2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Background

In times of global confinement and unprecedented disruption due to the COVID-19 outbreak, women’s lives were redefined in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Pakistan. Their duties were multiplied and the pressure on them drastically increased. As a feminine care brand, Always felt obligated to stand by women, to care and support them. The challenge was to live up to the brand’s purpose of being ‘the force for female good’ when the core of its consumers was facing hardships. Always set out to stand close to the women, build their confidence, and celebrate them. The campaign was conceived as a global movement, catering to different markets, mindsets and cultures. The intent is to solidify Always’ role in their lives while bringing them together during these tough times. Our objectives were focused on further pushing brand presence and engagement, measured by the primary KPIs of reach, engagement rate and UGC.

Describe the strategy

We addressed women from the UAE, who are part of the generation of possibilities, propelled forward by the government and the society to take the leap and achieve their dreams. The Saudi Arabians, part of the generation of firsts, who have taken advantage of the governmental and societal support to lead a wave of change and firsts, together. The women of South Africa, who are defying expectations of how society perceives them and fighting societal barriers. The women of Pakistan who are advocating freedom from societal pressures and expectations. For the 1st time, Always kickstarted a conversation on Instagram and Tiktok with the help of KOLs, to drive awareness and UGC and to create human connections. Given the global impact of Covid-19, we wanted #TheNewBrave to become a point of discussion that transcends language, culture or demographics, made possible through the diversification of KOLs, hand-picked to resonate with each audience.

Describe the execution

The campaign was launched with a branded affinity film pushed on YouTube in mid-June 2020 to celebrate #TheNewBrave through slam poetry, using footage-based films and produced in 3 different versions for each market. It is also worth mentioning the speed at which the project was expedited and finalized. Having launched the platform, we then opened up the conversation to the public through KOLs, to drive awareness and engagement on Instagram and Tiktok. To reach out to the women individually, 34% of the budget was allocated to mobile. Influencers were a major contributor to the work because in today, the online community would rather listen to people than brands. Our content on social platforms focused on creating engagement through stickers on Instagram, relatable stories from KOLs, and a CTA on Tiktok pushing for UGC. We also utilized our footage in programmatic, targeting look-alike audiences, to maximize on reach.

List the results

The campaign surpassed expectations. Following 2 months of airing, the iVideo reached 3.5 million users, and the mega influencers’ activation helped us reach 9.8 million people across 3 markets. In the first week, the average view time in South Africa was at 51 seconds (versus 6 seconds industry benchmark). The Arab Peninsula set new records with 39% View-through Rate (+13% versus benchmark). We also piloted the Tiktok activation for the first time in the Arab Peninsula and garnered 818,000 organic reach with 62% VTR for a 17-second video. The campaign has witnessed the highest ever engagement with mega influencers’ posts: Pakistan 3.75%, South Africa 5.25%, and UAE & KSA 11.5% engagement (versus 2.5% average benchmark). The brand observed a 5% increase in equity for KSA and UAE on the parameter of championing and empowering women (Brand Health Track, Jul’20). Also, 306,6240 were donated in Pakistan and 4,407,680 in South Africa.