Al Seer Group – Can a Distributor Build Brands?

Abstract

The role of supply chain members is often relegated to an ancillary role in brand building. Do distributors serve only as a conduit for movement of products confined to the business-to-business (B2B) market or do they possess the capability to transcend boundaries and help build the brand of the products that they distribute? Using a case study methodology, an exploration has been carried out on the success journey of Al Seer Group, one of the biggest and oldest Fast Moving Consumer Goods distributors in the United Arab Emirates, driven by the vision to be a brand-building partner. The organization is propelled by a robust people strategy, a process-based operational framework, a data-driven culture and a strategic reorientation that helped them to introduce the brand-building perspective to their stakeholders. This study encourages further research interest on employee retention strategies focused on the Millennial and Gen Z workforce, challenges of data-driven organizations in implementation of emerging technologies, the role of C-suite executives in organizational strategic orientation, and the brand-building perspective of B2B distributors.

Citation

Fready, S. (2021), "Al Seer Group – Can a Distributor Build Brands?", Vel, P. and Gomišček, B. (Ed.) Corporate Success Stories in the UAE: The Key Drivers Behind Their Growth, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 33-48. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80043-578-020211003