2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for PR?

The Annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey is the largest study on the Middle East and North Africa region’s largest demographic – its over 200 million youth. The survey fills a vital gap in critical data regarding this very important demographic, which forms 60% of the population. Our evidence-based study, the first by a PR agency, provides governments, private sector, media, and civil society valuable insights on the hopes and aspirations of young Arabs, to inform policy formation and business strategy development. It is a powerful public information tool underlining the role of PR as a medium for positive change.

Background

What do over 200 million young Arabs have to say about their future? Every year, we set out to answer this question with the Annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey. We do this survey for three reasons: 1. To deliver valuable evidence-based insights on what defines the region – its youthful demographic. When we began our annual survey in 2008, the region was known for being data-poor on its important market segment, and the survey has filled this gap. 2. To ensure the survey’s independence and credibility, we fund the survey entirely ourselves. 3. To provide the key findings of the survey, freely on arabyouthsurvey.com giving governments, the private sector and civil society across the world critical information to inform decision-making and policy formation

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

To understand the Arab world, you must understand the hearts and minds of its largest demographic – its youth. The 12th edition of the ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey in 2020 was the largest-to-date, covering 4,000 young Arabs in 17 nations in MENA. The survey was conducted in two parts: The Main Survey in Jan/March before COVID-19 impacted the region, and the COVID-19 Pulse Survey in August. The survey uncovered fresh insights on hot topics such as government corruption, migration, religion, jobs, education, drug abuse, personal debt, and gender rights, among others. While these are less discussed in public in the Arab world, they have a big impact on the society. We evaluated the vast pool of data in relation to current social and political trends to identify top 10 findings and identified a compelling story that resonates with our audience. In 2020, our theme was ‘A Voice for Change.’

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

We followed an integrated, digital-first story-telling strategy. We made the study relevant not just for the region but for a global audience. In addition to addressing stereotypes about the Middle East, the findings were important for governments and corporates, which are actively engaged in diplomatic and business relations, respectively, with the region. The hot topics covered emerged as the key messages of our PR programme. For example, our top finding was on migration. It showed that nearly half of young Arabs have considered leaving their country. That is close to 80 million young people. In addition to the loss of talent to the region, it highlighted the potential pressure on international borders. Other findings, such as, on gender rights that ‘most young Arab women say they have the same rights as men’ surprised the world. Presenting complex data in an engaging manner, we ensured impact for the study.

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

The 2020 survey underlined the relevance of our differentiator - the ‘Power of Three’. It was conducted by PSB Middle East, the leading research consultancy, while the design and digital activation were by Proof, a digital and design consultancy. Both are ASDA’A BCW’s wholly-owned subsidiaries. The execution was fully integrated with core activities planned for a one-month period, followed by an ongoing global think-tank outreach. The tactical platforms were: •We articulated the findings in a detailed whitepaper with commentary by international experts providing more context •We produced media collateral with videos, infographics, press releases and opinion pieces by experts •We activated five social media channels encouraging conversations and shareable content •We showcased all our work on our website arabyouthsurvey.com, updated regularly •We shared the findings with the public through a webinar in October •We followed-up with a strong outreach campaign to engage multiple influencers through webinars, podcasts and master-classes

List the results (30% of vote)

The survey made global impact reaching an audience of over 1 billion people in 61 countries in 16 languages just a month of its launch. Heads of states, business leaders and influential media, such as The Times, CNN, Financial Times, Washington Post, Bloomberg, CNBC, Reuters, and leading Arabic publications, shared and discussed the findings. The intent of the survey – to inform policy-making and strategy development – and to highlight regional trends, through the eyes of youth, was achieved with credible impact and the best reception to-date! Traditional media results •Coverage in 61 countries in 16 languages •1,056+ global outlets with reach of over 800 million •38 television channels reaching over 230 million people with 1.5 hours of prime TV time •21.5 minutes of radio time Social media results •10.94 million content impressions •1.36 million video views •68 million social reach •41.2 million Twitter impression •1.27K tweets with hashtag #ArabYouthSurvey WEBINARS •Council on Foreign Relations, New York (Future of the Arab World: Youth Perceptions Looking Ahead) •Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, Houston (The Arab Uprisings Revisited) •Middle East Institute, Washington DC (Voices of the Future: ASDA’A BCW’s 2020 Arab Youth Survey) •The Hill, Washington DC (Aspirations and Resilience: Arab Youth & The COVID-19 Era) MASTER-CLASS •On WPP TV, reaching 107,000 communicators in 112 countries (WPP TV: A Voice for Change - a 101 on Arab youth today) PODCASTS •The Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington DC (Babel Podcast) •The Middle East Public Relations Association (Podcast Series)