Through this project we aimed to engage more deeply with the following key audiences:

• C-Suite and Opinion Leaders

• General Public

• Media

• Healthcare practitioners/workers

UK/Europe: you cannot advertise prescription products at all. In the US, you must list all the possible side effects and be realistic about the benefits. In the US, UK and Europe you can advertise prescription products to doctors, but must be clear about the risk and benefits.

To demonstrate that Philips is an organisation dedicated to improving people’s lives, we set out to create a PR-led campaign that would change the lives of a group of people with one thing in common: every breath is a battle. With the help of world-renowned choirmaster Gareth Malone and the Philips SimplyGo Mini Oxygen Concentrator, eighteen people with breathing conditions were taught to do something incredible: learn to sing.

Gareth Malone created a custom arrangement of the Police’s Every Breath You Take designed specifically for people with breathing difficulties, and in five days they overcame their difficulties, conquered their fears and were ready to perform on one of the world’s most iconic stages: the Apollo Theater in New York City. The Breathless Choir triumphed in a performance that brought the audience to tears and touched the hearts of millions in the press and online.

On World COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) Day, the campaign launched in The New York Times and Daily Mail and triggering hundreds of articles in mainstream and medical publications. Five films told the story of the Choir along with over 30 pieces of social content.

A press briefing was held in New York on World COPD Day. Members of the choir performed in front of media and were available for interview. A global press release was issued to media in the UK and USA with a focus on garnering coverage in high profile online media while markets activated local media. Social content rolled out across Philips owned and external channels. Gareth Malone’s popularity was also key to the campaign’s success. His reputation gave the story credibility and drove media interest. He also shared the Breathless Choir’s on his social media channels and his fan-base drove interest in the choir’s story.

The campaign had over 15 million views driving a 97% increase in traffic to the Philips Living Labs website where many people watched over 17 minutes of content.

It was shared by major medical groups like the American Lung Association and the Lancet Medical Journal, and triggered an outpouring of emotion by the general public on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. By micro-targeting audiences with bespoke content, the campaign enjoyed a 20% share rate and over 650,000,000 media impressions.

The Breathless Choir was a tremendous success for Philips from a reputation and sales perspective. The campaign generated a 14% rise in revenue in Q4 over Q3 (a record high) for Philips portable oxygen devices and increased Philips #1 leadership position in customer satisfaction by an amazing 15% points (Net Promoter Score).

The Breathless Choir is a PR-led campaign designed to shine a light on Philips’ belief that meaningful innovation can improve people’s lives. It was launched through media partnerships and its success hinged entirely on press coverage and social media shares. The highly targeted PR strategy allowed us to reach three disparate audiences- healthcare professionals, medical decision-makers and the general public. By targeting these three audiences with press coverage and content relevant to them, the campaign was shared and loved by millions, shifting the brand perception of Philips.

This campaign to appeal to three different but equally important audiences: healthcare professionals, medical decision makers and the general public. It also needed to overcome the tight regulations on prescription devices. So we micro-targeted each audience with bespoke stories and developed media partners to speak to each group.

The approach:

• Development of compelling content and focus on media engagement and social promotion.

• Global media launch on World COPD Day (November 18th).

• Pre-seeding exclusive media interview with Daily Mail, UK newspaper, a platform that is world centered.

• Internal communications which promoted employee engagement and involvement.

Gareth Malone’s popularity was also key to the campaign’s success. His reputation gave the story credibility and drove media interest.

This approach maximised engagement and drove people to explore the entire campaign on the Philips Living Labs website.

For decades, Philips has been famous for making consumer electronics, but they want the world to know that they also create healthcare technology that improves people’s lives. The brief was to spread this message to three separate but equally important audiences: healthcare professionals, medical decision-makers and the general public.

Lung diseases account for 7% of deaths worldwide. By 2030, they will become the third-leading cause of death worldwide. Philips believes there is always a way to make life better, and this kind of thinking led Philips to develop the SimplyGo Mini, a portable oxygen concentrator, which empowers patients with respiratory conditions to continue living full, active lives.

Objectives

• Promote the SimplyGo Mini in a way that complies with heavy regulations on prescription devices.

• Establish Philips as a thought leader in health technology.

• Change the perception of Philips as an electronics company to a health technology company.