2016 Winners & Shortlists

The Campaign

The Arab Youth Survey (AYS) is a thought leadership initiative conceptualised and executed by the Agency to present evidence-based insights into the attitudes of Arab youth. In a region significantly lacking in research into public opinion, AYS is the region’s largest survey of the region’s largest demographic – its 200 million youth – and also provides public and private sector organisations with data and analysis to help inform their decision-making and policy formation. The seventh Annual survey, launched in April 2015, was the most comprehensive of its kind to date, covering the six GCC countries, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia and Yemen. The Agency developed a detailed questionnaire of nearly 200 questions, to track changes on the current socio-political environment. Field researchers from Penn Schoen Berland (PSB) conducted 3,500 face-to-face interviews with youth age 18-24 on a range of subjects, ranging from the political to the personal. The sample was 50 percent male and the balance 50 per cent female. Topics explored included the concerns and aspirations of youth, their views on the economy and the impact of the Arab Spring, their media consumption habits, attitudes towards traditional values, among others. The Agency identified ten key findings and developed a range of analytical material including a White Paper and a microsite, all of which was made available to the public in English and Arabic. The launch results were accompanied by a robust communications strategy: including embargoed briefings with select journalists, a high-profile media and stakeholder event, and intense media outreach in regional and global markets.

The Brief

The goal behind AYS has remained consistent since its launch in 2008; to present qualitative insights into the attitudes of Arab youth to help provide public and private-sector organisations with data and analysis to help inform their decision-making and policy formation. In a region significantly lacking in data, AYS not only positons the Agency as a pioneer in Evidence-Based communication but also positions it as a thought leader in this space, which has in turn helped sustain its business growth in the MENA region.

Execution

Following the conclusion of the month-long fieldwork, the Agency analysed the data and produced Top Ten Findings, which were supported by a range of analytic materials. The material was documented in an in-depth White Paper, titled “With the Legacy of the Arab Spring Waning, Arab Youth Are Uncertain Whether Democracy Could Ever Work in the Middle East”. This was launched on a microsite, www.arabyouthsurvey.com, in English and Arabic, and across the agency’s international network and online social platforms, including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The findings were also presented in Dubai at a high-profile media event led by Agency management from the Middle East with the participation of key opinion and business leaders. The Agency also presented the findings to several high level ministerial bodies in the region, including the UAE Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, Saudi Ministry of Information & Culture and the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office in Dubai.

The launch of the survey results generated nearly 500 stories in media across the Middle East with perceived value of $5,875,754. In addition to significant coverage in some of the biggest outlets, including Al Arabiya – the largest broadcast network in the region – AYS was also extensively covered abroad, particularly in Europe, where some of the findings are particularly relevant to countries that are home to a large Arab youth diaspora. The findings were also posted by Dubai’s Ruler, HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum on his social media platform reaching his over 10 million followers. The results continue to serve as referral points on Arab youth and most importantly, continue to support the Agency’s positioning as a leading PR agency, which has in turn helped sustain its business growth in the MENA region.

The Strategy

Working in collaboration with researchers at PSB, the Agency developed a detailed questionnaire of nearly 200 questions, comprising questions from previous years to track yearly changes and new questions based on the current socio and political environment. The questionnaire was conducted during face to face interviews with 3,500 Arab youth between the ages of 18 and 24 years old in 16 countries. Respondents, exclusively nationals of each of the surveyed countries, were selected to provide an accurate reflection of each nation’s geographic and socio-economic make-up. The gender split was 50:50 male/female and the margin of error was +/-1.65 per cent. There were 200 respondents for each country represented in the survey, except for the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt with 300 respondents each, and Iraq with 250 and Palestine with 150. Participants were interviewed in depth about a range of topics exploring their hopes and aspirations.