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THE CHALLENGE:
Boots Hearingcare launched its services in 2001, with the Songbird disposable hearing aid. In 2002, a state-of-the-art digital version was introduced on the high street for just £26 per ear, per month. Given the mistrust of the private audiological market due to sharp and often unscrupulous practices, it was considered vital to the success of Boots Hearingcare that its service, including Songbird Digital, be viewed as professional, reliable and an alternative to the NHS, worthy of recommendation to patients who sought such endorsement. In a market sector where consumers pay for the service and product provided, a key objective was to raise consumer awareness of Songbird Digital and Boots Hearingcare services and thus stimulate consumer demand. It was also imperative that influencers in the market - NHS audiologists and patient groups - were aware of Boots. Boots specifically wanted PR-led media coverage to generate 25% of consumer calls to the Boots Hearingcare help-line.

WHAT WE DID:
Sante advised Boots Hearingcare to embark on a programme unlike anything anyone else had ever done in this market, both in terms of service and communications. Given the nature of the area, stimulating media interest was always going to be challenging. Thus very careful media planning and targeting was conducted to maximise message pick up. Parallel media, professional and consumer campaigns were undertaken, underpinned by an independent technical reviewby Defeating Deafness and Professor Brian Moore (Cambridge University), which compared Songbird Digital to newer NHS digital hearing aids. Songbird proved to be a formidable competitor and it compared very favourably to digital hearing aids costing 100 times its price. The technical review was issued to over 1,000 audiologists, patient groups, the media and audiologists at the British Society of Audiology's annual conference. At this pivotal conference, Sante secured a podium slot for Boots Hearingcare, the first ever offered to a private provider.

RESULTS:
Following this, PCTs in areas with NHS audiology waiting lists longer than 2 years were mailed an information pack on Boots Hearingcare. In addition, an hearing care education programme rolled out via local W.I.Associations.

  • 28% of calls to the Boots Hearingcare help-line were generated by PR led media coverage.
  • Customer enquiries increased by 178%
  • Clinical interest was also triggered - 100% of target medical/technical media covered the launch
  • 100% awareness of Boots Hearingcare amongst audiology and patient group community
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