Dama PLC's Branding Projects in Ethiopia: Working Across Every Sector Imaginable

At Dama PLC, we've never been the type of agency that says, "Oh, we only do tech startups" or "We specialize in hospitality." That's just not how we roll. When a business needs branding help, we're there. Whether they're exporting coffee beans to Europe or importing construction chemicals from Asia.

Over the years, this approach has given us something priceless: a behind-the-scenes look at how different industries actually work in Ethiopia. And trust us, some of these businesses are doing things at a scale that would surprise you.

Let's try to list them all:

Construction companies have kept us busy ... especially thanks to the corridor development projects happening across the country. We've designed branding for more construction firms than we can count, from small contractors to major players.

Coffee and oilseed exporters are a big part of Ethiopia's economy, and we've had the privilege of helping several of them look as premium as their products. There's something special about branding Ethiopia's coffee heritage for the world stage.

Medical equipment importers need branding that communicates trust and professionalism. We've worked with several companies in this space, creating identities that work in both hospital boardrooms and trade show floors.

Car importers, tour and travel companies, education sector businesses ... the list keeps going. High-end cafes in Addis that needed that perfect Instagram-worthy brand identity. Construction chemical importers who needed technical catalogs that actually made sense. Pharmaceutical importers who needed everything from logos to custom internal software (yes, we do that too).

Government offices and international institutions have trusted us with their branding. When organizations like the African Union and the Prime Minister's Office need design work, that's not just a random project... it's a responsibility.

We've even worked on international events and ... this one surprised even us ... designed a logo for a church in the DMV area (Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia). Because apparently, when Ethiopian communities abroad need branding, word travels.

Here's what's wild about working across so many sectors: you discover businesses you never knew existed, at least not at the scale they're operating.

Take one of our biggest clients ... a company that started by importing sewing machines. Seems straightforward, right? Then they told us they were transitioning into manufacturing. Not small-scale stuff either. We're talking serious manufacturing capacity. We had no idea the industrial sewing machine business in Ethiopia was that huge.

That's when we realized: every project is an education. Every client teaches us something new about Ethiopian business, global trade, or an industry we thought we understood but clearly didn't.

Now, it's not like we've designed full brand identities for every single one of these sectors (though we have for most of them). The work varies:

• Full brand identities with logos, color palettes, typography systems, and brand guidelines for some

Missing branding elements ... maybe they had a logo but needed business cards, letterheads, and a company profile

• Event-specific branding one off designs for conferences, product launches, or anniversary celebrations
• Social media assets graphics packages for campaigns and ongoing social presence
• Company naming like when we helped name STCH for that sewing machine manufacturer we mentioned
• Custom internal software because sometimes pharmaceutical importers need more than just a pretty logo; they need systems that ease their life

There's a real advantage to not being locked into one industry. When you work with a construction company one week and a tour operator the next, you start seeing patterns. You understand what works in Ethiopian business culture versus international markets. You learn which design trends are universal and which need to be adapted.

Plus, it's just more interesting. Imagine doing nothing but tech startup logos for six years. Sounds boring, right? We get to work with people from different backgrounds, different nationalities, different business challenges. One day we're in a meeting with coffee exporters discussing heritage and tradition. The next day we're with a medical equipment importer talking about credibility and compliance.

Here's what every single one of these projects has in common, regardless of sector: businesses that want to be taken seriously. Companies that understand their brand isn't just a logo ... it's how customers perceive them, how partners trust them, and how they compete in their market.

Whether you're importing pharmaceuticals or running a high-end cafe in Bole, that fundamental need is the same. And that's where we come in.

So whatever sector you're in ... yes, even if it's one we haven't mentioned here (though we doubt it) ... we've probably worked with someone like you. We've seen your challenges, understood your market, and helped businesses in your space stand out.

That's the advantage of six years working across every corner of Ethiopia's economy. We bring lessons from one industry to another, connections from one sector to the next, and a level of experience that only comes from saying "yes" to diverse, challenging projects.