21 April 2008
MUSCAT -- The Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) officially launched here yesterday the national Origin Oman student logo design competition, inviting Omani and expatriate college students from around the Sultanate to submit entries for a new logo. The new logo will be used in its nation-wide advertising and direct marketing campaign, including letterheads and signage as well as on the Internet to promote Oman-made goods and services. Addressing a press conference, Ibtisam al Faruji, Head of Marketing, PEIE, said the participants would do well to make sure that their logo depicts the benefits that accrue to the local community when it patronises local products and services.
Origin Oman, she emphasised, is a domestic campaign designed to promote local products and services and is intended to engender national pride and encourage consumers and companies to choose locally-made products and services bearing the logo. Ibtisam said, "I'm sure the winner will be proud when he/she sees the design on all the Origin Oman publicity material as well as on Oman-made products and services and in shopping malls." The winning student will receive RO 500. The closing date for entries is May 20. Further information on the competition can be viewed at: www.originoman.om
Judges for the competition have been drawn from the PEIE management, including its marketing executives. Ibtisam said each student can submit several entries and a group of students can work together to submit one entry. The aim is to have a logo that is appealing, attractive and simple by succinctly and instantly making it clear that buying local products benefits all in the country. Until recently the same mission had been handled by the Ministry of commerce and Industry under the banner of National Products Promotion Campaign (NPPC). The NPPC, which was extremely effective and dynamic, has over the years laid down the basic ground work for the promotion of Oman-made products and services.
PEIE is now determined to take this campaign to new levels of sophistication. Origin Oman aims to preserve and enhance the economic, human and natural vitality of Oman's communities by promoting the importance of purchasing locally made products and services. The Origin Oman campaign is said to have drawn up plans aimed at educating consumers and institutional buyers as to the availability of Oman-made products and services and the internal success stories many of Omani manufacturers are enjoying in the international markets.
The average Oman-based consumer is said to have tremendous brand loyalty towards local products, whether that's washing powder, fruit and vegetables, baby nappies, sweets, car batteries or cooking oil. The new logo and campaign will breathe a new life into this tendency by making it clear that the overall economic impact of buying local is actually phenomenal. In brief, Origin Oman offers every Oman-based resident an opportunity to help promote the Sultanate's products and services and by doing so help create employment opportunities, stimulate the national economy and reduce carbon emissions. The logo must encapsulate the idea of locally-made goods and services and sustainability, added Ibtisam.
Ibtisam said when companies and organisations use the Origin Oman logo in their marketing and promotional campaigns, they set themselves apart from the competition by conveying their pride in Oman. Identifying products and services with the Origin Oman logo in supermarkets, shops, hotels, restaurants, coffee shops or at trade shows will translate into increased profits. Use of the Origin Oman logo will help increase sales of Oman-made products and services which in turn will result in increased employment opportunities and a stronger Omani economy. It's a win-win scenario.
PEIE has outlined 15 rules for the participants which can be downloaded from the Origin Oman website.
All entries must be submitted to: hamida.albalushi@peie.om on or before May 20. A number of students and college principals who attended the press conference expressed concern about the limited period of one month and the paltry sum of RO 500 announced for the competition and the winner respectively. To this, Ibtisam said any suggestions can be emailed at hamida.albalushi@peie.om
MUSCAT -- The Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) officially launched here yesterday the national Origin Oman student logo design competition, inviting Omani and expatriate college students from around the Sultanate to submit entries for a new logo. The new logo will be used in its nation-wide advertising and direct marketing campaign, including letterheads and signage as well as on the Internet to promote Oman-made goods and services. Addressing a press conference, Ibtisam al Faruji, Head of Marketing, PEIE, said the participants would do well to make sure that their logo depicts the benefits that accrue to the local community when it patronises local products and services.
Origin Oman, she emphasised, is a domestic campaign designed to promote local products and services and is intended to engender national pride and encourage consumers and companies to choose locally-made products and services bearing the logo. Ibtisam said, "I'm sure the winner will be proud when he/she sees the design on all the Origin Oman publicity material as well as on Oman-made products and services and in shopping malls." The winning student will receive RO 500. The closing date for entries is May 20. Further information on the competition can be viewed at: www.originoman.om
Judges for the competition have been drawn from the PEIE management, including its marketing executives. Ibtisam said each student can submit several entries and a group of students can work together to submit one entry. The aim is to have a logo that is appealing, attractive and simple by succinctly and instantly making it clear that buying local products benefits all in the country. Until recently the same mission had been handled by the Ministry of commerce and Industry under the banner of National Products Promotion Campaign (NPPC). The NPPC, which was extremely effective and dynamic, has over the years laid down the basic ground work for the promotion of Oman-made products and services.
PEIE is now determined to take this campaign to new levels of sophistication. Origin Oman aims to preserve and enhance the economic, human and natural vitality of Oman's communities by promoting the importance of purchasing locally made products and services. The Origin Oman campaign is said to have drawn up plans aimed at educating consumers and institutional buyers as to the availability of Oman-made products and services and the internal success stories many of Omani manufacturers are enjoying in the international markets.
The average Oman-based consumer is said to have tremendous brand loyalty towards local products, whether that's washing powder, fruit and vegetables, baby nappies, sweets, car batteries or cooking oil. The new logo and campaign will breathe a new life into this tendency by making it clear that the overall economic impact of buying local is actually phenomenal. In brief, Origin Oman offers every Oman-based resident an opportunity to help promote the Sultanate's products and services and by doing so help create employment opportunities, stimulate the national economy and reduce carbon emissions. The logo must encapsulate the idea of locally-made goods and services and sustainability, added Ibtisam.
Ibtisam said when companies and organisations use the Origin Oman logo in their marketing and promotional campaigns, they set themselves apart from the competition by conveying their pride in Oman. Identifying products and services with the Origin Oman logo in supermarkets, shops, hotels, restaurants, coffee shops or at trade shows will translate into increased profits. Use of the Origin Oman logo will help increase sales of Oman-made products and services which in turn will result in increased employment opportunities and a stronger Omani economy. It's a win-win scenario.
PEIE has outlined 15 rules for the participants which can be downloaded from the Origin Oman website.
All entries must be submitted to: hamida.albalushi@peie.om on or before May 20. A number of students and college principals who attended the press conference expressed concern about the limited period of one month and the paltry sum of RO 500 announced for the competition and the winner respectively. To this, Ibtisam said any suggestions can be emailed at hamida.albalushi@peie.om
By Hasan Kamoonpuri
© Oman Daily Observer 2008
