Finalist
Using Relevance and Data to Drive Public Health Engagement
Summary of work
In the UK, millions remain at increased risk from COVID‑19, including those living with cancer, HIV and dementia. As infections declined and restrictions eased, public attention moved on. For many vulnerable people, COVID‑19 became an overlooked risk.
This unbranded disease awareness campaign for Pfizer aimed to restore awareness of COVID‑19 risk among vulnerable audiences, encourage appropriate testing through local pharmacies and prompt earlier engagement with healthcare professionals when symptoms appeared.
With scepticism high and attention low, the campaign relied on digital engagement that felt relevant rather than instructive. Question‑based messaging encouraged reflection without alarm, helping audiences recognise personal relevance.
Publicly available health and population data identified Integrated Care System regions with the highest concentrations of high‑risk individuals. Digital media was deployed with geographic precision, ensuring messages reached those most likely to benefit.
The campaign reached 4.95 million people and delivered 59 million impressions. Driving over 122,000 visits to a disease awareness website and delivered a 3.25 percent uplift in intent to visit a pharmacist for COVID‑19 testing, equivalent to over 160,000 people.
Engagement was associated with increased care‑seeking behaviour in targeted regions, demonstrating how precision‑targeted digital engagement supports public health outcomes.
Judges’ comments
The judges were very impressed with the entry from Digitas Health and Pfizer. It was very well structured, with measurable outcomes and clinical data. It was great that they included estimated savings for the NHS and it felt bold. It was clever to see that based on geography, they had tried to map to see where it is having an impact. They recognised that it is very hard to have conversations across so many areas.
