The true value of communications can only really be seen when real business impact is delivered. GOSHxSuperhope is a leading example of a PR campaign with creativity at its heart, based on real market insights, executed across multiple platforms and that delivered against business objectives.
We asked Emily Cope-Smith, who led the campaign, a few questions…
What makes the GOSHxSuperhope work stand out?
GOSHxSuperhope stands out because it shows the real superpower of PR and communications. Through uniting globally renowned creative talent, we were able to capture the imagination of six young cancer patients and transform them into their superhero alter-egos as part of an impressive large-scale production.
What about this work makes you the most proud?
For us, we’re extremely proud that GOSHxSuperhope was able to go beyond media headlines and have real impact on six children undergoing cancer treatment – giving them a much-needed boost of strength and positivity during such a scary and difficult time for them and their families. We are also delighted it will be rolled out again in the future to give more children at GOSH a superhero boost. Securing VOX Cinemas to screen the superhero trailer for free across the region was the cherry on top!
What’s one lesson from this campaign that you’ll carry with you?
That with a good cause at the centre, anything is possible – even with a modest budget.
What exactly does GOSH do?
Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) is a world-class pediatric hospital providing highly specialized treatment not otherwise available in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). GOSH treats 1,500 children with rare, complex conditions from the GCC every year.
What was the issue GOSH was tackling?
GOSH is well-known in the UK but GOSH brand awareness in the GCC is low – mainly because of decreasing outbound medical tourism and no GOSH satellite clinic in the region. We were asked to differentiate GOSH in the region to drive patient referrals and strengthen relationships with key stakeholders.
Any research or insights used to carry out work with GOSH? If so, what resources did you use?
We used Sherlock+, H+K’s social listening and influencer mapping tool, to evaluate the hospital landscape across the GCC. We found most healthcare providers in the region focused on clinical excellence rather than patient experience. This highlighted to us a gap GOSH could own.
We also used Global Web Index to build a profile of target audiences. This confirmed that GCC parents are 53% more likely than the global average to actively interact with a good cause online and heavily influenced by ads at the cinema.
What was the most challenging part of your work with GOSH and how did your team work through it?
Launching a campaign on this scale in the Middle East was a new thing for our client. As it was new with a variety of stakeholders involved, the process from idea creation to execution took around 1 1/2 years in total. It meant there were often lots of moving parts and changes, as well as a lot of different talent, partners, and most importantly, patients and families to keep happy. We were able to work through it with the team’s perseverance and ability to think fast and adapt.
What was the depth and breadth of the work – sectors and services employed, if multiple?
This was a campaign created by the H+K Health+Wellness practice in Dubai. We handled everything from talent identification and management, campaign planning, social media creation to media relations and brokering pro-bono partnerships with local cinemas.
The overall results of the campaign
- Strong traditional media reach with estimated online readership of 22 million+.
- We reached over 1.3 million people on social media.
- We had a 72% increase in website visitors from the previous month.
- Estimated direct reach of 50,000 across VOX cinemas in UAE and Kuwait.
- The campaign engaged the wider hospital CEO who agreed in the implementation of the campaign across more hospital directorates in 2019. This will directly benefit more children from the UK and GCC and has strengthened internal relationships.
- 105 patient referrals were made in the month of Superhope launch (57% increase from the previous year’s monthly average).
- But most importantly… GOSH consultants and families noted a big difference in the positive mental attitude and confidence of the children involved.
What was the most memorable part of working with GOSH?
One little girl was so excited by the campaign and loved being her own superhero so much that for three weeks after, she went to all her appointments wearing it!