Detect Cancer Earlier Marketing Campaign: Evaluation Report 2024/2025

8. Paid-for media approach

A major paid-for media campaign ran in August 2024 and a smaller campaign ran in March 2025, alongside other marketing activity.

Note:

• Weeks 1-3 were weeks commencing 12, 19, 26 August 2024
• Weeks 4-7 were weeks commencing 3, 10, 17, 24 March 2025

Phase three – August / September 2024

The paid-for media campaign ran across TV (including an STV advert break takeover), video-on-demand, out of home (OOH), and digital platforms from 12 August to 1 September 2024. Additionally, posters were displayed in pharmacies from 29 July to 1 September 2024.

Paid-for media aimed to reach 91.4% of the target audience, giving them 9.1 opportunities to see/hear the campaign.

Phase four – March 2025

From 3 to 31 March 2025, the campaign ran in out of home (OOH), press, and targeted digital channels. Paid-for media aimed to reach 68.2% of the target audience giving them 4.3 opportunities to see/hear the campaign.

Other

A number of boosted Facebook posts were also activated in October 2024 to promote new social content to the target audience.

Role of each paid-for media channel

• TV was the primary channel used to reach the target audience, offering them several opportunities to see the campaign, and to build an emotional connection, as well as reaching wider friends & family influencers.
• STV ad break takeovers were used to create additional opportunities for the campaign to be noticed. Using well known presenter Sean Batty, the ad break was interspersed with early detection messages and reinforced the importance of being ‘the early bird’.
• Out of home advertising (outdoor poster sites) and pharmacy posters visibly reinforced the TV film to boost reach and recognition.
• Press content partnerships were used to bring a human voice to the campaign and share a ‘living well’ story. They ran across a wide range of publications in print and online, from the Daily Record, Sunday Post and Sunday Mail to local titles such as the Rutherglen Reformer, Stirling Observer and Ayrshire Post.
• Social media advertising supported more niche targeting of specific audiences (including those living in rural areas, areas of higher deprivation, and ethnic minority audiences) to increase reach among these groups.
• Paid search was used to support the campaign and drive traffic to getcheckedearly.org.