Digital Media Services (DMS), the digital services brand of the Choueiri Group, has embarked on an exhaustive rebranding exercise, the first of its kind since its launch in 2011. Created by MullenLowe MENA, the company not only dons a new visual identity but a brand architecture that articulates the various capabilities that DMS has been building over the years.
DMS unveiled the new brand at the ongoing STEP 2017. “We could not have chosen a better stage nor a better time to launch our new brand,” said Michel Malkoun, COO, DMS, adding, “DMS represents the voice of the independent publisher. It is the independent spirit that gives us the best stories. Stories that are written by professional writers, drawn by real insights for real readers. In an environment that is highly commoditized by stories, DMS makes sure that the publisher’s voice is not only heard but monetized. Equally important, the publishers at DMS use the best in technology to distribute to real people when it matters and where it matters, stories that give readers value. I hope our rebranding and our new logo, encompass all this.”
The new black and white logo uses pixels to signify the everchanging media landscape in a digital world. DMS has a differentiated pixel usage on the likes of office stationery, business cards for instance, depending on the pillar of the company that the DMS staffer represents.
The first of the three key pillars to DMS is its massive data unit, which is considered the biggest data pool in the Middle East accessing over 120 million profiles. The performance or the programmatic unit and the Studio that specializes in both native and branded content are the other two pillars.
One of DMS’ slogans is that it taps the full potential of a story. “This means that the story of publishers, written by professional writers, is extremely important not only from an authenticity viewpoint but also from the monetizing angle. This enables continuity to the storyteller, and represents being rewarded for the right reasons. At a broader level, we are the voice of the independent publishers.”
Sharing his views on the vision and rationale behind the move, Walid Yared, Choueiri Group’s Chief Marketing Officer said, “Aligned with DMS’ commitment to innovation and always remaining at the forefront of the region’s digital landscape, we decided it was time to take a deeper look at how we define ourselves and how we can truly express the difference, which we deliver to our publishers as well as our advertising partners. With DMS’ brand identity, I believe we have succeeded on both fronts.”
Pierre Choueiri, Chairman and CEO of the Group, added, “DMS aims to change how stories have become commoditized in today’s world. To value the stories not on the secondary analytics and data but with the independent spirit of a homegrown set up like ours. While DMS has always been an autonomous digital services enterprise, the new identity captures this independent spirit in a bold and youthful way.”
The new branding reiterates the central role that DMS plays in the digital media ecosystem. DMS understands the marketer’s brief, makes it clearer and given its knowledge of the publisher and what they can do, partners with them to create the best stories rooted in data and insights.
Using the best in tech to distribute authentic content to the real people, in the relevant formats, while creating value for brands, publishers and consumers, is at the core of what is going in today’s world in digital, where brand safety is at stake. “Clients and agencies are asking for better measurability, transparency, viewability, audit and authenticity of readership. That is what we stand for,” sums up Mr Malkoun, asserting that DMS’ knowhow has reached the stage where it is ready for its next growth phase.
