A New Icon of Economic Development

Emerging from anonymity

Based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) is an independent entity within the Islamic Development Bank Group formed to consolidate the bank's Shari'ah-compliant trade finance business.

As a stand-alone, profit-making organization, the ITFC had to compete effectively against commercial banks in the open market. The problem: the organization wasn't sufficiently known or understood to stand out as a trade finance specialist in the Middle East.

To succeed, the ITFC needed a market-facing brand that illuminates its unique approach—competitive yet culturally appropriate, and serving both commercial and developmental needs.

A mark of value

As Siegel+Gale immersed itself in the organization—exploring its heritage, customers and stakeholders—our team realized that a true differentiator is ITFC's commitment to both commercial and developmental goals. The resulting brand promise, "Advancing Trade, Improving Lives," captures this dual pledge; core brand values of "Empowerment, Commitment, Impact and Determination" give depth to ITFC's brand personality.

From the brand platform, we developed a visual identity based on the concept of "expanding connections." With a logo that evokes both Islamic mosaics and the balance and interconnectedness of Shari'ah banking principles, the visual system emphasizes respect for ITFC's Islamic heritage. A color palette of region-specific hues derived from sand and stone, along with culturally appropriate photography, reinforce the Islamic tradition.

A great brand is the best recruiter

ITFC continues to gain international recognition, with the new brand helping to tell its unique story both externally and internally. After implementing the full-day brand workshop we developed, the Islamic Development Bank experienced a surge in employee transfers from the bank to ITFC—so much so that the organization had to limit the number.

In the words of one IFTC executive:

"The president of the IDB is a die-hard banker. He is a man of few words, but I saw him comparing our annual report with those of the other organisations in the IDB Group. He picked ours up and had a smile on his face. That says it all."