LSN : Daily Signals : 17 : 03 : 22

McCafé is marketing coffee at Middle Eastern Gen Z

For Every Beat of the Day by McCafé, SWANA

UAE – McDonald's is striving to connect with Generation Z coffee-drinkers in the Gulf region, targeting young people's on-the-go lifestyles.

The campaign, entitled Every Beat of the Day, was created by the Publicis Group and taps into the Gulf region's 24-hour coffee culture. Showing how the drink can enrich everyday moments and activities, in the ad, young adults are shown doing yoga, basketball, savouring a sunset and riding a motorcycle, all while holding a cup of coffee. To give the campaign a more youthful feel, high-exposure images were combined with film to create a dynamic moving collage.

To secure its standing as a preferred café for Gen Z coffee-drinkers, McDonald’s is attempting to re-invent coffee as more than a morning drink, tapping into the region’s nocturnal culture. Companies interested in learning more about marketing to the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) market can read our discussion with Azeema Magazine, who are calling for better media representation of this youth culture.

Strategic opportunity

Brands targeting those in the Middle East and SWANA region should debunk myths to win their custom. Positioning these youths as nocturnal and on the go helps to reduce stereotypes based on religious values

Lambeth calls on men to stop street harassment

Look Out for Lambeth by Among Equals for Lambeth Council, UK

London – In a bid to shift the cultural factors that allow street harassment and assault to persist, Lambeth Borough Council has harnessed its local community. The campaign, Look Out for Lambeth, asks men to second-guess their attitudes towards women – as well as challenge each other on their behaviours.

Designed by creative agency Among Equals, the campaign features a diverse range of locals shot by youth development programme Young Creators UK. By drawing attention to the issue in this way, the campaign messaging and images provoke action at a peer-to-peer level, aiming to create behavioural change within its community of men. ‘Through this campaign we want to drive up reporting of on-street harassment, and other gender-related crimes, to reveal the true scale of these often-underreported incidents,’ says councillor Jacqui Dyer, deputy leader and cabinet member for Lambeth.

These types of Civic Ads can help to usher in an era of New Masculinity that puts the onus for changing attitudes on men instead of women.

Strategic opportunity

Brands eager to take civic action against anti-social behaviour should similarly target – and work with – local groups to create impactful campaigns

Amazon lets listeners become DJs with its radio app

Seattle – With its new app Amp, Amazon is on a mission to bring radio into the 21st century. The app allows amateur DJs to apply their skills to live radio shows, which can be broadcast directly from their phones.

Enabling greater access to programming tools, the free app enables creators to plan and schedule radio shows, chat to live guests while on air, and even connect with listeners on an ongoing basis. To curate playlists and programmes, creators can browse Amazon's extensive inventory of licensed music. The app is designed to mix industry veterans with amateurs and hobbyists, and will be kicking off its programming with musicians such as Nicki Minaj, Pusha T and Tinashe.

As lockdown gave rise to Music-powerment and a new wave of amateur entertainment, Amazon is creating a platform for hobbyists and professionals alike. By democratising access to live programming technology, the brand is helping to develop the once-traditional Radio Market.

Amp by Amazon

Strategic opportunity

As consumers prefer to engage with peers over celebrities, brands in the media industry should create platforms that empower everyday creators to compete with professionals

Stat: Women see the value in career breaks

Google Aotearoa Office. Designed by Warren and Mahoney, New Zealand

While gaps in people’s career paths were previously seen in a negative light, more employees globally are seeing the benefits of taking a slower approach to success. Interestingly, new research finds that this mindset shift is particularly common among women.

Research by LinkedIn finds that just over a third (35%) of employees worldwide, mostly women, would like to take a career break in the future. Among those that have already taken breaks, some 54% of women say they are better at their job than they were before. With people acquiring new skills during their career break, we can see the value in such experiences for employers too.

With these figures in mind, workplaces are overdue a change in attitudes when it comes to career breaks, helping society move towards a positive Slacker Culture mindset. And while women’s career breaks are more commonly associated with care-giving responsibilities, these findings indicate a growing need to reframe narratives around Women’s Futures.