Target Ovarian Cancer is a UK charity that works to improve early diagnosis of ovarian cancer, fund life-saving research, and provide support to women with ovarian cancer. While it has strong statistics, case studies, messaging and research expertise as pros, it also has a small team and resources as cons. It invested significantly in digital to improve its reach to key audiences, reinforce its brand, increase fundraising, and enable future projects. This led to an 80% increase in website sessions and 70,000+ social media followers, extending its PR reach to 18.9 million. A campaign achieved over 80 MP meetings and support from the Health Minister via social media and PR.

1. The blurring of PR and digital - how
small charities can punch above
their weight
Alexandra Holden

2. Meet Annie…

3. Meet Target Ovarian Cancer…
• Target Ovarian Cancer is the UK’s leading
ovarian cancer charity. We work to:
– improve early diagnosis
– fund life saving research
– provide much needed support to women with
ovarian cancer.

4. Our PR & digital positioning
Pros:
• Strong statistics
• Excellent and
passionate case
studies
• Consistent messaging
• Research expertise
• Public affairs networks
• Investment in our digital
platform
Cons:
• Small team – small
resources
• Proactive v reactive
• Crowded sector – being
seen to ‘compete’

5. Digital investment
• Board approved significant digital investment in
2014 to:
– Improve our reach to our key audiences
– Reinforce our brand positioning
– Increase our fundraising reach
– Build capacity for future innovative digital
projects
• Current website sessions up by 80 per cent;
users up by 73%; page views up by 85%
• Clinical Trials Information Centre,
CNS hub, Symptoms Diary app

7. Back to Annie…

8. Women with ovarian cancer

9. The Ovarian Cancer Postcode
Lottery

10. Starting early – getting the right
people there…

11. On the day - photographic
evidence…

12. Extending our reach…

13. Digital reach
• Website: 2,500
• Email marketing: 5,000
• Social media: 70,000
• PR reach (includes digital): 18.9m

14. Campaign achievements
• Over 80 MPs attended, signed the pledge
and had photos taken
• The Minster for Health spoke at the event
and tweeted her support
• This led to a meeting with the Minister,
collaborating with other ovarian cancer
charities.

15. Recommendations
• Integrate digital into your communication
activities. It is not a ‘stick on’ activity.
• Start early. Create buzz to set
expectations and get the right people
involved.
• Let others get involved. Create dialogue
and give supporters something to do.

18. Visit the CharityComms website to
view slides from past events, see
what events we have coming up
and to check out what else we
do:
www.charitycomms.org.uk

19. PR in the
digital age
Conference
3 December 2015
London
#charityPR
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