2022 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for PR?

Among the powerful things PR can do, is to spotlight connections and build greater understanding through communication – and this campaign showed how PR enabled a big company to help small businesses, by communicating with them and the stakeholders that could contribute to their success. This campaign illustrates how PR could translate data into stories that were relevant for SMEs, all while they faced multiple challenges – from digital payments acceptance and staff retention, to cash flow and urgent upskilling. The data-fueled stories in this work helped restore confidence by supplying information and communicating how to access transformative tools.

Background

Situation: SMEs have a significant impact on employment, growth and GDP, with the potential to make a genuine difference in terms of equality, inclusion and community wellbeing. But the COVID-19 pandemic took its toll on small businesses. Isolated and disconnected from traditional revenue streams, they needed new tools and skills to survive in a new digital era. Brief: Develop a creative PR idea that could change the game for SMEs, and show how Mastercard can help them adapt and digitally transform. Objectives: • A powerful thought leadership initiative that would highlight in which ways SMEs felt the impact, what SMEs needed, and how various stakeholders could help SMEs. • Amidst all the ‘bad’ news of the pandemic, let Mastercard’s voice be heard as a technology provider that can help small business build back stronger, and grow their confidence, by connecting them to various tools, recovery insights, training and knowledge platforms.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

We wanted to give SMEs an authentic voice. We wanted them to define what they needed and why they struggled. So we would ask them directly. Our idea was to launch an index that would track their confidence levels, tap into their thoughts, identify their fears and spotlight their hopes and needs, so everyone would better understand how to help them. Based on these insights, we would develop the campaign further to identify which training could help – and create the necessary educational resources to fill knowledge gaps. We would communicate how they could access the products, solutions and technology they needed to survive and thrive. As this was a challenge that needed a concerted effort across the landscape, we would identify partnerships through which we could amplify the help for SMEs. Through continuous thought leadership, we would be able to put a roadmap in place for long-term prosperity.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

Insight: SMEs were struggling, but the vast majority of insight available came from research firms and consultancies. There was no one ‘Official Voice for SMEs’, explaining their outlook and appetite to adapt. Women entrepreneurs were more likely to be in industries affected by movement restrictions. Key Message: Mastercard is Empowering Every Business, no matter how small, or in which industry. We are also proud to be Empowering HER Business, recognizing the contributions of women-owned SMEs as critical for collective economic recovery. In addition to giving SMEs a voice, Mastercard is bringing all partners along on the same journey – enhancing access to affordable solutions, driving education, and facilitating upskilling where it’s most needed. Audience: SMEs (who needed information), banks (who could offer solutions for digital payments acceptance and credit), governments (who were tasked with wider recovery efforts), and consumers (who could be encouraged to shop local and support community commerce).

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

Planning: Q4-2020. Execution: Q2-2021 onwards. 1.EMPOWERING AUTHENTIC SME VOICES • Mastercard MEA SME Confidence Index – commissioned a bespoke study of 1,500 SME owners across seven markets to help drive our SME narrative and deliver newsworthy, informed and insightful research. 2.EMPOWERING THROUGH EDUCATION • Entrepreneur’s Odyssey – launched a free digital learning platform powered by Mastercard to teach the theory and practice of SME success. 3.EMPOWERING THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS • Sarah’s Bag – engaged Sarah Beydoun as an inspirational icon for women entrepreneurs (she established her social impact fashion business in Lebanon). • Female Fusion – curated educational workshops to empower its 20,000-strong women network. 4.EMPOWERING THROUGH SOLUTIONS • New product launches – highlighted solutions for accepting digital payments and moving storefronts online, including SME-in-a-Box and Simplify Commerce. 5.EMPOWERING THROUGH THOUGHT LEADERSHIP • SME Whitepaper – outlined a roadmap for long-term growth, highlighting the need for digitalization supported by Mastercard recommendations.

List the results (30% of vote)

Along with several unique storytelling tools through partnerships, op-eds, ambassador stories, case studies, executive profiling, infographics and information videos, ‘Live’ content on Instagram Live, IGTV and LinkedIn, and influencer content, the SME narrative reached never-before-seen heights, breaking all barriers of communications and added value and high visibility to Mastercard’s SME program – ‘Empowering Every Business’. MEDIA OUTPUT: • The Empowering Every Business campaign achieved 1,552 articles around SMEs, reaching 273 million people. • The Mastercard MEA SME Confidence Index stories alone generated 742 articles and a reach of 94.1 million people. TARGET AUDIENCE OUTCOMES: • As the results of the campaign were published, it also opened the doors for new ways to increase connections between stakeholders. • A survey with 20,000 Female Fusion Network members revealed that 95% of women SMEs in the region identify social media channels as the top tool for their business ventures – a finding aligned with one of the SME Confidence Index findings. • Another collaboration with Sarah’s Bag enabled over 200 of her workers access to Mastercard’s training and development tools and platforms. BUSINESS OUTCOMES: • Seven new business leads were generated as a result of the communications campaign. • SOV increased by 28% through the full-year 2021 against the same period the previous year. • The fully integrated communications-led campaign became a hero campaign in the MEA region for Mastercard in elevating the global focus on this business segment, equipping SMEs with the tools and insights needed to stabilize, grow and thrive.

Provide evidence of how the research, insight and use of data enhanced the campaign output.

Research made for optimistic headlines with silver linings, during a time when news was pessimistic. The Mastercard MEA SME Confidence Index was easy to digest for media and stakeholders, with practical data and punchy stats to support what was happening and what needed to be addressed. It also allowed campaign output to be developed for different verticals: Women, retail, productions, government, F&B, real estate – speak directly to specific audiences. As an example, 81% of SMEs in MENA said they were optimistic about future growth guided by potential for digitalization, better data, access to credit and upskilling.