The Challenge

Cochlear’s goal was to raise awareness of hearing health and increase the number of people across Europe actively addressing potential hearing loss by getting tested by a healthcare professional.

 Worldwide, 466 million people live with hearing loss which is bad enough to leave them classified as disabled. One in five would benefit from a hearing aid or implant. Many people are not aware of the risks to their hearing, the signs of incipient hearing loss, or of the treatment available and the results it can achieve. 

It's also widely unknown how common hearing loss is or how successful implants can be in restoring lost hearing.

The Strategy

Edelman developed a thought leadership platform called ‘The State of Hearing’. Using research from the WHO, we highlighted the extent of hearing loss worldwide and harmful attitudes to loss of hearing, testing and treatment. 

The campaign publicised common but underappreciated risk factors such as listening to loud music and refusing ear protection in loud environments. We worked with EastEnders actress Rita Simons, whose daughter has a cochlear implant, to amplify the findings in earned media coverage.

The Outcome

The campaign led to 1.65 million views of media coverage and 728,000 shares across social media, raising awareness of hearing health across Cochlear’s key target markets. 

It also encouraged those with potential hearing problems to visit a health professional, which subsequently creates a referral funnel for potential Cochlear customers.