2022 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for PR?

Twitter wanted to drive true societal impact. And to do so, it knew it had to somehow ‘enlist’ brands and get them to share such objective as they would help amplifying and popularizing the cause. Knowing that brands carry significant weight and emotional connection with people, Twitter started a movement with inclusiveness and respect for all genders at the core of it. A first of its kind innovative feature in Arabic allowed brands to engage women in the feminine form (which had always been ignored). Helping women Arabic speakers to stand tall and brands to become more relatable.

Background

In the Arabic language, verbs have genders that are based on their respective subject (noun) and in turn, a noun may be masculine or feminine; there is no neutral option. And this creates a bit of a dilemma, as the default grammatical gender in Arabic has become the masculine form. Twitter estimates that close to 60% of its users in MENA are female. However, when brands address their audiences through the platform they are speaking to them as if they were male. This poses a challenge: Brands are not able to speak with women in the way they should be addressed, and, as a result, miss the opportunity to further engage and create meaningful connections. Connections that could not only drive more human inclusiveness, but also commercial growth for their businesses. So how could Twitter stay true to its purpose of triggering positive societal change while helping brands succeed commercially?

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

#FeminineArabic was a new movement launched by Twitter, inviting brands to communicate more inclusively with their female audiences. While simple, it proved to be a powerful creative solution to a problem many never really understood, bringing a united voice driving inclusivity in the Middle East. The solution. Twitter launched a new language feature that allowed brands and users to address Arabic speaking women as they should be addressed: as women. The launch was supported by inclusivity workshops and debates developed in partnership with brands across the region.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

Twitter’s overall objective was to foster an environment where all voices can join the conversation. And ultimately, targeting and partnering with brands seemed to be the right strategy to deliver the intended societal impact, as brands carry a significant share of voice and action within society. Being trusted entities with tremendous power to disseminate good. So, the goal to create inclusivity and pivot the way female Arabic speakers were addressed wasn’t achieved by merely engaging with women and men online, but by ensuring their trusted brands adopted the innovation and led by example. Being brands that walked the walk and talked the talk. Powered by ingenuity, Twitter allowed brands to communicate with every single one of their users by integrating feminine Arabic to the experience, making Twitter the first social platform to create genuine inclusivity. It also contributed towards helping brands rethink engagement strategies, leading to business and commercial success.

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

The big launch was announced through an integrated comms/media plan. Twitter’s Comms team had first sent out the press release along with a video announcing the introduction of the new language setting. The announcement was posted on the Twitter MENA and Twitter MKTG pages. Brands, Media Channels, Influencers and Arab Leaders. Users just needed to sign- in on the platform and opt into the Arabic (Feminine) option available in the drop-down menu.

List the results (30% of vote)

+50 partners and brands participations: Instantly, agencies directly engaged with Twitter by re-tweeting the post or commenting on it. A few of those brands: Adidas, Microsoft, Nissan, Samsung, Infiniti, Mastercard, Galaxy Chocolate, Puck, Mercedes, UN Women Arabic, EU in Arabic, Rotana Music, Shahid VOD, UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth, Sayidaty Our hashtag and campaign emoji, were trending on the platform and exchanged among brands to include them part of their tweets and messages they were addressing to their users. The movement gained even more momentum - with brands embracing it and creating full-fledged #FeminineArabic campaigns +18M Total Video Views +15K Campaign Mentions +140 (local, regional, and international) media outlets coverage (a few names): Adweek, Campaign ME, Euro News, Reuters, Vogue, Sky News, Channel News Asia, Business Insider Mexico...

Please tell us about the social behaviour and / or cultural insights that inspired your work

When addressing both males and females in Arabic, the plural form would always be in masculine, grouping them under one "category". In today's world, where conversations are all about inclusivity, no Brands, Apps or even official entities have yet introduced such a feature that addresses women as women. In places where the bigger chunk of the audience is female, the conversation and direction should have been changed to not only create relevance but a sense of belonging, strengthening the ties with their female audience. There was an opportunity there, to start a new movement, create a space of safety and comfort, a space that would be later adopted by brands in different sectors. Twitter sought this opportunity and started an inclusive conversation that more than +50 of the region's biggest brands adopted.