By Adam James
Does your care group want to ensure that target audiences, particularly prospective families and commissioners, are aware of your homes’ quality of care?
Do you want to achieve this by having guaranteed regular positive regional media exposure for your homes, and so ensuring your home is the most well-known in your region.
Well, you’ll secure spectacular results when focusing on the ‘human interest stories’ in your homes or specialist service, even when you may not have hard-hitting ‘news’ as such.
I know if I stepped into one of your homes today I’d find at least two stories that would guarantee having journalists writing positive stories about your homes – and 9 times out of 10 it would involve a strong ‘human interest’ angle.
This might be significant birthdays (e.g. 100th), couples’ anniversaries, residents with jaw-dropping life stories, staff achievements, funky fitness classes, ‘date nights’ or pet therapy classes.
For example, a special lunch for a husband and wife at one home we worked with was – on the face of it – a run-of-the-mill event.
But after speaking to the care home manager we discovered the amazing ‘back story’ about the couple – including the length of their relationship, their connections to the local community and their separation because of the husband’s failing health.
Moreover, this heart-warming ‘story’ was also fabulous for the home as it showcased the personalised nature of its care, and the understanding its staff had on what was important to residents and the tailor-made events they created for them.
Here’s an example of media exposure that this story secured:
Eye-catching editorial photography for C & C
One London-based care home provider, C & C, wanted us to raise the profile of their eight homes in and around the capital over a six-month period and, in particular, to showcase their unique personal care plans which provides their residents the opportunity to be a ‘resident of the day’.
With a number of homes in the same geographical area, we helped C &C plan ‘stories’ in rotation to avoid approaching the same journalists on media too often.
The positive ‘stories’ we helped source and create over a six-month period were almost all focused on ‘human interest’.
Moreover, we used our wonderful network of editorial photographers to help bring the stories to life and exemplify the therapeutic relationships residents had with staff.
Result Highlights Over Six Months – The Power Of Human Interest
* 10 pieces of coverage in key local media. Regional audience = 202,000, + online audience
* Range of ongoing marketing and PR collateral, including photographs and positive news for C & C newsletters, website, Facebook pages, and carehome.co.uk listings
* Expert-opinion pieces in care sector industry media
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