2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Background

Dubai Media City, was launched in January 2001 to establish Dubai as the region’s leading media hub. Dubai Media City encompasses a media community of over 20,000 people working in over 2,000 regional and international media companies that are pushing the limits of creativity and media every day. But, with 2019 predicted to be tough year for Dubai’ commercial real estate, market media organizations like Dubai that faced a challenging time. With the regional media industry growth slowing down due to the exponential growth of digital, and advertising budgets shifting to digital, publications and printing firms are dying. Additionally, with lower commercial real-estate rates being offered outside of Dubai in emirates like Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, price sensitive clients were shifting their base there. With office rents, resultantly, forecast to fall, supply would be out-pace demand. How could Dubai Media City attract awareness and business from regional firms?

The Interpretation of the Challenge (30% of vote)

Dubai Media City needed to be visible, regionally across the Gulf, to not lose out. Dubai Media City needed to heighten its regional awareness and promote its brand. Dubai Media City needed to have an always-on presence for UAE and regional businesses, and create a platform to communicate the different offerings available for businesses and start-ups if they came to Dubai Media City vs. anywhere else in the UAE. This meant that we needed to get people searching for Dubai Media City. This meant we needed to create enough and awareness. And as a result, this meant we needed to grow new business. We were engaging B2B profiles. The specific profiles were Arab business owners from Saudi Arabia and the UAE who were seeking to invest in Dubai or those looking to move their offices within Dubai (or within the UAE).

The Insight / Breakthrough Thinking (30% of vote)

Before they set off for their busy day, the audiences fitting the regional B2B profile watched a popular morning show, in their homes, like most Arab-speaking audiences around the region. Sabah Al Arabiya is one of the most popular morning shows on regional television on Al Arabiya channel that operates at Dubai Media City. The channel airs every day, for 20 days a month. What we noticed was that every single day, for over 50 minutes, throughout each episode, as presenters spoke about various topics together and with their guests, there were plain white construction barriers visible in the background. Those construction barriers were owned by Dubai Media City as barricades. Those construction barriers were probably the most viewed construction barriers in the Middle East, being shown every day on that very popular morning show. Those construction barriers were the most potential media and content opportunity for Dubai Media City.

The Creative Idea (20% of vote)

In a cluttered media landscape, we could have created content (and spend a good amount of money on it) and then spent a whole lot of money to distribute and market the content. Or we could simply be present on that popular morning show on Sabah Al Arabiya, that already had a following from regional audiences, and seed Dubai Media City and its messages within the content of that show, earning its own content. So, we converted the pointless medium (plain, white, lonely construction barriers) into a catchy new billboard.And then, smartly placed that billboard on the most popular morning show on regional TV showing Dubai Media City’s branding and key offerings, every day, for 50 minutes, for free. In doing so, we made it the most viewed billboard in the Middle East, earning free TV air time and a surrogate TV show for Dubai Media City’s brand, every day.

The Outcome / Results (20% of vote)

For “zero dollars” media budget (production cost was 75,000 AED i.e. US$ 20,400), this billboard became the highest ROI generating billboard in the Middle East in 2019-2020! +15% mentions online for Dubai Media City. +36.9% Instagram fans (vs. the year prior to the launch of the billboard). +150% search volumes (7,909 to 19,779) fans (vs. the year prior to the launch of the billboard; KPI was 50%). The highest-ever earned media value for Dubai Media City to date: 54 million AED (US$14.7 million) for 0 AED / $US 0 spent on media with just 75,000 AED (US$ 20,400) spent on production and updates! How’s that for an earned media ROI? Reached 17% regional audiences, everyday, through the show. Earned +312% GRPs from KSA and +90% GRPs from UAE. Grew new business partners from the Gulf region by 15%. Generated +2% higher occupancy with regional companies from the Gulf.