MUMBAI: BBC World Service has announced that following the success of BBC Arabic's interactive road show Your future... who decides it? in North Africa and the Middle East earlier this year, it has launched an online marketing campaign promoting its latest way of connecting with audiences - a BBC Arabic e-newsletter.

Entitled Be the first to know, the ad campaign aims to reach 19 million online users with advertisements appearing on a number of key pan-Arab websites including MSN Arabia - Hotmail and Messenger, Yahoo, and Ebay.

Be the first to know promotes the new monthly, free BBC Arabic language e- newsletter. Subscribers get an insider's view of the most popular and trusted non-Arab news broadcaster in the Middle East and North Africa.

They receive a monthly update on the programmes and special features coming up, have an opportunity to share their views and opinions with online debates and polls and get behind-the-scenes insights of BBC Arabic with profiles on their favourite presenters and backgrounds on the top stories.

There are also opportunities to link with debates on bbcarabic.com and to enter a variety of competitions with a range of exciting prizes.

BBC World Service marketing, communications and audiences Controller Alan Booth says that the BBC Arabic e-newsletter is a way of connecting with young people in the Middle East. "We met over quarter of a million people through Your future… who decides it? Over 33,000 gave us their names for further contacts," he says.

"They are passionate about the news and events that affect their lives - and the lives of friends and family at home and around the world. The BBC Arabic e-newsletter ensures they can follow news events through BBC Arabic coverage on radio and online and prompts opportunities to express their views.

"We also know young people are already using the Internet, which is why we are using online advertising for Be the first to know."

BBC World Service used Amman-based design agency Mint to produce creative work for the campaign. The London-based specialist online agency Agency Republic planned and bought the advertising space. Database management and email marketing services will be managed by Broadsystem based in London. Subscriptions will be driven via a dedicated page on bbcarabic.com.