Bahrain Harbour Rebrand

Industry Setting

Real estate is one of Bahrain’s largest business sectors with many large-scale projects transforming key areas of the island into the modern metropolitan country the nation has become. Bahrain Financial Harbour was due to be part of a multi-harbour mega developmnet only to be hit by financial issues resulting in only the Financial Habour component being delivered. The rest of the Habours (Media, Tech, Education) fell by the wayside.

Market Challenges

Unike the great capital cities of the world, Bahrain’s has no discernable centre for visitors to gravitate towards. The nation lacks a central social space a dynamic, thriving city centre requires. The closest is the Manama Souk, which lacks the open spaces required to create focus. A destination at the ‘nation’s heart’ was required and Bahrain Harbour was ideally located to capture this opportunity.

From outset Bahrain Financial Harbour suffered marketing challenges due to its brand perception. Despite being a prime waterfront real estate location, centrally located in the heart of Bahrain’s capital, consumers believed it was a destination ‘focussed on the financial industry’ and lacked an emotion connection to the area. 

This resulted in a lifeless destination, after office hours and all weekend. This was not supportive of the ‘thriving destination brand’ initially promised by the developers and was not aiding the ambition the nation had for its capital.

Strategy

Changing the name was key to the required transformation. The ‘Financial’ component suffocated potential and limited appeal to a broader psychographic. An open and welcoming name was required, one capable of speaking about a unique location with an expansive proposition. After much discussion, the simple and relevant ‘Bahrain Harbour’ won.

As a key destination brand, Bahrain Harbour had a vital national role to play. It had to become the place visitors could ask for by name; a place that could create life in the heart of the capital and provide the social space currently lacking. Key to the brand strategy was a new ‘Energising Urban Waterfront’ positioning supported by ‘Dynamic’ and ‘Inspiring’ brand values. By framing the location around the notion of ‘energy’ we could breathe life into a lifeless destination. The new ‘harbour time’ brand-phrase and messaging platform gave voice to this new energy, allowing the ‘promise of the harbour’ – from business to leisure, to be framed as an aspect of ‘harbour time’. 

We created a new dynamic brand mark and graphic language based on the notion of sails. The iconic form drew on references from Sumerian type forms and Arabic Dhow sails to create a unique B mark that could be rendered using any number of pattern or coloured fils.

Results

The brand now serves as a platform for new products such as Harbour Heights, Harbour Row and Harbour North, while stimulating demand from B2B & B2C tenants with its new dynamic urban centre appeal. The response has been overwhelmingly positive on all levels – new tenants including the Kempinsky and Black Stripe Burgers cite the brands promise as a key to their interested in developing their offer in this exciting new destination.

Services delivered

Naming, Brand Identity Design, Slogan, Signage,  Advertising, Graphic Design and Application Design.