ABOUT

CONCEPT
GN Hearing has a rich history of creating hearing aids and is committed to making life sound better for millions of people with hearing loss around the world. Globally, 430 million people live with hearing loss - yet only 1 in 5 people who could benefit from hearing aids actually use them. The brand works to change the way hearing technology is valued and address the stigma associated with the devices.

World Hearing Day 2021 is an important calendar moment for GN Hearing, marking a clear opportunity to share its mission combatting the stigma associated with hearing aids. This year, the brand also particularly wanted to showcase its ReSound hearing aid portfolio, engage employees, hearing care professionals, and people living with hearing loss, and support the WHO’s awareness activities.

To meaningfully share the impact ReSound hearing aids have on people’s lives, H+K worked to develop content-sharing one user’s experience – to be premiered at a virtual concert on World Hearing Day.

Our idea was to create a documentary film showcasing the true impact of the natural sound quality provided by ReSound ONE hearing aids on people living with hearing loss. The film would showcase Sivu, a UK musician living with severe hearing loss who has recently been able to return to the recording studio for the first time in four years after being fitted with ReSound ONE hearing aids.

The objectives for this campaign were as follows:
• Showcase the natural sound quality provided by ReSound hearing aids to hearing care professionals
• Communicate ReSound’s brand purpose of empowering people to ‘hear more, do more and be more than you ever thought possible’
• Inspire the hearing loss community to improve uptake of hearing aids
• Support the WHO’s awareness activities on World Hearing Day

EXECUTION
To bring to life a feeling of nostalgia, we filmed the entire video inside a recording studio watching Sivu return to create music once again. It was important for us to show Sivu creating with ease using ReSound ONE hearing aids to showcase the benefits of the device in a seamless and natural way.

As this project was focused on hearing the sound component of the film was extremely important. The film starts with loud sound, focusing on the audio rather than the visual to directly into the problems faced by people living with hearing loss, eliciting emotion and understanding from the public.

The content was launched to hearing care professionals, GN Hearing employees and the hearing loss community at a virtual concert on World Hearing Day 2021, where Sivu performed an intimate music set for attendees. Hosted by GN Hearing CEO Gitte Aabo, the event also gave attendees the opportunity to take part in a Q&A session to find out more about Sivu’s hearing loss journey, the ReSound portfolio and how ReSound are supporting the WHO on World Hearing Day.


RESULTS
70% of the key ReSound ONE brand messages were pulled through into the hero video and event, which was attended by 1,396 people from across 30 countries. A lively chat function throughout the event demonstrated a high level of engagement from attendees - specifically, hearing care professionals who voiced their enthusiasm for sharing the film with patients to show them what’s possible with ReSound hearing aids, which speaks directly to ReSound’s brand purpose of empowering people to ‘hear more, do more and be more than you ever thought possible’.

“Awesome, and great interview. Hope to be able to share this recording with patients. Especially musicians, young hearing aid wearers and those with Meniere’s. A big inspiration. Thanks again.” Anonymous HCP.

Although earned media was not the focus of this campaign, key trade publications, Audiology Online and Audio Infos, covered the event and key opinion leaders Abram Bailey, HearSoundly and SoundPrint posted about the event on social media.

The documentary film has also been shared internally across GN Hearing as a best practice example in working with real ReSound users for marketing activities.