1. IPU advertising
campaigns –
promoting the role
of the pharmacist
The IPU runs annual advertising
campaigns promoting ‘Ask Your
Pharmacist First’ to the public,
highlighting the role of the pharmacist
and encouraging the public to make
their local pharmacy their first port of
call for their healthcare needs. In this
article, Aoibheann Ní Shúilleabháin,
Communications Manager, IPU,
provides an overview of the
effectiveness of the campaign.
PROFESSIONAL Aoibheann Ní Shúilleabháin, Communications Manager, IPU
T
he 2016 campaign
built on the
success of the
national radio and
TV advertising
campaigns in 2014 and
2015, with social media
becoming a key component
of this year’s campaign. The
2016 advertising campaign
consisted of six segments: four
bursts of radio ads and two
television ads. The ads were
broadcast at different stages
throughout the year, according
to the issue being highlighted,
and received extensive
national airplay.
The first ad campaign of the
year was the Flu Vaccination
radio ad, which ran in early
January. The timing of the
ad served as a reminder
24 IPUREVIEW DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

2. to the public to ask their
pharmacist about the flu
vaccination. The ad ran for
one week on RTÉ Radio 1 and
Newstalk, and regional radio
stations including Highland
Radio, Radio Kerry, Midlands
103, Q102, Limerick Live,
Galway Bay and WLR. The ad
would have been heard by
75% of adults 55+, with the
opportunity to hear the ad
4.3 times.
The next burst of radio
ads aired on 9 May and
encouraged people to ‘Ask
Your Pharmacist First’ about
their hay fever symptoms and
the best treatment options
available. The target audience
for the media plan changed
from the flu vaccination ad,
as it is a different cohort of
patients that may be coming
to pharmacies for hay fever
advice. The ad ran for one
week on Today FM and 2FM, as
well as regional radio stations
such as IRadio, 4FM, Cork
96/103 and 98FM.
The first of our television
ads returned to our screens
at the beginning of June.
TV is an effective medium
to allow us to engage with
patients and communicate the
valuable role of community
pharmacists to a large
audience. The ‘Toe to Go’ TV
ad, which ran for three weeks,
highlights the importance
of seeking healthcare advice
from a trusted healthcare
professional. The media plan,
developed by Language and
ZenithOptimedia, performed
extremely well, with good
placement of the ad at peak
times and in the position in
the ad break.
The ad was broadcast on
RTÉ One, RTÉ 2, TV3, 3E, UTV
Ireland, TG4 and SKY Media
package and appeared during
key programmes such as
Coronation Street, RTÉ One’s
Nine News, Tonight with Vincent
Browne, UEFA Euro 2016,
Nationwide, Emmerdale and
The Chase. 55% of all adults
would have seen the TV ad
at least once. The ad also
appeared on Video on Demand
and YouTube from 6 June for
six weeks. Total impressions
delivered were 505,426, with
an above-average of 85% video
completion rate. The ad also
appeared on Farm TV, which
is broadcast at 21 livestock
marts around the country,
providing an audience reach of
24,200 farmers per week.
The next burst of radio ads
ran in September to coincide
with the beginning of the
2016-2017 flu season. The ad
ran for one week again, with
posters and leaflets available
to download from the IPU
website to complement the
ads. A video was also created,
highlighting the pharmacy flu
vaccination service, and was
broadcast on Farm TV, as well
as at the National Ploughing
Championships, which had an
attendance of 283,000 people.
The second of our TV
ads was broadcast during
October and ran for three
weeks. The ad exaggerates
the notion of people getting
the wrong advice online
and uses humour to engage
the audience. The message
“ The IPU advertising campaigns aim to
highlight the professional services provided
to the public. The IPU will continue to
promote the role of the pharmacist to
members of the public, the media,
politicians and other stakeholders.”
delivered at the end of the ad
is clear and unambiguous:
ask your pharmacist first for
advice you can really trust.
The target audience for this
TV ad was young men.
The ad was broadcast
during top programming
such as RTÉ One’s Six-One
News, RTÉ One’s Nine News,
Tonight with Vincent Browne
and Emmerdale. The ad would
have been seen by over two
million adults at least once.
On Video on Demand, total
impressions delivered was
408,122. Due to the content of
the ad (using the internet for
health advice), we expanded
the media plan to include
Facebook in the mix. The
ad performed exceptionally
well, with 302,796 views. The
social sentiment was positive
on Facebook and there was
a total of 199,424 people
taking action on the post, i.e.
reacting, commenting and
sharing the video post. 75% of
people who watched the video
were male, with the largest
audience to engage with the
ad being men aged 25-34 years
old; thus, reaching our target
audience.
Another radio ad ran from
5 December for one week,
highlighting the Christmas
gift ideas that are available
in pharmacies. The target
audience for the ad was
18-34 year olds, with the ad
expected to reach 63% of this
cohort and 49% of all adults.
Community pharmacies
are the most accessible part
of the healthcare system
and pharmacists and
pharmacy staff play a vital
role in the primary healthcare
system. The IPU advertising
campaigns aim to highlight
the professional services
provided to the public. The
IPU will continue to promote
the role of the pharmacist to
members of the public, the
media, politicians and other
stakeholders.
IPUREVIEW DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017 25