Mint Stalk Marketing Agency in the UAE is now the fastest growing Creative and Digital Agency in the country. With the tagline ‘A Fresh Way To Grow Your Brand,’ Mint Stalk have acquired major government and multinational entities such as Shurooq, The Ministry of AI, Canon, Anantara and Jashanmal.
Having established the Agency only 2 years ago with no external funding, they’ve managed to quickly build a full in-house team of talented Social Media Specialists, PR Managers, Designers, Content Writers, Videographers and Digital Campaign Managers - some of whom transferred from global agencies.
Irrespective of the tumultuous pandemic times, Mint Stalk is going into its 3rd year of business; and given that only 5% of Marketing Agencies have survived the current economic downtown, we spoke to the Founder herself to understand how they beat the odds and continued to scale.
Alyssa Almaiahi comments: “I’m very process orientated; it was important to have the right approval systems and workflow in place early on, in order to scale efficiently. Even when I only had 2 staff to begin with, I insisted we follow certain procedures to streamline the business and build sustainable habits.
I aspired to grow a business which focuses on offering quality work, paired with unbeatable Client Servicing. The nature of operation in the GCC region demands fast turn-around times with swift but accurate executions, which I struggled to find prior to setting up Mint Stalk. Quality Arabic Content and Performance Marketing are still hard to come by in the UAE, and so are key services we’ve narrowed down on.
Digital Marketing Agencies in Dubai will need to focus on performance driven campaigns as much as Social Media Content Creation; content is key, but ultimately brands want to drive sales.
Marketing concepts are more emotionally driven than strategically quantified in this region, so it was essential to form a team that understands and considers this when suggesting new ideas to clients.
The traditional method of contracting 3 to 4 different agencies for various pillars is also tiresome, costly and impractical for customers; not to mention that it often leads to disjointed communication and design style across a brand’s various channels, simply because different agencies are deploying them.
We aim to bridge this gap by offering a 360 degree marketing solution for both offline and online activities, which stem from a client’s overarching objective. We hire all ages and from different walks of life that specialize in their role – talent, ambition and potential are far more important than counting years of experience on a CV.”
Alyssa Almaiahi has been recognized as one of the youngest and most influential female self-made Entrepreneurs in the Middle East; the Mint Stalk Marketing Agency Founder adds: “COVID-19 has led brands to look twice about where they’re spending their money, and what ROI they’re generating from their marketing activities. Offering a transparent and clear business model with clear KPIs and milestones, enabled us to build trust and credibility in the market very quickly. We aim to build long-term partnerships, hence why honesty is a must. The majority of our clients are strictly through referrals, which is the only way we’ve ever advertised.
My main role within the company is HR ! I’m constantly hunting for top talent, and have a vigorous assessment process before recruiting any staff for Mint Stalk. Being in the services industry means that our whole business relies on the quality of our team, so it’s something we take very seriously. I’m lucky to be able to do what I love and work alongside an incredible group of talented people who each bring something valuable to our activities. The journey has been long and tough, but I wouldn’t trade that kind of experience for anything else in the world. I can confidently say that we are ready for what comes next.”
