NHS Liverpool wanted to increase awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer and encourage early presentation to GPs. As the Department of Health’s lead agency for delivery of local ‘Be Clear on Cancer’ initiatives, we worked with NHS Liverpool to implement the campaign locally. We took the existing brand and applied it across a range of materials, using inspiring survivor stories to prompt conversations on the disease.
Channels included an innovative and high-profile ‘On the couch’ sofa tour around the city, encouraging the general public to sit down and talk about their concerns with a healthcare professional, against the backdrop of local landmarks.
This was supported by Be Clear On Cancer materials and awareness-raising media activity. The campaign featured on local ITV news and in the local press, achieving notable cut-through with local communities.
Be Clear on Cancer delivered potentially life-changing benefits: awareness in Liverpool was higher than the national campaign (76% compared to 67%). More than 70% of people who saw the campaign knew it was targeted at them. And, most importantly, we also saw direct behaviour change, with an increase in presentations across the three priority cancers: bowel cancer (up 19.4%), lung cancer (up 10%) and breast cancer (up 1.5%).