Get Winter Strong - Winter Vaccination Campaign
Challenge
'Get Winter Strong' is a national vaccination campaign promoting the uptake of winter vaccinations.
While national assets provided consistency, they offered limited flexibility for local adaptation across Greater Manchester’s diverse population and ten localities.
The challenge was to deliver a system-wide campaign that met national requirements while enabling targeted, locally relevant communication, including the introduction of the new RSV vaccination, and improving uptake across priority cohorts and underserved communities.
I led the development and delivery of a Greater Manchester-wide integrated communications approach that adapted national campaign materials for local delivery while increasing flexibility, targeting and impact.
My role included:
• Designing and delivering a fully integrated multi-channel campaign across outdoor, digital, social, print, partner and internal NHS communications channels.
• Coordinating external creative, media and print suppliers, managing briefing, production schedules, budgets and approvals.
• Developing and distributing communications toolkits to all ten Greater Manchester localities to support consistent yet locally adaptable delivery.
• Building strong relationships across NHS organisations, locality teams and stakeholders to ensure system-wide alignment and engagement.
• Producing accessible communications resources, including BSL video content, Easy Read formats and translated materials to support equitable access.
• Aligning paid media activity with organic communications and partner-led engagement.
• Delivering campaign evaluation in partnership with an insight agency.
Outcome
Independent pre-and post-campaign evaluation demonstrated measurable improvements across awareness, attitudes and behavioural intent, alongside clear associations between campaign activity and vaccination uptake.
Key findings include:
• Awareness of COVID-19 vaccinations among eligible groups increased by 10% (to 87%), with awareness among over-65s rising to 98%.
• Awareness of the newly introduced RSV vaccination increased by 13% (to 54%).
• Overall awareness of NHS vaccination programmes rose from 49% to 65%.
• 50% of Greater Manchester residents recalled seeing at least one campaign advert.
• Among those exposed to the campaign, 82% understood the benefits of winter vaccinations, and 74% said they would be likely to get vaccinated if eligible (21% higher than those not exposed).
• 84% of those exposed knew where to access vaccinations, compared with significantly lower levels not exposed.
Operational data also showed a strong correlation between campaign activity and uptake:
• COVID-19 vaccination uptake rose from 62,212 to 91,133 during the first major campaign activity period, followed by sustained increases aligned with ongoing media activity.
• Flu vaccination uptake peaked at 180,606 during high-intensity campaign weeks, coinciding with multi-channel media deployment and partner toolkits.
• RSV uptake showed a marked increase during targeted campaign phases, including a significant rise from 5,852 to 24,335 in the 75+ cohort following coordinated activity.
Vaccination campaigns only work when the right people see them, trust them and act on them. That takes more than national assets; it takes local knowledge, relationships and the right team to drive the solution.