IRI's Youth campaign
Come, embark on this unique journey with me.
Assignment
As the campaign’s lead consultant, I was assigned to produce a thorough communication strategy and to have the strategy validated by the national civil society organisations. In addition, my responsibility included campaign execution and generating committed outputs and outcomes. With a team of 12 creative and research staff, the campaign exceeded expectations and was conducted with integrity.
Production summary
The campaign’s content production was guided by data insights and informed by a meticulously developed communication strategy, rooted in field research findings. We tailored our messaging to engage citizens across all eight divisions, ensuring cultural relevance by adapting content to local dialects, customs, and traditions. In addition, we adapted trending content formats to attract youngsters, our chief target group.
Conversational rap Online Video Commercial
As part of the campaign, a conversational rap OVC (online video content) was designed and produced, aligning with trending topics in Bangladesh. The video featured a clear call-to-action and a concise explanation of the voting process. Additionally, it highlighted six key issues—identified through a prior study by the International Republican Institute (IRI)—that discouraged Bangladeshi citizens from actively engaging in governance. By addressing these barriers, the content aimed to foster greater public enthusiasm for political participation.
Static posts
Short video content
Achievements
- Developed and launched the campaign’s social media presence from the ground up, establishing key digital platforms to amplify outreach and engagement along with offline launching with reputed civil society organisations.
- Scaled up follwers from scratch to more than 21K.
- Reached more than 8.9 million people across Bangladesh on through Facebook and Instagram.
- Engaged 1.3 million people through Facebook and Instagram.
- More than 2K people shared and advocated for the campaign.
- Achieved more than 4K subscription on YouTube.
- Achieved more than 341.8K video views on YouTube.
Full campaign report
In addition to ensuring the campaign’s success, a comprehensive report was created to reflect on the journey and explore impacts. Here are some unique additions to the campaign:
Micro-Targeted Cultural Localisation
The campaign didn’t just segment audiences demographically but also tailored content to local dialects, customs, and traditions across Bangladesh’s eight divisions. Traditional reports often generalise regional outreach, whereas this campaign hyper-localised messaging (e.g., adapting to Sylheti vs. Dhaka dialects) to resonate deeper.
“Mushy Middle” Behavioural Nuance
The report explicitly defines and targets the “Mushy Middle”—apathetic but patriotic youth—using behavioural insights (e.g., their trust in institutions but reluctance to vote). Most reports focus on broad voter blocs (e.g., age/gender) without dissecting psychographic barriers like “perceived insignificance” or “lack of party inspiration.”
Keyword and Reaction Analysis
The report categorises audience sentiment through emoji reactions (e.g., 89% “likes” = passive mushy middle, 7% “haha” = mockery) and comment themes (e.g., negative remarks tied to election distrust). Traditional reports rarely analyse emoji semantics or link reactions to voter apathy drivers.
Crowdsourced Strategy Validation
The campaign pre-tested its strategy through 3 civil society workshops and integrated feedback before launch—a participatory design step often skipped in traditional top-down campaigns. The report even acknowledges how political sensitivities later forced message adjustments, adding transparency.