We are absolutely over the moon to share that Virgo has just won Agency of the Year at the PRWeek Healthcare& Pharma Comms Awards.

Up against seven other shortlisted healthcare agencies, the write up says it all: ‘Truly innovative and creative thinking that’s kept its culture as vibrant as ever in a virtual world. By living and breathing its values Virgo Health continues to thrive, unlocking unprecedented growth, developing new client relationships and cementing existing ones, all while putting its people and their wellbeing first to create a true agency for the future.’

We couldn’t be prouder of this amazing team, very single person has contributed to our incredible success, creative work and growth this year helping make Virgo the very best it can be.

Here’s to a brilliant team and an even better 2022!

By Natasha Weeks, Consumer Health Executive Director

Healthcare professionals (HCPs) have always been hugely influential when it comes to making decisions about our health, but recently there has been a significant increase in the number of them attracting a large following on social media.

I’m not just talking about ‘media medics’ – the term we used to give GPs with columns in magazines and seats on TV sofas. Their monopoly is over (and so is that term).

There’s a new era of HCP influence and it’s thriving.

This is, I suspect, most recently fuelled by consumers wanting access to more expert-led advice (versus ‘celebrity’ endorsement) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Virus advice via TikTok docs suddenly became a thing and HCPs aren’t leaving the platform any time soon.

From GPs to midwives to specialists, they are not only sharing health advice and product recommendations but documenting their personal lives and even professional struggles.

Of course, HCPs are human too, and seeing this other side of them makes them more authentic – a winning combination coupled with their natural authority in healthcare.

It could be a midwife using a baby brand with their own baby, a dermatologist recommending a cream they use on their dry skin, or a GP demonstrating how to conduct a breast check and where to go for more information.

With many commanding more than 100,000 followers, it’s no wonder brands are flocking to HCP influencers, but what is changing are the types of brands wanting to work with them.

Consumer health and wellness brands, plus public health and charitable campaigns, were there first, but now a broader range of consumer brands are exploring the power of HCP influence.

This is most certainly linked to more brands seeking credibility to play in the health and wellness space.

This evolution shows no sign of slowing down – in fact, many high-profile HCP influencers are becoming ‘celebrities’ in their own right, and generating mainstream editorial attention too.

However, as communicators we need to be mindful of this blurring of lines. It’s essential we work with HCP influencers authentically and compliantly.

Celebrities are not permitted to endorse medicines. They are, however, allowed to endorse medical devices and food supplements.

HCPs can endorse medical devices, but there are restrictions when it comes to advertising medicines and food supplements.

But at what point does an HCP become a celebrity? Isn’t it time we had more specific regulations around working with HCP influencers?

There is even less clarity when asking HCP influencers to endorse cosmetics or FMCG brands. A key consideration is whether you want to make a health claim, without being classified as a health product.

Whatever their profession or specialism, the HCP will also be governed by their own regulatory bodies and councils, highlighting what they can and cannot say.

There are subtle but important differences – ie sharing a product’s benefits or claims versus overt promotion, which could lead to serious breaches for you, your brand and the HCP.

First and foremost, HCP influencers are healthcare professionals and we must respect that, and when you work with them in the right way, brands can benefit enormously.

Opinion piece first seen in PRWeek.

We’re delighted to share the news that we’ve won a three-way, competitive pitch to support CooperVision with an IPG media agency and sister agency Golin. CooperVision is one of the largest manufacturers of contact lenses in the world and we’ll be working with them on a behaviour-change campaign to raise consumer awareness of myopia (short-sightedness) in children. By 2050, 50% of the global population will develop myopia, but it is manageable.

The three agencies worked as an integrated team to respond to CooperVision’s purpose-led brief, combining their expertise in consumer communications, healthcare and paid media to deliver a scalable, earned-first creative concept to drive awareness of myopia and increase enquiries about myopia management in the UK. The team also delivered an above the line brand identity and digital advertising plan for Brilliant Futures™ with MiSight^® 1 day contact lenses, which are proven to slow the progression of myopia.

Golin and Virgo Health will lead earned strategy, creative, consumer public relations and influencer engagement. Reprise will support across paid social channels, including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Virgo Health will also work with eye care practitioners (ECPs) to raise awareness of the campaign and further increase discussions about myopia management.

Mark Draper, Director of Marketing and National Accounts at CooperVision, said: “CooperVision is committed to helping people around the world see better every day. Traditional vision correction can help children see clearly, but it can’t help to slow the progression of their myopia. That’s why we’re so proud of Brilliant Futures™ with MiSight^® 1 day and the impact it can have on improving children’s lives and helping them achieve their future ambitions. The IPG team completely understood our purpose and primary ambition to increase awareness of myopia resulting in a change in behaviour. They impressed us with a fantastic pitch and killer creative concept, coupled with a smart and well-considered approach to rolling out our campaign.”

Natasha Weeks, Executive Director and Consumer Health lead, Golin and Virgo Health, said: “The CooperVision brief is the kind that truly energised and excited our team. With our integrated offering it hit our sweet spot perfectly of hard-hitting health combined with culturally-relevant consumer creativity, and we loved unpicking the insights and triggers that will ensure parents take action. At a time when maintaining public health is so essential, the whole team is passionate about the difference we can make with CooperVision. Parents wouldn’t think twice about taking their children for regular dental check-ups, and with products like Brilliant Futures™ with MiSight® 1 day that can slow the progression of myopia, children’s eye tests should be just as much a priority.”

As we close out our Diversity and Inclusion learning fortnight, I have never been prouder of the people I work with. Beyond the 903 hours of collective learning we did together, most importantly we showed each other that we do care about the whole person, not just the role they play alongside us as colleagues. I have been overwhelmed by some beautiful acts of listening, thoughtfulness, inclusion and kindness our team has shown each other through the fortnight. It is by far one of my career highlights and I have learnt so much – some things that stood out for me:

• Knowing is not understanding. I went into this fortnight feeling fairly well educated but quickly realised there is a big difference between knowing something and really understanding it. I realise I have a way to go to really understanding many of the topics we covered and this is just the start
• The opportunity for my own self-reflection about my racial identity as part of sharing my experience in the panel discussion and how grateful I was to my colleagues who generously shared theirs
• Samantha Renke’s view that actually she wasn’t disabled but the world around her was disabling, really brought into focus the real degree to which society and quite frankly the constructs of the world around us all need to change to truly to be inclusive
• My responsibility to create an inclusive workplace starts outside the walls, it starts at home with my children. The work shared by Magda from Woke Babies is so vital.
• The inclusive leadership session brilliantly bought into focus the opportunity that the pandemic has given us to build back our workplace better than before and this means we need the lens of inclusivity to be cast over every aspect of our hybrid work planning
• The incredibly powerful role we have as communicators and for the global brands we work on to actually influence and change perspective and behaviour on a huge scale

Our goal is for diversity and inclusion to become simply part of “how we do things” at Golin and Virgo, from our culture, processes and our work.

There will be challenges as we turn the flashlight on ourselves and increase our accountability, but it will make us better, closer, stronger and help us produce even better work.

So, this is just the beginning.