When Byram Healthcare, a leading medical equipment provider, wanted to drive awareness that expecting and new moms are eligible for a no-cost breast pump under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the company turned to RoseComm.
From the controversy on the U.N. resolution encouraging breastfeeding to the outrage around Chrissy Teigen’s nursing photos on Instagram, how we feed our babies remains a divisive topic. With what seemed like a new breastfeeding story making headlines daily, our team mobilized quickly to create a strategy to be part of that conversation. Together, we developed a hook for our campaign: forcing a conversation about why more people don’t know their breastfeeding benefits under the ACA.
For the centerpiece of our work, we proposed partnering with a market research firm to survey expectant mothers to determine how many knew that breast pumps are covered under the ACA, as well as other metrics that would generate headlines. We planned to release the results tied to World Breastfeeding Week, which takes place August 1-7 every year, with continued outreach throughout August, National Breastfeeding Awareness Month.
Another critical element of our campaign was identifying a subject matter expert to offer as a spokesperson, as the company did not have one. Our team helped select Shari Criso, an RN, certified nurse midwife and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, as our partner. With 20-plus years of experience and an impressive following of over 115,200 on Facebook, Shari brought much-needed objectivity and credibility to our campaign.
The Results
The survey of 1,000 nationally representative U.S. expectant mothers revealed that an overwhelming 82 percent were unaware of the three main benefits of the ACA designed to support their breastfeeding journey. Specifically:
- 42 percent did not know insurance plans are required to cover breast pumps at no cost (approximately $300 value)
- 64 percent did not know insurance plans are required to cover lactation consultant sessions at no cost
- 61 percent did not know employers are required to provide breastfeeding mothers breaks to express or pump milk
We used the results to leverage Byram as a thought leader on pumping and to highlight the company as a provider of no-cost breast pumps through insurance. We shared the news under embargo with select outlets and pitched it aggressively the day it was released. As more breastfeeding stories published, we stayed nimble, adjusting our pitches by referencing current events.
We offered up our survey results and Shari’s expertise in our outreach, which yielded a broadcast segment on ABC 7 NY and articles with prominent news outlets such as USA Today, U.S. News & World Report and Lifehacker, as well as trusted parenting sites like Romper and The Bump. The USA Today piece also received pickup on 30 local news websites.
We organized a radio media tour, in which Shari was interviewed by national stations like CBS Radio Network and NBC News Radio, along with regional stations. Additionally, she hosted a Byram-sponsored Facebook Live event with TheBabyGuyNYC, Jamie Grayson, who has a noteworthy 200,000-plus social following comprised of new and expectant parents.
In order to reach moms directly and encourage social conversation, we developed the “Pumped to Breastfeed” Sweepstakes. We asked expectant mothers to post pictures of their baby bumps via Byram’s social media channels for an opportunity to win a newborn photography shoot. While not a requirement to win, entrants were also encouraged to include a short description explaining why they were “pumped” to breastfeed their baby. It provided another touchpoint with new and expectant mothers to raise awareness of Byram and the availability of breast pumps through insurance.
Overall, we were thrilled with the results of the campaign. Between our placements, additional pick-up and social posts, the survey data reached over 205.5 million individuals. The independent survey and a trusted spokesperson were just the elements we needed to make an impact in a short period of time.
Have you used original research to raise awareness around a critical issue? Tell us in the comment section below.