New Readers/Raising Awareness in Nigeria

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Wikimedians of Nigeria at Wiki Indaba 2017

The Wikimedia Foundation is working with Wikimedians across Nigeria to increase awareness of Wikipedia. Our goals are to improve recognition of Wikipedia and understanding of its uses among Nigerian internet users.

Defining the problems[edit]

Since the completion of New Readers research in October 2016, the Wikimedia Foundation Communications team has been focusing on two of the findings from Nigeria:

  • Low Wikipedia awareness (~77% of Nigerians surveyed say they have never heard of Wikipedia)
  • High brand confusion

We believe that working to clarify understanding of Wikipedia will increase usage and eventually, participation in Wikimedia projects.

Community context & direction[edit]

Summary of Wikimedia Nigeria community feedback

This project began with Community consultation. From December 2016 to January 2018, Wikimedia volunteers across Nigeria were invited to share how they explain Wikipedia and what approaches should be used in Nigeria to promote Wikipedia.

According to Nigerian community respondents, Wikipedia is a free online library where you can learn almost anything.

  • It is an encyclopedia.
  • It acts like a generous know-it-all.
  • It will help you learn about the world and grow as a person.
  • It looks like a library, and it is made by people (like you).
  • Wikipedia should be promoted in schools and explained with videos.

Social media and radio are also recommended as places to introduce and explain Wikipedia to Nigerians.

The 2017 project in brief[edit]

New Readers User persona - Tolu - Nigeria

Objectives

  1. Increase awareness and understanding of Wikipedia
  2. Drive new usage of Wikipedia

Audiences

  • Students across Nigeria (see New Readers user persona "Tolu" for details on lifestyle and attitudes)
  • Internet users in Nigeria

Deliverables

  • Strategic Marketing approach
  • Web videos (0:30 to 1:00 in length) that explains Wikipedia for unfamiliar user

Measurements

  • Community Survey about collaborative process and final video
  • Video views (more than 1 million impressions)
  • Social Media buzz

Key Performance Indicators

  • Positive change in “Have heard of Wikipedia” annual phone surveying of Nigeria (from benchmark 23% “have heard of Wikipedia” in 2016)
  • Increased unique devices accessing Wikipedia content in Nigeria

Timing

  • Planning: March
  • Development: April
  • Production: May
  • Launch: June
  • Evaluation & reporting: July

2017 Project team[edit]

Wikimedia Nigeria[edit]

Wikimedia Foundation[edit]

External partner[edit]

To support our awareness work in Nigeria, we are working with an organization called Anakle. Anakle specializes in video production, digital design, and marketing, with an office in Lagos. They will guide creative development for this project, offering experienced perspectives on how to appeal to our target audience and how to produce appealing video content. They’ll also collaborate on channel approaches, developing a strategic overview of digital media platforms where we can share videos to reach people who are unfamiliar with Wikipedia. Anakle will lead all video production in this project.

We chose to work with Anakle based on their expertise in social media and video marketing, and their appreciation for the values of the Wikimedia movement. They are committed to working with our Community team to ensure the creative materials reflect the work and needs of our volunteers in Nigeria.

2017 Progress[edit]

Assembled actors between the scenes at the "Onkonkwo" video shoot for a Nigerian Wikipedia ad. June 2, 2017

April 2017

  • Set Community team with Wikimedia Nigeria
  • Reviewed 8 potential external marketing partners
  • Selected & hired preferred marketing partner
Still from "Okonkwo" video ad, July 2017

May 2017

  • Reviewed & refined target audience
  • Shifted persona focus from "Chris" to "Tolu"
  • Kicked off project with Anakle & Community meeting
  • Offered two rounds of review on video scripts
  • Selected scripts based on "Onkonkwo" character from Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, and "Emmanuella" - a prominent Nigerian web comedian

June 2017

  • Video for "Okonkwo" shot on location near Enugu, on set used for Nigerian films depicting traditional life scenarios

July 2017

  • Community team and Foundation staff reviewed "Okonkwo" video ad draft and offered final edits needed
  • Community team and Foundation staff reviewed "Emmanuella" video ad draft

August 2017

  • Videos finalized and previewed at Wikimania
  • Olushola Olaniyan joins Jack Rabah and Zack McCune via Google Hangout to discuss "How to raise awareness" during 1hr session

September 2017

Impact Report
  • Videos reviewed and approved for publishing
  • Launch and promotion plans finalized with Anakle
  • Blog post drafted to share Q&A with community team about the videos and the overall awareness work in Nigeria
  • Published videos to Commons (see below) and Wikipedia social media accounts
  • Published blog post

October 2017

Final Videos[edit]

  • Wikipedia - Emmanuella goes to school
  • Wikipedia - Things come together

Get involved[edit]

Please add a comment on the Talk page here to share your thoughts. You can also email Project lead Zachary McCune at zmccune [at] wikimedia [dot] org to share thoughts.

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