Cardiff based sister companies, Pelican and Respond Healthcare, part of family-owned Eakin Healthcare, are celebrating the news their in-house digital communications team have been shortlisted for a prestigious, national, Marketing Week award, up against global marketing agencies, and popular, well-known brands…their very own David and Goliath moment!
The digital marketing team led by Nia Davies, has been shortlisted for ‘the best use of influencers’ award and will be competing against well-known brands including, ASDA, Hasbro, Malibu UK, Oatly and the British Heart Foundation, some of whom are represented by renowned marketing agencies such as M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, Whalar (who work with EBAY and Heinz), and PrettyGreen (who represent Disney, PizzaExpress, and Bupa).
Through the digital communications campaign, the team has changed the perception and understanding of what a stoma is (an opening in the abdomen that can be connected to either your digestive or urinary system to allow waste (urine or faeces) to be diverted out of your body) and used real world, hugely positive role models (influencers), to get the message across to the wider public.
The campaign set out to break down barriers and stigmas surrounding stomas, raise awareness and transform life with a stoma bag into something normalised, empowering, and nothing to fear.
The numbers reinforce the success of the campaign; in 2023, as influencer activity was strengthened, the digital marketing team reached 2.6 million accounts across 16 countries, an increase of 554% from the previous year. That is more than the total number of ostomates in the UK.
Additionally, engagement has been boosted by 121% on social media with a significant rise in website traffic following the influencer campaigns. The influencer driven podcast has garnered 25,000 views on YouTube, marking a 619% increase in video views. For context, the nearest competitor only manged 4,000 views on its podcast series.
The team’s campaign success was built on real life interaction; they enlisted two influencers to take the mic and deliver a regular podcast, opening the door to raw, heartfelt narratives that resonate deeply with fellow ostomates, embracing authentic conversations, and a one-of-a-kind ‘Get Together’ event was created that brings the influencers together to shine a spotlight on their achievements, making Pelican and Respond the first and only organisations undertaking this in the ostomy industry. They also developed innovative PR boxes, a rarity within healthcare, distributing products, love heart sweets and affirmation cards to 75 influencers across the ostomy community, including notable names like Adele Roberts and Mollie Pearce.
Nia Davies, Head of the Digital Marketing team, Pelican and Respond Healthcare, comments that ‘proud’ doesn’t even begin to explain how she feels about this achievement:
“The Marketing Week awards are literally the ‘Holy Grail’ in marketing terms, and for our team of four to be shortlisted alongside such well-known names with huge budgets is truly amazing. I cannot speak highly enough of my team, its work, creativity, and passion.
“The campaign was recognised for its bold approach to social media, showing bare stomas and portraying the unfiltered reality of life with an ostomy. Whilst some companies stick to safe, medical content, we dared to break the mould and created content about real life – honest and inspiring! Let’s just say ‘proud’ doesn’t even begin to cover my feelings towards this magnificent team!”
