The campaign launch comes hot on the heels of the news of a major breakthrough in the search for a COVID-19 vaccine, with unprecedented interest in the pharmaceutical industry.
Topham Guerin, the social media content specialist agency that came to prominence for its work on the Conservative Party’s social media campaign during last year’s general election, helped to create the new campaign.
The 'Valuing vaccines' campaign’s key message is the value of vaccines in transforming the lives of millions of people.
It is focused on explaining how vaccines are developed and the health and economic benefits they bring to society, in an attempt to address misinformation about vaccines and engage people who may be concerned about them.
Altogether, there are five messaging 'pillars' of the campaign: cutting edge science, robust process to develop vaccines, the value to public health and saving lives, the value to the economy, and the value to global health.
Proud to be launching @ABPI_UK new #valuingvaccines campaign today. Lots of incredible facts telling the story of how #vaccines save and transform the lives of millions people. Check it out here?? https://t.co/nTbuoF8u96
— Elliot Dunster (@ElliotDunster) November 11, 2020
The campaign will be promoted across social media and digital channels, with a mix of paid-for and organic content.
LinkedIn, where the ABPI has almost 17,000 followers, and Twitter, where it has more than 16,000, are the main channels being used.
Topham Guerin, which was recently handed £3m to work on COVID-19 messaging for the Government, has developed the social media content and the digital advertising strategy for the campaign.
The focus on vaccines follows on from the ABPI’s 'Valuing medicines' campaign, which was launched last year to promote the benefits of drugs produced by pharmaceutical firms.
The new campaign, which is aimed at the general public, as well as specific groups such as health bodies and patient organisations, will run for four months.
It aims to showcase the virtues of vaccinations and the work of pharma firms through the use of simple facts and figures presented in campaign images and short films on social media and digital channels. A Valuing Vaccines website has been created, with content backing the campaign messaging.
Elaine Towell, head of media and comms at the ABPI, told PRWeek: “The spotlight is on the industry like it has never been before and we feel a responsibility to tell the story of what pharmaceutical companies are doing in developing new medicines and vaccines, and the really robust and strict safety processes that these vaccines go through, and to tell the story of the impact of vaccination – not just in the UK, but globally.”
Up to three million lives are saved globally every year because of immunisation, according to the ABPI.
And 74 per cent of the COVID-19 vaccines in clinical trials are being developed by the pharmaceutical industry.
This is just one part of the bigger picture on vaccines, as 260 are currently in development for the prevention or treatment of disease.
Ipsos MORI polling of attitudes and perceptions towards pharma firms and vaccines, and social media engagement data, will be used to measure the impact of the campaign.
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