Influential commissioned for major project examining COVID-19 views of minority ethnic communities

Influential has been appointed to conduct a major new research project among black, Asian and minority ethnic communities to help understand their views, attitudes and experiences of COVID-19.

The public health initiative, which has been commissioned by The Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership (C&MHCP), is aimed at helping shape future communications and interventions to reduce the devastating impact of COVID-19.

It has been launched in response to data showing that ethnic minority communities are disproportionately affected by the virus.

Research into survival rates among confirmed COVID-19 cases showed that people of Bangladeshi ethnicity were twice as likely to die from the virus, when compared to people of white British ethnicity. People of Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, other Asian, Caribbean and other black ethnicity had between a 10 and 50% higher risk of death when compared to white British.

Through a three-phased process, Influential will identify, analyse and develop key insights, which will allow services to be tailored towards the specific needs of these diverse communities. The agency will also provide health officials with key recommendations on how to improve interventions, communications and engagement methods between the NHS and different minority ethnic groups.

Karen Swan, Director of Influential, said: “This is a major project which will have far-reaching implications on improving COVID -19 communications and interventions for black, Asian and minority ethnic groups across the region. Our research will examine the attitudes of these communities towards coronavirus and the vaccination programme; gain a better understanding of the cultural, behavioural and religious aspects that influence healthcare; and analyse the impact of current communication channels across black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

“It is essential we capture the views and attitudes of as many people as possible within these communities. We have given a great deal of thought on how to manage research projects to ensure we connect with communities who have historically been harder to reach. By integrating traditional research methods alongside multiple communications channels, our team can ensure we engage with audiences across a range of platforms to drive the maximum number of participants.”

Edna Boampong, Deputy Director of Communications and Engagement at the Cheshire and Merseyside Heath and Care Partnership, and Communications Lead for Cheshire and Merseyside’s COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, added: “Influential’s tender really stood out because of their strong expertise in both insights and communications; their unique multi-channel approach to the research project; and their concept of forming a conglomerate with other key agencies to ensure every angle was covered. Their integrated approach offered a fresh, unique and effective way of helping us gain invaluable insights from communities across the region.”

Influential’s insights, digital and PR teams are working in collaboration and targeting a wide range of communication channels to ensure they reach audiences from ethnic minority groups across the region.

The agency, which operates from bases in Manchester and Liverpool, has also brought on-board two expert partners to work alongside its team. ‘Big data’ firm Impact Data Metrics (IDM) will contribute its expertise in bespoke data intelligence, including creating a fresh ethnic profile of the area. While, cultural fieldwork specialists, Ethnic Opinions, will support the outreach programme and ensure the tone of all communications resonates with the target audience.

News & Insights

A headshot of a white man in a circle with copy that reads Are you working your brand's purpose hard enough?

How one brand’s purpose can play many different roles 

Do you know how to work your brand’s purpose harder so it plays many different roles?


Author
Influential

A pink background that shows a magnifying glass and dotted line that changing to a cursor

How to turn insights into effective behaviour change in 3 steps 

Here are our secrets to truly unlocking a real shift in public behaviour. 


Author
Influential

the Meta threads logo

Is Threads already unravelling, or should your company join Meta’s latest social media platform? 

Still undecided about joining Threads? Read our latest pros and cons


Author
Influential

Addressing UK real estate’s colonial past

International days themed to sustainability, equality and health are ever popular and routinely feature in the content produced on behalf of real estate brands. UNESCO’s Day for Remembrance of the Slave Trade…


Author
Chris Hulme

Campaign proves staying healthy is in our hands

An award-winning campaign promoting hand hygiene in Cheshire and Merseyside has resulted in…


Author
Influential

We Are Hiring – Digital Marketing Manager 

We are an award-winning, full-service marketing communications agency using insights to help brands make a positive difference. We have a wide variety of clients across Construction, Leisure & Hospitality, NHS, Not-For-Profit, Private Equity and beyond. This role will be based at our Northern Quarter office in Manchester.  


Author
Influential

What to do when the drugs don’t work? Health messaging and the world’s silent pandemic

Fear and shock have a place in public health campaigns seeking to change behaviour – think drink-driving awareness or stop smoking – but otherwise most of us dislike being targeted with scare tactics


Author
Influential

Social Media Mistakes: 5 things you could be doing wrong and how to correct them 

There is no getting around it, social media has massive pulling power when it comes to our purchase decision making. With 4.88 million  and 71% of consumers more likely to purchase based on social media referrals, it is no surprise that businesses continue to turn their hand to the likes of Instagram, Facebook and TikTok to try and draw in new customers and boost sales. 


Author
Influential

What is buzz marketing? Strategies and examples 

Buzz marketing uses the power of word of mouth to generate interest in a business or product launch. Of course, your product or service must be buzz-worthy to begin with if you’re going to get buzz marketing right.


Author
Influential

The difference between branding strategy and marketing strategy

As a business, whether you’re just starting out, you’re looking to rebrand or change your business, or you just want to grow and sustain engagement, there are two parts of your business you need to get right: the branding strategy and the marketing strategy. 


Author
Influential

Building a content marketing strategy to help grow your business 

In a world where everyone is competing for attention, creating a strong content marketing strategy will help you stand out from the crowd, feed the hungry minds of your audience and help to grow your business.


Author
Influential

Why you should use micro influencers in your marketing strategy

With top influencers capable of earning upwards of $25,000 for a social media post, it can leave smaller businesses out the running when it comes to influencer marketing. But partnering with an influencer doesn’t need to be expensive. 


Author
Influential

6 examples of crisis communication and what you can learn 

Unfortunately, crisis situations are very unpredictable. So it’s important for organisations to have a crisis communications strategy in place to help deal with issues in the best – and swiftest – way possible.  


Author
Influential

5 Guerrilla marketing examples to inspire your brand 

Guerrilla marketing is a PR tactic that plays on the element of surprise. In the warfare context, guerrilla connotes ambush, sabotage, raids, but how does that, quite aggressive term, translate into marketing? 


Author
Influential