Patient Support Programmes
With COPD, every exacerbation matters – yet 40% go unreported. This patient programme encourages patients to report worsening symptoms to their HCP.
It features two talking lungs, personifying the inner dialogue when symptoms worsen. One lung downplays the changes, while the wiser lung insists on action. The programme also includes a range of supportive materials, from infographics to a consultation guide, a dedicated website and films exploring the reasons patients stay quiet.
Tapping into a complex behavioural insight and urging patients to listen to their better instincts, “Talk Yourself Into Taking Action” acknowledges that the most important conversation can be the one you have with yourself.
Judges’ comments
A decidedly strong overall entry for the judging panel, “Talk Yourself Into Taking Action” had amazing concept, reach and empowerment for COPD patients. The three SMART objectives were well laid out and presented outcomes demonstrated the quantitative success of the campaign. The clear insight of the internal struggle felt by patients was personified brilliantly by the two lungs, with the effect of lowering the fear felt by its audience, instead bringing in warmth, humour and compassion. And the emphatic praise received from global patient group leaders was resounding.
Judges further described how the behavioural insight was so excellent, and the highly creative execution felt genuinely patient-centred; they particularly liked how the campaign addressed the emotional conflict and stigma that would often prevent people from taking action, using storytelling in a very relatable and human way. Judges also found the results against the predefined objectives, such as engagement and resource downloads, to be extra impressive, along with added anecdotal improvements in patient care; they would love to know whether the campaign influenced real-world healthcare behaviours beyond. Overall, an excellent Gold-winning campaign that combined robust strategy with genuine empathy.
Alison Rayner, Bamboo Medical Communications
Effective bowel preparation is essential for successful colonoscopy, improving adenoma detection and enabling earlier colorectal cancer diagnosis. A review of existing assets prompted a complete rework of the patient journey across web, video, and print. At the heart of the programme was a digital hub, redesigned to seamlessly guide patients through their preparation, ensuring the most important information was encountered first.
Since its UK launch, the site has seen >10,000 unique users, driving >7,500 video views and achieving exceptional viewing and engagement times. Its impact also led to measurable improvements in bowel cleansing quality in real-world clinics.
Whether seeking practical advice, emotional support or just a moment of comfort, Stage4You brings together trusted resources to empower individuals on their own personal journey. Co-created with people with lived experience, it offers personalised, practical support organised by how people feel.
The platform includes emotional entry points and resources designed for return use as patient experiences shift – creating a distinctive, human-centred model tailored to the realities of living with stage 4 bowel cancer. Post-launch, Stage4You achieved a 470% traffic uplift and 178% increase in return visits, driven by a Self-Awareness Day campaign in March 2026.
Stage4You: Helping people living with stage 4 bowel cancer find the information they need, when they need it – for Takeda UK, in partnership with Bowel Cancer UK, by Burson
