15.11.2013 Landor

A rebrand for Saudi Arabia's largest pharmacy.


When Saudi Arabia’s largest pharmacy chain wanted to strengthen its brand, we helped the “purveyor of pills” become a community center for holistic wellness.

 

Challenge
Al Nahdi Medical Company was founded as a single store in Jeddah in 1986. Since then, it has grown into the largest pharmacy chain in the Middle East and Northern Africa, with more than 700 locations across Saudi Arabia. Nahdi has become a venerable name, with stores on every corner and a reputation for quality and reliability.

 

Nahdi knew it could use its powerful position in the marketplace to make a real difference. Landor was brought on to help reposition the brand not just as a leading pharmacy, but as one of Saudi Arabia’s centers of wellness for preventive medicine and healthy living.

 

Emphasizing brand purpose
Nahdi’s valuable partnerships with health insurance companies, medical equipment manufacturers, and the Ministry of Health helped to lower customers’ health care costs and encourage preventive medicine. However, Nahdi tended to view its partners as stakeholders or suppliers, rather than as assets. Landor recognized that the benefits—such as diabetes education and free medical devices—provided by these collaborations were what differentiated Nahdi from other pharmacies.

 

Landor suggested a shift in focus from product to purpose. We incorporated that vision into a new Brand Driver, Wellness from the inside out. We developed a new marketing strategy for Nahdi that put the brand’s commitment to consumer health and wellness at the front and center of its communications. Landor’s strategic solution also linked health and beauty to make the pharmacy chain more attractive to women. A new messaging framework spoke to customers with honesty, integrity, assurance, and genuine concern.

 

Bringing the promise to life
Nahdi’s new visual identity reflects its commitment to caring for the people and the community. Centered on a pure white heart, a multicolored shield represents the many parts of the Nahdi network and how they work together to keep Saudi Arabia healthy and happy. A custom typeface was designed to be both approachable and professional. The brand system was rolled out on 2-D and 3-D applications—from prescription bags to web design to vibrant shop fronts that stand out on the street.

 

Revolutionizing the shopping experience was important to evolving the Nahdi brand. To live up to its brand promise, Nahdi asked Landor to completely revamp its retail space. The result is a friendly, well-organized, and inspiring space that directs the shopper’s journey and experience.

 

Results
The new brand defined Nahdi as a category leader in Saudi Arabia, quite a feat in a retail market where loyalty is low at best. The company is well on its way to increasing awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle; social media engagement shows overwhelming support for Nahdi’s new focus on wellness. Pharmacies have experienced an 18 percent increase in overall sales and an almost 10 percent increase in basket size since rolling out the new brand.

 


Pressemitteilung