Context and Challenges
When the war in Ukraine began in February 2022, the UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) needed to understand a fast moving media environment. It wanted to follow emerging narratives about children and UNICEF, protect the organisation’s reputation and manage misinformation.
Our Role
ECARO asked Research for Purpose to analyse media, social media and website content on the war in global and regional languages. The work began with the war and continued beyond its first year.
Our Media and Digital Insights Report on the first nine months covered 561,500 articles and social media posts. It measured UNICEF’s share of voice against peers such as ICRC, UNHCR and WFP, tracked sentiment and the most engaging narratives, and assessed the performance of UNICEF social media channels and websites across the region. Each report closed with recommendations on messages, media moments and audiences.
Results
The analysis showed that UNICEF ranked first among its peers in media coverage of the war, with 28% share of voice between February and November 2022. It reached 50% of social media share of voice in November, and engagement on UNICEF channels in the region doubled during the first six months of the war.
Drawing on these insights, UNICEF adjusted the wording of its press releases at regional and global level, for example in the choice between “conflict” and “war”. Teams built more engaging stories around what audiences cared about and responded to their questions and worries as they emerged.