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Careem unveils new brand identity to build on growth

Car booking app, Careem, is celebrating its four-year anniversary with a new brand identity.
Aimed at building on the company's remarkable growth in the last four years, the rebranding initiative sees Careem undergo a complete makeover, with a new company symbol featuring a green wink and the implementation of a revamped strategy across all verticals - from product messaging and advertising to community outreach and company culture.
The goal of the rebranding effort is to give Careem an offline presence as effective as its online presence - an image that captures the beauty and simplicity of technology and the positive impact it is creating in the region.
"The rebrand represents more than just a brand overhaul," said Mudassir Sheikha, co-founder of Careem. "This new branding changes the whole identity and manifestation of Careem. The logo is bold, positive, playful and differentiating. We wanted our brand to reflect how proud we are of being local. We also did some serious work to see how the logo plays across various cultures in the countries we operate in and the response was indisputably positive. Our mission is to move our region towards better living; and to achieve that, we had to create a regionally recognised brand symbol synonymous with what we stand for."
Recently, Careem also collaborated with the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) to offer innovative marketing solutions. Sheraa - a launch pad for aspiring young entrepreneurs in the UAE - worked with Careem to challenge students' abilities to develop a detailed marketing plan that will enable the start-up to cater effectively to, and attract, the Emirati population. The winners of the marketing challenge were awarded a three-month internship opportunity at Careem's HQ.
"At Sheraa, we strongly believe in infusing a positive entrepreneurial spirit in today's youth. By introducing students to the world of start-ups, Sheraa aims to invest in the leaders of tomorrow through education beyond the classroom," said Najla Al Midfa, general manager of Sheraa. "Through collaboration with successful entrepreneurs and organisations, we want to inspire students to utilise and channel their creativity to achieve tangible benefits which have a positive social and financial impact on the community."
The marketing challenge attracted applications from over 25 teams. In the preliminary round 10 teams were chosen, of which five teams were shortlisted for the final round. Careem awarded the final winners of the challenge - Huda Al Ali, Aisha Usman and Abdullah Malek - credits worth Dh10,000. The winning team was also awarded a Dh10,000 cash reward for successfully implementing their marketing plan.
- rohma@khaleejtimes.com