UK government streamlines health communications agencies

Published: 20 Jan 2012

Freud Communications and MEC chosen as Department of Health tries to improve public health campaigns

The Department of Health (DH) has streamlined its communications agencies to just two – Freud Communications and MEC – as it shifts its focus from public health marketing.

Instead the DH wants to move to an audience-focused, ‘life course’ approach, which aims to deliver the right message, to the right people at the right time.  

Freud Communications will manage creative PR around all the DH’s public health campaigns and MEC will manage all media planning.

Previously, the DH had run single-issue campaigns in partnership with numerous agencies. It said the new integrated approach will deliver savings of around 25 per cent in line with efforts to reduce government communications spend.

This approach is designed to reduce the number of different conversations people have about their health, with a focus on recognising the links between certain behaviours, for example, poor diet and excessive alcohol consumption.

The DH is also tailoring its social marketing activities through the ‘life course’, to ensure that at each stage in an individual’s life there is a trusted brand they can rely upon to provide all the information, support and resources they need to improve their health and wellbeing.

Following the development of the public health social marketing strategy, the DH has prioritised four life-stage strands – Change4Life, Smokefree, Youth and Older people.

“Our public health social marketing strategy takes us to the next level, adopting a life-stage approach, which will make our campaigns more effective and save money,” said DH Head of Marketing, Sheila Mitchell.

Published: 20 Jan 2012

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