20 MEA MARKETS / Business Awards 2021 , Best Custom Boutique Consultancy - Dubai For almost 15 yearsmarket-i has been leading the boutique consultancy industry, developing innovative and, most importantly, effective solutions that guide companies towards growth and prosperity. Spawning fromhumble beginnings, market-i has taken over theworld, and is trusted by clients acrossmultiple continents. However, the company has plans to expand its reach even further, with 2022 seeingmarket-i explore opening up newoffices in previously unexploredmarkets. The market-i journey began in Germany in 2007, when a team of seasoned research professionals collaborated to create an agency that would aid and inspire its clients via tailored advice. Since then, the company has gone global, having offices in Dubai, Riyadh, and Cairo, and handling projects across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Asia Pacific. Fundamentally, the consultancy works to offer tailor-made solutions to uniquely address the needs of clients focused on leadership and growth, with a specific focus on creating strategic value. Operating across three distinct sectors, market-i utilises a combination of traditional and technology-based research techniques in order to develop its innovative solutions. The Public Diplomacy & Strategic Communications division, for example, assesses public sentiments and attitudes to support development communications strategy that addresses topics including strengthening civic participation, strengthening national unity, and countering VEO. This area of research targets the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. Moreover, the company has gained experience across numerous industries, working with businesses involved in beauty, government, technology, and much more. Simply, the company focuses on creating effective solutions rather than focusing on specific industries. Henceforth, market-i takes a client-centric approach in how it operates, and as a boutique consultancy this means that it is able to maintain an enhanced focus upon the client. At any time, clients have easy and open access to the senior members of the team, who are equipped to answer any queries that the client may have. In addition, market-i endeavours to work collaboratively with its clients, working by the philosophy of designing bespoke research solutions that address the clients’ specific marketing qualms rather than forcing the issue into a pre-existing, less effective resolution. Market-i understands that no two clients are the same, and therefore, it sees no use in the overused, one-size-fitsall techniques that much of its competition uses. Along a similar vein, the company realises that its team is comprised of individuals, they all have different ideas and experiences. The company embraces this, working as a flat-hierarchy, and encouraging collaboration between employees in order to harvest imaginative and experimental ideas. Furthermore, market-i encourages its junior members of the team to express themselves and constantly pushes them to learn and develop. This has cultivated a friendly, congenial, and very informal working environment, where team members are free to share their opinions and voice solutions. Guided by the ‘Code of I’, the team is expected to prioritise eight ideals which should govern how they act, think, and feel in terms of their work. The code represents: the individual, inspiration, imagination, intimacy, intelligence, integration, incisiveness, and the company’s international reach. In addition, the code acts as an advisor to market-i during the recruitment process. It is extremely particular about who it hires, as they must be able to integrate smoothly into the company. Attracted to individuals that can push the boundaries, there are three key traits that it searches for – a healthy dose of confidence, deep thinkers, and the ability to troubleshoot. An added bonus is if the prospective employee is able to work and push themselves without extra guidance from the management team, as the extra effort is appreciated. This is incredibly important as the company is operating within an industry that has grown exponentially over the recent years. On the whole, the MEA region is on an upswing, however, the UAE consultancy industry in particular is experiencing a boom. During the course of the past year, the UAE has presented itself as a frontrunner in a plethora of ways – the Hope Mars Mission successfully landed on Mars in July, Dubai hosted the 2020 World Expo, and it was the first country to introduce a 4.5 day working week for federal government. Additionally, the working week has been shaped to align with global markets. Each of these changes has benefitted market-i and the consultancy industry greatly. However, in an industry that is currently expanding, it is vital to stand out from the crowd. Working to set itself apart from its cohort, market-i benefits from its area of expertise Dec21114
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