Ali Stunt, CEO, and Natasha North, marketing and communications manager, Pancreatic Cancer Action

1. www.pancreaticcanceraction.org
Shock tactics - a reputation
minefield or a risk worth
taking?
Pancreatic Cancer Action advertising campaign
Limited resources – maximum impact!
Ali Stunt, CEO and Founder
Natasha North, Marketing and Communications Manager

2. www.pancreaticcanceraction.org
About Pancreatic Cancer Action
 Set up in 2010 by a rare survivor
 Key aim is to get more people diagnosed in
time for surgery – only cure!
 Focused on raising awareness of disease
and symptoms
 Small charity with 2.5 full-time equivalent
staff

3. www.pancreaticcanceraction.org
Big problem
 No method of early detection
 Chronically underfunded
◦ Receives just 1% of cancer research funding
 Chronic lack of awareness
◦ 70% of UK population do not know where
their pancreas is or what it does
◦ 50% patients never heard of disease before
their own diagnosis

4. www.pancreaticcanceraction.org
The Strategy
 Stand out and provoke thought
 Generate interest so people read on
 Get the most out of limited budget and
resources

5. www.pancreaticcanceraction.org
I wish I had… campaign

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Why the campaign was necessary
There has been a huge improvement in
survival rates of many cancers in 40 years

7. www.pancreaticcanceraction.org
Objectives of the campaign
 Tackle low awareness
◦ Of the disease in general
◦ Of diagnosis, survival rates and lack of
research funding
◦ Of symptoms
 Drive earlier diagnosis
◦ Get more people to ask their doctor
◦ Encourage doctors to be less ‘shy’ about
referrals

8. www.pancreaticcanceraction.org
The advert featuring real
patients…

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We did our research…
Neuroscience
 Measured how 115 people responded to the adverts.
 Outcome: risk of offence was low once people had read
the advert.
Online survey (2000 respondents)
 Outcome: only 6% were angry and over 50% were
made more aware and wanted to do more.
In-depth interviews with people affected by different
cancers
 Outcome: once the message was understood, they
were supportive of the advert.

10. www.pancreaticcanceraction.org
Low cost – maximum impact
 The adverts appeared only 9 times
over 4 days in regional newspapers in
London and Manchester.
 Total spend for the initial hard-hitting
campaign was £15,000
 Followed up with symptoms campaign
on London Underground featuring
same three patients….

11. www.pancreaticcanceraction.org
The symptoms advert…

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What happened
 Social media went bonkers
 Inundated with media calls in one day
 Spokesperson in high demand

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How we managed it
 Adaptability
 Respond to media enquiries quickly
 Released regular statements online
and on social media
 Prioritise complainants

14. www.pancreaticcanceraction.org
Extensive media coverage
The campaign reached well over 20 million people just in the UK and more globally (backed up
by research).
Over 150 pieces of press coverage relating to the advertising in the UK alone:
 TV including Newsnight, Daybreak and Sky News
 Online and printed national including The Times, Daily Mail and BBC News
 Extensive radio coverage including most BBC stations, 5 Live and LBC
 At least 100 regional pieces of coverage. Also:
 International coverage including US Doctors TV, CBS Canada, BBC World Service and
Melbourne 10
 Social media – Twitter mentions of pancreatic cancer up 69% on previous month of
campaign and over 100% increase in followers on Facebook.
Over £1m of highest quality earned media

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The good…

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The bad…

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The ugly…

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What the comms team could
have done differently
 More resource
 Complaints procedure
 Used a monitoring tool
 Received more third party input

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Impact of the campaign
 Months after the campaign it is still being
discussed.
 43% of people who recognised campaign more
aware of the symptoms.
 Traffic on explanatory page of website up
963%.
 Donations up 60% on same period last year.
 Modelled increase in pancreatic cancer
diagnosis 14% up.
 Modelled number of lives saved = 36.

20. www.pancreaticcanceraction.org
Impact of the campaign
 Surge in petition signatures
 Drug approved by Cancer Drugs Fund
 Meeting with Jeremy Hunt and Lord
Saatchi
 Offered speaking opportunities
 Pancreatic cancer has higher profile

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The challenges for a small team
• Lack of resource
• Managing damage limitation -
building bridges while fighting fires
• Supporting stakeholders
• Emotional impact

22. www.pancreaticcanceraction.org
Was the campaign worth it?
As Philip Schofield said to the late Kerry
Harvey on This Morning:

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Summary
Means to an end
 Set out to shock in order to get attention and then use that attention to deliver an
important message.
Do your homework
 Use research to assess the risk.
Be brave
 Don’t be put off by the impossible – be prepared to take a calculated risk.
Ride the momentum
 use it to drive change