The aim of National Men’s Health Week (NMHW) is to raise health awareness amongst men, encourage them to seek advice and treatment when problems arise, as men are less likely than women to consult a GP. There is also a social divide, with men in the lower income brackets being less proactive with their health.

The campaign for NMHW was designed to be two-tiered; the primary objective was to highlight the Week itself with a secondary objective of raising widespread awareness specifically on male sexual health.

WHAT WE DID:

Santé developed the ‘It’s In Your Hands’ theme for the Week to send out the message to all men to be more responsible for their health and to focus in particular on their sexual health.

Ladbrokes, the sports betting company, were secured as a key supporter of the Week as they had a predominantly male customer base. The Week was launched with a photo-call featuring celebrities, Linda Barker and Pat Cash, at Ladbrokes’ new flagship store in London and the ‘It’s In Your Hands’ information pack was distributed through their 2,000 betting shops in the UK.

Santé acted as Press Office for the Week and engineered a strategic media campaign designed to maximise coverage and uptake of key messages, both nationally and locally at the 1000 regional events that took place.

Santé worked with over 14 different commercial and non-profit organisations to raise awareness of the Week.

THE RESULTS:

• Coverage obtained reached over 60 million people, including 1.5 million healthcare professionals
• A slot on ‘This Morning’ with Jane DeVille-Almond of the Men’s Health Forum (MHF), watched by an audience of 1.5 million, prompted over 700 calls from viewers to seek health advice
• The MHF website received a 68% rise in ‘hits’ on the launch day, with every subsequent day of the Week averaging a 17% increase
• The Brook Advisory Service received 300 calls from health professionals who work with young men requesting further information during the Week
• The campaign was short-listed for an Institute of Public Relations (IPR) award in 2004 (out of over 100 entries)