Total 539 words used.
Objective setting
Leading social trading and multi-asset investment company eToro conducts the Retail Investor Beat survey in selected international markets every quarter to study the characteristics, behaviour and aspirations of retail investors. The findings strengthen eToro’s reputation as a responsible and engaged corporate citizen, while providing a wide range of stakeholders impartial, evidenced-based insights into market trends.
Golin MENA, eToro’s agency of record in the United Arab Emirates, advised the brand on its entry into the Middle East in the fourth quarter of 2023, positioning its senior leadership, achieving earned media coverage for the opinions of its various market analysts, and raising awareness of the platform’s unique offerings and attributes.
Following its successful launch, eToro and Golin MENA saw a brand-building opportunity to heighten awareness of UAE retail investor behaviour by expanding the Retail Investor Beat survey to the UAE market.
Research & Data
Golin MENA helped to write the online survey questionnaire which eToro distributed to a 1,000-strong sample of UAE-based retail investors through a third-party market research agency from April 4-9, 2024. Retail investors were defined as “self-directed” or “advised” and holding either shares, bonds, funds, or equivalent assets. They were not necessarily eToro users.
Strategy & Planning
The primary aim of the survey launch was three-fold: to raise awareness of a global brand still in its infancy in the Middle East, to build acceptability in a market with traditionally high levels of mistrust of investment products and services, and to empower the business and financial news community with practical, evidence-based data and insights.
Execution
Golin MENA worked closely with the eToro communications team to identify the best media opportunities from the survey data. This required quick thinking and a clear understanding of trending news stories. For example, in mid-April, the team used the research to write a news piece on the role of AI in retail investing following Microsoft’s acquisition of a US$1.5 billion stake in the Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence company G42. Numerous UAE and pan-Arab media outlets carried the story. Other newsjacking successes using the research included media pitches in response to the fourth Bitcoin halving in April and the US Security Exchange Commission’s approval of spot Ethereum ETFs in July.
A cache of news stories referencing the data was prepared. These were placed at intervals to maintain a steady flow of survey-backed coverage, maximizing the ROI from the research. Media requests for interviews and comment were generated in response, further boosting the brand’s visibility and positioning its spokespeople, analysts and market experts. eToro’s relationship with top-tier outlets such as Dubai Eye Radio and Asharq Bloomberg was also strengthened.
Was the campaign a game-changer?
The UAE edition of the Retail Investor Beat survey created a durable thought leadership asset for eToro in one of its fastest growing and most strategic markets. Furthermore, it helped to insert eToro into the finance and business news conversation and build relationships at a time when Arab world media were preoccupied with covering geopolitical events.
Results & Evaluation
At least nine press releases, four authored editorials and three interviews were generated from the survey, resulting in more than 100 news pieces in primarily top-tier business and financial news outlets serving the UAE and the wider Middle East.
Nomination Title: Leading the conversation on retail investing in the UAE on behalf of eToro
