IDL Choice

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the regional brand manager of one of the leading food manufacturers in the Middle East. I manage two of the company’s honey brands, one of which is the leader in the Middle East and the fifth-ranking worldwide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ideal Choice?

I’ve worked with them on different activations and scopes. I handled an international meeting for the group itself, where we invited all our distributors from across the globe. The event's goal was to launch our new products, give appreciation to all our distributors, and celebrate the group’s 40th anniversary.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ideal Choice handled the exhibition from A to Z. They booked the hall for the event, set up the lighting and decor, booked the entertainment, created the invitations, and handled brand communications.

What is the team composition?

I had two points of contact in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

How did you come to work with Ideal Choice?

I worked with them from my previous company, which organized the Middle East's biggest family exhibition. I knew how good Ideal Choice was at coming up with the right ideas to fulfill our brand requirements. I keep KPIs for timing, creativity, and how the work is submitted when working with an agency, and I’ve told Ideal Choice that they chose the perfect name for themselves.

What is the status of this engagement?

I engaged with them from January 2020 - February 2020, when the event took place.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

I briefed them on the project two weeks before the exhibition. Ideal Choice was able to provide me with all the requirements needed for the event to be executed perfectly.

Metrics were mainly subjective. From the CEO to the general manager, our top management saluted the event and was really amazed that a new partner could understand our corporate values so well. Ideal Choice grasped all of the important intakes that corporate wanted to communicate to distributors, and they were able to focus on that in their execution. They submitted the activation on time and were prepared with everything required.

To me, managing an event like this on such short notice and for the available budget was a good achievement for them.

How did Ideal Choice perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated mainly through phone and email. I never faced issues in reaching out to them, including early in the morning and late at night. Ideal Choice’s team was on the ground during and even after the event making sure that everything went as per the plan. They were reachable at all times, and everything was up to the level.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s their execution and timing. Ideal Choice knows how to execute as per a brief and on time. This is something that varies between one agency and another.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are always points to improve, but the recent activity went flawlessly, especially considering our limited budget.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It’s important to have a clear brief on what’s required and what the client wants to achieve with the activity or event. Ideal Choice has a very good understanding of project management and PR.  They know how to deliver client objectives in a timely and excellent manner.