Launching Australia’s first RSV vaccine through earned media
/Overview
Cube led the branded consumer media announcement of Australia’s first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine following its TGA registration for adults aged 60 and over. Through a carefully orchestrated earned media strategy, the campaign delivered widespread coverage across mainstream, health, and industry media. Expert commentary and clear, accessible messaging helped drive awareness of the vaccine’s availability and elevate public understanding of RSV.
/Challenge
Public awareness of RSV was low across all demographics, with existing knowledge largely centred on its impact in babies and young children. Our task was to shift the conversation, elevating RSV as a serious health concern for older adults and carving out space for it in a media landscape dominated by flu and COVID-19. The communication strategy needed to position the vaccine’s TGA registration as a major milestone and drive awareness of its availability, while ensuring messaging was both clear and credible for a broad public audience.
/Solution
Research revealed only half of Australians had heard of RSV, with minimal recognition of personal risk – highlighting the need for broad, urgent awareness. Our strategy aimed to establish RSV’s seriousness, differentiate it from flu/COVID, and saturate consumer, lifestyle and HCP media. We executed a tightly coordinated, multi-channel launch, embedding RSV into the national health agenda via exclusive media outreach, stakeholder-aligned materials, a dedicated TV filming opportunity, and close collaboration with government to ensure timely, accurate communication.
Impact
The campaign achieved significant cut-through across channels, successfully increasing awareness of RSV and the newly available vaccine:
Extensive media coverage
A total of 161 stories appeared across TV, online, print, radio, and social platforms, securing broad national reach and coverage diversity.
Strong message consistency
90% of coverage included the campaign’s key messages, ensuring clarity and impact across all outlets.
Positive public sentiment
All coverage sentiment was positive, reflecting the balanced, informative nature of the campaign’s messaging.
Expert endorsement
Expert commentary was included in 100% of coverage, reinforcing credibility and trustworthiness in media narratives.
Increased brand share of voice
The campaign drove a 35% increase in the brand’s share of voice within relevant health discussions.
Shift in public understanding
The campaign contributed to increased community awareness of RSV and its risks.
TESTIMONIAL
Cube has partnered with Biocelect managing the arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine to Australia and New Zealand. The team has worked attentively and collaboratively with Biocelect and the US team in managing the challenging pandemic and vaccine dynamics as they evolve. They have applied their strategic communication, crisis management and media skills to be pre-emptive and agile in preparing for and managing local media and political commentary. They are responsive, professional, a pleasure to work with and, like Biocelect, hardworking!
We brought Cube in as an external agency to support us with a communications initiative for one of our products in 2019. Now – I don’t know what I would do without them! They are no longer viewed as ‘the agency’, but integral to the Novartis team – as partners and strategic advisors. Now working across multiple portfolios, Cube consistently bring their high-level strategic insight, laser focus for detail, and deep expertise across the entire gamut of communications. I would highly recommend Cube to anyone looking for a nimble yet well-rounded agency partner.
In our dealings with Cube over the past 3 years, we have found the team to be very professional, enthusiastic and helpful. Their high level of honesty and integrity means we have full trust in their recommendations and their approach to meeting our needs. Their strategic thinking and recommended plans are always well-considered. They have done high level strategic work for us and developed detailed plans as well as a new service launch. They have been very responsive to our needs and we would not hesitate to engage them again!
MS Australia engaged Cube for two critically important campaigns in the first half of 2022. Their strategic planning and implementation was first-class, and the very significant results has greatly assisted our advocacy work.
For our landmark MS Nurse Care Report launched in Tasmania, Cube crafted a communications plan focussed on local media which as planned, fanned out to outlets across the country. The coverage was astounding and helped raise vital awareness about the role of the MS Nurse in the patient care journey and the need for more funding.
Cube also expertly project-managed a market research study and national communications plan for our Employment & Workplace Survey, launched on World MS Day. This campaign garnered significant media coverage and spotlighted critical issues around employment and MS.
We cannot thank Cube enough for their friendliness, support and compassion for people living with multiple sclerosis.
Working with Cube has been a remarkable experience. Like BeiGene, they are a small team with big ambitions. Time and again, Cube has proven to be an effective, reliable, and responsible partner. They bring enormous energy, detail and innovation to every project and have helped BeiGene achieve the highest goals and meet the tightest timelines. For every idea, they have a solution ready.
We are delighted to work with Cube, whose professional attitude, deep experience and expertise in health communications put them head and shoulders above the competition. In addition to obtaining fantastic coverage for us, we continue to appreciate the attention to detail at every stage from planning through to showcasing the results of our campaigns. Our media strategy, guided by Cube has hit the mark in a judicious approach and fulfilled our strategic purpose.
The Cube team have extensive experience in strategic communications to create impactful campaigns and events and demonstrate a real understanding of our organisation’s brand, objectives, and a broad range of partners and stakeholders. The team are dedicated to and skilful at crafting compelling narratives, securing high-profile media placements, attending to details and navigating through challenges in complex environments.
Collaborating with Cube has been an immensely positive experience. Cube has demonstrated an excellent understanding of our goals and values, ensuring every aspect of the communications plan aligns with GSK’s mission. Their proactive approach in identifying opportunities and potential challenges has been a key factor in the success of our communications efforts. With meticulously planned execution of media engagements, the team’s professionalism, enthusiasm and creativity have exceeded our expectations, making them an indispensable business partner.
