IMA MENA is now Smollan
IMA is a global creative agency specialising in strategy, creative, brand experiences, retail design, media, social, partnerships and production.
On 1 October 2026, IMA’s Dubai-based MENA operation transitioned to Smollan. Its creative, experiential and retail design expertise, team and client relationships now continue through Smollan Activation & Experience across the Middle East and North Africa.
This transition applies specifically to IMA MENA. IMA continues to operate under the IMA brand in its other global markets.
What IMA MENA was known for
IMA's MENA team built a strong reputation for helping brands connect with consumers across the Middle East and North Africa
- Creative
- Brand experiences
- Experiential marketing
- Retail design
- Strategy
- Media
- Social
- Partnerships
- Production
- Shopper engagement
- Retail activation
These capabilities are now delivered through Smollan Activation & Experience, connecting IMA MENA’s established creative expertise with Smollan’s global scale and experience at the point of purchase.
About the Transition
IMA's MENA operation transitioned to Smollan on 1 October 2026, bringing its regional creative, experiential and retail design expertise into Smollan's global Activation & Experience offering
Business transitioned
Current brand
Solution
Markets
Hub
Integration date
This transition applies specifically to IMA MENA. IMA continues to operate under the IMA brand in its other global markets. IMA MENA’s existing team, expertise and client relationships continue under Smollan, supported by Smollan’s global infrastructure, international network and Activation & Experience capabilities.
Clients continue to benefit from the creative, experiential and retail design expertise previously delivered by IMA MENA, now as part of Smollan's global Activation & Experience offering
Creative strategy and campaign development
Experiential marketing and brand activation
Retail design and in-store experiences
Shopper and consumer engagement
Media and social
Partnerships
Content and production
Global Activation & Experience expertise
International scale and delivery
IMA MENA capabilities continue through Smollan Activation & Experience
Smollan Creative
- Creative strategy
- Campaign development
- Brand and content creation
- Media and social
- Partnerships and production
Smollan Experiential
- Brand experiences and activations
- Experiential marketing
- Events and live experiences
- Shopper and consumer engagement
- Product demonstrations and sampling
Smollan Retail Design
- Retail strategy
- Retail experience design
- In-store environments
- Shopper journey design
- Visual merchandising
A connected offering, delivered across MENA
Together, these three capabilities connect creative thinking, human engagement and retail environments through one integrated Smollan Activation & Experience offering.
This alignment enables clients across MENA to continue accessing IMA MENA’s established creative, experiential and retail design expertise through Smollan, while benefiting from the scale and reach of a global retail solutions business.
Smollan in MENA
Smollan operates across the Middle East and North Africa as part of its global retail solutions network.
Founded in 1931, Smollan has built a legacy spanning more than 90 years of helping brands grow at the point of purchase. On 1 October 2026, IMA MENA’s creative, experiential and retail design expertise became part of this long-standing global network, combining deep regional knowledge with Smollan’s global Activation & Experience capabilities.
About Smollan
Smollan is a global retail solutions company providing sales outsourcing, retail execution, merchandising, field marketing, experiential marketing and data-driven retail services.
Through its Activation & Experience offering, Smollan helps brands create meaningful consumer and shopper experiences by connecting creative thinking with activation and execution at the point of purchase. Operating in over 60 countries, Smollan supports leading brands and retailers through technology-enabled solutions that improve in-store presence, shopper engagement, operational efficiency and sales performance.
FIND OUT MOREGlobal Activation & Experience
Global scale, grounded in MENA
IMA MENA’s team remains close to the market while drawing on Smollan’s wider network and Activation & Experience expertise.
The result is an integrated offering that connects insight, creativity, live engagement and retail environments to help brands influence choice at the point of purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
IMA’s MENA operation transitioned to Smollan on 1 October 2026. Its team, expertise and client relationships now continue through Smollan’s Activation & Experience offering.
Yes. IMA continues to operate as a global creative agency in its other markets. The transition to Smollan applies specifically to IMA MENA.
Yes. IMA is part of the Smollan group of businesses and continues to operate under the IMA brand in other global markets. From 1 October 2026, IMA’s MENA operation transitioned to the Smollan brand.
Yes. IMA’s Dubai-based MENA operation transitioned to Smollan on 1 October 2026. IMA continues to operate under the IMA brand in its other global markets.
IMA MENA was known for creative, experiential marketing, brand experiences, retail design, strategy, media, social, partnerships and production across the Middle East and North Africa. These capabilities now continue through Smollan Activation & Experience.
IMA MENA’s creative, experiential and retail design services are now delivered through Smollan Activation & Experience across the Middle East and North Africa.
Yes. IMA MENA’s creative capabilities continue through Smollan Activation & Experience, including creative strategy, campaign development, content, media and integrated brand experiences.
Yes. Experiential marketing, brand activation, retail design and in-store experience capabilities continue as part of Smollan Activation & Experience.
Existing client relationships, teams and core capabilities continue under Smollan, supported by Smollan’s wider global Activation & Experience network.
Smollan operates in over 60 countries worldwide, including markets across the Middle East and North Africa.
Explore more with Smollan
Explore Smollan's creative, experiential and retail solutions, and discover how we help brands engage shoppers and grow at the point of purchase.