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Israr Award
Client: Human Resources Development Fund
Sector:
Duration: 6 Months
Industry: Education
Overview
Challenge
To build an environment of support for persistent people where their accomplishments can be celebrated.
Outcome
Success stories were rolling in to reach 11,300 and those people gained acknowledgement and recognition for their hard work and years' worth of effort.
Impact
Younger generations and anyone thinking their attempts at success are futile were proven to be mistaken. These stories of persistence and the ensuing celebrations were able to reach millions of people across the Kingdom, motivating them to try harder to achieve their goals and dreams.
Context
Saudi Arabia has been fostering entrepreneurs and startups for years — even more so since the launch of Vision 2030, and further since the pandemic forced everyone to re-analyze their life choices. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor revealed that Saudi Arabia's entrepreneurial activity has risen 24% since 2019 alone.
A 65% increase in business ownership has occurred over the last three years, as over 90% of the Kingdom's adults now prefer the path of entrepreneurship. Saudi Arabia jumped 10 spots on the global entrepreneurship index to reach 7th place at the end of 2021.
Long before Vision 2030 ever came to be, the Kingdom was preparing for the future. In 2000, Saudi Arabia established the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) to empower the national workforce and ensure a more productive contribution to the Kingdom's future development.
TAM's Approach
TAM became one of the HRDF's supporting partners for its Israr Awards (جائزة الإصرار — Persistence Awards) initiative in 2015, taking on the role of organizing the program in full. The initiative was created to instill persistence as a core value among Saudi youth and motivate them by validating that effort and determination lead to success.
"This is all about strength of character, guts, and determination during the struggle for success in an individual's life. It might be a very small success in global, local or financial terms, but the award is about rewarding the candidate's determination and not their achievements, to deliver a message to the Saudi youth that perseverance reaps rewards."
— Ibrahim Al-Moaiqel, Director General of the HRDF
Launch & Social Media Campaign
TAM kicked off with a multi-platform social media campaign across Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube — reaching a combined total of 335.5 million, with Twitter alone capturing 280 million. Social media influencers attended the launch dinner and were briefed on the initiative to spread it to their followers.
Submission & Filtration
Approximately 11,300 people from every province in the Kingdom submitted their inspiring success stories. TAM's dedicated filtration system categorized submissions based on preset criteria — narrowing the field to 150 finalists across four categories: male employees, female employees, male entrepreneurs, and female entrepreneurs.
Provincial Interviews & Judging
The 150 finalists conducted in-person interviews in their respective provinces with judging panels composed of some of Saudi Arabia's most affluent businesspeople. These interviews determined the 12 finalists who advanced to the video production stage.
Video Production & Public Vote
Each of the 12 finalists' stories was captured through visual storytelling to help audiences and the final judging committee make their decisions. Over 295,000 public votes were cast, determining the top 4 finalists — one per category — who advanced to the closing ceremony.
Closing Ceremony
The 4 finalists attended the closing ceremony where the "Most Persistent" title was announced by the Minister of Labor, Dr. Mufrej Al-Haqbani. Ceremony attendees experienced a 3D mapping and Holo-Gauze projection depicting the many phases and choices a person goes through in their life — a fitting tribute to the spirit of the awards.
What We Delivered
- Full program management for the HRDF Israr Awards from launch to closing ceremony.
- A multi-platform social media campaign reaching 335.5 million across Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
- An influencer launch dinner to amplify reach across the Kingdom's social media landscape.
- A dedicated filtration system managing 11,300 submissions across four award categories.
- Province-level in-person judging panels with top Saudi businesspeople.
- Video production for 12 finalist stories used in the public voting and final judging process.
- A closing ceremony featuring a 3D mapping and Holo-Gauze projection experience.
Impact at a Glance
335.5M
combined social media reach across all platforms
280M
Twitter reach alone during the campaign
11,300
success stories submitted from every province
150
finalists selected across 4 award categories
12
finalists advanced to the video production stage
295K+
public votes cast for the finalists
4
winners — one per award category — at the closing ceremony
24%
rise in Saudi entrepreneurial activity since 2019
Lasting Value Created
The Israr Awards gave 11,300 Saudis a platform to be seen, heard, and celebrated for something that is rarely rewarded in public — the sheer act of persisting. By amplifying these stories to an audience of millions, TAM and the HRDF transformed personal struggles into collective inspiration, proving to an entire generation that determination leads to success. The initiative strengthened the Kingdom's culture of entrepreneurship and resilience, contributing to a future where persistence is recognized as one of Saudi Arabia's most valued national traits.