Making a health awareness campaign work for you
Posted by Mary Ferguson on 7th January 2020
One of last year’s highlights for our agency was delivering our fourth annual awareness week for the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA UK) – and we’ve learned a lot along the way. Here, senior account manager Mary Ferguson offers a few tips for making a health awareness campaign work for you.
Plan ahead.
We start right at the beginning of the year (our awareness week is in November) and it's a real team effort to share ideas, strategise and think about what we have learned from previous campaigns.
Timing is everything.
Choose your dates carefully. There’s a day and a week for everything (National Skipping Day, anyone?) so you're bound to clash with something, but stay away from similar campaigns and think about what other activity the charity has planned for the year.
This website shows you what’s going on and when in the UK in 2020.
Get your hook right.
Launching the findings of interesting research is an effective way to kick off an awareness week. We helped the PHA UK conduct a large-scale survey into the emotional impact of pulmonary hypertension, and it generated some headline-grabbing statistics that really drew attention to the disease.
Local case studies = powerful PR.
We all want the breakfast sofa in Salford, or the coveted national front page, but being realistic and managing expectations might encourage you to take a different route to a similar outcome.
Because pulmonary hypertension is such a rare disease, we put our efforts into engaging media local to our case studies, and make sure they are all over the country, as an alternative way of reaching huge audiences.
For example, last year we secured coverage with ITV Meridian (South East) who filmed a patient in her home – but we were also able to secure an interview with the Yorkshire-based chair of the charity by suggesting a down-the-line from their studios in Leeds.
Video works!
Bring case studies to life on film. It takes time, and it can cost money, but it will reach people in a way that other forms of content just can’t. Hearing patients tell their stories, and watching their faces while they do it, is so powerful.
Wherever possible, we always send journalists video interviews with our case studies - and they almost always get used.
Never compromise relationships with patients or supporters for the sake of media coverage.
Appreciate that these people may be sharing very personal experiences. Feel privileged they are trusting you to tell their story.
Be aware of the different audiences you might be talking to and tailor your messaging accordingly.
You might be trying to grab media attention by talking about survival rates, but do those living with a serious medical condition really need to be reminded, again, that it will likely shorten their life? Think about how and where your messaging will be seen.
Pay attention to representation.
If the condition affects people of different ages and ethnicities, ensure they are represented in your case studies. Think about gender, sexuality and family make-up too. Don’t reinforce unhelpful stereotypes!
Be careful about the language you use. 'Suffering', 'battling' and 'wheelchair-bound' are reporter favourites, but compound negative connotations with illness and disability. Think about the bigger picture too.
Be kind, be sensitive, and never compromise integrity. If you're clever, the column inches will come anyway.
Evaluate.
Be honest about what you did and didn't do well and learn from it. We always create a comprehensive report at the end of our campaigns, and it’s as useful for us as it is for our clients.
This is just a snapshot of advice – we have so much more we can tell you! To talk to us about how we can help you get the results you want from your PR campaigns, call 01226 766900 or email info@capitalbmedia.co.uk.
