activities are most important. Without starting with the definition of success or being clear about what we need to achieve from activities, the outputs and the relative level of success can really vary, and the client’s communication and business objectives must be built into this process. An activity that drives footfall will be very different to an activity that drives brand... --- - Published: 2022-03-01 - Modified: 2022-05-05 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/understanding-the-power-of-culture-when-marketing-to-your-customers/ - Categories: Uncategorized Ever wondered how culture is impacting your marketing success abroad? In this article, Annabel Amann our Head of Client Experience, explains how greater awareness and understanding of nuances of culture and sub-cultures can help businesses effectively engage customers from different markets and regions. How is ‘culture’ impacting your marketing content? With 7,111* languages spoken worldwide, societal culture is extremely varied and nuanced, country-to-country. Just as water bends light, culture has the power to change the direction, impact and meaning of your communications content and thus a customer's journey. American anthropologist, Edward T. Hall**, is known for identifying the notion of ‘high-context cultures’ (HCC) and ‘low-context cultures’ (LCC) in communications. He set-up a framework of culture-based communication styles, explaining how people in different countries decode messages, verbal or non-verbal, based on their cultural expectations and norms. So, which markets are you doing business in? HCC or LCC? According to Hall, for effective communication it’s important to start by identifying whether you’re dealing with an HCC or a LCC to determine how people prefer to communicate. By identifying which market type you are dealing with and its associated cultural traits better, you will understand your target markets needs to cultivate customer engagement and achieve business success.   So, what are some of the traits of an HCC vs LCC market? When dealing with a LCC market it is recommended to use direct text and practical information rather than bright animated images, which are often seen as too commercial or considered cheap. LCC’s... --- - Published: 2022-03-01 - Modified: 2022-03-01 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/evolving-emojis-designing-for-the-new-face-of-messaging/ - Categories: Uncategorized This is the first set of emojis. Recently acquired by The Museum of Modern Art (MoMa), they were designed by Japanese artist Shigetaka Kurita in 1999.   Emojis were originally used to give personality to keyboard emoticons and add another level of self-expression to online communications. In 2011, Apple made the emoji a permanent part of their iOS 5 keyboard, launching the little faces into the spotlight. Today there are 1,620 emoji in the iOS keyboard with new ones joining every year.   Current usage:   Receiving an emoji feels like getting a handwritten letter—it’s more of a personal touch than a regular text message. Emojis are a universal language, transcending cultures and defying rules. It is being argued that with emojis, sentiments can be expressed more quickly and precisely.   Using emojis in your messaging can add an extra level of personality and relatability to your brand. You can humanise your brand and relate to your audience by speaking their language with the emoji they use daily in text messaging, chat, and personal social posts. On professional platforms like LinkedIn, emojis help your brand stand out in a sea of text posts. Rather than using them to communicate, you can create more eye-catching lists, or emphasise your posts and headlines with symbols.   Impact on brands:   Emojis are an effective communications tool that can be integrated with business, commercial, politics and public causes, helping to increase a brand’s exposure and engagement. According to a study by WordStream, using... --- - Published: 2022-03-01 - Modified: 2022-03-01 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/a-renewed-middle-eastern-interest-in-football-sponsorships/ - Categories: Uncategorized A renewed Middle Eastern interest in football sponsorships? Kantar stats say that 63% of people are more likely to do business with a brand that aligns itself to something they’re passionate about, 74% feel more loyalty to a brand that is involved in sports and entertainment, and that brand partnerships help to humanise brands and give them relevance. The global game is now so powerful that brands wanting to enhance their reputations can ill afford not to be associated with football. Football Marketing – the numbers The involvement of Middle East sponsors is a key part in driving the commercial growth at many of Europe’s biggest football clubs. According to KPMG Football Benchmark, the Middle East brands represent the largest sponsors and investors into top flight football at EUR 200M p. a. Some of the largest European clubs are now sponsored by the big three Middle East airlines. English giants Manchester City are sponsored by Etihad Airways; PSG, AS Roma and FC Bayern München are backed by Qatar Airways; while Real Madrid, Arsenal, AC Milan, and SL Benfica all carry the Emirates logo on their shirts. The UAE airline, whose investment was virtually non-existent less than 10 years ago, has emerged as the third largest sponsor of European football (behind adidas and Nike), investing more than EUR 175M annually across several major deals. Middle Eastern brands account for over 30% of the value of shirt sponsorships in the Brand Finance Football 50 league table, with Fly Emirates supporting more clubs... --- - Published: 2022-02-22 - Modified: 2022-03-01 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/the-classical-laws-of-marketing/ - Categories: Uncategorized Reinventing the wheel is not always necessary when there are treasured guides to the psychology of marketing and prime examples of brands setting the tone since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Which is why ‘The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing’ by Al Ries and Jack Trout is a must-read for all marketing professionals. Here is a look at some of their most interesting laws. 1. The Law of Leadership It’s better to be first than it is to be better. The first law in the book suggests you are more likely to be successful at convincing your audience that you are first at what you do, rather than the best. Instilling the idea of providing the best quality among a range of competitors is a time-consuming and risky process. On the other hand, pioneering in a product or service opens a new horizon in an untapped market and is more digestible to audiences and testifies to the power and luxury that is comes with being first at something. Examples of success: The first ever laser printer was introduced by Hewlett-Packard. Today, HP owns 5% of the computer market and 45% of the laser printer market. Tide was the first laundry detergent\ Gilette was the first safety razor 2. The Law of Category If you cannot be the first in a category, set up a new category to you can be first in. It is too late. The product or service that you want to excel in is monopolized. Oh,... --- - Published: 2022-02-21 - Modified: 2022-03-01 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/using-social-purpose-to-boost-brand-engagement/ - Categories: Uncategorized Why Social Purpose is an Essential Next Step for your Brand Strategy Social purpose is the use of business principles to help make a positive impact on society in a way which generates long-term growth for the business. Unlike corporate social responsibility (CSR), in which companies and their staff carry out activities which can make a difference to other people’s lives, social purpose aligns social issues with the core values of the business to drive business results. This article explores how social purpose can boost brand engagement and explains why identifying a social purpose should be an essential next step as part of your brand strategy. Social Purpose and Brand Engagement Following the recession of the late 2000s two key trends emerged; although understandably people tightened their belts showing price sensitivity across some categories, perhaps more surprisingly at the same time people also showed a willingness to pay a higher price for brands that improved their wellbeing and had a positive impact on society. The Meaningful Brands Index has charted brand engagement since 2006. Back then it found that people wouldn’t care if 74% of brands they used every day disappeared, which demonstrates how many brands have failed to connect emotionally with their consumers. In 2017 the same Index demonstrated that the rewards for connecting meaningfully are huge, with those that achieve meaningfulness outperforming the stock market by 206% over a 10-year period and on average a ninefold increase in share of wallet. This is a trend which is still with us today;... --- - Published: 2022-01-04 - Modified: 2022-01-14 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/why-is-tailoring-content-for-your-global-audience-essential/ - Categories: Uncategorized To translate, localise or transcreate: that is the question? ! Did you know that out of the world's approximately 7. 5 billion inhabitants, 1. 5 billion speak English? That most of those people aren't even native English speakers? In fact, just 360 million people across the globe speak English as their first language. Global Head of Client Experience at Acorn Strategy, Annabel Amann, explains the significance of these realities for content marketers in Australia, and the incredible opportunity brands have to translate, tailor and transcreate their content for greater global engagement and success. A common challenge is that many of us treat the worldwide web like the Australian web or the Australian English web. I understand that for Australian businesses looking to export into offshore markets, it can often be an overwhelming process to produce content outside of your already successful domestic market and are probably unprepared as to where to start. Don’t worry you’re not alone! It’s time to develop a healthy respect for consumers living outside of your domestic boundaries. So whats the solution: Many make the mistake of looking to online translation tools like Google Translate, which can make it easier to reach a larger audience. However, they will never capture the nuances of language that are essential to engaging an audience with your content marketing, such as colloquialisms, humor, and cultural sensitivities. As globalisation takes hold in business, so too must it infiltrate every part of your content marketing strategy and approach. The question is, how deeply nuanced does this conversion need to get for... --- - Published: 2022-01-04 - Modified: 2022-01-10 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/built-on-insights-unveiling-acorn-strategys-new-pr-reporting-model/ - Categories: Uncategorized   In an evolved media landscape, it isn’t enough to count outputs or simply monitor vanity metrics. It’s what you measure and whether it is making an organisational impact that counts. In almost every endeavour on earth, letting go of things that no longer work well is the most challenging aspect of transformation. This is true of the communications industry as it is of other industries, and we can easily identify the unnecessary literalism that keeps outdated practises and methods afloat long after they have ceased to produce value for brands. For the public relations and communications industry, this literalism manifests itself when it comes to reporting media coverage results. Thousands of pages of reports are produced every day across the industry, with the declared purpose of informing a brand of how many ‘media hits’ were achieved. The time and investment that goes into this process is lengthy, but unfortunately many reports don’t evaluate ‘how’ the media coverage has driven the objectives that impact the organisation. So why does everyone keep doing the same thing again and again? Because it's the way things have been done for twenty years. At Acorn Strategy, however, this is no longer the way things are done. Recently named Large Agency of the Year by the Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) and winner of Bronze and Silver in Community Relations & Management and Corporate Reputation at the PRIA Golden Target Awards 2021, Acorn Strategy concluded a very successful year with focus on adapting its... --- - Published: 2021-12-15 - Modified: 2022-01-10 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/how-to-use-neuromarketing-to-boost-your-next-campaign/ - Categories: Uncategorized In this increasingly data-driven world, there’s one area which many marketeers are yet to fully explore (or understand), and that’s how the human brain reacts to their campaigns.  In this article, Emma Easter, content marketer and neuro-enthusiast, discusses the basics of neuromarketing and its applications, and shares some simple, easy-to-apply takeaway messages that anyone can use to drive better results from their next marketing campaign, even if this is the first time you’ve ever heard of neuromarketing! What is Neuromarketing? Neuromarketing is an evidence-based scientific approach which takes data obtained from studying the reaction of the human brain, when presented with certain stimuli, and uses this information to predict and measure which marketing approaches will be successful in helping a brand gain competitive advantage. One of the fundamental problems for any discipline (like marketing) which is rooted in human behaviour, is how to obtain genuine and meaningful results on which to base sometimes costly marketing decisions. But what if we had the technology to see what is actually happening inside the brains of our target audience when they’re shown our creative content? "For neuromarketing to be useful, it should predict marketing success better than measures of opinion or behaviour" - Vaughan Bell How Neuromarketing Works Understanding how our audiences think, feel and behave in response to our offerings has historically been a challenge for any marketeer. Traditional approaches to discovering what our audiences like or don’t like, such as surveys and focus groups, have well-documented limitations which may mean that the data... --- - Published: 2021-11-14 - Modified: 2021-11-14 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/writing-the-way-forward/ - Categories: Uncategorized Acorn Strategy’s in-house copywriter Omar Khalifa takes a broad look at the emergence of copywriting and why good copy is critically important. In one of the world’s earliest acts of copywriting, a family that lived during the Song Dynasty in China wrote a few words on a bronze plate to market a needle shop, and the message was fairly straightforward: “We buy high-quality steel rods and make fine-quality needles. ” This advertisement went live one thousand years ago. And it was an uphill journey from that point forward. Populations grew, cities expanded, and modes of transportation and communication became sufficiently advanced to facilitate commercial activities on a large scale, thereby creating a distinctly more complex situation for businesses that had up until that point dismissed marketing as an unnecessary luxury. This may not have been a problem when you were the only shop in town making “fine-quality needles,” but it quickly becomes so as soon as another shop pops up, followed by five and ten and twenty. This is how competition was born, and competition necessitates differentiation. Differentiation is a simple formula comprised of two variables: 1) the quality of your work, and 2) the way you communicate that quality. Surely, you can be the best in your business, but as the old saying goes, “in the dark, all cats are grey. ” To bring your business to light is to advertise, and to advertise is to write. This is how copywriting started, and it has since evolved into an... --- - Published: 2021-11-07 - Modified: 2021-11-07 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/social-fatigue-the-struggle-is-real/ - Categories: Uncategorized Four billion people around the world use social media but, for all the growth and fancy new features available for content creators, is there a chance we’re getting – whisper it – a bit fed up with it all? Kevin Hackett shines a light on current social media trends and explains his misgivings about unplugging from Facebook. The British author, actor, broadcaster, occasional Ricky Gervais collaborator and self-professed ‘Idiot Abroad’, Karl Pilkington, once said: “Everyone is living for everyone else now. They’re doing stuff so they can tell other people about it. I don’t get all that social media stuff. I’ve always got other things I want to do – odd jobs around the house. No one wants to hear about that. ” If you already know about Pilkington, you probably read that quote in his deadpan northern English accent and weren’t at all surprised by his take on the matter. But while he might shy away from social media for his own, self-deprecating reasons, everyone else I know, or know of, is an active user. My grandfather turned 93 last month, and even he has an Instagram account with which he keeps up to date with the daily lives of his sprawling family. In fact, there are nigh on four billion individual, active users of social media around the world and that tally is growing by around 10 percent every year, with 99 percent accessing their chosen platforms via mobile devices in the forms of smartphones, tablets or watches.... --- - Published: 2021-10-25 - Modified: 2021-10-25 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/the-content-amplification-programme-public-relations-acorn-strategy/ - Categories: Uncategorized Extending the Life of a News Story: The Content Amplification Programme How to amplify the impact of a good new story using content marketing principles? In this fast-paced world, even the best stories are here today and gone tomorrow, and one of the challenges most companies and public relations professionals face is how to boost the impact of their story beyond traditional media channels. Many businesses and public relations professionals understand that extending their reach beyond their owned media channels can boost return on investment, but struggle to find the time or resources needed to redevelop their content in order to meet the needs of their audience and gain greater impact, especially when the content is time-sensitive. In this article, Emma Easter, explains how thinking differently about the way we repurpose content, and applying content marketing principles to an event or good news story, can help PR professionals to generate results beyond the life of a typical press release. First, the traditional way of doing things... Traditional content repurposing plans tend to start with a ‘substantive’ piece of content which is usually housed on a website, like a white paper, in-depth study or a blog post. These will then be reworked into various other formats to extend the reach of the original and with the aim of driving traffic to the original on the website to draw potential new customers down the marketing funnel. Typical formats will include: Longer form videoShorter videosA series of social media postsInfographicsSlideshareWebinarsPodcastsPress releases But what... --- - Published: 2021-09-19 - Modified: 2021-09-19 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/behavioural-intelligence/ - Categories: Uncategorized We have all encountered difficult people and have had to deal with them whether in our day-to-day life or at work. Behavioural intelligence refers to one’s ability to affect their environment through overt behaviour. It is one thing to know the rules and regulations, but it is another to behave in accordance with them and to avoid impacting your environment negatively. What is Behavioural Intelligence? It is the application of skills and abilities to accurately explain existing behaviour, predict future behaviour, influence other people’s behaviour, and control one’s own behaviour. A vast amount of study on behaviour has concluded that change in behaviour occurs when it is interactive and is followed in real-time by corrective feedback. Behaviours that are rewarded will be more likely to occur in the future, and behaviours that are punished will be less likely to occur again. Interestingly, behavioural intelligence does not rely on working memory and attention. In fact, there is strong scientific evidence that “overthinking it” hinders behavioural skills learning. Applying the below steps allows you to behave in accordance with rules and regulations, avoid harassing behaviour and behave as an effective leader. How does behavioural intelligence help you? Allows you to learn from experienceAssists you in responding flexibly in situations that are new or unanticipatedApplies learnt or programmed knowledge to solve problemsUses reasoning in solving problemsHelps you understand and infer facts and rulesRecognises the relative importance of different elements in a situation  So, how do you apply behavioural intelligence in your day-to-day work? Take it easy It is difficult but... --- - Published: 2021-09-19 - Modified: 2021-10-06 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/how-can-the-growing-uae-tourism-industry-benefit-your-business/ - Categories: Uncategorized Expo 2020 Dubai is driving growth in the tourism sector.  How can your company maximise the opportunities this will provide? If you’re thinking of expanding your business into the UAE to benefit from the many opportunities Expo 2020 Dubai will bring, you may be interested to know that the tourism and hospitality sectors are set to receive a boost as a result of Expo 2020 Dubai. In this article, Acorn Strategy discusses the expanding tourism industry in the UAE and how this will be supported by Expo 2020 Dubai. The article highlights how Expo 2020 Dubai will have a positive impact on the UAE tourism market and ultimately on your business in the Middle East. The Benefits of Tourism to the UAE Economy This year’s Arabian Travel Market focused on the benefits Expo 2020 Dubai would bring to travel, tourism and MICE companies looking to attract tourists to the region. With 25 million visitors expected to attend Expo 2020 Dubai, 70% of whom are from outside the Middle East, there are opportunities to build revenue streams by offering value-added packages. With world-class architecture, immersive storytelling, live shows and performances and next-generation innovation, Expo 2020 Dubai is anticipated to deliver an exceptional visitor experience. As Expo 2020 Dubai approaches, the macroeconomic indicators show steady, healthy growth of the UAE economy. The current forecasted GDP growth rate for 2018 is 2%, which is lower than the long-term growth rate for developing economies but is expected to pick up to 3% in the... --- - Published: 2021-09-07 - Modified: 2021-09-08 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/destination-marketing-why-seasoned-pros-can-make-all-the-difference/ - Categories: Uncategorized - Tags: Business, Marketing Destination Marketing: Why Seasoned Pros Can Make All the Difference   Destination marketing is a unique and evolving specialisation, bringing with it unfamiliar territory, structures and contexts for those not operating in the industry. But as with any marketing discipline, key to its success is well thought-out strategy and each of these should be as unique as the destination they relate to. It’s an unfortunate reality that many destinations fail to gain expected traction when their marketing is carried out ineffectively, often taking years of realignment, which proves the case for a strong strategy in the first place. Oftentimes executives don’t understand the strategic importance of marketing and communications, or the marketing team working on the project is merely inexperienced – there are many added layers of complexity that in a destination marketing strategy that are not encountered elsewhere, so it pays to have specialists in your teams if there is to be a chance of success. Get the mix right Successful destinations rely on a mix of three markets: Business, Tourism and Residential. These are able to happily coexist but are not necessarily split into equal portions, however each is required to create a vibrant, successful and sustainable destination. As such, it’s vital to understand each of their requirements so that your marketing strategy will work for all of them. Understanding their requirements, how they interplay and how they’re different will make a difference to generating success.   Don’t be everything to everyone ‘Playing it safe’ or trying to... --- - Published: 2021-04-20 - Modified: 2021-09-19 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/using-ramadan-content-insights-to-boost-engagement/ - Categories: Uncategorized A Data-based Approach to Drive Ramadan Content Decisions The holy month of Ramadan is one of the most special times in the Islamic calendar, as the month marks the time during which Allah gave the first chapters of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad. During Ramadan Muslims fast between sunrise and sunset, abstain from some activities, and pray more often. Working hours are shorter, and breaking the fast tends to become a far more social occasion, with families and friends joining together to enjoy ‘iftar’ (a simple meal to break the fast). But did you know that during Ramadan your customers spend more time online and consuming your content? So how should content marketers harness this opportunity to share their message with consumers, and what should shape should that message take? With more data about online behaviour available to us than ever before, the insight we now have regarding what our customers like is invaluable in planning and creating compelling content which can not only build brand strength, but also drive new business. How We Consume Content During Ramadan... To explore these questions in more detail, it’s useful to have a clear picture of what people are doing differently during the Holy Month. According to the Google 2017 Ramadan Series during Ramadan consumers will: Perform more internet searchesConsume more videoSpend more time on mobile devicesEngage up to 57% more, commenting on blogs, videos and reacting on social media posts But Google also found as part of its research that this increased activity... --- - Published: 2021-02-10 - Modified: 2021-09-19 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/new-leisure-destination-in-abu-dhabi/ - Categories: Uncategorized Acorn Strategy was approached to write the marketing strategy and then develop and implement the marketing and communications plan for a brand new leisure destination in Abu Dhabi, for launch and beyond. Approach: Acorn Strategy began by framing the client's challenges and understanding what success looked like for them. Key stakeholders were interviewed to understand their vision and objectives for the project, the external environment was assessed via a PEST analysis, and the collaborators and ideal customers were defined whilst we evaluated the marketing of their competitive set. As this was a destination strategy, we selected Buhalis’ 6 A’s to assess the destinations overall competitiveness. We examined the internal environment, defining vision and mission statements for the new destination, setting clear objectives and undertaking a SWOT. Finally, we set the strategic direction defining the target audiences, channels and a top-level marketing calendar. The Implementation team crafted key messages and wrote a detailed marketing plan which included media relations, bloggers, community outreach and social media. Results: Awareness of the new destination spread very quickly and during the first weekend the team over achieved the footfall targets by threefold. The client’s social media platforms saw a steady and rapid increase in followers and engagement. The client said; “I would recommend Acorn Strategy to marketing professionals and business owners alike who are looking for intelligence in their marketing and a partner they can trust. ” Services: Strategic interviewsExternal market analysisCompetitor researchDestination marketing strategyTarget audience and channel definitionDetailed marketing planProject managementCampaign managementPress ReleasesMedia, blogger and influencer outreachMarketing managementSocial Media... --- - Published: 2021-01-04 - Modified: 2021-02-11 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/new-beginnings/ - Categories: Uncategorized Opening: A Matter of Course The last few days of December are usually the time of year when media agencies around the globe reach into the vault to extract news highlights: major events and affairs, bold inventions and breakthroughs, leaky scandals, and horrible tragedies. The most recognizable images of each event are then produced into a supercut and hurled at us all: here’s the year 2020 in a nutshell. This may be a good product for a quick glimpse of what happened, but it’s otherwise of no use to anyone reasonably inclined to inquire into how we all got here. Highlights of the year 2020 will without doubt bear images that are already too familiar: masks, sanitizers, Zoom calls, protective suits, lab hardware, TikTok videos, parked airplanes, empty streets, empty concert halls, and desolate fairgrounds. To look at these images, and to take the highlights at face value, is to miss a sizeable chunk of the year 2020, and that is the learning curve. Looking back at the year 2020 right from the start to study the learning curve will reveal a striking detail we all lost in the process: we really were moving in the dark. Of course, there is no playbook for this kind of situation; it was an uncharted territory. Still, however, it did expose fundamental flaws in the way decisions are made. We learned what’s going on slowly and gradually. The early days of the pandemic were understandably characterized by what now seems comically naïve: events... --- - Published: 2021-01-04 - Modified: 2021-02-11 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/opening-a-matter-of-course/ - Categories: Uncategorized The last few days of December are usually the time of year when media agencies around the globe reach into the vault to extract news highlights: major events and affairs, bold inventions and breakthroughs, leaky scandals, and horrible tragedies. The most recognizable images of each event are then produced into a supercut and hurled at us all: here’s the year 2020 in a nutshell. This may be a good product for a quick glimpse of what happened, but it’s otherwise of no use to anyone reasonably inclined to inquire into how we all got here. Highlights of the year 2020 will without doubt bear images that are already too familiar: masks, sanitizers, Zoom calls, protective suits, lab hardware, TikTok videos, parked airplanes, empty streets, empty concert halls, and desolate fairgrounds. To look at these images, and to take the highlights at face value, is to miss a sizeable chunk of the year 2020, and that is the learning curve. Looking back at the year 2020 right from the start to study the learning curve will reveal a striking detail we all lost in the process: we really were moving in the dark. Of course, there is no playbook for this kind of situation; it was an uncharted territory. Still, however, it did expose fundamental flaws in the way decisions are made. We learned what’s going on slowly and gradually. The early days of the pandemic were understandably characterized by what now seems comically naïve: events scheduled for March were merely... --- - Published: 2021-01-04 - Modified: 2021-02-11 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/events-recovery-and-resumption/ - Categories: Uncategorized As we write these words, a sixth Covid-19 vaccine has entered the playing field. Mass vaccination programmes have been rolled out around the world, and millions of people in several industries are eagerly waiting for an accelerated return to normal. One such industry is events, having been dealt a devastating blow as the pandemic traveled around the world aboard planes and trains and cruise ships. Within a few months of the first cases being reported in Wuhan, the entire industry was undergoing the throes of the crisis: concerts, premiership football, exhibitions, summits, conventions of all sorts – everything went dark. Early and considerably optimistic forecasts predicted a return to normal by summer 2020, but the course of events didn’t take kindly to that. Reality has quickly and decisively imposed its terms, and there wasn’t going to be any ‘summer’ either. When the true nature of the situation became unmistakably clear, organising committees started composing a dreaded message in whose general direction everything was obviously moving: ‘Our foremost priority is the safety of our visitors and staff, and we have therefore decided to call off . ’ ‘We are closely monitoring the situation and will keep you informed of further developments. ’ Investments worth billions of dollars in event infrastructure, services and logistics went down the drain as the uncertainty of the situation suppressed any further attempt to predict what the rest of the year would look like. Consultancies and experts were hired to salvage whatever could be salvaged using technology... --- - Published: 2020-12-15 - Modified: 2021-09-19 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/decades-of-digital-conversation-from-a-s-l-to-fake-news/ - Categories: Uncategorized Unless you’ve divested yourself of worldly affairs and gone to live off the grid, chances are you now have more information on US geography than you know what to do with, and that you’ve been particularly exasperated with Nevadan bureaucracy. Chances are the numbers 253 and 213 summon a very particular memory to your mind, too. The US Election of 2020, in the course of which the Oval Office, the House and Senate were contested, was a sharp crystallisation of a point where several political, social and economic interests intersect. Every controversy and point of contention that has emerged and unravelled since the end of the 20th century has come hurtling at us from the deep business of US politics in the form of an unforgiving binary; a zero-sum game on either side of which millions of people were mobilised. The war of ideas that characterised the race has taken place in the ether, over trunk lines and in print, but the most ferocious battles were fought in the cyberspace. Today, we will look at the long and serpentine digital path that got us here. A Chatty Lot “One research group, formed in 1976, was responsible for deciding what would be included in an email header. They called themselves the ‘Header People’ and created an unmoderated chat room to discuss the subject. The room became famous (or infamous) for the raucous and aggressive conversations held there. Arguments could flare up over anything. Ken Harrenstien, the academic who set up the... --- - Published: 2020-11-30 - Modified: 2021-09-19 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/acorn-strategy-ten-years-of-mighty-moves/ - Categories: Uncategorized - Tags: Blog, Business, EMEA The year started for Acorn Strategy just like it did for everyone else: a lot of uncertainty, an urgent need to adapt operations and work to a completely new set up, and a quest to meet business objectives and maintain employee morale in the process. In the second half of March, Acorn Strategy was among the first companies in the UAE and the region to take a decision to work from home as a precautionary measure. Internal and external meetings would now have to be conducted online, and the usual order of business was considerably altered. We simply didn’t know how soon we would go back to the office, or what the market would look like by the time we did. Three months later, however, and contrary to a general trend, Acorn Strategy had won major new contracts, doubled in size, and nearly doubled its profits compared to a year earlier. The challenges Acorn Strategy had to deal with were not of the type anyone would expect in a year like 2020: remote onboarding and induction, assimilating new recruits into the company’s culture and inner dynamic, and managing all that within a reasonable timeframe. “In a year where business slowed down, budgets were slashed, priorities were reassessed, and strategies came undone, Acorn Strategy recognised, co-opted and cultivated the active ingredient of growth. ” Moreover, Acorn Strategy’s clients with ongoing communications and public relations contracts needed to adapt their communications and marketing strategies to address the new situation. This would have... --- - Published: 2020-08-04 - Modified: 2021-09-19 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/you-wfh/ - Categories: Uncategorized It took me a few seconds to work out what my friend was asking, in response to the news that I had, after four hard months of searching for a job, landed a new gig with an agency called Acorn Strategy. Those three letters are now a firm part of the employment lexicon and have come to define 2020 for huge swathes of workers who, through coercion or self-preservation are Working From Home. The chances are that, if you’re reading this, you spent at least a few weeks during the pandemic doing so yourself. As a self-confessed hermit, for me, not having to go into an office every day has been one of the very few positives in a year that has taken a wrecking ball to convention. Not sitting in nose-to-tail traffic twice a day, not being dragged into office politics, not having to wear a shirt and tie five days a week – it’s quite liberating. I have to admit to being ahead of the curve here, however, as I spent a decade working from home in the UK as a freelance journalist, so it didn’t take much for me to readjust. I also have to admit that decade-long experience wasn’t ideal and was undeniably a contributing factor in my divorce before relocating to the UAE in 2011. So with painful life lessons learned, would this new WFH stint be more successful? Certainly having a regular monthly salary landing in my bank account is a huge step in... --- - Published: 2019-01-21 - Modified: 2021-09-19 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/public-relations-in-2019-exploring-the-changing-face-of-the-profession/ - Categories: Uncategorized How is the profession connecting with the trends of the future? Public Relations or PR is a relatively new industry – or rather, the branding of public relations is new. Its ability to change with the times is one of the ways it has managed to keep current throughout the ages. In this article, Marina Milic, Account Manager at Acorn Strategy, discusses how the public relations profession is keeping pace with changing times, and outlines how modern trends and technologies can work in sync with PR to create value for forward-thinking businesses. Across time people have always developed, managed, and sustained relationships with each other, however it wasn’t until the early 1900’s when the industry first became recognised as a profession. Fast forward a few decades, and we hear things like press releases, boilerplates, engagement, earned media, pitches and wonder – what does Public Relations actually do for our businesses today? PR is an elegant field, using the power of story-telling to gain exposure in publications for their clients, while promoting their reputation. PR specialists keep the public up to date with events, news, promotions using positive messaging, while maintaining a positive relationship between the media, clients, and key stakeholders. PR professionals use a variety of tools to communicate, from writing a press release, creating a speech for a key speaker, planning special events and stunts to launch a product, writing blogs, managing media relationships, and defending their client’s reputation when the story is bad. “Public relations uses the power... --- - Published: 2019-01-20 - Modified: 2021-09-19 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/marketing-planning-for-2019-how-to-set-your-strategic-marketing-and-communications-priorities/ - Categories: Uncategorized 8 Essential Tips for Planning Your 2019 Marketing Strategy Successfully Marketing planning is a core component that significantly impacts a company's success and growth. So why do so many marketeers find themselves leaving it to the last minute? Suzan Safah, Senior Marketing Strategist at Acorn Strategy, explains why being proactive and planning ahead is key to a successful marketing year, and shares her 8 essential tips for how to get your marketing planning off to a great start in 2019. Considering Your 2019 Priorities With today’s tight budgets, limited resources and the reactive ‘fire-fighting’ we all experience to complete last-minute requests, marketers usually find themselves leaving it to the last minute to plan their next year’s activities - and usually right before budgets are due for submission. Ask yourself the following questions: Have you considered your marketing & communications’ priorities for 2019? Have you wrapped up the year assessing your core challenges? Revisited your set objectives? Looked at what worked and what didn’t and what tools, content and platforms generated your most business leads? Considered your team’s performance? Is your new plan and budget set? If you answered no to any of these, then let’s look at where to go next. Kickstart Your 2019 Marketing Planning A starting point which is within one’s control is adapting an approach that is proactive in planning. It is very important to internally drive marketing planning rather than waiting to be informed, briefed or updated. And this applies to small and big businesses, although for... --- --- ## Projects - Published: 2022-04-19 - Modified: 2023-05-24 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/aabf-12th-edition/ - Project Categories: Creative, Marketing Operations, Public Relations, Social Media, UAE Company AABF 12TH EDITION Office Abu Dhabi Services Marketing and Communications Sectors GovernmentSituation Celebrating its 12th year, the 2021 Al Ain Book Fair launched in a hybrid format in which publishers, authors, book lovers and customers could attend either virtually or in person. The Al Ain Book Fair, organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) at the Department of Culture and Tourism concluded on September 30th after a 10-day programme under the theme ‘A Reading Generation is a Leading Generation’. The objective was to maximise on-ground and virtual attendance at this national event, while driving awareness and interest on the fair's social media channels.   Approach Our approach was to focus first on ensuring we fully understood the business directions, messaging and objectives by researching and developing a marketing and communications strategy. Using these insights, an integrated campaign was developed that included social content (utilising existing Abu Dhabi International Book Fair and Arabic Language Centre social channels), on-ground and virtual interviews with key spokespersons, authors, illustrators, etc. to engage new audiences and media coverage. Acorn was also responsible for editorial support for multi-lingual (English, Arabic) PRLs, Social Media content and interviews.   Results The fair experienced an impressive turnout, with visitors attending from every age group and societal background to enjoy a rich cultural programme of 206 events that included talk sessions, panel discussions, music performances and children’s activities such as art workshops and reading sessions. The host city of Al Ain was the focus of these activations,... --- - Published: 2022-04-19 - Modified: 2025-04-04 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/adibf-30th-edition/ - Project Categories: Creative, Public Relations, Social Media, UAE CompanyADIBF 30TH EDITION ServicesMarketing and Communications OfficeABU DHABI SectorsGovernment Celebrating its 30th year, for 2021 the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair launched a hybrid format in which publishers, authors, book lovers and customers could attend either virtually or in person. The objective was to maximise on-ground and virtual attendance at this international event, while driving awareness and interest on the fair’s social media channels. With the event postponed from its original date in 2020 due to the pandemic, the revised hybrid event presented both challenges and new opportunities, and Abu Dhabi International Book Fair wanted an integrated marketing, PR and communications strategic approach to ensure that these opportunities were amplified. Despite the short time frame of only a couple of months until event execution, our approach was to focus first on ensuring we fully understood the business directions, messaging and objectives by researching and developing a marketing and communications strategy. Using these insights, an integrated campaign was developed that included social content (utilising existing Abu Dhabi International Book Fair and Arabic Language Centre social channels), on-ground and virtual interviews with key spokespersons, authors, illustrators, etc. to engage new audiences and international media coverage. Acorn was also responsible for editorial support for multi-lingual (English, Arabic) PRLs, Social Media content and interviews. ADIBF recorded an estimate of +20% increase in sales this year compared to the previous edition held in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic. The event displayed more than 500K titles in books, 229 programme sessions were held at the book... --- - Published: 2022-04-18 - Modified: 2025-06-20 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/first-abu-dhabi-bank/ - Project Categories: Creative, Marketing Operations, UAE Company FIRST ABU DHABI BANK Office Abu Dhabi Services Marketing and Communications Sectors Government Situation When the two prominent Abu Dhabi Banks merged to form one of the largest banks in the northern hemisphere, they required a rebrand that repositioned them. The newly merged entity needed to represent the successful history of the entities and embody the modernity and openness of a global bank.   Strawberryfrog NYC was appointed as the lead movement agency, working with Acorn Strategy for local insights, analysis and brand development.   Approach Research and development underpinned the foundations of the work. Firstly, understanding customer perceptions and what the future of the merged bank held. With insights and data, the direction of the brand was developed. The research guided the visual development, but also the brand narrative and value propositions for each of the target audiences. With the new brand and new portfolio came the challenge of a new brand hierarchy. The brand was reviewed and challenges around multinational, multilanguage and multi product role out were tackled. Acorn Strategy worked on brand strategy (including research), value proposition, project management, and narrative alongside a creative team in New York to guide the development of the new brand.   Results The brand was launched through waves of internal and external roleouts on a local, regional and international level. The Grow Stronger platform helped to provide the narrative, newly formed brand story and reason for merger. The brand and rename have been well received with the brand having strong recognition and positive perception across all markets. Services Research and strategy development Value propositions Customer Journey... --- - Published: 2022-04-18 - Modified: 2025-03-18 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/omnix/ - Project Categories: Public Relations, Strategy, UAE CompanyOMNIX INTERNATIONAL ServicesMarketing and Communications OfficeDubai SectorsGovernment Situation Omnix International is a long-standing pioneer of digital transformation solutions in the region, developing native platforms and integrating systems from different vendors to empower enterprises with turnkey solutions. Having been temporarily eclipsed by the exponential growth of the digital transformation industry in the UAE, the company needed to restore its relevance as it recruited some of the industry’s top experts to lead the new phase of its growth. Omnix approached Acorn Strategy to create compelling stories and provide adequate coverage of the news in target publications. Approach Acorn Strategy’s public relations team went to work surveying the most relevant publications in the industry, while simultaneously developing high-quality copy that shed the light on Omnix International’s new brand and enhanced solution portfolio. Dubbed ‘Omnix 2. 0: The Premier Partner of End-to-End Digital Solutions’, the company’s new phase of development required the re-alignment of its PR priorities, with focus on Emiratisation, integration of services, and the retention of top talent. The solution provided by Acorn Strategy was equally focussed on all three fronts. Results Acorn Strategy managed to secure sizeable coverage of the appointments of Omnix International’s new Chief Technology Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer. Services: Public relations management and distribution Content development --- - Published: 2022-04-18 - Modified: 2025-03-16 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/injazat/ - Project Categories: Public Relations, UAE CompanyINJAZAT OfficeDubai ServicesMarketing and Communications SectorsGovernment Situation Injazat is an industry recognised market leader in digital transformation, cloud and cyber security. With the Covid-19 pandemic making digital transformation even more pressing, Injazat wanted to educate its target market and the general public about its core messages and offerings. Acorn Strategy were contracted to deliver targeted interviews for Injazat’s Senior Executives in collaboration with the Content Creation agency.   Approach The public relations centred on awareness of the changes in the digital world that are powered by cloud and catalysed by the pandemic and how Injazat is creating business value for its partners and clients through enabling a digital transformation powered by human capital. Our targeted strategy was focussed around brand awareness and education. This was done through securing two interviews for Senior Executives with two leading publications one in English and one in Arabic. After publication Acorn worked in collaboration with Injazat’s Social Media agency to amplify the message.   Results Interviews were featured in leading publications ensuring Injazat ‘s core message reached its target audience.   Services Public relations management and distribution Amplification on social media (in collaboration with Injazat’s social media agency) PR highlights: Chief Technology Officer interview with Al Khaleej Head of Cloud interview with PC Magazine Middle East Average Total Impact Score: 200   --- - Published: 2022-04-18 - Modified: 2023-05-24 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/department-of-community-development/ - Project Categories: Public Relations, UAE Company WORLD FUTURE ENERGY SUMMIT Office Dubai Services Marketing and Communications Sectors GovernmentSituation World Future Energy Summit is the Middle East’s largest future energy and sustainability event. . Acorn Strategy was awarded the PR mandate for 2021 to provide media relations, stakeholder relations along with a 360-degree communications set up.   Approach Acorn Strategy was contracted to define a comprehensive communications and stakeholder engagement strategy, develop and manage the ongoing campaigns, tactics and media relations for the 2021 summit.   Results The World Future Energy Summit signed off on the strategy and all the recommendations and activities proposed by Acorn Strategy. Acorn Strategy then began with various media outreach activities and stakeholder engagement through a series of press releases which showcases pioneering technologies and thinking in renewable energy, water, solar, waste, smart cities . Acorn Strategy’s PR team worked closely with key energy and EGC media to work on highlight topics of Climate Innovations Exchange – CLIX: marketplace that connects start-ups and investors to solve sustainability challenges for the future of energy, food and agriculture, space and mobility . 10 Press Releases distributed regionally and globally AVE worth $2,057,114 Key tier 1 media features included Arab News, The National, Al Ittihad, Al Khaleej to name a few   Services Develop and execute a PR strategy that ensures the World Future Energy Summit is front of mind amongst its target audience Advisory of the internal World Future Energy project team Create the necessary media kit tools and press office infrastructure to... --- - Published: 2022-04-18 - Modified: 2023-06-19 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/advanced-trade-logistics-platform/ - Project Categories: Marketing Operations, Social Media, UAE Company ADVANCED TRADE & LOGISTICS PLATFORM Office Dubai Services Marketing and Communications Sectors GovernmentProject/ Client Background The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development mandated the development and operation of the Advanced Trade & Logistics Platform (ATLP), the official single window for trade and logistics in Abu Dhabi. The platform was developed and operated by Maqta Gateway, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Ports, under the supervision of the government. The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development mandated the development and operation of the Advanced Trade & Logistics Platform (ATLP), the official single window for trade and logistics in Abu Dhabi. The platform was developed and operated by Maqta Gateway, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Ports, under the supervision of the government. ATLP aimed to launch multiple services within one year to increase awareness and adoption rate of each service. Usually, a project of this magnitude takes 5 years to implement, but with the ambition of the ATLP leadership, their aim was to launch all these services within the span of one year. Our objective was to develop a marketing and communications strategy, supported by social media, to introduce each service, provide an overview of its features and benefits, and information about the registration process. Acorn Strategy developed a tailored marketing and communications strategy, including a social media strategy to promote each service and its benefits. We planned monthly content calendars, managed the account, executed digital paid media strategies, conducted community management, and used data collecting tools like Funnel. io and emailer... --- - Published: 2022-04-18 - Modified: 2023-05-24 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/dubai-south-%e2%80%8b/ - Project Categories: Creative, Marketing Operations, Public Relations, UAE CompanyDUBAI SOUTH Office Dubai Services Marketing and Communications Sectors GovernmentSituation Launched as a Government of Dubai project in 2006, Dubai South is mandated to embody the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum by manifesting the urban and societal themes outlined in the Dubai Plan 2021. These themes relate to Dubai becoming a city of happy, creative and empowered people, an inclusive and cohesive society, the preferred place to live, work and invest, a smart and sustainable city, and a pivotal hub in the global economy. Being such a large-scale project with several business units operating across different industries (real estate, free zone, logistics and aviation), it was important for Dubai South to enhance its current position in the market, revisit its business priorities and organisational structure to propel themselves forward in a more strategic way.   Approach Acorn Strategy was contracted to provide strategic consultancy and conduct in-depth analysis on the current operation and positioning of Dubai South, which ultimately led to creating an overarching marketing and communications strategy with full recommendations on marketing budgets, campaigns and the necessary marketing team structure to support the growth of Dubai South.   Results Working closely with the Dubai South team over a four-phase strategy, marketing priorities were redefined, a new brand hierarchy and manifesto was agreed upon; followed by a full customer-journey and targeting plan for Dubai South and its individual business units. A full messaging house, brand tone of voice, social media plan and creative campaign concepts... --- - Published: 2022-04-18 - Modified: 2023-05-24 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/elite-global-fresh%e2%80%8b/ - Project Categories: Creative, Strategy, UAE Company ELITE GLOBAL FRESH Office Abu Dhabi Services Marketing and Communications Sectors GovernmentSituation Elite Agro approached Acorn Strategy when they were at a critical juncture. They needed to review their brand, but also create a marketing and communications strategy that would take them forward for the decade ahead. With an evolving organisational structure that had gone through and continued to move through high growth, the strategy and brand needed to be considerate and agile to continue adapting to the business growth and changes in the environment.   Approach Our overall strategy was centred around understanding the brand positioning and the brand hierarchy. The formulated strategy considered the different markets Elite Agro operates in locally and globally and how the different brands would fall within the mother brand, Elite Agro. Interviews with several senior members were conducted, as well as with some of the distributors to better understand the brand and its operations. Thorough desktop research was also conducted, and a strategy was developed along with a road map to help Elite Agro achieve their goals. The roadmap consisted of best-in-class approaches to developing the brand hierarchy, included an integrated communications plan and made recommendations on how to increase brand awareness.   Results While conducting the research, it was determined that a new brand was to be developed with the different fruit and vegetable brands falling under it. This was very well received by both distributors and clients with a lot commenting about the "fresh new look".   Services Strategy and... --- - Published: 2022-04-04 - Modified: 2022-04-04 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/1971/ Company DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Office Abu Dhabi Services Marketing and Communications Sectors GovernmentSituation The Department of Community Development sought a Public Relations agency that could help support across strategic development of communications platforms through the public relations development, social media and key strategic engagement for its platforms.   Approach Acorn Strategy immediately started work with a top-level marketing and communications programme that included the development of a strategy first and foremost. A secondary strategy for the development of the digital platform was then developed to ensure that the personas and the target audiences were catered to. The strategies were crafted alongside the execution of the social media and public relations retainer. Whilst not ideal to create strategy and execute simultaneously, the client requirement meant an agile and adaptable approach from Acorn Strategy.   Results The Department of Community Development social media profiles have been tailored according to the requirements. The strategies, now approved, will be put into service with the execution reflecting the detailed strategy, pulling in the messaging of core stakeholders and delivering excellent marketing and communications.   Services World-class marketing and communications strategy Development of additional digital and social media strategy Create world-leading integrated campaigns that successfully portray the message of the department Integrate messaging for Abu Dhabi Moments campaigns Work with additional stakeholders   Facebook – LinkedIn – Instagram – Twitter All managed by Acorn Strategy   --- - Published: 2022-04-04 - Modified: 2022-04-04 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/1979/ Company TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION PIONEERS (DED) Office Abu Dhabi Services Marketing and Communications Sectors GovernmentSituation Our research of the technology innovation ecosystem showed that there has been limited awareness of the programme and its strategic aims. The challenge facing Technology Innovation Pioneers was one of awareness; greater publicity was required to raise awareness of the world-class standards of the summit and its programmes, promote the Technology Innovation Pioneers brand, and engender greater understanding of the important role it plays in driving innovation on a global scale. Additionally, Technology Innovation Pioneers sought to drive applications from startups and boost engagement in the entrepreneurial community, as well as attract partners from organisations in various sectors. . Another critical goal was to engage target media to attend and support Technology Innovation Pioneer’s functions.   Approach To achieve Technology Innovation Pioneer’s objectives, Acorn Strategy dedicated its resources toward developing a comprehensive understanding of Technology Innovation Pioneer framework   Results The campaign met Technology Innovation Pioneer’s objectives, achieving the following through traditional media outreach:   Extensive media coverage of the summit’s activities and functions A substantial increase in submissions: over 4,000 (a YOY increase of 235%) from 90 countries (a YOY increase of 165%) in the healthcare and environment categories   The media coverage and impact were higher than those achieved during past editions of the summit, leveraging the ability to involve ministers and high-profile partners in interviews   More than 70 pieces of coverage in tier-one print, with interest in exclusive interviews with tier-one media... --- - Published: 2022-04-04 - Modified: 2023-06-16 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/australian-pavilion/ - Project Categories: Australia, Creative, Marketing Operations, Public Relations CompanyAUSTRALIAN PAVILION EXPO 2020 DUBAI, DPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS & TRADE Office Dubai Services Marketing and Communications Sectors GovernmentSituation The Government of Australia represented by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is participating at the Expo 2020 Dubai. The Australian Pavilion will attract over 15. 5 million visitors and 25. 2 million visits throughout the duration of the event. This required the development of a strategy that defines approach to market in host country, in the local market (Australia) and across the globe in the defined priority markets for Australia, in addition to the development of a plan the drives engagement among Australia’s key stakeholders and collaborators.   Approach Acorn Strategy was contracted to define a comprehensive marketing and communications and stakeholder engagement strategy, develop and manage the ongoing campaigns, tactics and media relations over the 43 months of Australia’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai.   Results The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade signed off on the strategy and all the recommendations and activities proposed by Acorn Strategy. Acorn Strategy is currently rolling out a series of marketing and communications activities and campaigns promoting Australia and its key pillars of business, investment, education and tourism.   Services World-class marketing strategy Advisory of Commissioner-General and project team Create world-leading campaigns that successfully portray the message of the nation Represent Australia’s mission to increase business, trade, visitation, and student enrolment Create the necessary tools and marketing infrastructure to successfully represent Australia Ongoing PR, Media management, digital marketing, social media... --- - Published: 2022-04-04 - Modified: 2022-04-04 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/arabic-language-centre-dar-al-kutub/ CompanyARABIC LANGUAGE CENTRE & DAR AL KUTUB Office Abu Dhabi, UAE Services Marketing and Communications Sectors GovernmentSituation The work commenced during the early start of COVID-19, Abu Dhabi was adjusting, and Dar Al Kutub needed to demonstrate leadership in online services. Acorn Strategy immediately started work with a top-level marketing and communications strategy to help guide the day-to-day activities. This has supported the initial implementation, particularly on projects such as libraries and Sheikh Zayed Book Awards which were digitised and required immediate adaptation to the digital world. Acorn Strategy supports on the development of campaigns using tactics from press releases, animation videos, live online events such as cultural salons, website development and more. The approach is truly integrated and leverages all facets of marketing, public relations and digital communications. Approach The work commenced during the early start of COVID-19, Abu Dhabi was adjusting, and Dar Al Kutub needed to demonstrate leadership in online services. Acorn Strategy immediately started work with a top-level marketing and communications strategy to help guide the day-to-day activities. This has supported the initial implementation, particularly on projects such as libraries and Sheikh Zayed Book Awards which were digitised and required immediate adaptation to the digital world. Acorn Strategy supports on the development of campaigns using tactics from press releases, animation videos, live online events such as cultural salons, website development and more. The approach is truly integrated and leverages all facets of marketing, public relations and digital communications.   Results The Department of Culture and Tourism... --- - Published: 2022-04-04 - Modified: 2022-04-04 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/al-bahar/ Company A'L BAHAR Office Abu Dhabi Services Marketing and Communications Sectors GovernmentSituation With the launch of Abu Dhabi’s newest urban community destination during Mother of the National Event 2018, the A’l Bahar team wanted to create an identity of their own that separates them from the festival while educating and informing their audience on their core messages: location, active life, dining outlets and retail. Importantly, Mother of the Nation festival gave them and incredible launch platform to utilise.   Approach Our overall strategy was centred around brand awareness and education. Key campaigns were focused on events, returned visitation, and driving awareness on the dining outlets. This was done through a mix of public relations and social media. The public relations focussed on the awareness of the destination, along with the multiple layers of offering from entertainment, retail F&B, to tenants. Social media included UGC and tenant pillars as part of our key strategy to drive awareness, engagement and capitalise on existing tenant following and fan base. It was essential to ensure all content is shared in dual-language i. e. Arabic and English to reach desired target audience.   Results A’l Bahar platforms saw a steady and rapid increase in following and engagement on both Facebook and Instagram. All content have a uniform and consistent look and feel. Each event is optimized on social media and is targeted to the identified target audience to drive more footfall.   Services Marketing and communications strategy Public relations management and distribution Social media management... --- - Published: 2022-04-04 - Modified: 2025-03-16 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/uaeu/ CompanyUAEUCOLLEGE OF BUSINESS & ECONOMICS OfficeDubai ServicesMarketing and Communications SectorsGovernment Situation UAEU’s College Of Business and Economics (CBE) has been offering business programs since 1977 but in recent years saw a steady decrease in enrolments across all its programs and academic departments. Acorn Strategy was appointed to identify market insights to help CBE create a competitive and comprehensive portfolio of undergraduate, post–graduate and executive education programmes. Approach Acorn Strategy, through its 6-step approach as well as an in-depth market analysis and extensive one-on-one interviews with UAE business leaders set out to identify the internal and external factors impacting the portfolio, quality and standard of the degrees offered by CBE and its competitors. Results The strategy was presented to the client and received positive feedback and approval. The institution’s leadership team signed off on all recommendations proposed by Acorn Strategy and are currently rolling out a series of actions based on Acorn Strategy’s recommendations. Services Trend research Qualitative survey Competitive analysis Consumer insights Strategic direction Success roadmap --- - Published: 2021-11-29 - Modified: 2022-04-04 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/1719/ CompanyTABREED Office Dubai Services Marketing and Communications Sectors GovernmentSituation Tabreed were on the cusp of launching a new brand. They needed a partner that could help them move from the positioning of a utilities company to that of a key supporter of community and enabler of lives.   Approach Acorn Strategy was contracted to define a comprehensive communications and stakeholder engagement strategy, develop and manage the ongoing campaigns, tactics and media relations and social media for the launch of the new brand and a two year retainer.   Results The launch of the new brand and mandate was met with great interest from media outlets and the community alike. The launch entailed a lighting of one of their key projects – Burj Khalifa and Dubai Fountains. The event was the turning point from utility to community, as such the social media immediately responded to the new requirement. Whilst the event marked the corporate transformation, it was important to also engage the community. A bus went into the key communities where Tabreed enables residents to live in a sustainable and practical way, meeting members of the community and handing out promotional items. This was done in light of the pandemic, in a safe and supportive manor to all involved.   Services Overarching marketing and communications strategy Collaborating with multiple brands, agencies, stakeholders and subsidiaries Ongoing public relations Ongoing social media Ongoing Internal Communications Advisory support to the board   --- - Published: 2021-08-17 - Modified: 2022-04-04 - URL: https://stg-acornstrategycom-asstaging.kinsta.cloud/project/1363/ Company WCO Global AEO Conference 2021 Office Dubai Services Marketing and Communications Sectors GovernmentSituation Proud hosts of the 5th WCO Global AEO Conference, Dubai Customs wanted to maximise attendance at this global event, whilst also driving awareness and interest in Dubai Customs as a leading agency in trade and customs. With the event postponed from its original date in 2020 due to the pandemic, the revised fully virtual event presented both challenges and new opportunities, and Dubai Customs wanted an integrated marketing, PR and communications strategic approach to ensure that the opportunities were amplified.   Approach Despite the short time frame of only a couple of months until event execution, our approach was to focus first on ensuring we fully understood the business directions, messaging and objective by researching and developing a marketing and communications strategy. Using these insights, an integrated campaign was developed that included; social content utilising existing World Customs Organisation (WCO) and Dubai Customs social channels, Paid Social Marketing to engage new audiences and international media coverage. Acorn was also responsible for editorial support for multi-lingual (English, Arabic and French) web updates, email communications and script writing.   Results The event exceeded registration targets, with 3,905 registrations from 150 countries (target 2000 from 100 countries), supported by the integrated communications approach including 24K clicks to register from paid social programs. International media engagement saw over 900 pieces of press coverage. With only a 5 weeks of implementation the Acorn Strategy team produced over 100 deliverables, including social... --- ---