The Campaign

In 2011, health insurance provider, Bupa launched their brand in Australia. The brand promise was to help Australians “find a healthier you”. Our challenge was to provide tangible evidence of this promise by launching two innovative Smartphone apps, “BrainyApp” and “FoodSwitch”. Not supported by any above-the-line activity, the apps needed to achieve significant downloads within 24-48 hours to increase likelihood of promotion in the Apple App Store, encouraging more downloads. The brief was to gain positive media coverage to reinforce Bupa’s positioning and drive downloads. Recognising that app launches aren’t necessarily newsworthy, our strategy focussed on the years of research and data the apps were developed from, as well as their world-, and Australian-first, nature. Based on the latest scientific evidence linking brain health and a reduced risk of dementia to a healthy heart and cardiovascular system, BrainyApp was launched by Bupa Health Foundation (BHF) and Alzheimer’s Australia (AA) in November 2011. FoodSwitch was launched by Bupa and The George Institute (TGI) in January 2012 to help Australians understand more about the nutritional value of food by allowing shoppers to scan barcodes of packaged foods with their Smartphone camera and see healthier alternatives. The media relations campaigns were unmitigated successes, reaching 58.5 million audited audience impressions with 185 pieces of coverage in Australia and internationally, shooting both to Number 1 in free apps in the Apple App Store within 48 hours. BrainyApp target downloads = 1,200 BrainyApp downloads within 48 hours = 41,000 FoodSwitch downloads within 24 hours = 26,000

The Brief

The goal was to generate awareness through media coverage and stimulate online dialogue to drive word of mouth to encourage downloads and positively profile the client and partners. For BrainyApp, the objective was to reach Australian adults aged 30-60 as a healthy heart and cardiovascular system in your 30s-40s reduces the risk of dementia later in life. Target downloads in first 48 hours was 1,200. FoodSwitch was aimed at Australian grocery shoppers who are conscious of their and their family’s health. Research into apps that might “compete” with BrainyApp and FoodSwitch helped identify unique angles with which to target media.

Results

BrainyApp: - Reached over 30 million audited audience impressions through 66 pieces of media coverage, including national coverage on ABC1 news and ABC News 24 and extensive print, radio and online coverage nationally and internationally. - Downloaded over 41,000 times in first 48 hours; smashing target of 1,200 downloads. - Number 1 most downloaded free app in the App Store within 48 hours of release. - Downloaded over 100,000 times in first week. FoodSwitch: - Reached over 28.5 million audited audience impressions through 119 pieces of media coverage, including national coverage on The Project and the TODAY Show, print, radio, online news and health sites, as well as generating significant talkability on social media. - Downloaded over 26,000 times in first 24 hours. - Number 1 most downloaded free app within 24 hours; over 75,000 downloads in the first five days of launch.

Execution

BrainyApp launched 9 November 2012. Earlier, an embargoed media release emphasising the “world –first” and “research based” app was distributed to television, radio, print, online health and tech journalists with targeted followups to offer interviews and photos. A media opportunity was held with access to spokespeople expert in dementia risk reduction, including one of the app creators, and filming and photo opportunities with people using the app. A “coming soon”-style social media strategy was executed to build anticipation prior. FoodSwitch launched 18 January 2012 with a television exclusive on popular news program, The Project. A media release with the news angle that the app fights two of Australia’s biggest killers – heart disease and stroke - pitched to mass media, targeting health and tech journalists, and selected nutritionist and mummy bloggers. Former Olympic swimmer and mother, Nicole Livingston was engaged as FoodSwitch ambassador to improve story reach.

The Situation

Prior to October 2011, few Australians were aware that the popular health insurance brands MBF, HBA and Mutual Community were owned by global healthcare organisation, Bupa. A nationwide brand transformation campaign was executed to bring all Bupa’s brands in Australia under the one umbrella and introduced Bupa to Australians as a leading healthcare organisation. We were tasked with developing and executing successful media relations campaigns and advising on social media strategies for two ‘healthy’ Smartphone apps. The timing of the launches was critical to help Bupa reinforce their brand positioning of helping Australians “find a healthier you”.

The Strategy

Taking into account the challenges with launching apps, for BrainyApp we recommended focusing on the latest scientific research linking brain health and a reduced risk of dementia to a healthy heart. It was also the first dementia risk reduction app available in the world. The strategy was to engage health and tech journalists to raise awareness of the app and that the changes in the brain that lead to dementia start in people’s 30s-40s – it’s not just “an old person’s disease”. FoodSwitch was pitched to health, tech and consumer journalists as “the newest tool” in the fight against two of Australia’s biggest killers – heart disease and stroke – by helping shoppers reduce unnecessarily high levels of fat, salt and sugar from their diets. A celebrity ambassador, Olympian and mother Nicole Livingston, was also engaged to act as spokesperson to improve the likelihood of media interest and interviews.