Today’s generation is brand conscious. These digital natives exactly know what they want. Whether it is the attire they choose to wear or the gadgets they carry, they know what they want.

I was returning from the US and I had for company this wonderful book called ‘The Human Brand’. Generally, when I am done with the book, I surf a few channels for the latest news updates and then catch-up on some sleep. The story was different this time around as I continued reading into the wee hours of the morning.

This book triggered a thought in my mind. Could sustained branding be the key to success for the SMEs in UAE? Their dynamism, flexibility and innovative capabilities are of high value and should be nurtured through a solid branding mechanism.

I stumbled upon an interesting piece of research from the UK. I was taken aback by the fact that, the SME sector there is losing close to Dh700 billion in sales because they didn’t have proper marketing plans. That’s quite a lot.

Definitely certain SMEs remain competitive in the long-term and evolve into MNCs — but there are a few who shut shop due to the lack of direction. SMEs are more susceptible to failure when they are still at the start-up stage.

In the US, I noticed that the SME sector there is constantly in overdrive and you can see that they are aggressive at marketing their products and services. The sector is more evolved in that part of the world.

Marketing campaigns within the SME sector are still carried out in a disorganised manner. This is not just here but in many developed economies as well. As the core team is usually multitasking, focused branding goes down the priority list.

SMEs in the UAE can capitalise on this by creating a right personality for themselves by following some of the golden rules from a branding guidebook. Business owners need to tap current opportunities with adequate planning and not in a chaotic manner. SME marketing today tends to be unstructured and reactive which will not serve the purpose.

There are several SMEs who can catapult their growth by creating sustained branding. Reality remains that old fashioned ways of operating cannot foster long term sustenance. Probably, some of them are right in their approach, but they can surely stay ahead not only within the local markets but internationally by sprucing up their brand image.

SMEs should create a niche for themselves. They should develop a road map and ensure it is followed. Branding is an ongoing process and not a one-off. There is a lot of competition not only between SMEs within the country but across geographies.

However, some of the SMEs are yet to develop even a proper website.

We started as an SME and have grown to become a large organisation today, but we still see ourselves as a family of SMEs with each business unit driven by centralised guidance and decentralised implementation. Our learning is that an SME, whether big or small, should definitely go back to the drawing board, understand the core requirements of their business, assess external market conditions and evaluate the right marketing and branding options. This will take them to the next level and ensure that they remain competitive.

Another factor is patience post the branding exercise and acknowledging that it is not a magic wand that will transform the balance sheet overnight. This attitude sets the foundation for long-term success.

Most SMEs cannot invest substantial amounts in huge multi-platform campaigns. However, they can promote themselves through other effective platforms.

By participating in international exhibitions and leveraging digital media, local SMEs can increase the exposure of their brands and gain insight into new ideas. This can help them to tap overseas trade visitors, source business partners and buyers and explore new markets.

By adopting structured branding, SMEs in the UAE can create long term sustenance.

The writer is the Managing Director at Dulsco LLC.