eskimosoup Case Study: Midwife Hull

We're quite modest at eskimosoup and don't often mention our own work on the Rewarding Marketing Blog. That's not to say we're not very proud of the work we do though, so for the next few weeks, we'll be biting the bullet and featuring a range of our favourite Projects.

To start with, here's Midwife Hull, which is an ongoing initiative we run in partnership with NHS Hull.

The Challenge

NHS Hull were seeking new and engaging ways to help them meet their social marketing objectives for increasing the numbers of pregnant women smokers accessing the Stop Smoking Service and quitting smoking.

The Approach

eskimosoup and NHS Hull adopted Social Media led healthy lifestyle approach. The aim was to increase engagement with young pregnant women in Hull, many of whom were smokers, by enabling them to ask general pregnancy-related questions, and share stories and experiences of pregnancy with other women in Hull.

Activities included:

• In-depth interviews with pregnant women in Hull, some of which were smoking during pregnancy. The objective was to gain a better understanding of the sample group, the use of social media and attitudes to smoking during pregnancy.


• Development of “talking head” interviews with pregnant women, health advisers, a healthy lifestyle midwife, an aqua natal instructor and a stop smoking advisor to generate content for the Midwife Hull YouTube channel.


• Development of a “Hull & Pregnant” Facebook page and a “Midwife Hull” Facebook profile. The Midwife Hull profile shares information, advice and is a popular central resource for women in Hull asking questions relating to health during pregnancy through a private messaging service, which is responded to within 48 hours.


• Development of the Hull and Pregnant blog to feature firsthand views and articles collected from pregnant women in Hull, plus responses from midwives and healthy lifestyle specialists.


• Development of leaflets, displays stands, and stickers to enable targeted promotions and engagement with young pregnant women in Hull.

The Outcomes

• Midwife Hull Facebook Profile has over 900 friends (predominantly in target geographical area and age group) and received 82 health-related questions in the first 100 days of running.


• Positive media coverage including major features on BBC Look North, and the Hull Daily Mail (two separate features).


• Clear evidence of approaches to the Stop Smoking Service as a direct result of intervention by the Midwife Hull Facebook profile.


• Clear evidence that social media can be an effective engagement tool with young women leading to positive health behavioural change.


• Return on investment to be determined by independent organisation

Evaluation due mid-2011.