March marks Kidney Health Month in Canada but is also when World Kidney Day takes place. Our March efforts included both a broader advertising and some organic, local efforts.

Kidney Coach

The Kidney Coach campaign ran for a second year in partnership with The Kidney Foundation of Canada Manitoba Branch. The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness in an effort to prevent kidney disease and promote early detection of kidney disease.

With a limited budget, the campaign allocates resources to mediums that target geographic regions with higher rates of diagnosed CKD as well as mediums that target populations which are over-represented in the current CKD patient population.

Kidney Coach is a light hearted campaign that encourages people to ‘get their kidneys into shape’. Other messages included ‘keeping kidneys healthy’ and directing people on where to get that information. The Kidney Coach website features eight ‘plays’ for kidney health that outline ways to keep kidneys healthy. The website also features a quiz and risk checklist to engage and educate visitors.

With a minimal budget the campaign has seen notable reach across platforms and across Manitoba, including both urban and rural areas including northern Manitoba.

Within the one month run of the campaign it generated more than 8,000,000 impressions and 19,000 engagements directly. We also engaged local media and government officials and received news coverage and third-party generated social media awareness on World Kidney Day.

World Kidney Day

Across some of our dialysis units, staff wore red to mark World Kidney Day. The Mayor’s Office also granted our request for the Winnipeg sign at The Forks to be made red for World Kidney Day. Some Manitoba politicans also wore our ‘World Kidney Day’ stickers, helping us reach more people on social media.