What was the strategy behind the video, what was the video content, how well did it perform? We spoke with Eilidh, Lydia, and Vicky, the team that created the video, to find out more:
As part of our annual CF Week campaign, we wanted to raise awareness of an important but little-known reality - that people with cystic fibrosis (CF) can't meet in person due to the risk of cross-infection. Passing on dangerous bugs can cause lasting lung damage and are incredibly difficult to treat.
Our goal was to create a short video that explained cross-infection and its impact on the CF community in a unique, authentic, and shareable way. We hoped it would be something people with CF could share and post on their own platforms to raise awareness and help their friends, family, and the wider public understand this hidden challenge.
The Challenge
A recent YouGov poll found that 86% of the UK population were unaware that people with CF can't meet face to face because of the risk of passing on potentially dangerous bugs (called cross-infection).
We wanted to create an awareness raising piece as part of our annual CF week and reach beyond our CF community, who live the realities of cross-infection every day, and let the general public know more about this little known impact of living with CF.
The Strategy
We launched the video during CF Week in June, which leads up to Wear Yellow Day (our annual fundraiser). It was the perfect moment to capture attention, when our audience was most engaged and we have the most eyes on our page.
To complement the video, we shared real stories from people with CF throughout the week - focusing on loneliness. It helped bolster our piece and share the effect that cross-infection has on people with CF (i.e. not being able to interact in person with others going through the same thing, as you would with other conditions).
We knew we wanted an engaging video but couldn't depend on just finding relevant trends to tell our story, so the team decided to create an original but dynamic scripted piece. The video itself was scripted and filmed by our own Eilidh, our Social Media Officer, who has cystic fibrosis. She takes viewers on a walk from a coffee shop to a park, answering the question: "Do you have any friends who also have cystic fibrosis?"
Her answer - "Yes, but how we connect is a little bit different to my other friends" - sets up a simple, moving narrative about cross-infection. The journey ends with Eilidh sitting alone on a bench, representing the isolation and loneliness many people with CF experience, while highlighting that it's necessary for people with CF to keep themselves well and protect themselves from potentially harmful bugs. She then takes a call from a real-life friend with CF - showing how vital technology is in keeping this community connected.
Channels and Reach
The video was shared completely organically across all platforms and not boosted in any way. It performed best on Instagram and Facebook, where our community is most active and engaged.
- Instagram: 25,329 views, reaching 17,773 accounts - 59.4% of whom were non-followers.
- Facebook: 34,000 views, with 66% from non-follower accounts.
- 503 reactions and 329 shares on Facebook; 679 likes on Instagram.
In our opinion, our goal to reach people outside of our existing community was certainly met. The video became one of our top-performing reels of the entire week on both platforms, reaching far beyond our existing audience.
The reel really resonated in our community, reflected in our comments and shares across both platforms. Comments flooded in, including:
- "Outstanding video. This is so informative and explains it so well."
- "Such important knowledge. Thanks for making this so more people can be educated!"
- "Thx for this, no-one I ever talk to knows about this!"
- "It's so tough because some of the only people who truly understand you and your condition, not being able to get unwell etc., are other people with CF, but you can't socialise because of bugs"
What We're Proud Of
Lydia (Content Lead): "I'm proud of the engagement, particularly from those outside our community - it shows how powerful the video was in raising awareness."
Eilidh (Social Media Officer): "I am so proud to see how the video has connected with those in the community while reaching far beyond and into new audiences who had never heard of cystic fibrosis.
"I wanted to create the video in a style that felt lived-in, where audiences on their phones would scroll in for a wee coffee date with me and a walk around my local area, inviting them into a piece of my life that is really a whole new world. I wanted the filming and editing to draw them in and then keep them there, moving the camera with me as I walked, relating the movements to the content, and playing with titles and sound to keep our audience watching.
"CF is isolating, and it's hard enough explaining the complex reality to my friends - the fact that it reached and engaged such a wide audience has made me feel immensely seen."
We learned that simple ideas can be the most effective. You don't always need a big team or budget to make something impactful.
This video was a true collaboration - written by Lydia and Eilidh, filmed by Eilidh (with her husband's help), and edited by her too. It was a project driven by authenticity and heart, and that's exactly why it resonated.
What's Next
We want to continue creating short-form explainer videos to raise awareness of cystic fibrosis - a condition that's still widely misunderstood. Our aim is to keep people with CF at the centre of the storytelling, giving them tools to film remotely and ensuring the process remains collaborative and empowering.