As part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cabinet Office National Resilience Hub created a unique collaboration with the news media industry.
About
The partnership involved over 600 national, regional, local and multicultural titles (and over 300 digital platforms) across the UK. Reaching over 49 million adults monthly, the partnership provided an effective channel to deliver messages which helped protect the NHS and kept citizens and businesses safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Solution
Over 80 pieces of sponsored content were developed, leveraging the high trust in news publications, which is up to 25 times higher than other government communications. The content covered various aspects of tackling the virus, from regular testing to vaccination campaigns like “Get Boosted Now”.
Results
Research showed that 82% of people were aware of the booster vaccine campaign, and 51% were motivated to get boosted after seeing the content. Even after nearly two years, the partnership’s content continued to deliver results without a decrease in net trust. Most importantly, after nearly 2 years of the Press Partnership, tracking research confirms that the content still delivers results with no sign that the net trust of content is decreasing.
“The Press Partnership is frequently cited as a best-in-class example of government and private sector collaboration that has been rapidly deployed at key points over the course of the pandemic, reinforcing the key behaviours the public should take at each turn.
“The Press Partnership provides the GCS profession with a unique insight on how developing and maintaining a partnership between the public sector and media during a time of national crisis can unite us under one mission – to help keep people safe during the pandemic.”
