Communicate speaks with Binoj Nair – B2C Marketing Director at Canon Middle East to learn more about their new Trailblazer series.
Imaging technologies and services company, Canon Middle East (CME) has launched the first edition of its ‘Trailblazer’ series,where they celebrate changemakers who have challenged stereotypes and altered the face of their industries. Binoj Nair tells Communicate the inspiration behind the series.
What is the core idea behind the Trailblazers series? What inspired you to create this?
Canon has always been synonymous with innovation and pushing boundaries and the latest revolutionary EOS R5 and EOS R6 cameras are prime examples of how we continue to break new ground – not only within the mirrorless camera category, but also within the wider imaging industry. With this in mind, we wanted to actively contribute towards perpetuating a culture that celebrates the importance of being visionary, innovative and bold and launched the concept of the “Trailblazer” series, where we celebrate Middle Eastern changemakers who have a similar ethos and have challenged stereotypes, to alter the face of their industries.
We cherrypicked three trailblazers from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to share their own inspiring epic journeys and their interviews were shot in documentary style, on the powerful EOS R5 and EOS R6 cameras. This series was launched in conjunction with the “Create your epic” campaign, which highlights the capabilities of the EOS R5 and EOS R6 cameras.
How were the Trailblazers selected for the series?
We selected candidates from across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait who all had unique and inspiring stories of being the ‘first’, overcoming incredible personal challenges and never giving up.
What do you hope to achieve with the series?
Canon is known for its awe-inspiring storytelling and we wanted to use our expertise and passion to offer a glimpse into the lives of real trailblazers who are representative of the incredible talent, tenacity and ambition that drives this region. The series offers a platform that is aimed at inspiring a whole new generation of trailblazers.
As we enter 2021, we are seeing more things opening up (as compared to pre-Covid). Can you share some of the highlights and focus of your marketing strategy for the MENA region this year?
2020 was a difficult year for businesses and as we enter 2021, customers have a heightened [sense of] awareness of where they're spending their money and increasingly, seeking out brands that communicate authentically, are purpose-driven and align with their value system. At Canon we follow a corporate philosophy of Kyosei – ‘living and working together for the common good’ and this remains a key element of our 2021 marketing outreach, where we continue to be customer focused and amplify initiatives that add value to our customers; programs such as “Aktashif”, an initiative to help the youth find their creative career path and “Frontiers of Innovation” which focuses on knowledge sharing and fostering industry learning.
Moreover, it is with great pride that we reiterate our commitment to EXPO 2020. For the first time in World Expo history, a single firm has been chosen to provide all the event’s imaging and printing needs and as the official partner for EXPO 2020, we are working tirelessly to push the boundaries of what is possible through imaging, to provide a truly unique visitor engagement experience.
The Middle East has a large youth population who are active content creators as influencers, vloggers and filmmakers and there is an increasing need from them to capture high-quality imagery and videos. We are committed to providing the latest features, tools and cameras that will empower them to do. For example, our latest EOS R5 and EOS R6 cameras are game-changing cameras that offer a range of features to support superior vlogging and content creation capabilities and we will continue to focus on ways to help the content creator community excel.
The campaign can be viewed here
