2010 Winners & Shortlists

Results and Effectiveness

Operators from all Zain regions were present at the store launch. A great deal of excitement came from the local operators and operators from other regions who were eager to see this experience on their own turf. With Zain’s flagship format roll-out strategy, even the smallest locations will now be able to take part in the digital side of Zain’s new brand. The Bahrain press was numerous at the opening and praised the store launch. The response to the store was so positive that requests have already been made to release other flagship stores to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Baghdad.

Creative Execution

A retail experience immerses customers in the Zain brand, allowing them to touch and test products and services. Expert staff, guide customers and further differentiate Zain as a brand leader. Brand mosaics and colors appear throughout the physical and digital spaces and, in the Zain Create area, can be applied to users’ devices as skins, beads, and tails to decorate and personalize handsets. With this, customers carry their Zain retail experience everywhere. A 65-inch LCD Welcome Wall promotes Zain’s product offerings as customers enter. Other displays including a motion-tracking video wall where animations follow guests or massive 42-inch touch-displays, phone bar displays, and customer queue check-ins, all showcase Zain’s technological prowess. Community was also important, leading to development of a brand spine, which draws brand images from across regions and displays SMS messages from store customers. For the grand opening, Zain transformed areas of Bahrain’s Seef Mall, enticing shoppers to see the store of the future.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Mobile Technology is showing great promise in the Middle East, with at least 150 million people in the region currently living within range of a mobile network. It is likely that cellular subscribers will double before the end of 2010. Zain, the leading wireless services provider across the Middle East and Africa, tasked us with pioneering a retail brand experience rooted in digital technology. Our legacy as a digital leader and authority in customization experiences helped shape the Zain retail experience. Zain wanted to make a bold brand statement, which would make them stand out as a global innovator. The entire retail space was created with the customer experience in mind, inviting guests to explore Zain products through interactive, informative, and entertaining digital engagements. From the Zain Café to the Customer Service seating area and the Zain Create personalization area, the store encourages customers to stay, play, and experience Zain.