Women in the Middle East may rule their homes, but feel increasingly trapped inside them. They feel constrained by the social conventions that define what they can and can’t do. Women want to make a difference to their families and communities, but believe that they don’t always have the power to.
In MAGGI Diaries, we wanted to prove that every woman can be a force for change, regardless of how much freedom she has. Knowing that Arab women draw inspiration from other women, we told true, empowering stories about women who have overcome challenges to make a positive difference to the people around them.
There was Noura from Saudi Arabia, who didn’t stop until she got government approval to open her own catering company, employing women who were eager to work, but couldn’t. Sunita turned a girls’ orphanage into a place of hope for the future. Then there were the tea pickers in Munnar, India, who, despite harsh working conditions, are an uplifting example of joy and enthusiasm for life.
MAGGI Diaries was released as a series of webisodes on a custom YouTube channel. As main content it was supported by an integrated campaign including PR, ATL, an online media campaign and on-ground activation.
In every webisode of MAGGI Diaries, a culinary discovery sets the stage for a bigger life-discovery. Cooking, which is still central to the life of women in the region, is given new purpose as a means for the woman to achieve what she wants.
MAGGI’s message of empowerment resonated with women across the region. 69% of those who watched MAGGI Diaries said that the series inspired them to bring about a change in their lives. MAGGI bouillon, (which accounts for most of the MAGGI business in the region) grew volumes by 90% in the UAE, 14% in Kuwait, and 10% in Lebanon, suggesting that culinary discovery triggered an increased interest in and use of the product. Women engaged avidly with our content. Diaries’ YouTube channel had an 18% view-through rate (versus a regional norm of 14%). Facebook had a category-leading 24% engagement rate while the brand saw a 400% growth on Instagram since launch. Twitter had an engagement of 9% and 14,959 new followers. And with 26 million views across all channels, MAGGI Diaries was a success.