An introduction to Mala’a; Oman’s new Credit Bureau Brand

Mala’a is the name of the new credit bureau brand from the Oman’s Central Bank (OCB). The organisation has been created to help Oman further comply with the international banking sectors requirements for credit transparency. The newly spun out entity acts as Oman’s National Databank, offering Credit Bureau Services, instant credit-based decision making & credit scoring, data analytics and aiding in the innovation in the FinTech sector.

Challenges we faced in building the right credit bureau brand

• Create a literal and visual identity to support the Oman Credit & Financial Information Centre (OCFIC) as it separates from the OCB
• Provide two voices for different market spaces (senior and trusted authority backed by the OCB plus a supportive information service to customers)

Designing a clear credit bureau brand strategy

We achieved this by:

• Client workshops, stakeholder engagement, social media analysis and customer interviews
• Discovered the brand’s true purpose – ‘To contribute to a greater cause’
• Establish a brand personality as ‘The Advocate’
• Created a vision – ‘To empower growth through information
• Defined brand values ‘Integrity’, ‘Dynamism’ and ‘Diligence’
• Articulate a promise – ‘To bring order, clarity and confidence’
• Summing their proposition: (Mala’a) are the national reference point for accurate & timely financial information. We bring clarity and confidence to the financial system of the nation, promoting financial inclusion by giving Oman and Omanis greater access to funds. We are the stimulators of investment & progress in Oman.

Result

• The credit bureau brand has been rolled out to key businesses in Oman as part of a multistage deployment
• This signalled the changes the OCB are committed to in terms of transforming the national economy to one of enhanced transparency driven by positive, data-driven outcomes
• While it is early in the deployment to talk metrics, the credit bureau brand was unanimously approved by the OCB and initial support from the business community in Oman has been notably positive.
• The work has been entered for numerous awards and we await with baited breath for the results!

To check out our other branding projects, click here.
To learn more about Mala’a, click here.

Services delivered:

Brand Strategy, Visual Identity, Graphic Design & Illustrations.
Want to work with us on your strategic brand development project?

info@unisonoagency.com
Tel. (+973) 17558787