O2 Breaks the Mould at This Year’s Brand Summit and PR Congress

It started off as a regular presentation, but people were soon out of their chairs and dancing on stage. Fun and engagement have always been defining characteristics of the O2 culture, and at this year’s Brand Summit and Public Relations Congress— held simultaneously last month in Dubai—audiences were not disappointed.  Produced by IIR Middle East and held in coordination with Dubai Media City, the events are two of the most powerful platforms for the marketing industry to reveal new insights, discuss collective challenges, and clarify standards across the global branding community.

This year, Nermin Habib, Creative Strategist for O2 Branding, joined O2 Network’s CEO and Founder Mohammed Johmani to discuss how their work has been affected by the turbulent events of 2009.

In her presentation to Brand Summit, Ms. Habib discussed the importance of creating “Living Brands” that can grow and adapt to changes in the market.  Using a number of examples from around the world, Ms. Habib showed participants how to keep their brands alive by building and maintaining brand momentum in today’s financial climate.

The following day, Mr. Johmani was welcomed onto the main stage to share his expertise on positioning companies within the public spotlight and maximizing positive publicity.  It was without a doubt one of the most thought-provoking seminars of the entire conference according to audience feedback.  From flying bouncy balls to dancing on tables, Mr. Johmani pushed the audience to consider exactly what consumer engagement is, and how companies can leave a lasting impression with their key audiences. Running through a series of “guerrilla style” PR campaigns, the hundred or so participants were hurriedly jotting down notes as Mr. Johmani revealed some of his own strategies for success. 

Videos of the conference can be viewed online at www.o2network.net.