In today’s rapidly-advancing digital era, building and sustaining a substantial brand presence online has become crucial for companies to stand firmly in the business world as well as in their customers’ minds. Yet, the course of action is an uphill task for many organizations, especially in highly competitive entrepreneurial hotspots like the UAE. This, on a positive note, has opened a whole new avenue for the realm of branding consulting to thrive and join the bandwagon of the fastest-growing sectors in the UAE.
However, amongst the myriad of branding companies, only a few of them are truly spearheading a difference through their authentic and groundbreaking strategies, and Glimpse Digital Agency - a Dubai-headquartered digital marketing pioneer - serves as the finest exemplary of such rare gems.
Founded in 2016, Glimpse is the venture of Rayan Tarraf, an industry connoisseur, creative entrepreneur, and best-selling author, who holds more than a decade of in-depth experience in the domain. Run under his leadership, Glimpse’s proven mettle lies in its unparalleled approach, which is reflected in each of the constituents, right from its interactive website with the highest lighthouse score to its end-to-end branding solutions, including advertising, digital strategies, social media, PR, reputation management, and influencer management.
“About 90 percent of the clients who approach us seek a one-stop solution. Hence, at Glimpse, we don’t see the services from one point of view. Rather, we regard them as complementary and comprehensive services that support each other”, explains Rayan. Although initially run in collaboration with other companies, the 360-degree branding solutions eventually came under smaller platforms such as Worx by Glimpse and Honeylogic, dedicated to providing separate services under the umbrella of Glimpse.
Into the Success Modules
Over the years, Glimpse has achieved an exceptional reputation for executing difficult projects in an efficient way, and the UAE Pavilion at EXPO 2020 perfectly exemplifies the same. “Since royalty and eminent personalities were leading the event, the trivial factors such as consulting, branding, contents, and even uniform designs had to be on point so as to represent not just the grandeur of the event, but also the whole country and its values, culture, entertainment, and leadership”, adds Rayan.
Understanding the same, the company was successful in filling life to the objective of making it the biggest event in the country through their social media marketing, impressive photography, video coverage, and branding.
Owing to such distinctive branding projects, Glimpse stands tall with its proven track record of multiple successful sagas, consistent awards, and marquee clients, encompassing small to large-scale brands across various industries and verticals in the UAE and the GCC region. “We have also played a pivotal role in the digital, social media, marketing, and branding projects of the UAE government”, states Rayan. The most notable part of all is that the company has achieved this stature primarily through word of mouth.
Rayan’s innate ability to perceive marketing and branding differently adds a competitive edge to Glimpse. For instance, according to him, mastering social media marketing requires experience, and he strives to help customers by educating them thoroughly about the domain. Understanding the significance of doing only the necessary work, the company creates social media strategies that simplify the process. According to Rayan, it is the amalgamation of the same beliefs and popularity as an author that has helped the company attract the blind trust of its customers. Similarly, Glimpse’s influencer management services are also driven by an ingenious technique, wherein influencers are guided to deliver the valuable message subliminally.
The digital strategies, on the other hand, are intended to compel smart buyers to invest in the brand organically. Deploying a methodical model, the company understands the product features and customizes the branding solutions after a meticulous brainstorming sessions and workshops. “Based on our target audience and their locations, we create the simplest to understand strategy, yet, at the same time, the most complex to deliver strategy”, proclaims Rayan. Endeavoring to translate the specialty and value of the products into marketing, the company becomes a part of the client’s team to craft bespoke solutions.
Endeavoring to translate the specialty & value of the products into marketing, the company becomes a part of the client’s team to craft bespoke solutions
Marking a Point of Difference
Rayan takes immense pride in Glimpse’s multinational and multi-ethnic personnel, who share the company’s emphasis on customer happiness instead of just monetary benefits. Backed by such a diverse workforce, dominated by women and Gen Z, Rayan regards his employees as scientists rather than just marketers. Fostering an innovation-friendly work environment, he encourages trust and openness, without exerting control or adding stress.
“Instead of onboarding advertising experts, I focus on hiring and training Gen Z about the latest approaches. Having evolved with digital advertising over time, we focus on teaching them the tricks of the trade and empowering them to be the best in advertising. Powered by such masterminds, Glimpse is currently in the process of expanding its reach beyond its current office locations in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, France, Beirut, and Paris to Qatar and Iraq. “In terms of geographical presence, we envision becoming a multi-national agency, and maybe one day, we will become an international agency that delivers services unlike any other”, concludes Rayan.
Rayan Tarraf , Founder & CEO
Apart from being a serial entrepreneur and the author of two best-selling books - The Middle East Guide to Social Media and The Easy Guidebook to Social Media - Rayan is also a technology enthusiast with impeccable business acumen. Before founding Glimpse and its subsidiaries, he held multiple instrumental roles, including celebrity publicist, social media marketing manager, and Head of Digital and Social Media Marketing (GCC). In addition, Rayan is also the Founder of two other companies - Honeylogic and Worx.
.jpg "Technology in Cancer Care: A story of evolving paradigms")
.jpg "Bringing Shop Floor to Manufacturer's palm: Smart Factory Solutions for tomorrow")
