Shape the Future - NHS 75th Birthday

NIHR Shape the Future took place between 1 May and 9 July to celebrate the NHS 75th birthday. The campaign capitalised on the outpour of love for the NHS to highlight how research changes healthcare and to recruit volunteers for studies in health and social care. It offered research as a way to shape the future of our healthcare system. 

 The objectives were; to increase the number of volunteer registrations by 15% in May 2023 and ensure that 10% of all #NHS75 tweets mentioned “research” or #BePartOfResearch. 

Were the objectives achieved? Yes. The number of registrations on Be Part of Research grew by 30%. The number of tweets mentioning research reached 43% in May and 12% in June. 

The campaign used a variety of channels; paid, earned, shared and owned. More importantly, it produced content that created an emotional response, adding storytelling and vulnerability to every single campaign product. 

Shape the Future achieved a remarkable result, making the audience teary and emotional. But tears and reflections turned into hope and a sense of community. The story of Stephen Cossins, “Grandad with cancer 'all over his body' cured without chemo” generated 7,000 shares on Facebook, generating a record number of volunteer sign-ups to Be Part of Research and to other volunteer registries. The campaign successfully motivated the public offering an opportunity to act on their feelings.