You might have seen TV programmes that have been sponsored by Home Instead. Why have we been doing that? Well, any successful company knows how powerful a sponsorship deal can be for raising awareness of their brand. That’s partly why we use it to raise awareness of Home Instead. It also enables us to ‘spread the word’ about the many benefits of home care. It gives us the chance to show that it’s a potential and very powerful option that enables people to stay safely in their own homes as they grow older.
So, what have we been sponsoring? Firstly, two prime-time programmes – ‘Love Your Garden’ and ‘Spring into Summer’ – on ITV. These both feature TV’s favourite gardener, Alan Titchmarsh. In the first year of sponsorship alone, we reached millions of people with our message about care, which meant that our network of franchisees received lots of new enquiries.
The programmes include short films at the start and end, which are voiced by Titchmarsh (who was also the voice of our TV advert for Home Instead). These films focused on Jeff (a client) and Lisa (a Care Professional), as well as Jeff’s dog Otis. The films show how Lisa helps Jeff to stay in his own home with her help and support. Lisa and Jeff have also featured on various adverts on the ITV Hub home page. These have also highlighted the opportunity to join our Home Instead team and become a Care Professional.
To boost awareness of Home Instead further, we’ve joined forces with Lorraine Kelly to encourage the UK to talk more about care options for older people. We’ve been delighted to sponsor ‘What If?’, her successful podcast in which she and her daughter Rosie interview celebrities about key events in their lives.
The podcast includes our ‘Care Conversations’ card game, which enables Lorraine to share her views on getting older. She introduces a more personal perspective by talking about how she’s broached the subject of care with her ageing parents, which led to a discussion of what they might want from a care package.
Although this part of the podcast is presented as a game, it also has serious undertones. Our ‘Care Conversations’ research found that 81% of people find it hard to talk to their older loved ones about care. The research has been covered by various magazines and newspapers, including Chat and the Metro. It was even a discussion topic on Loose Women!
Well-known guests on the podcasts include Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Alison Hammond, Sophie Ellis-Bexter, Andy Peters and Katie Piper OBE. Lorraine comments: “I think talking about care is a bit like making a will. No one really wants to do it, but you actually feel better when it’s all done and dusted.”
Our sponsorship deals not only help to raise awareness of Home Instead and home care – they also open up some great new opportunities for our franchisees and the prospect of franchise growth.
Our brand and marketing director, Lee Chapman, sums it all up: “We’re working to ensure that families and their loved ones understand the care options available to them. A television audience allows us to reach out to many people. It’s really important to us to continue engaging with the British public to share our story about home care as a choice in later life.”