2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for PR?

STARZPLAY, the region’s pioneering homegrown subscription video on demand (SVOD) service, which grabbed over one-third of the market in just five years, recorded strong growth during the pandemic. The growth story had to be communicated without creating the impression of profiteering from the situation. Further, with more global SVOD players making inroads to the region, differentiating STARZPLAY was a strategic business and communications imperative. This called for a creative approach to story-telling to secure earned media not just in the region but in international titles that add to the credibility of the brand and define its industry leadership.

Background

In 2015, when STARZPLAY blazed a trail as the region’s pioneering homegrown subscription video on demand (SVOD) service, the world was a different place. Very soon, STARZPLAY grew to be the No.1 streaming service in MENA. Recording year-on-year year growth, STARZPLPAY had 1.7 million paying subscribers by end-2019 and achieved 141 percent growth in April 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic giving the already booming streaming video on demand (SVOD) industry a significant boost. With total consumers rising and predicted to increase exponentially in the future, STARZPLAY had the opportunity to strengthen its standing as the regional SVOD leader. Despite SVOD gaining strong inroads, there was very little informed insights on customer consumption patterns. To present the STARZPLAY growth story, STARZPLAY and STARZPLAY’s communications counsel brainstormed to identify a strategic approach to storytelling that would secure earned media share – both in print and digital.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

To strengthen its reputation and underline its industry leadership, the creative strategy was to present evidence-based insights that no SVOD platform was willing to offer. Breaking the shroud of secrecy that typically characterises streaming services, STARZPLAY offered the region’s first informed study on streaming consumption patterns. The key considerations were: •Deliver original story based on evidence-based insights •Make it relevant to the new reality following the pandemic •Provide facts and figures on an industry that worked typically on secrecy; no competitor provides consumer insights •Build narratives based on what the media seeks and are relevant to them •Drive a new Media Relations strategy fit for the reality – engaging both digital and print •THE BIG IDEA: Activate an original piece of research on SVOD consumption patterns in the region, serving as the first time an SVOD player offered real insights on consumption trends, an area no player had gone before.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

The PR strategy integrated research, data analytics, design and digital, in addition to traditional media relations and storytelling, to present a compelling story on the SVOD market in the region. As the first evidence-based report on SVOD viewing habits and TV consumption during Ramadan – traditionally the peak TV-viewing season in the Arab world, the study identified key messages from the findings – such as ‘English-language series being the most popular during COVID-19 with action, comedy and drama being the top 3 popular genres,’ and that ‘streaming levels in Ramadan 2020 spiked with total consumption tripling over 2019’. In driving the strategy, to reach not just end-use consumers but also content providers and telcos, the differentiator was positioning STARZPLAY as being home-grown: A brand that understands the region, its audiences and their entertainment preferences.

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

Drawing on the insights from PSB’s research, we created a compelling whitepaper identifying the top trends in the SVOD sector. The white paper was designed by Proof, a digital and design consultancy, another wholly-owned subsidiary of our business. It was a strong demonstration of the Agency’s ‘Power of Three.’ We created infographics and all relevant PR collateral. Media was invited across the MENA region. Taking the survey to international markets, strategic interviews were planned with leading international and regional titles, some under embargo. A special interview with STARZPLAY’s CEO Maaz Sheikh was organised with LinkedIn to share insights on how the region has adapted to streaming video especially during the lockdown period and Ramadan.

List the results (30% of vote)

The study was well received across the media in the region and internationally. • Over 40 media attended the online launch with media attending from the GCC, North Africa and the Levant region. • The story garnered a total of 284 hits with a PEV of 1.6 million and reaching out to 100 million readers. • Top regional titles covered the study while international titles included Variety, Digital TV Europe, RapidTV news, among others. • The CEO’s LinkedIn interview got a high level of engagement and received over 11K views.