Welcome to the DEI+ Campaign Spotlight, where we highlight various campaigns that embed DEI strategies into their marketing plans. By sharing these ideas and sparking a conversation around DEI, our society can continue to both learn and unlearn our ever-changing consumer trends.
In our previous DEI+ Campaign Spotlight we explored how Smirnoff’s "We Do We" campaign celebrated unity and inclusivity through diverse collaborations, global outreach, and authentic representation. By committing to authentic representation and active engagement across a variety of mediums, Smirnoff was able to lead an effective campaign that led to more diverse and inclusive experiences for its consumers.
This Week's Campaign Highlight: Gdzie Zamieszkać/Where to Settle Campaign by Mastercard
This week we’re moving our spotlight over to Mastercard’s Where to Settle project. Launched in July 2022 by McCann Poland with aid from the Morizon-Gratka Group, the platform was created in response to needs arising from the outbreak of war in Ukraine. For its first few months it primarily helped Ukrainian refugees find temporary housing in Poland, which was a challenging task considering the overcrowded shelters in major cities, rental hikes, and increased competition for jobs — all of which occuring amidst a rise in inflation.
“WhereToSettle.com makes it possible to verify the costs of living and check job opportunities or rentals, and ultimately find a place to live so that they feel independent and self-reliant. This is by definition – using data for good.” - Bartosz Ciolkowski, General Manager Poland, Mastercard Europe
After about a year, the objective of the platform shifted to prioritize Ukrainians who have already settled in Poland, particularly with helping them to become more independent so that they can achieve stability and social and economic integration.
According to statistics from a report by Manpower and the Totalizator Sportowy Foundation that was cited by Mastercard, 40% of Ukrainians who have sought refuge in Poland during the war have secured employment. Among this group, 79% intend to find better positions, and 51% are currently working in fields below their competence.
WhereToSettle.com presents the current cost of living and subsistence in selected towns and cities in Poland, as well as the housing and employment opportunities that exist in a given location. The platform calculates these metrics by consolidating data from a variety of sources such as the Central Statistical Office’s records and Polish shopping trends (which are aggregated and anonymized according to Mastercard's secure data processing principles). With help from the Morizon-Gratka Group, a leading classified ads website publisher in Poland, users are able to access all of this data in a single place, allowing them to see the real cost of living in various Polish locales and juxtapose that information with their own financial capabilities or the prospect of getting a rewarding job.
“There are two correlating factors - the cost of living and the chances of finding a job - that can dispel many doubts and help refugees make the right decision. For such an analysis however, one needs access to a lot of data from various sources. This is where WhereToSettle.com comes in, at the heart of which is the idea of helping wisely and responsibly, by offering refugees and anyone else who is planning to relocate the opportunity to prepare for the move and make a decision based on real and concrete data.”- Marek Kolano, Director of Data Driven Solutions at Mastercard
The Key to Mastercard’s Successful Campaign — Utilizing Data for Good while Leveraging Data Responsibly
The success of Mastercard’s campaign owes itself to the ways in which they used their power and resources for social good. They “walked the talk,” so to speak, creating a comprehensive digital tool that aggregates job, real estate, and other data from the Polish Central Statistical Office alongside their own anonymized Mastercard spending insights. The platform is an embodiment of Mastercard’s “Data for Good” commitment, wherein they pledge to leverage data responsibly in the service of society.
DEI values were even embedded into the platform itself thanks to its focus on providing an accessible, inclusive, and positive user experience. WhereToSettle makes use of simple, user-friendly features that were adapted for both mobile and desktop, and also doesn’t require users to register, login, or pay money to use their services.
WhereToSettle enables people to make data-informed decisions about their next steps in life by providing them with reliable and concrete information. Mastercard’s collaborative efforts with Polish organizations to help refugees obtain independence and security in a time when such things are in short supply is a stellar example of how a campaign can act as a force for good and make a positive social impact. It is crucial that brands continue to make long-term investments in resources, support, and knowledge so that people everywhere are able to have the social and economic security they deserve.
