2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for PR?

Dubai Media City needed to improve its awareness and reputation as a hub for regional businesses. We discovered that every day, plain construction barriers belonging to Dubai Media City, were visible on a popular morning TV show, throughout each episode, becoming the region’s most popular construction barriers, courtesy the show's following. So, we made Dubai Media City visible, but not through a standard campaign but through earning free space on pan-regional TV, every day, as we transformed those pointless yet popular barriers into a catchy billboard earning a regular presence, for 50 minutes, every single day, at 0$ media costs!

Background

2019 was going to be tough year for Dubai’s commercial real estate market. It’d be especially challenging for media organizations like Dubai Media City. 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. With office rents, as a result, forecast to fall across Dubai in Q1 2019, the office real estate market in Dubai would favour occupiers, and supply would out-pace demand. So, Dubai Media City needed to heighten its regional awareness and improve its reputation to attract UAE and regional businesses. An always-on visible presence was needed to communicate the different services available for businesses within the UAE and across the region, if they came to Dubai Media City vs. elsewhere. A short-term stunt or activation wouldn’t do. And conventional mass media pan-regional campaigns weren’t affordable given the market situation.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

Goal We had to earn visibility for Dubai Media City. Insight: We discovered that every day, Dubai Media City’s plain white construction barriers were visible on a popular morning show, throughout each episode, for 50 minutes, every day. Those construction barriers were probably the most viewed construction barriers in the Middle East, being shown every day on that very popular morning show. Idea: So, we converted that pointless medium into a catchy new billboard and placed it smartly on that popular morning show, earning free TV air time for Dubai Media City’s brand, every day, creating the most viewed billboard in the Middle East.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

Audience: We were looking at engaging Arab business owners who were seeking to invest in Dubai or looking to move their offices within Dubai (or within the UAE). We wanted them to look up Dubai Media City to find out more. Barrier: In a time when price wars dictated decisions and choices, Dubai Media City wasn’t the preferred place to set-up their shop, because it wasn’t top-of-mind nor did people know everything it had to offer them. Insight: Sabah Al Arabiya is one of the most popular morning shows (not just with this audience) on regional television. It airs every day on Al Arabiya, a pan-Arab channel that operates out of Dubai Media City. So, we targeted this morning television show our audiences tuned in to, before they began their daily proceedings. Strategy: Utilizing that TV show to communicate Dubai Media City’s brand and its offerings, for free, every day.

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

First, we needed what we did to stand out. So, from a design perspective, we created a bright new mural that immortalized the people working around Dubai Media City. The following Media City archetypes were zeroed in on as inspirations for the characters seen in the billboard: the designer, techie, CEO, reporter, photographer, director, and radio jockey. Next, we needed it to capture attention. So, that mural was placed around a banner wrapped around the white construction barriers creating a catchy billboard. Then, that billboard was seen every day on Al Arabiya’s TV Show, as the background to the presenters, for 50 minutes, for free; completely organically! Also, different occasions were used to promote different offerings at Dubai Media City such as its community and network, its start-up incubator, its business services, its freelance package and its female entrepreneurship platforms.

List the results (30% of vote)

With “zero dollars” PR and media spend, this billboard became the most viewed billboard in the Middle East and also, the highest ROI generating billboard, ever, for Dubai Media City. The highest-ever earned media value for Dubai Media City to date: 54 million AED (US$14.7 million) for 0 AED spent on media! +15% mentions online for Dubai Media City vs. the period prior. +36.9% Instagram fans vs. period prior. +150% search volumes vs. period period (KPI was 10%). We earned +312% GRPs from KSA and +90% GRPs from UAE. +15% new business partners vs. the target of +5% and +2% occupancy with regional companies; a high year-on-year growth in the category.