The benefits of uniting in a divergent environment

More now than ever, the healthcare environment is fast-paced, reactive and looking for efficiencies at every level. Political uncertainty has many implications on pharmaceutical regulation, life sciences investment, research and development, and more. National strategies and top-down opinion crowd senior managers’ headspace when they are looking for improvements across the industry and health service. Amidst this complex environment, it is so important that we, as health communications agencies, don’t take the pressure off. We must keep driving forward to deliver health awareness campaigns, to develop and integrate new technologies and to tell the world that advancements in health are being made.

The range of campaigns and projects that Four Health has launched over the last year demonstrates how innovation doesn’t wait for turbulent times to blow over. Tonight, we’ll be at the PM Society Digital Awards waiting to hear if any of our eight shortlisted campaigns are awarded a win. Whether we go home tonight with eight trophies or none, I can honestly say how proud I am that we’re breaking boundaries across this range of services.

Looking to the future, learning from the past

Throughout my career I have specialised in media strategy, digital insight, analytics and global best practice media planning – which we continue to push forward. We have two projects nominated in the ‘Best use of new or emerging technology’ category tonight. Integrating the tech of the future into our daily work is one half of the battle; the other half is building confidence in digital within our clients’ minds. The answer is not to charge in with technological solutions – we must instead look at all the channels and consider digital’s place within them.

Let’s also not forget that there is a need for traditional strategies too. Nominated tonight is the already award-winning Genetic Links to Anxiety and Depression (GLAD) study campaign for King’s College London, which combined traditional media formats, broadcast, social media and digital to recruit thousands of mental health research volunteers. The campaign went beyond the ‘informed’ public bubble and created an online conversation about mental health, breaking down stigma with every tweet.

Driving success through expertise

Four Health comprises a network of expertise that takes a campaign from a single-purpose to an integrated solution. Over the last year we have refined how our internal network of experts shares ideas, strategies and support. Four Health consists of specialist teams that joined Four Communications when they needed a bigger platform to carry on delivering the most innovative solutions for their clients. Now under the same roof, we can knock down the virtual walls and not just learn from each other but use what each team has to offer.

As a communications consultancy, we take insights from occurrences around us and adapt. This is no time to stand still; working together as Four Health, there’s no sign of slowing down for our combined and growing expertise and skillset. We didn’t take notice of what politicians and the news headlines kept telling us: we took 2019 as an opportunity to defy divergence and unite. We polished our offering, shared best practice and came together to create an integrated expert service for health. That’s what we call the power of together.

If you would like more information on the work that Four Health does, please get in touch with Emma Statham, chief executive of Four Health here