Targeted digital campaigns for MMR uptake

How we helped Reading Borough Council increase vaccine uptake using search marketing and social media advertising

Reading Borough Council needed to increase MMR vaccination rates among children in the borough. While overall confidence in vaccines remained high, our research found some groups were more hesitant to get vaccinated.

Through our research and knowledge of the borough we developed an approach that addressed the World Health Organisations ‘3 C’s’ of vaccine hesitancy: confidence, complacency and convenience. The goal was to encourage parents, grandparents and those with parental responsibility to check the vaccination status of children in their care and book appointments if they found their child was not up to date with their MMR vaccinations.

Approach

At Blue Lozenge we developed a paid social media campaign that ran from April to August 2024 which targeted our key audiences and utilised national messaging that resonated with our local audience:

Reactive search marketing our research highlighted that people in Reading were searching for information about the MMR vaccination over 15,000 times a month but often they were being directed to websites where the information was not evidence-based. Using our approach, we redirected those searching for this information directly to the NHS website away from misinformation towards trusted, accessible vaccine safety content.  We targeted specific search terms related to measles symptoms, MMR vaccines and vaccine safety, appearing at the top of Google search results when parents and guardians were actively seeking information.

Proactive social media advertising we targeted local areas with lower vaccine uptake using messages that emphasised the dangers of measles, the safety of the MMR vaccine and practical steps for booking appointments. We used this approach after testing with our key audiences.  The campaign ran on Facebook and Instagram as our insight showed that this is predominantly where our target audience was consuming information.

Throughout the campaign, we monitored performance and adjusted targeting to improve results. For example, during week six, we identified an unusually high number of 18–24-year-olds searching for measles information, potentially reflecting a local outbreak amongst young adults. We created tailored messaging for this demographic, which improved click-through rates.

Impact

Our ads were seen over 1 million times across the different channels, and they generated more than 7,300 clicks to the NHS vaccine information pages. Data collected by Reading Borough Council from May to October 2024 showed that vaccine uptake in Reading rose from 85% to 87.5%. This steady upward trend aligns with the campaign period.

The search terms data revealed the types of information parents were seeking, from basic queries about measles symptoms to specific questions about vaccine safety, side effects and outbreak information. This insight enabled us to ensure our messaging addressed genuine parental concerns and connected them with trusted NHS content.

Do you need help reaching specific audiences with targeted digital advertising campaigns? We can design and deliver campaigns that connect people with the services and information they need. Contact us at hello@bluelozenge.co.uk