In Kind Direct and Aduro highlight hygiene poverty in emotive campaign

With 9 million Brits living in hygiene poverty, Aduro’s efforts to raise awareness via its Not A Choice campaign struck the right note, and metrics.

The campaign aimed to attract more charitable organisations to join the network and increase donations of essential hygiene products from corporate partners. Multiple activities were planned to address and reduce the stigma associated with hygiene poverty.

The strategy included compelling consumer research highlighting the extent of the hygiene poverty crisis in the UK to form the basis of our press materials. This information was disseminated through broadcast and print interviews featuring In Kind Direct spokespeople, charity workers, and case studies of end-users.

Aduro surveyed a sample of In Kind Direct's network of charity partners. The research revealed that maintaining hygiene had also become a significant financial strain due to the cost of products like shampoo and soap and the high cost of heating water. Further research showed that In Kind Direct distributed more than 12.5 million hygiene products in 2022, with 2023 projections exceeding 15 million.

Phase 1 (April) involved undertaking research which revealed 9 million Brits living in hygiene poverty in 2023, tripling the previous year's numbers. Indeed, only 31% had heard of hygiene poverty, and 20% felt too embarrassed to leave their homes, with 11% reporting their children missed school due to hygiene issues.

The coverage included end-user stories and interviews, including over 30 broadcast opportunities featuring Interim CEO Paul Buchanan and users like Chantelle on Sky News.

Phase 2 took place in October for National Hygiene Week, and involved messaging revealing that 4.2 million people experienced hygiene poverty for the first time, with 60% in employment. The campaign’s call to action was for a £10 donation by text to support six families with a month’s supply of hygiene packs.

To increase charity sign-ups, Aduro targeted trade publications like UK Fundraisers and The Charity Times, presenting In Kind Direct as a leader in addressing poverty in the UK.

“We wanted to take our campaigns a step further from previous years. Aduro ensured In Kind Direct had the most expansive reach we’ve ever had across multiple channels and touchpoints,” reported Libby Howle, marketing manager, In Kind Direct.

The campaign resulted in 780 charity sign-ups due to its coverage. Meanwhile, over 2,500 new charities visited In Kind Direct's website, with 158 downloading an educational resource toolkit. Phase 2 coverage led to 15 additional donations of products from corporate supporters. Additionally, JC Decaux provided free ATL advertising space after seeing the campaign and its coverage.

The campaign was also a media hit, securing 41 pieces of print and online media coverage across both phases, with stigma messaging included in all coverage. This led to a reported 15x increase in donations via JustGiving.

Overall, Phase 1 garnered 4.25 hours of coverage across 34 broadcast interviews, while Phase 2 achieved an additional listener reach of 620,000 from broadcast coverage. The total reach from all types of coverage was 127 million. Social reach, meanwhile, spanned 25 million across Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. The charity trade press was also well served, reaching 72,000 readers.