Social challenge and reasons for project’s initiation

Immediacy of the social problem

The mechanism of the “Generation M” project was developed to solve social problems and challenges in Russia within the key priority areas of company’s charitable program and with focus on three target audiences.

1. Children and teenagers aged 6-18, all regions of the RF. One of the most active Internet audiences. 84% of school children spend in the Internet over 3 hours per day, and each seventh child – over 8 hours. The social role of a mobile network operator is both, to protect children from unacceptable information and to create positive educational and developmental Internet content.
2. One of the pressing social issues is parents’ limited possibilities to provide additional education and constructive recreation opportunities to children in Russian regions (most important values of the Russian people are family and children (index 98 p. out of 100) according to The All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center).
3. Authorities. The social function is still key for the government, even when it has to decrease the social policy’s budget. Business’ willingness to invest into the development of the social sector provides opportunities for setting up effective partnerships, helping to solve pressing social problems.

External reasons for project’s initiation

Project “Generation M” provides for a number of sustainable development targets:

• UN: Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
  • 3.4 By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well- being.
• “Generation M”: UsingInternet technologies develop a public movement of philanthropists to help seriously ill children.  

• UN: Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
  • 4.5 By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations.
  • 4.a. Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all.
• “Generation M”: create adigital-system of art lifts for the development of talented youths, regardless of their social status and habitat, make the best teachers available for everyone and create a positive Internet content for creative and intellectual development for children and teenagers. 

• UN: Goal 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
  • 10.3 Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard.
• provide equal opportunitiesfor creative and intellectual development for residents of all Russian regions (including remote ones), as well as for representatives of all social classes.

• UN: Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
  • 11.4 Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.
• “Generation M”:  support and promote unique for Russia cultural values and initiatives.

• UN: Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.
  • 17.17 Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resources strategies of partnerships.
• “Generation M”: engage into the projectand create favorable environment for effective collaboration of government, business and the society with the aim of solving important social problems.  

Internal reasons for project’s initiation

Social responsibility is fundamental for the MTS business strategy and forms the target-setting system in all areas of company’s operations. MTS corporate social responsibility strategic goal is raising living standards of people and the society, increasing their safety by means of providing a wide range of services and developing innovations in healthcare, education, city infrastructure and other areas. Providing its services the company strives to make the communities more open and modern and people – more informed, create comfortable life conditions and favorable environment for self-development of people, regardless of their habitat and income.

Project “Generation M” was launched in 2014 and is implemented in compliance with the current MTS Charity Policy, which key strategic areas are support to severely ill children, who can not receive the medical help they need from the state and whose families

can not afford expensive medical treatment, as well as healthcare, education, sports, arts, social infrastructure.

Project description

Charitable project “Generation M” was developed using digital tools and based on the analyses of company’s research, as well as consultations with external experts (authorities, business, non-profits, educational institutions).  

On the web-site pokolenie.mts.ru, in «ВКонтакте» and in странице в Instagram children from all over the country can demonstrate their talents taking part in contests and master-classes from the best teachers of Russia, grand masters of art and celebrities from show-business. The project has a creative team, each master is responsible for its area (Polina Gagarina for vocal, Boris Grachevsky (founder of “Eralash”) for acting, producer Vladimir Grammatikov for cinema, designer Vyacheslav Zaitsev for clothes design, the Tretyakov gallery for arts, etc.). Every year the mentors conduct a series of online master-classes, launch contests in each creative area and select winners. The winners are given unique opportunities: performing on stage together with celebrities, exhibition of works at the leading art galleries of Russia, entering the leading universities, publishing books with illustrations made by children, etc.

MTS introduces innovative charity tools, promoting charity in the society. All “Generation M” online activities: contests, “likes” and “reposts”  MTS transfers into donations; “one action” = 1 RUB and donates the money raised for urgent surgeries of children from Russian regions. MTS works in partnerships with non-profits, which help to select charity recipients (to avoid fraud schemes), monitor and provide reports.  

MTS actively engages local communities, children and teenagers into the project and builds partnerships with regional authorities, ensuring a wide awareness campaign. The company uses a big number of communication channels and tools, and the project generates a great number of interesting for regional media news hooks, ensuring a great number of free-of-charge media coverage. To engage more youths into the project the company uses social media – “VKontakte” and “Instragram”, most popular among children and teenagers. One of the key communication channels is “Generation M” Group in “VKontakte”, where visitors can provide feedback about each event and project participants’ works. Social networks of celebrities and organizations, project’s partners, (Eralash, Smeshariki, the Tretyakov Gallery, GITIS, etc.) also contribute to expanding the target audience of the project and cutting the budget for its promotion. “Generation M” information campaign is also supported by MTS sales offices, which distribute materials and video about the project. Support from regional authorities enables the company to use outdoor social advertising, as well as direct communication channels with children from regional educational and art institutions.

Each year MTS launches a new season of the project, coinciding with the school year (September – May). The company analyses the level of engagement and feedback from users, partners and local authorities to develop contests and educational programs for the next year.

Supporting projects

To support online activities and territories’ development, MTS runs in regions large-scale events with participation of celebrities – partners of the project, as well as local performance groups, followed by master-classes: photo exhibitions of winners of prestige World Press Photo Awards, exhibition of world-famous robots, concerts of teen idols and popular bloggers, etc.

Team and partners 

Team

Ekaterina Filatova, Head of Charity Programs; Ekaterina Kholina, Internet PR Head; Evgeniya Miller, Project Manager; Olga Yurkova, Regional PR Head.

Partners

The synergistic effect is strengthened by a clear structure of cooperation between all project’s partners:

MTS – applies digital expertise to introduce new educational tools and mechanism of charity for “Generation M” online platform, major resource support, project’s general management. 

Arts partners – develop educational content for the web-site, evaluate of children’s works, provide creative opportunities. Expand the target audience of the project, taking advantage of the social networks of celebrities and organizations – project’s partners, (Eralash, Smeshariki, the Tretyakov Gallery, GITIS, etc.).  

Charity Foundations – select children in need of urgent medical treatment, communicate with parents, report. MTS regular partners are: Podsolnukh, Sozidaniye, AiF, Dobroye Serdtse.  

Authorities – informational and resource support of the project in regions, including organization of offline events (communication with educational institutions, providing facilities, engaging volunteers), free-of-charge outdoor social advertising.

Business partners – provide resource support at the territories of presence, including in monotowns, engage employees, partners.

Resources

Financial resources

The company allocates budget for project’s implementation, drawn up according to the actual project expenditures of the previous period and the planned project development for the next season. The budget covers medical treatment, organization of regional events, logistics, POS materials, software, etc.  

Human resources

There is an internal effective project management system, which includes a federal full-time team, a regional team of specialists throughout Russia, and volunteers. Company’s top-management and regional offices’ directors also take part in the project.

Technological and material resources

MTS uses own expertise and technological tools to implement the project – project’s web-site with unique charity mechanism, tool for analyses of its target audience, etc.  

Achieved results

Social results:

• 350 project winners from 67 regions received art lifts: exhibited their works at the Tretyakov Gallery, illustrated EKCMO books, got trainings in photo and cinema studios, performed on stage with celebrities, etc. Winners were both residents of megapolises and small cities and towns.
  • 20 project winners from 16 cities of Russia exhibited their works at the Tretyakov Gallery. The smallest locality – Sterlibashevo village (6 000 people), the biggest city is Moscow.
  • 25 children distantly passed the first round of hearings to GITIS.
  • Winners of “Generation M” on vocal Danila Pluzhnikov from Sochi and Liza Kachurak from Volgograd region became winners in Show “Voice. Children”. 
  • 3 children became winners in clothes design contest and did an internship by well-known designers, created their debut fashion collections, which were demonstrated during Mercedes-Benz fashion Week Russia.
  • 2 children did an internship at legendary theater-studio “Neposedy” and performed on stage at Kreml Concert Hall “Russia” together with celebrities.
  • Anastasiya Kryukova from Moscow became winner of the theater contest, the first ever winner of Stanislavsky Awarda in nomination “Debutant” and received an educational grant from MTS.
  • 2 children, winners of actors’ contest, became actors in “Eralash”.
  • Gleb Rusakov from Ishim, Tyumen region became winner in the cinema contest and took part in professional film shooting during his internship at RFG film studio. Now Gleb is a student of Cinema Faculty.

• Due to the charity mechanism of the project, “Generation M” participants have generated over 17 mln activities in social media, which MTS transferred into real money and donated for medical treatment of 49 seriously ill children.

Partners engagement:

• The number of project’s partners in 2018 exceeded 170 culture representatives and celebrities, as well as partnering institutions, including GITIS, The Tretyakov Gallery, EKCMO publishing house, Robots Corporation, etc.  
  • All big federal events in regions received support from local authorities, which enabled the company to cut the costs of renting facilities, engage 2000 volunteers, including MTS partners and corporate customers, communicate with educational institutions. Volunteers take part in the organization and implementation of federal and regional events, make photos and videos. There is also Internet volunteering, when MTS employees use their social media accounts  to promote the project and attract new participants.   
  • International recognition: Project “Generation M” presented Russia in Global Program «Case for Change» of International Association GSMA, which globally promotes best projects, solving global social issues by means of technologies.

Target audience reach (2018):

Internet:

• Over 30 mln. users in social media (including 21 mln users in VK, the major project’s site) through posts in own and partners communities.  
  • The number of registered site users increased by 36% and amounted to 72 900 people. The number of users of “Generation M” Group in VK increased by 32% and amounted to 52 000 people. The number of users of Instagram account increased by 105% and amounted to 15 100 people.

Media: over 7 000 publications about the project in targeted media, including regional media, which proves public interest and appeal.

The number of events: 150 events in regions with the number of participants exceeding500 000 people. Over 20 events were large federal events with participation of federal celebrities in all project’s areas. All this generated great news opportunities for local media and increased project’s reach, including online, by means of advertising and post communications from MTS, partners, participants and guests.

Charity recipients feedback:

Can be found in video about the project:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyLkxOzy-Mc  

Internal project assessment:

The key principle of social and charity projects’ assessment is analyses of inputs (material, human and other resources) and outputs in the form of public benefits and impact, audience reach and its engagement. Based on this principle, to assess the “Generation M” project MTS has developed a set of KPIs, which includes both quantitative and qualitative indicators: 

• Audience reach: events’ visitors, Internet users, media publications.
• The number and reach of events conducted.
• The number of external partners, volunteers.
• Social impact: the number of winners and charity recipients, the scale of charity aid provided.
• Project’s impact on NPS – index of MTS customers’ loyalty to the company.

External project assessment:

Recognition and importance of “Generation M” project is proved by a number of high-status awards, including international ones. The project became winner of Stanislavsky Awards, the main international PR, brand and corporate image management SABRE Awards (Great Britain), Runet Awards in nomination “Culture, Media and Public Communications”, and others.

Project “Generation M” presented Russia in Global Program «Case for Change» of International Association GSMA, which globally promotes best projects, solving global social issues by means of technologies.

The project is implemented with support of the Ministry of Culture of the RF and regional authorities.

Project’s distinctive features and know – how

The project is unique, because it united the ideas of developing children talents and supporting children with severe illnesses. The possibility to help ill children motivates other children to take part in the project, get new knowledge and skills, develop their talents.  All this enables the company to increase the number of project’s participants and donation amount.

Challenges and solutions

During project development and implementation the team faced a certain barrier in the form of public perception of large-scale contests with participation of celebrities. Part of the audience could not believe, that just by uploading child’s work for the contest, they could get the above mentioned opportunities, as promised by the organizers. The concept of nepotism is still strong in Russian mindset. Only a wide awareness campaign (in social media, mass media, project’s web site) and winners’ success stories with focus on their personal background and experience helped to overcome this barrier.

Plans of further development   

MTS plans to continue “Generation M” project implementation as a strategically important social program.

Key project’s development areas are:

• increasing the number of partners from authorities, business, non-profits, art institutions to reach synergies;
• increasing the online and offline audience of the project by means of its active promotion throughout Russia;
• increasing the number of regional events, including by means of engaging local partners;
• strengthening engagement of project participants, partnering with charity foundations with the aim of developing new charity integrations within the project;
• improving the educational program and increasing the number of areas accessible for users, based on feedback from all target audiences involved.

Recommendations

Identify and use partners’ resources, including human (partners’ employees, volunteers, etc.), information (social media, corporate editions and other corporate communication channels of partners), administrative (integration into partners’ events, contests, etc.), creative resources.  Sometimes, non-obvious partnerships can bring great results.

Project’s documents

https://pokolenie.mts.ru/rules.pdf