brief:

‘Promote infection control technology’

At the height of the hospital acquired infections (HAIs) outbreak, the UK’s leading commercial laundry provider asked Imagen to promote the superior disinfection properties of a new wash system called OTEX to public and private healthcare markets.

‘OTEX’ is a revolutionary cold-water system that injects ozone into the wash to eliminate all bacteria and viruses including MRSA and Clostridium difficile

challenges/sensitivities:

“Complex messages in an over-crowded market”

Whilst the efficacy benefits case for OTEX was compelling, healthcare media and markets were focussed on promoting personal hygiene measures and on-ward solutions to the ‘superbug’ crisis. Amongst the plethora of superbug-busting products clamouring for health news attention, washing machines and the hospital laundry came a long way down the
agenda.

what we did:

“Create a compelling story”

Evidenced by microbiologist data, we positioned contaminated hospital laundry as the overlooked story in the superbug crisis, setting the scene to introduce OTEX as the new HAI ‘hero solution’.

We presented the complex science behind OTEX in simple graphic terms for a consumer audience and illustrated this with compelling case studies featuring established OTEX users in the private health sector.

Monitoring the health news agendas for HAI developments then enabled us to target briefings  at specific national and regional media in the context of their reporting of latest infection rates and local outbreaks.

What we have achieved  ‘Product place a washing machine on the BBC’s flag ship consumer show’

In just four months we generated 55 items of print media coverage for JLA and OTEX including stories in The Daily Mirror, The Daily Telegraph, The Observer, and News of the World as well as 15 regional daily newspapers. OTEX was featured in a further ten radio and television broadcasts culminating in a seven minute special feature on the BBCs prime time ‘The One Show’.

Independent media analysis assesses our campaign generated 228 million audience opportunities to see OTEX representing a PR value of £726,000 and advertising value equivalent to £286,000.

As a direct result of this coverage, the chair of the Department of Health working party set up to review NHS laundry procedures invited JLA to consult on the development of new effective guidelines. OTEX has since been installed in over 1500 NHS hospital and private care facilities.

client verdict:

“As well as receiving considerable coverage in trade and regional press, our product was featured in mass-circulation national newspapers and on prime-time national radio and television 10 times in a four-month period. Given the commercial nature of the product, we regarded this as a considerable achievement and one that significantly raised the profile of OTEX in our key markets.”

JLA Commercial Director

Coverage

Website

Collateral

brief:

‘Promoting the option for home treatment’

Home centred treatment regimes are an increasing priority for healthcare providers, policy makers, budget holders and patients. Yet in renal (kidney) failure replacement therapies, the option of home dialysis is accessed by less than 20% of the patient population, despite clinically accepted health welfare and economic benefits with especially low access levels amongst older patients aged 65+.

Imagen HealthTalk was asked to develop and manage a communications campaign promoting awareness of the option for and benefits of home dialysis to enable patients and care nurses to explore this option with their consultant clinicians.

challenges/sensitivities:

‘Low priority for media and public’

Kidney failure is a complex and debilitating condition with an elderly patient profile that is a low priority for media and public. Clinical preference for hospital based treatment regimes has seen the number of patients presenting for home dialysis decline significantly over the last two decades. Low level awareness of the option for and benefits of home dialysis exists whilst  for older patients opinion is compromised by reduced confidence to self-manage treatment regimes.

A fragmented and localised kidney patient network complicates audience reach, whilst national renal advocacy groups have often worked to different agendas.

what we did:

‘Leveraging local media channels and patient comms to access hard-to-reach audiences’

Campaign Branding
Imagen HealthTalk developed a simple but direct campaign identity ‘Dialysis Options’ to communicate the campaign’s core message and clearly target the dialysis audience. A patient website underpins the campaign, presenting a balanced profile of dialysis options endorsed by personal patient testimonies.

Advocacy and Patient Engagements
Recognising the important role of local kidney patient groups in communicating with dialysis patients, we identified and established contact with these groups nationwide. W ealso engaged the National Kidney Federation who supported media outreach and facilities communication with local kidney groups. Through these networks we were able to mneasure and monitor patient awareness, opinion and access to home treatment.

Media Communications
Local and regional media was key to reaching individual patients and patient groups in their resident treatment area, whilst prioritising UK regions with high renal patient population ensured maximum target audience reach and impact.

Coverage was secured by presenting the media with compelling human-interest stories supported by locally relevant disease profile and treatment data. We capitalised on developments in renal services provision and patient-focussed-care policy to generate media coverage about home access.

An annual health broadcast featuring renal consultants and patients was developed around World Kidney Day and syndicated to regional radio stations throughout the UK, whilst regular health calendar dates such as National Diabetes and Care Week were used to trigger opportunistic media relations.

what we have achieved:

‘In the last four years, Dialysis Options has engaged over 70% of the UK renal patient population and achieved 100% message penetration.’

Dialysis Options is now recognised and referred to by the renal community as a primary source of dialysis information, whilst the leading renal patient advocacy charity has now adopted access to the option of home dialysis as a cornerstone of their campaigning.

The Dialysis Options campaign has established links with 45 of the 70 local Kidney Patient Associations in the UK representing more than 70% of current dialysis patients. We have generated over 300 items of print media coverage and 31 live media broadcasts delivering 100% penetration for key messages on the availability and benefits of home dialysis.

Latest patient survey data reveals a substantial growth in awareness of home dialysis with 73% of all patient respondents, and 47% of those aged 65+ saying they are or would like to be considered for home dialysis compared to just 37% and 11% respectively in 2006.

There is now a demonstrable shift in opinion at national levels with recent policy pronouncements from the Renal Czar and Renal Association emphasising the need for greater patient access to home dialysis. NICE has also announced a review of its guidelines on PD/home dialysis in 2010.

client verdict:

‘Due to its inherent complexity, generalised patient profile and small segment size, renal medicine is traditionally a challenging area for a PR campaign. Despite this, Dialysis Options has succeeded in achieving considerable momentum. Clever use of media and linking with third party organisations have resulted in a demonstrable increased awareness of a complex disease and its treatment options.’

Head of Renal Marketing

Imagen has launched HealthTalk, a specialist healthcare communications division of the agency.

The move follows continued growth in its pharmaceutical and health sector-related activity, particularly in disease awareness and promotion of treatment for a range of health conditions.

The agency has developed the new branded service to focus its capabilities and expertise to attract pharma clients looking for media relations and patient-facing activity to support med-ed campaigns.

Imagen also plans to build on its client portfolio in OTC markets and companies and services in the expanding private client health sector.

An online device that helps travellers find out whether they might be at risk of potentially fatal Tick Borne Encephalitis (TBE) in Europe is now available at the Tick Alert website (www.tickalert.org).

The ‘TBE Travel Check’ takes less than a minute to complete and asks users a sequence of simple questions about where they are going and any outdoor activities they are planning to determine their level of risk.

A message at the end of the test advises whether a user should consider seeking medical advice ahead of their trip.

A Leeds pharmacy has become the first in Yorkshire to introduce Healthpoint TV to advise customers about medical conditions.

Baskind pharmacy, on Stainbeck Lane, Chapel Allerton is introducing the video technology, a free-standing console showing 20-second educational films covering 70 topics from asthma and blood pressure to smoking and weight control, to help people better understand treatment choices and how therapy works.

Pharmacy owner Jason Baskind believes Healthpoint will be a big help for customers hoping to stick to New Year’s resolutions as well as for general health.

brief:

Tick Alert is a national campaign run on behalf of Baxter Healthcare to raise awareness of the risks from tick infections such as Lyme disease in the UK and Tick Borne Encephalitis (TBE) in Europe. It targets leisure travellers and travel health professionals with advice and information on disease prevention and focuses on popular countryside destinations here and in 27 countries from Scandinavia down to the Mediterranean.

Consumer Shows

Website

Media Coverage

tactics:

• Consumer and healthcare media relations
• Campaign website
• ‘Tick Alert Week’ promotion
• Consumer shows and healthcare events
• Outdoor retailer customer information
• KOL and advocacy recruitment

outcomes:

• The campaign enters its fifth year in 2010 and coverage achieves a total audience reach of millions across national, consumer, specialist outdoor and travel, broadcast and online media.
• Broadcast highlights include ‘BBC Breakfast’, BBC Scotland’s flagship news programme ‘Reporting Scotland’ plus regular regional BBC TV and radio interviews.
• The campaign established the first dedicated conference on tick disease for travel health advisers.
• More than 100 outdoor retail outlets display campaign information leaflets every year during spring and summer to coincide with main tick season.
• Strategic partnerships with key advocacy organisations including lead lyme disease charity BADA

client verdict:

“The return on investment for this campaign has been substantial with all objectives clearly achieved. Clever use of media and consumer communications resulted in demonstrable increased awareness.”

Vaccines Business Manager

brief

Position natural formula insect repellent as equal in effectiveness and performance to chemical-based products.

Collateral

Coverage

tactics

• National and regional media relations
• Case Studies
• Direct Communications with outdoor and sports membership groups

Outcomes

• Mosi-guard became the best-selling natural brand repellent.
• Created opportunity for sales into multiples including Tesco and Asda.

brief

Develop brand awareness and recognition of its health clinics across consumer travel groups to drive patient enquiries.

Coverage

tactics

• National and regional media relations
• Mini launch campaign for new clinics
• Press Office for media enquiries
• Sponsorship of travel health column in Real Travel
• Use of online travel channels to target customers

outcomes

• Media coverage every week on average for last 2 years
• Minimum of 2 items of media coverage for new clinics
• Clinic network growth from 30 to 50
• Patients registered increased by 25% to 250,000

brief

Promote corporate profile and public-facing broadcast technology available to clinical and commercial providers.

Coverage

tactics

• Creation of “Missing Children TV”
• National media launch
• Media event hosted at Scotland Yard by the National Missing Persons Bureau

outcomes

• National TV and newspaper coverage
• Partnership with parent charity and NMPB

Dialysis Options has been given a new-look website to create a more user-friendly platform for its visitors.  The new site provides the latest dialysis news as well as real-life stories highlighting patient therapy choice and associated life style benefits.

Links are being set up with kidney patient associations and other related stakeholder groups to create a community feel to the site and the results speak for themselves – a new website design with more features, new tools and utilisation of Web 2.0 technology.

The re-launch follows a repositioning of the Dialysis Options campaign to be the leading source of information for anyone with Established Renal Failure to help them make an informed choice of dialysis therapy.