Two Billion Strong
Elevating Muslim voices in the climate movement.
The IKEA Foundation funded Two Billion Strong, an initiative to help young UK Muslims have their say on climate action.
Key Outcomes
300K+ total reach of influencers on Instagram and TikTok
120K+ total reach of Instagram content, including organic and paid ads, despite the majority of ads being rejected.
Up to 16% increase in influencer’s followers being very likely to speak to their friends and family about climate change
Challenge
In the climate movement, Muslims rarely have a seat at the table. Powerful governments and corporate polluters dominate the conversation, while families in Bangladesh and Pakistan lose homes to floods, and communities in Somalia and Afghanistan face starvation from droughts. These countries contribute less than 1% of global CO2 emissions. We therefore aimed to empower young Muslims to assert their voices, ensuring they are represented, heard and valued in the fight against climate change.
Strategy
Two Billion Strong was a platform created to help Muslims in the UK join in the conversation on climate injustice. The campaign gave them access to resources, opportunities and a network focused on equitable solutions for those it impacts most. Conversations started by Two Billion Strong will build power and connect the community to the movement.
Creative
Building on partner consultations and audience research, we developed a brand to highlight existing activists and worked with a Muslim photographer to photograph them. We designed a website, a conversation toolkit and assets for Instagram. We also developed the concept for a hero film and commissioned They Gather to produce it with a Muslim director. All campaign copy was developed by an expert partner to ensure that messaging resonated with our audience.
Campaign
Purpose collaborated closely with community members over a series of months to co-create the campaign. This included surveys and focus groups, messaging sessions, community outreach and fresh, engaging creative. We then offered a series of online events and one offline event to lift up the voices of young activists and inspire greater awareness. The offline event was co-hosted with the Muslim Vibe to bring conversations to life IRL and facilitate local networking.
Impact
Two Billion Strong showed that working with existing activists was very effective. Post-campaign, their audiences showed a 16% increase in their likelihood to speak up about climate change. Sponsored content performed less well than the content posted by the activists, further highlighting activists’ importance in shifting perceptions. Our offline event also generated a lot of attention, including an opportunity for our activists to meet with an MP, demonstrating the importance of offline activities even in a campaign focused on social media content.
