Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) has won the Best Practice in Government Communications at the prestigious Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) Awards 2010. The award-winning entry, entitled 'Capital 2030: Style your Life', was based on a campaign designed to move beyond the conventional mode of corporate communications to more effectively engage with its community and increase awareness about its major urban development initiatives for the residents.
The UPC's communications took action to address the realisation that for the residents of Abu Dhabi, the introduction/launch of 'guidelines', 'policies' or 'masterplans' was of little consequence unless their impact could be translated into individual benefits for all residents. In fact, the general public realised the importance of UPC's initiatives, but stopped short of understanding their true relevance as technical terms would not appeal to them nor explain the positive effects of these initiative on their everyday lives.
With an objective to demonstrate the immediate relevance of the Capital 2030 initiative to the communities in Abu Dhabi the UPC's communication team developed a new platform termed as 'Style Your Life' – Enhancing the lives of Abu Dhabi's people. The massive and strategic scope of Capital 2030 led the PR-led communication strategy to identify selected audiences and develop a seven theme tailor-made communication tactics and related tools that directly touch upon the facets of Abu Dhabi resident's lifestyle.
UPC's Capital 2030: 'Style your Life' campaign was selected among eight other shortlisted entries from key Government entities that were finally judged by a jury composed of 21 PR experts from the region designated by MEPRA.
A non-profit organization, MEPRA represents the interests of PR practitioners in the region and endeavours to highlight the strategic role of public relations. The association also helps set high standards for quality and ethical conduct by all practitioners and rewards PR best practices.
