2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for PR?

We are the Global PR agency of record for Expo 2020 Dubai – The World’s Greatest Show of human brilliance and achievement. There is still work to be done when it comes to global perceptions of the UAE, awareness of Expo, and establishing a platform that provides license to speak on the topics of relevance for the event – in this case, global optimism. We needed to create a PR-led and multiformat campaign that generated global conversations, brought the world together, and enabled us to broaden Expo’s narrative to look at the future, and inspire solutions towards world challenges.

Background

Shifting brand positioning ahead of its year-out milestone, Expo wanted to be seen as a global event with universal appeal - a step-change in the narrative against a backdrop of limited programming, lack of global ‘call to action’ and significant reputational challenges, as well as that of the UAE: 1. Expo as a B2B ‘trade fair’ only 2. Misconceptions of the UAE 3. Global uncertainty about the future We needed to create a campaign that would give Expo a legitimate voice in global conversations on the future and a platform to drive meaningful dialogue and pave the way for a message of optimism through global collaboration. Objectives: create a purpose-driven campaign, delivered in a fun, conversational way. Connect people from around the world during a time of uncertainty. Drive awareness and curiosity about the Expo offering to potential visitors ahead of its one year to go milestone.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

We surveyed more than 20,000 people across 23 markets around the world, on a list of important and divisive issues. Questions such as: how optimistic do you feel about your nation’s future? What would you like to see achieved in the next 50 years? allowed us to understand what is important to a broad range of geographies and demographics, and what solutions people are hopeful to see. We developed a multi-faceted campaign that would live beyond the initial launch moment to become an ongoing narrative thread around global optimism. As the first-ever Global Optimism Survey, in partnership with YouGov, the research allowed us to compare views and beliefs, and reveal tangible ways by which the world can come together and drive creative solutions to world problems. A robust whitespace audit ahead of question development ensured a unique approach, with earned conversations and consumer sentiment at the heart of our mechanic.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

Global optimism is dependent on our ability to form social connections. But headlines show that our world is arguably more divided than ever. Border walls. Brexit. Protests. We are witnessing a layer of tribalism in politics, culture and nationalism. This has an impact on how we feel about the future. Division is linked to pessimism. The world needs more social connections than ever before. Bringing together 192 nations and aligned to an ambitious vision of connecting people; inspiring solutions towards a better future is at the core of Expo’s purpose. We should be proud of how far we have come. Primary target: raising awareness among varied target groups - families, individuals, couples, children. Secondary: B2B engagement via Expo’s official partners. Assets: localised market releases, infographics, video, social animations, executive summary, dedicated landing-page linked to results and case studies, web stories. Distribution: media; Expo-own channels - twitter, LinkedIn, website, employees, partners.

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

We led with one overarching story, creating a news release that covered the full survey and report summaries under the umbrella of Expo’s subthemes: Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability. Combined with multi-format content across owned channels, we offered rich content to media audiences. Results differed across 23 countries, so bespoke pitches were developed for maximum impact. Stories focused on what mattered to that market, translated into a myriad of languages, each with a personalised infographic. Timeline: 8-weeks from approval, survey-fielding, content development to rollout. Our overarching message to the world: global populations are unified in a mission for a more collaborative, inclusive, clean and stable planet. Supported by social content, graphics, landing page on Expo’s website dedicated to Global Optimism with case studies and videos. Communicating a diverse topic range to varied audiences – from single-use plastics, to hover-boards and space travel – required digestible content and a conversational tone.

List the results (30% of vote)

Results showed the world was far more optimistic about its future than the global news agenda might suggest. Media push in 23 markets resulted in: • 600+ pieces of coverage (first week alone) • 20 broadcast pieces • Estimated 1.27 billion reach • Coverage spanning 30 countries • 100% message penetration, with narratives often printed verbatim • Neutral to positive tone Extended beyond general news outlets into lifestyle, tech and more consumer-friendly publications. Kenyan TV took to the streets to ask the public about the results, while the Daily Mail UK ran the story to counter negative narratives on Brexit, including a link to the Expo landing page. In Australia our results inspired a piece around 9-ways to combat climate change: “Small changes can make a big difference if taken up by enough people”. Online engagement of assets across Expo-own channels saw a traffic uplift of 79%, a total of 1,058 engagements in varied languages. 60% of engagements were positive, with an overall OTS of 39million. The landing page saw 18,329 views and interest rose by 90% - many stayed on to explore subsequent pages and case studies. Two-way conversations were key as credible, high profile voices joined in the discussion on optimism: Sheikh Hamdan aka Fazza [tweet] “Dubai has always been able to scout out top opportunities…we are consistently optimistic about our capabilities’, Expo [response]: “Here’s something to be optimistic about: students learning in new, fun ways thanks to our #ExpoLive grantees "