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An apparel start-up was looking for an Identity. The Egyptian brand wanted to emulate the American sportswear model. It required consumer research, trend analysis and research into competitors that currently that fill the same niche. The goal was to gain respectability and provide a foundation for growth.
Egyptian is the leader in cotton manufacturing — not by volume but by quality. It is extremely long staple and can emulate silk when woven in fine thread counts. Egypt is also a huge manufacturing powerhouse. Egypt is also a leading importer of knockoff products. There are many American brands available in stores but unless purchased from a brand retailer, it is most likely to be a knockoff. These products don't last and quickly fall apart. In the process, they give quality Egyptian products a bad rap. American brands come in at a premium price. Because of tariff duties and exchange rates, they are easily three to four times as expensive and well beyond the affordability of more than half of the Egyptian population. Even on the low end, fast fashion brands like Zara, H&M or houseware stores like IKEA come in for a premium price point but offer no advantage for the buyer. A pair of Sketcher athletic shoes can easily be over twice or three times the price than a similar product found in the US. The reasoning is simple — they want to keep manufacturing in Egypt to keep jobs. Jobs keep an economy flowing and Egypt has the largest population in the MENA region.
The sportswear apparel category is a growing category in Egypt. Egypt was behind the world in the health club and nutrition craze. Stores like GNC are currently just breaking the surface (along with pet stores) as the average Egyptian finds new economic opportunities. Egypt as a whole is growing — in population AND economically. This new identity was a reinvention of something that was currently not working.
The concepts needed to deliver on two tasks. First, the problem was not just a simple tweak to the current logo. The current identity did not instill confidence in the product and was really quite ugly. Having that discussion was also important to take the brand to the next level. Secondly and most importantly, the current logo did not stand up against the competition in the sportswear apparel category. A competitive search of was needed proved my theory and provide a footing for a difficult conversation going forward. The expectation from a consumer for an athletic brand needed to leverage the aspirational quality... much like the Nike swoosh. No amount of subtle adjustments was going to make this ugly puppy work. It had the wrong feel for the apparel category. Putting together a comparison analysis for a redesign made the solution an easier converation to have. The second obstacle was the leveraging the nationalism that is Egyptian without the stigma of made in Egypt.
The receptivity to new brand options was palpable. It had not been inconceivable that an Egyptian brand could become the next Nike, Addidas or "must have" global brand. The new logo made instant sense. It has a quality aura like American-made products. and with proper manufacturing, it delivers on the "buy Egyptian" nationalism. Positioning the brand to be similar to an American brand is a good short-term strategy. For longer term growth, the brand needed to resonate with "on-trend" support — seasonal colors shifts to inspire a purchase, branding that is targeted to the allegiance to Egyptians but also to inspire a huge tourism trade. Egypt currently is the number one hotspot for global tourism. It is the "bucket list' tourist destination and currently dominates the tourist industry. Leveraging that market will help support the brands global ambitions by making it a must have souvenir item to wear while working out.
