INTRODUCTION, BACKGROUND & CONTENT
With every heart attack a part of the heart dies.
However, powerful modern drugs can limit damage. Speed is everything. The earlier symptoms are identified and the Ambulance & Rescue service called, the sooner these drugs can be administered at The Princess Elizabeth Hospital.
All too frequently issues stand in the way of a patient making the call quickly… failure to recognise the symptoms, the stubborn Guernsey nature – dare not inconvenience the Ambulance & Rescue service at night and finally, denial of the problem.
Heart Attacks are not the preserve of the elderly; in younger people they are more likely to be fatal.
Attracting the financial support of a third party was essential.

THE CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES
Save lives and/or limit heart damage so that a healthy lifestyle could be preserved.
Enhance public confidence in 24/7 St John Ambulance & Rescue service.
Place a responsibility for one another’s welfare in the hearts and minds of the community and to recognise the seriousness and consequences of a heart attack. Better-informed people make better judgements for both themselves - as a possible patient - and in assisting others.

THE COMMUNICATIONS OBJECTIVES
The target for all communications included the entire population of our island.
Primarily to encourage the public to call 999 at the onset of the symptoms of a heart attack.
Secondly, it was necessary to communicate how to recognise symptoms.
Thirdly, to present the human face of the Ambulance & Rescue Service - make them more approachable and accessible (less scary).

STRATEGIES CHOSEN TO ACHIEVE OBJECTIVES
1 Present a case to, and win the support of, a funding organisation.
2 Negotiate with the media to generate maximum exposure.
3 Enlist the support of the Bailiff (the island was between Governors at the time) thus giving the campaign gravitas.
4 Educate through a PR opportunities
5 Involve as many members of the community as possible in the creative execution. This would impact on families and friends, not only at the time of participation but at the point of transmission or publishing of communications.
6 Engage known islanders spanning all age groups and social backgrounds, not simply as endorsers of the cause, but also as ambassadors in their ‘world’.
7 A three-month late summer campaign. Media could afford to be more charitable in these quieter months. The length of campaign ensured that little loss of impact would be lost through traditional summer holidays.
8 Clarity in creativity. It was unlikely that the communication would be acted on at the time of publication/transmission, so the message had to stick. The campaign set-out to equip islanders with the correct procedure. Simply… phone 999 without delay.

TACTICS IMPLEMENTED TO ACHIEVE OBJECTIVES

Launch
All media, The Bailiff and other contributors to the communications materials, St John Ambulance & Rescue Service and the LloydsTSB Charitable Foundation, attended the campaign launch in July 2005 at Lloyds Bank, Smith Street. All promotional materials were unveiled.

Public Information Films
Channel Television broadcast 30 second public information films. Two factors influenced the scripts and storyboards; firstly production costs had to be kept to a minimum (limit filming time) and secondly, engage large numbers of people.
Three concepts were pursued. The first involved 300 Grammar School Students and Tutors, the second involved 150 Specsavers employees, and the third 150 MeesPierson Reads employees.
The Grammar School production took place in the Garenne Stand at Footes Lane Stadium. The event saw good media attendance. After 45 minutes of rehearsal the live shoot had to be aborted when two students feinted in the unusually extreme heat. However, the media coverage was excellent on television, radio and press/magazine. Ironically, a huge benefit came from this ‘incomplete’ project.
The remaining two films were enthusiastically supported by local businesses. Both funded hundreds of branded t-shirts and caps and these were given to staff as a legacy of their involvement and creating hundreds of living advertisements.

Press
Hinged on a gallery of 14 locally known sportsmen and women, politicians, business leaders, media personnel, publicly known individuals and others representing community sectors.
The primary call to action was to ring 999 at the onset of the symptoms. The second vital message was to recognise these symptoms. To avoid compromising visual impact, each communication encouraged the reader to call the Symptom Line (see below).

Radio
A radio ad was produced focusing on the key ‘call 999 without delay’ message.
By using media celebrities in the Press campaign, both radio stations gave many interviews and talk-ups in support.
Recorded messages from the ‘gallery’ were played frequently on radio.

Outdoor
Large banners were placed in high visibility public areas for a six-week period with the support of The Environment Department.
Bus backs were used, as were posters displayed in the interiors. Displays were used in Doctor’s Surgeries and The Princess Elizabeth Hospital. Retailers in the High Street vicinity displayed scores of posters. Without prompting, New Safeway displayed all 12 posters behind the checkouts.
Branded stickers were placed on all ambulance vehicles.

Symptom Line
Precise details on the symptoms of a heart attack were quite involved and would reduce the impact of advertising and poster work. To overcome this the Symptom Line was introduced on 716999. This line is available at all times allowing the user to make a clearer judgement on what might be happening to them or a suspected heart attack patient.

PR
The educational element of the campaign was handled through PR, using interview and features involving Senior St John Ambulance & Rescue staff.
The launch was given excellent coverage in all media, as was the aborted Public Information Film production.
To provide a human face for the Ambulance & Rescue Service, 24/7 included the Chief Officer in the Who’s coming to dinner feature. A paramedic also appeared in the Career ladder feature.

BUDGET
The budget of £13,000 was funded entirely by The LloydsTSB Foundation.
The business houses involved met the cost of branded t-shirts and caps.

MEASUREMENT AND RESULTS
Using the Princess Elizabeth Hospital Audit Department benchmark of responding to a heart attack within three hours from the onset of symptoms, the numbers responding within that period nearly doubled from August to September 2005 and remained at a similar level through October.
Aug 37% within 3 hours
Sep 66% within 3 hours
Oct 64% within 3 hours

VALUE ADDED FACTOR AS A RESULT OF THE STRATEGY
External
The simple message should live on for many years, perhaps generations.
Many hundreds were involved in the campaign and the multiplier effect with families and friends enhanced the success of the campaign. Some of the gallery of islanders used in Press and on Radio shared their involvement with other audiences publicly.
Internal
Staff responded positively to the high profile campaign, and it galvanised their need to meet response times in conveying heart attack patients to Hospital.