Brand Strategy
Positioning, audience insight, messaging architecture and brand narrative that set you apart and lower acquisition cost.
- Brand audits
- Positioning and messaging
- Brand architecture
- Home
- About
The story
Animator turned brand strategist. Agency founder turned game maker. Marketer turned researcher. Here is how it all connects.
Who I amCreative eye.
Creative eye.
Data discipline.
Athul Iyju Jacob is a brand strategist, digital marketing expert, game developer and independent researcher based in Downtown Dubai. He has spent 6+ years helping EdTech, e-commerce, healthcare and B2B brands turn strategy into measurable growth, including tenfold product sales growth and a 70% lift in course enrollments.
He started with a degree in animation and graphic design, founded Old Port Design LLP in Bengaluru, and moved to Dubai where he now leads Old Port Solutions LLC as Managing Director. He co-founded Gaatly and designs and builds wellness games including GameHarbor and MindHarbor.
As an independent researcher, he studies gamified wellbeing, conversational AI companions and how AI search engines discover brands. He has been featured in Gulf Magazine as a young mind shaping brands and in Indian Express on starting a branding agency.
Off the clock, he is a food vlogger, reviewing restaurants and cafes across Dubai on Instagram as @athuliyjujacob. It keeps him close to the hospitality brands and customer experiences he studies professionally.
6+Years in brand and growth
10×Peak sales growth delivered
70%EdTech enrollment lift
2Wellness games shipped
Quick facts
Fast facts
- Full name
- Athul Iyju Jacob
- Based in
- Downtown Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Known for
- Brand strategy, digital marketing, SEO and GEO
- Experience
- 6+ years across EdTech, e-commerce, healthcare and B2B
- Current role
- Managing Director, Old Port Solutions LLC
- Ventures
- Founder, Old Port Design LLP; Co-founder, Gaatly
- Games
- GameHarbor and MindHarbor (3D wellness games)
- Research
- Independent researcher; GAMEHARBOR preprint (Zenodo, 2026); ORCID 0009-0007-8115-0543
- Press
- Gulf Magazine; Indian Express
- Off the clock
- Food vlogger on Instagram, @athuliyjujacob
- Education
- Degree in Animation and Graphic Design
- Contact
- aijacob@oldport.ae · +971 52 961 4900
- Profiles
- LinkedIn: athuliyjujacob · Behance: athuliyju05
Career
The journey
Founder, operator, strategist, builder, researcher. Every role added a layer.
Now
Managing Director, Old Port Solutions LLC
Dubai app studio and marketing company. Leading strategy and product, including the GameHarbor and MindHarbor wellness games, while the team runs day-to-day delivery.
Now
Independent Researcher
Research on gamified wellbeing, AI companions and AI search visibility, with working papers in preparation.
Ongoing
Food Vlogger, @athuliyjujacob
Restaurant and cafe reviews across Dubai on Instagram, from hidden gems to headline openings, plus collaborations with F&B brands.
Co-founder
Gaatly
Tech accessories brand built for the UAE market, sold on Amazon and Gaatly.com.
Earlier
Altara Social and Magnus Designs
Agency roles delivering web, CRO, social and brand work for clients across the GCC.
Founder
Old Port Design LLP, Bengaluru
Founded and ran a multi-client branding and digital agency in India before relocating to Dubai.
Foundation
Degree in Animation and Graphic Design
The creative core behind every strategy: motion, visual systems and storytelling.
Services
How I help
Paid Ad Strategy
Meta, Google and Amazon campaigns structured around full-funnel economics, not vanity metrics.
- Meta and Instagram ads
- Amazon PPC
- Lead-gen funnels
SEO and GEO
Technical SEO plus Generative Engine Optimization so your brand is found on Google and cited by AI assistants.
- Technical audits
- Schema and entity SEO
- AI search visibility
Web Development and CRO
Fast, conversion-focused websites and landing pages built in WordPress, Elementor and hand-coded HTML.
- Landing pages
- WordPress and Elementor
- A/B and CRO
Brand Identity and Design
Logos, guidelines, print, motion and exhibition design rooted in an animation and graphic design background.
- Logo and identity
- Brand guidelines
- Booth and print
Apps and Gamification
3D web games, wellness apps and gamified experiences built with Three.js and mobile wrappers.
- 3D web experiences
- Gamified loyalty
- App concept to launch
Out there
In the field
