5 minute read
GAME CHANGING TECHNOLOGY
BITA cork board supports urgent fundraising for cancer technology at CUH
Cork University Hospital (CUH) Charity’s Ambassador, Peter O’Mahony recently launched an urgent fundraising campaign to secure ground-breaking technology which will significantly advance cancer testing and improve cancer patients quality of life and survival.
“The campaign is supported by the Fenton family in memory of their beautiful daughter and sister Karen who died of ovarian cancer, and they have raised €75,000 to date for the critical technology”, said O’Mahony, the Ireland and Munster rugby player, who is fronting this fundraising initiative.
“We still need to raise €275,000 needed to purchase this life-changing technology for cancer patients through our idonate page”, he added. “We want to save as many lives as we can, not to mention the improved quality of life offered by this ultra-modern diagnostic technology.”
BITA Cork Chair, Judy Hopkins ran the launch public relations, photography and videography campaign which so far has raised over €100,000. She even challenged the Munster/Irish rugby star (O’Mahony) to a tug of war aboard the Irish Naval Ship, the L.E. Eithne for her own challenge. She let him win of course; “we wouldn’t want to injure one of our stars now, would we?”
Finance Director at BITA Cork and recently appointed BITA Cork Global representative, Rachel O’Leary and over 50 of her colleagues across the O’Leary Insurances offices nationwide, also took part in a Lockdown Fitness Challenge involving walking, running or cycling over 7,500km over the first four weeks of the challenge, raising €4,500 in the process.
According to Clinical Director for Cancer Services, Dr. Richard Bambury, growth in cancer rates will continue to rise as the population lives longer, and as new cancers continue to emerge.
“CUH has seen 200 new patients in radiotherapy and 50 patients in chemotherapy in the last six weeks alone, demonstrating the seriousness of the situation and the necessity to provide a quick turnaround and halt progression of cancers. This is where this vital piece of equipment, the Ion Torrent Genexus Integrated Sequencer technology will be invaluable. With this new technology, clinicians can get same day results instead of waiting two weeks, quickly select the treatments most likely to benefit individual patients, uncover novel treatment options and identify clinical trial possibilities. Saving lives is at the core of what we do, and the added advantage of valuable research will undoubtedly be hugely significant for future generations.” Dr. Bambury said.
Peter O’Mahony is asking people to come up with creative fundraising ideas for their social media fundraising campaign, have a bit of fun with it, and when they donate, they set themselves a challenge enabling friends, families, communities and companies to pull together to improve cancer services for future generations. It could be a sporting, art or household challenge (anything at all - run around your garden, a Zoom party, a 5k walk, shave your head, a virtual tractor run!) to raise awareness and fundraising for this worthy initiative.
“Donate on idonate, do your challenge and tag as many friends as you would like to challenge using #PullTogetherCUHC and tagging @CUH.Charity on Instagram, ‘Cork University Hospital Charity’ on Facebook and @CUHCharity on Twitter, and let’s all pull together against cancer!” O’Mahony concludes.
To donate to this urgent fundraising campaign, follow the idonate link at:
www.idonate.ie/CUHCCancerCampaign
MARKETING IN ‘THE NEW NOW’
Talking with Judy Hopkins, Chair of BITA Cork and Partner at Integrated Marketing Communications Agency, Hopkins Communications
How should businesses handle marketing spend?
When crisis hits, it is natural for companies to shift to survival mode and cut costs, and a common response is to cut the marketing budget. Despite this, we know brands that maintain marketing spend during a crisis not only increase sales and market share, but this impact lasts for several years.
During the economic recession of the 1990s, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell took advantage of McDonald’s decision to cut advertising spend. They increased sales by 61 per cent and 40 per cent respectively, while McDonald’s sales declined by 28 per cent.
As the adage goes, “when times are good, you should advertise. When times are bad, you must advertise.”
What strategy should businesses be taking?
Whether maintaining or reducing your budget, you still need to revisit your messaging to reflect the shared challenges. With Covid-19, consumer behaviour and attitudes have changed, effective communications underpinned by a robust strategy has never been more important. Remember, everything is developing so quickly on the daily – you may need to change communications you had and have already planned.
KFC were quick to pull an ad in the UK which focused on “finger-licking” amid complaints that it was inappropriate at a time when good hand hygiene is critical.
We recommend the following steps:
• Scenario Planning - Have your statements on each stage, for example returning to work, ready for your internal and external stakeholders.
• Start planning your Q4 campaigns - it’s the busiest time of year for marketers so plan now!
• Focus on long-term brand building because that investment will ultimately support recovery.
• Prepare a robust Business Continuity Plan that will take you from now, to business as usual.
• Review your plan and messaging and assign teams for communicating internal and external communications.
• Identify a leader who coordinates the company’s response incorporating all areas.
• Look at having two teams – one focusing on the now and one on the post Covid-19 phase.
What media are audiences consuming right now?
Statistics show that digital media usage is significantly up since the crisis began so my advice would be to look at your online presence first and then work your way through your traditional marketing collateral after.
Review your Website
• Update and refresh your content
• Create a web banner that informs visitors about the changes to your business. •
Update opening hours on your website and search engines •
Can you rebrand your messaging to make it warmer and more welcoming? •
Do you welcome new visitors to the site? •
Setup or Review your Google Analytics •
Monitor and analyse the visitor journey and user behaviour
• Are your users interacting as expected? If not, adjust your content accordingly, and test!
• Use Google Trends and Google Keyword Planner to identify the high intent searches of your target audiences
What advise do you have to businesses as a whole when it comes to marketing?
Have empathy, be human, be calm, reflect – find the right ways to behave when communicating – be balanced.
Forget about Returning Back, it’s time to Bounce Forward!
You can reach Judy through her company, Hopkins Communications, at www.h-c.ie
