Finalist
Breathe Equal: A Campaign to Highlight COPD’s Impact on Health Inequalities
by WA Communications for Sanofi
Summary of work
COPD has a significant impact on the NHS, yet has seen little innovation in more than a decade. It disproportionately affects people living in areas of socio-economic deprivation and is a large contributor to NHS system pressures. It is a condition that continues to face stigma due to its links with smoking and remains largely absent from politics.
A bold campaign was required to shape a new narrative about the condition. We needed to reframe how COPD was viewed to raise awareness of the importance of innovation, and increase recognition of its wider impact on health inequalities and NHS capacity.
Using insights from our Breathe Equal report and constituency level Polimapper data, we would deliver a data-led, multi-channel campaign that targeted policymakers linked to the areas of highest unmet need. It would capture people’s emotions, and use trusted voices to tell our story.
On behalf of Sanofi and working with Advocate Marketing Communications, we ensured COPD and Breathe Equal were unmissable. Our campaign generated significant parliamentary activity, extensive media coverage and allowed us to build and strengthen stakeholder relationships. COPD was elevated much higher up the political agenda, and significant momentum was built ahead of new guidelines being published.
Judges’ comments
This was a strong entry from WA Communications and Sanofi. The campaign looked good; well targeted and effective. The objectives were sensible and linked through to the outputs, outtakes and outcomes, with good implementation. It was compelling.
