Why is this work relevant for Entertainment?

The Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) Belt & Road (B&R) Relay had a profound social impact in Saudi-Arabia by putting on the first-ever mixed-gender run in public in the history of the country. The unique combination of a powerful overarching narrative around the Belt & Road project, a well developed strategy & creative execution on how to get the program of the ground and, most importantly, the use of Sport as an agent for change were at full display in bringing about advances in society that would have not happened if it wasn’t for SCB’s Belt & Road relay.

Background

The B&R initiative is the largest global infrastructure project in human history, reinvigorating the ancient Silk Road to open up key global land and maritime trade corridors between Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. As the only bank present in the majority of countries along the B&R route, SCB is the major banking player to contribute to the initiative through a variety of financial & consulting services. The B&R Relay was a world-first running event initiated by the Bank connecting all of those markets and generating significant awareness for the project in general and the Bank’s involvement specifically, with a strong emphasis on highlighting the Bank’s commitment to sustainable development and progress. Given local laws around public mixed-gender activities in Saudi Arabia, the fundamental idea of one inclusive run for all genders presented a unique challenge in that market.

Describe the creative idea

The Bank developed a unifying creative platform across all markets that leveraged the idea of a relay to illustrate the connectivity and interdependencies of the countries along the B&R route and the one ‘team’ (SCB) that is present every step of the way. A re-occurring series of events in each of the bank’s markets along the route in a record-breaking time was to underline the bank’s nimbleness and operational readiness, and the bank’s positioning as the main player in the initiative was further supported by the ‘One Belt. One Road. One Bank.’ tagline. The idea was to create a series of impactful auxiliary activities surrounding the main event, including attendance of client events, office visits, media town halls and community engagement activities and for target audiences to follow this unprecedented journey through the bank’s social media channels.

Describe the strategy

When SCB looked for a way to highlight the bank’s contribution to the progress and opportunities the B&R program brings to communities globally, and to tell a story that connects all of their B&R markets with a human touch and in line with their ‘Here for Good’ brand commitment, one platform quickly emerged as the obvious choice: Sports. With the Bank’s rich history in the endurance space and the symbolic power of togetherness and perseverance the sport is associated with, mass participation running became the chosen vehicle. But just running and raising awareness wasn’t enough, which is why the Bank chose 8 staff athletes (4 female/4 male) from different regions and walks of life to serve as credible voices and ambassadors for the program - educating, inspiring and engaging communities, spreading a message of connectivity, progress and sustainable development and aiming to bring about positive social change on their journey.

Describe the execution

The SCB B&R Relay took place in 44 different countries in only 90 days. The 8 chosen staff athletes ran up to 10km in each market alongside key clients and local employees. In Saudi Arabia, the execution of the program as one joint run proved to be challenging due to local laws and customs. Requiring endorsement from the Saudi Arabian General Sports Authority (GSA) to execute the event, the initial alternatives presented were discouraging: a men-only run or two separate runs taking place at different venues. However, through intensive negotiations and the powerful message of the overall program, the bank was eventually given green light to proceed with one run. The run took place on March 24, 2019, in the Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh with 62 mixed-gender participants - an unprecedented and truly ground-breaking event for gender equality in the country and a great testament to the power of Sports.

Describe the outcome

The impact of the program was profound and set the stage for sustainable change in gender equality through sport in the future. In summary: 1. The first mixed-gender run in the history of Saudi Arabia that took place in a public area, with SCB being the only bank to have held a run of this nature in the Diplomatic Quarter. 2. Strong endorsement and support from top Saudi leadership, HRH Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud (outgoing Head of Sport for the Masses and the first appointed woman ambassador in the history of KSA, the Saudi envoy to the US) and HRH Prince Khalid bin Al Waleed Al Saud (incoming Hof Sports for the Masses) and the Diplomatic Quarters’ Authority. 3. Positioned SCB well within the sports and community decision-makers as an active promoter of equal access to sports and opportunities.