Philips' 'Him Initiative', For Her

The brand has launched a digital campaign to spread awareness about breast cancer. The campaign urges men to ensure that their wives take a 10-minute breast self examination once every month.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While most people are aware of the disease and its implications, very few take time out to perform the oft recommended monthly self-examination. Doing so can help detect early signs of the disease and treat it in time.

Philips India, a healthcare, consumer lifestyle and lighting brand, has launched something called the 'Husband Initiated Movement' or 'HIM', in a move to spread awareness about breast cancer. The digital campaign urges men to ensure that their wives take a 10-minute breast self examination once every month.

For this campaign, the brand has created a website called HIM Initiative.com. It bears information about the disease and the test. "It's simple. Just tell your wife to do this test, while you do one of the chores she does," says the website, which also has a Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool.

Launched on October 19, the site has received 55,000+ visits so far.

The campaign also includes a video created by Ogilvy CommonHealth, Ogilvy's own healthcare communications agency. The film features a deaf-and-mute couple. Published on YouTube on October 19, the video has fetched close to six lakh views.

Vivek Sharma, head of marketing, Philips India, calls this a "multiple touch-point campaign that intends to bring about a behavioral change in women."

"The purpose of the campaign," he informs, "was not to sell any product, but to spread awareness about the 10-minute test. The brief was derived from the consumer insight that women don't prioritise their own health and are more bothered about their family's health. That is why we have targeted the male partner through the campaign. By helping her with her chores he can ensure she takes time out to examine herself."

The initiative is also supported by a Twitter campaign, with the hashtags #HimInitiative and #AgainstBreastCancer.

The campaign is being extended on DTH platforms, print publications on weekends, cinema screens and on-ground activities involving corporate houses in the NCR region. Philips plans to conduct such activations for its own employees too.

Sanjeev Jasani, senior vice president and head, Delhi, OgilvyOne, Ogilvy's digital engagement agency, says, "The website is the hub of the campaign. The video and other social media activations are elements being used to bring traffic onto the site. The brief was simply to engage as many people as we could through the campaign."

No Product Play

Interestingly, Philips has not promoted any of its products through this campaign. Philips' Sharma comments, "At Philips, we believe that people want to be healthy, live well and enjoy life. As a technology company that cares about people, Philips supports breast cancer awareness on a global scale. This is our initiative, this year, in India."

Philips, in association with Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (or PGIMER, in Chandigarh), recently conducted an awareness campaign that involved going to villages and giving women access to healthcare equipment that is otherwise difficult for them to access. The company drove what it calls the 'Asha Jyoti Van', equipped with a Philips Mammogram and helped over 200 women get tested.

Philips, along with the Government of Punjab and Max Healthcare, even conducted a breast cancer awareness, screening and treatment camp at Sangrur, which 35 km from Chandigarh. More than 1,500 people, including cancer patients, turned up. All 22 districts of the state of Punjab participated in this drive. The on-field team included oncologists from Max Hospital, Faridabad, a team of volunteers including schoolgirls, Philips; own employees, and state government officials.

The company also conducted awareness sessions at Ambience Mall, New Delhi, recently.

A Healing Effort?

Sanjay Mehta, joint CEO, Social Wavelength, a social media agency, likes the campaign. "It looks like a pure CSR initiative and not like a brand campaign. It has been executed in a very mature way. The 'Silent Couple' film is very simple and well made."

According to Mehta, the film brings with it the much desired call-to-action element. "It will generate impulsive participation," he opines optimistically.

The campaign, he feels, is easy to identify with. "And it is not in-your-face. The brand has not tried to be too pushy in terms of showcasing itself. This makes it a compelling effort," he concludes.