COVID-19 Social Conversations In MENA

Talkwalker used its social media search engine tool, Quick Search to dive into the online conversations happening in the MENA region around Covid-19. Here are the insights:

The conversation clusters around Covid-19 in the Middle East includes insights from various sources as such as media, consumer and social data. The main conversation topic that is gaining prime attention is the statistics on the number of cases in the region. This is followed by the conversation around various government initiatives executed to help curb the spread.

The topline metrics around the subject of Covid-19 has steadily increased in the month of March.

Regional Insights

People in the MEA region have engaged their time at home through various forms of entertainment. The demand for entertainment is higher than ever, with people shifting from playing traditional board games with their families to surfing streaming platforms for new shows to watch.

#Stayathomemovement in the UAE

The #stayathome movement continues to grow strong in the country, as its online relevance has steadily increased with over 290,000 mentions, and 870,000+ likes, shares and comments. Brands such as Etisalat and RAK Bank are taking part in the conversation as well.

Surprisingly the biggest spike in the #StayHome conversation in the UAE took place on March 27th, with an appeal from Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan to Dubai, to respect the lockdown and stay healthy. The video, which appeared on several Twitter accounts including the Dubai Media Office, was widely shared across social media platforms and traditional news channels.

( The above virality map is based on the Dubai Media Office tweet.)

Aviation industry social insights

Within a span of one month, the social conversation tone of the aviation industry shifted in a very perceptible manner. The beginning of the month saw the airline industry responding to the crisis by offering refunds, and changing travel dates at no cost, in an attempt to make customers feel supported and comfortable during turbulent times. But by the fourth week, as the situation escalated throughout the region, and stricter travel regulations were announced, the tone shifted to a more empathetic and human to human connection.
Over the last few weeks, in the face of mounting closures and travel restrictions, our focus has been to bring the world…

Gepostet von Etihad Airways am Montag, 23. März 2020
During the beginning of April, the airline industry emulated a more nostalgic tone with the consumers, but with a focus on reassuring consumers that things will get better in the coming months.

CEO Insights – How did the CEOs from the aviation industry deal with COVID-19 communications?

Emirates Airlines CEO, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum in the Middle East focused on clear, bi-lingual communication through channels such as his personal Twitter account, relaying the various actions taken by his company to support their community and employees throughout the crisis. These actions by the CEO and the company helped skyrocket their social footprint.
In the last week of March, the CEO received over 8000 mentions, a 112% increase in conversations compared to the previous period, with a total of 338,000 interactions. Additionally, his Twitter following increased by over 24% during the same time frame. The suspension of flights on March 22nd created a lot of negative sentiment around the brand worldwide, but these actions have helped return their sentiment to pre Covid-19 level.