Redesigning Sleep Habits: Saudi Youth Challenge
Budget: $30 – $250 USD
CASE STUDY: Rebranding sleep amongst Saudi Youth Show us your approach to tackling a health challenge amongst Saudi youth
The National Challenge
Saudi Arabia is frequently cited as one of the most sleep-deprived countries in the world.
Research consistently shows that a large majority of the population (up to 77% in some studies) reports poor sleep quality.
This is caused by a unique combination of cultural, environmental, and modern lifestyle factors, e.g., late-night culture, napping habits, and digital habits (blue light from screens makes it harder to sleep at night).
This lack of sleep is leading to a public health challenge because it can cause serious illnesses later on in life, such as diabetes and obesity (Saudi Arabia ranks 7h highest worldwide in terms of diabetes prevalence and 14* in terms of obesity prevalence), mental health challenges such as depression, and also impacts economic productivity as sleep-deprived people are less productive.
Client background
The Saudi Health Agency (SHA) will be the fictional client for this project. This agency is a digital-first wellness organization. To tackle these sleep issues, the agency focuses on shifting from "Sick Care" (treating people after they get ill) to "Prevention First" (keeping people healthy) and has implemented muttiple initiatives to support these efforts with a focus on improving sleeping habits.
The Mission
With this in mind, how can you help the Saudi Health Agency convince peers in your age group that their sleep habits are the most powerful longevity indicator and one they need to focus on starting today?
Target Audience
Many of these challenges can be addressed today by youth - they know that health is important, but they don't feel aging is a problem they need to solve today.
The target audience: • Age range: 18- to 35-year-olds
• University students, newly graduated university students
• Young professionals
The Barriers
• Late-night culture: Much of the public life in Saudi Arabia, such as socializing or shopping, begins in the cooler evening and night hours due to extreme daytime heat.
• Daytime napping: This is something that is normalized and a necessity to cope with short nighttime sleep, and while napping can be healthy, long afternoon naps make it harder to sleep in the evening and can create insomnia.
• Digital stimulants: Saudi Arabia has some of the world's highest rates of social media and gaming penetration. The "blue light" from these devices late at night suppresses melatonin.
The Challenge
Develop a comprehensive 6-month PR and communications campaign for the SHA that applies learnings from all six ETP modules to solve this challenge:
1. Global PR Trends & Reputation: Position the agency as a digital-first innovator in the health and wellness space
2. Media Relations: Draft relevant content ideas for press materials and media pitches
3. Creative Campaigning: Design a bold campaign concept with youth-friendly activations social-media worthy moments
4. Influencer & Creator Economy: Identify the right influencers and develop content strategies to drive trial and engagement
5. Al, Data & Analytics: Use tools to research the industry and optimize messaging,
6. Digital Strategy: Build a multi-platform social media plan and lower barriers to entry through digital tools
Deliverables
Your final presentation should include: Campaign strategy (positioning, messaging, creative concept)
• Media relations plan
• Influencer strategy (partners, content ideas, briefs)
• Social media plan (platform-specific content and activations)
• Measurement plan (KPIs, tools, tracking)
• Mock content (Instagram post, TikTok script, or influencer brief)
Success Metrics
• Increase in youth conversation around longevity, lifestyle illnesses, and sleeping problems
• Growth in social engagement and positive sentiment
• Media coverage in youth-focused outlets
• Influencer reach and engagement rates
• Engagement with SHA platforms and campaigns
The National Challenge
Saudi Arabia is frequently cited as one of the most sleep-deprived countries in the world.
Research consistently shows that a large majority of the population (up to 77% in some studies) reports poor sleep quality.
This is caused by a unique combination of cultural, environmental, and modern lifestyle factors, e.g., late-night culture, napping habits, and digital habits (blue light from screens makes it harder to sleep at night).
This lack of sleep is leading to a public health challenge because it can cause serious illnesses later on in life, such as diabetes and obesity (Saudi Arabia ranks 7h highest worldwide in terms of diabetes prevalence and 14* in terms of obesity prevalence), mental health challenges such as depression, and also impacts economic productivity as sleep-deprived people are less productive.
Client background
The Saudi Health Agency (SHA) will be the fictional client for this project. This agency is a digital-first wellness organization. To tackle these sleep issues, the agency focuses on shifting from "Sick Care" (treating people after they get ill) to "Prevention First" (keeping people healthy) and has implemented muttiple initiatives to support these efforts with a focus on improving sleeping habits.
The Mission
With this in mind, how can you help the Saudi Health Agency convince peers in your age group that their sleep habits are the most powerful longevity indicator and one they need to focus on starting today?
Target Audience
Many of these challenges can be addressed today by youth - they know that health is important, but they don't feel aging is a problem they need to solve today.
The target audience: • Age range: 18- to 35-year-olds
• University students, newly graduated university students
• Young professionals
The Barriers
• Late-night culture: Much of the public life in Saudi Arabia, such as socializing or shopping, begins in the cooler evening and night hours due to extreme daytime heat.
• Daytime napping: This is something that is normalized and a necessity to cope with short nighttime sleep, and while napping can be healthy, long afternoon naps make it harder to sleep in the evening and can create insomnia.
• Digital stimulants: Saudi Arabia has some of the world's highest rates of social media and gaming penetration. The "blue light" from these devices late at night suppresses melatonin.
The Challenge
Develop a comprehensive 6-month PR and communications campaign for the SHA that applies learnings from all six ETP modules to solve this challenge:
1. Global PR Trends & Reputation: Position the agency as a digital-first innovator in the health and wellness space
2. Media Relations: Draft relevant content ideas for press materials and media pitches
3. Creative Campaigning: Design a bold campaign concept with youth-friendly activations social-media worthy moments
4. Influencer & Creator Economy: Identify the right influencers and develop content strategies to drive trial and engagement
5. Al, Data & Analytics: Use tools to research the industry and optimize messaging,
6. Digital Strategy: Build a multi-platform social media plan and lower barriers to entry through digital tools
Deliverables
Your final presentation should include: Campaign strategy (positioning, messaging, creative concept)
• Media relations plan
• Influencer strategy (partners, content ideas, briefs)
• Social media plan (platform-specific content and activations)
• Measurement plan (KPIs, tools, tracking)
• Mock content (Instagram post, TikTok script, or influencer brief)
Success Metrics
• Increase in youth conversation around longevity, lifestyle illnesses, and sleeping problems
• Growth in social engagement and positive sentiment
• Media coverage in youth-focused outlets
• Influencer reach and engagement rates
• Engagement with SHA platforms and campaigns