From Digital Stress to Digital Balance: How We Recruited Participants for an E-Health Study
In Stats
7,188,990
Total reach
Over 190,000,000
Online visits
Over 6,000
Screened participants for the study
Key Results
Coverage across print and online media, as well as radio, in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
Shortlisted for the European Excellence Awards 2023
Shortlisted for the European Excellence Awards 2023
Tags
Date 2024
Overview
Being constantly online has a profound and lasting impact on our lives. While it provides endless opportunities for networking and accessing information, it also increases the pressure to remain perpetually available and productive. This ever-present digital connection can lead to stress, difficulties in concentration, and feelings of being overwhelmed. The issue of problematic internet use became especially pressing during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Challenge
SCAVIS needed to find participants for an e-health study, but the recruitment process faced unique challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic. Traditional methods, such as in-person visits to schools, were no longer feasible, significantly hindering their ability to attract enough respondents. The key goal of the project was to generate a sufficient number of high-quality leads through communication measures within two months, ensuring the study could reach the required sample size of participants.
Our Client
SCAVIS stands for “Stepped Care Approach for the Treatment of Internet-Related Disorders” and aims to promote healthy and responsible use of the internet and smartphones. It is an e-health-based, stepped care model designed for the prevention and treatment of problematic online usage. The associated study sought to explore problematic internet usage and provide actionable recommendations for those affected.
Our Role
Our task was to use our communication activities to find and encourage study participants, while also raising overall awareness of the issue. In addition to managing PR activities, we served as the central point of coordination for influencer bookings.
The Strategy
We developed a holistic, storytelling-based communication strategy, combining a broad PR approach with targeted outreach through gamer and beauty influencers. This was supported by a tailored native ads campaign, focusing on themes such as “digital balance.”
PR:
- Press relations and content development for the Digital Health Day
- Rapid response campaign on Safer Internet Day
- Content package and media pitching on the theme of Digital Balance during Lent
- Interview pitches for online/print media as well as radio and TV
Influencer
- Two-phase influencer campaign featuring lifestyle and gaming influencers
Native Ads
- Layout design and consultation on the theme of Digital Balance
- Two-phase ad campaign, distributed through an online advertising service across general interest media
Our strategy and related activities were carefully coordinated to effectively reach the target audience and recruit the study participants required.
Sustainable Results and Award Nominations Our campaign, built around the three pillars of PR, influencers, and native ads, was a critical factor in successfully recruiting participants for the study. The PR activities achieved a total reach of seven million through online, print, radio, and TV media. The influencer campaign reached over two million subscribers and generated an impressive 1.5 million interactions with the posts.
The campaign also earned shortlist nominations for the prestigious European Excellence Awards 2023 and the German PR Award 2024.
