Women are no longer bound by traditional methods of communication, especially in male-dominated societies; insight 2: Thanks to social media, no government or company is unaccountable for its actions. Shortly after the 2M show aired, ENTI.MA (Morocco’s most influential fashion and lifestyle magazine) aired its own response. In a subtle video showing women how to take makeup off – without damaging one’s skin – a famous fashion vlogger gently removes makeup. As she takes the makeup off, the signs of abuse are revealed. This video is the reverse of what was shown on 2M.
Execution
The response video to 2M’s segment had to be uploaded quickly, so that the outrage surrounding the 2M segment was still in people’s and the media’s minds. Once the ENTI.MA video had been posted on their own lifestyle and fashion site (only a few days after the 2M segment) the implementation of that call to action had begun. Because the outcry to 2M’s segment was used as the catalyst for ENTI.MA’s version, both the people and the international press had more immediate access to the content. The video is still gaining traction, so the timeline and scale are still being measured.
Just 24 hours after the ENTI.MA video was shown, it reached 3,000,000 views. It was shared 6,000,000 on social media. The international press – those who had reported the previous 2M debacle – also reported on the ENTI.MA video. The video was also shown on international news channels across the globe. Miss New York 2015 (a Moroccan) has made herself an advocate for the cause. Moroccan women now have a platform from which to be heard, spurred on by women all around the world commenting on the video. Most recently, an 8-year-old draft law protecting women’s rights in the country has now been passed and is currently being finalized in parliament.
The Situation
Public relations were, and continue to be, at the heart of our strategy. No money and no favors were needed. The subject of domestic violence speaks to all women, and the global outrage that the Moroccan state-owned 2M TV channel sparked served as an already heightened platform from which ENTI.MA could piggyback. We were sure that the same influencers, journalists and anyone against domestic violence who were appalled by the actions of a government-led TV station would also help ENTI.MA gain momentum in sparking another conversation and evoking a response, and they did.
The Strategy
We knew that the same level of attention would be dedicated to this content as it was to the 2M video. The principles of this strategy were founded on the outcome of the 2M video. The same visual language was used, the same audience was targeted, the same channels of communications were used, but the message was altogether different.