Sharp Minds has made it to the final five in the Best Care Marketing Team
category for the Leaders in Care awards. The shortlisting showcases our expertise in the sector –
for over a decade we have helped care providers and sector suppliers improve
their commercials and achieve their business goals.

Here’s why…

Within less than 6 months of starting work with Autumna, the UK’s largest later-life care directory, we identified an opportunity to create a groundbreaking campaign to spread awareness for their digital Dashboard for Accelerated Discharge (DAD), a unique solution for finding appropriate care options for elderly people stuck in hospital – quickly. This campaign alone secured a digital audience of more than 120 million. 

Spotting the intelligence gap

We began by conducting extensive research to discover what had been published in the arena and the intelligence gaps that could provide an opportunity for headline-winning thought leadership. This identified that there had never been a report on care providers’ experiences of the hospital discharge process. We therefore crafted a questionnaire for providers to determine the effectiveness of the current system, which was sent to the Autumna database.

The findings from 568 responses provided empirical evidence for the first time that the hospital discharge process is failing, giving a national overview as well as regional results, which revealed a postcode lottery for elderly patients waiting to be discharged from hospital. 

We turned the findings into a compelling, detailed, evidence-based 40-page report to communicate the findings effectively, project managing the design to create a report that is visually exciting and accessible. 

Tailored press releases for the national Tier 1 press, care trade press and local media (with bespoke versions for the 10 different regions), were sent out under embargo for the August bank holiday to optimise the silly season. 

The report was covered by The Times, The Independent, The Standard, BBC, ITN, Tier 1 trade press and more than 100 local newspapers around the country, creating new focus on the failing hospital discharge system.

Debbie Harris, Managing Director of Autumna shared: “Sharp Minds have played a key role in ensuring the challenges that the social care sector faces with hospital discharge are being heard across the country, and that they are being brought to the attention of the government.”

Reputation boosting

Other successful campaigns we have conducted have enabled Autumna to launch a new service to its core, care sector audience, as well as bringing the brand to a wider audience by securing coverage in the business and Tier 1 press. 

An exclusive negotiated with The Telegraph on Kent County Council charging families for acting as care brokers was the first time Autumna had featured in the national Tier 1 consumer press. 

Through effective news-hijacking, we have created additional opportunities for Autumna, cementing its reputation as a go-to commentator. 

This exceptional success has been possible through a combination of our astute PR expertise, extensive knowledge of the care sector and rigorous onboarding to understand Autumna’s business goals, challenges, opportunities and expertise.

We will find out if we’ve taken the title at the black-tie awards ceremony in National Conference Centre in Birmingham on Tuesday, 8th October.

If you are looking for support with an award application, please get in touch.

Based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, Sharp Minds Communications offers brand development, digital marketing, offline marketing, and public relations to businesses across Kent, Sussex, Surrey, and Greater London.