2015 Winners & Shortlists

INSPIRING CUSTOMERS TO LIVE A CONNECTED LIFE

Short List
BrandETISALAT
Product/ServiceRETAIL DESIGN
EntrantSTARTJG Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryEnvironmental Design
Entrant Company STARTJG Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Advertising Agency STARTJG Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Brief Explanation

Etisalat provides services that let people live a connected life. Retail plays a major role in servicing subscribers, and Etisalat has hundreds of sites across the United Arab Emirate. This is where customers come into contact with the brand; where the relationship begins and is sustained. However, Etisalat’s existing stores were not delivering against a range of measures from a customer service of acquisition. Their ambience almost resembled waiting rooms that existed solely to deal with subscriber issues rather than retail outlets. Etisalat risked losing market share and brand value by not meeting the demand of today’s connected multi-channel consumers.

The Brief

Etisalat is the dominant telecoms company in the United Arab Emirates. We were tasked to completely rethink the role of its retail offer and develop a highly versatile multi-channel retail environment, deploying the latest technology

How the final design was conceived

Our design helps customers build an emotional and rational connection with Etisalat’s products and services through a series of engaging experiences, couched within a digitally enabled, sociable environment. A dynamic interactive wall encourages customers to explore and build product bundles, whilst customers are empowered to choose an appropriate service channel, thereby reducing waiting times and increasing service time. Social seating and leanbar consultancy replaces rows of institutional seating and service desks. Flexible and scalable, the design unites digital and physical elements to improve service and deliver a better brand experience.

Indication of how successful the outcome was in the market

The store is an outstanding success: Sales have leapt dramatically. Even though this store is in Al Ain, it now compares to or is better than the region’s three top performers for Etisalat (Dubai Mall, Mall of Emirates and Marina Mall Abu Dhabi). Take-up of eLife Triple Play, for example, is three times higher with the new store format than it was before. Waiting times have been slashed. The average in other Etisalat stores is 24’: 24”. In Al Ain, it’s 3’:36”. The time spent on a customer has risen. The Etisalat average is 11’:39”. In Al Ain, it’s 13’:11”

Etisalat is the Middle East's leading telecommunications operator and one of the largest corporations in the six Arab countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, with a market value of approximately Dh81 billion (US$22 billion) and annual revenues of over Dh32.9 billion (US$9 billion).