NHS Flu and COVID-19 Vaccines Chatbot - Observatory of Public Sector Innovation

Survey figures spoke an alarming truth about a lack of awareness in the public of the risks of the flu and Covid-19, especially when they were circulating at the same time, alongside the essential protection that the vaccines provide. This meant that there was a need for a tool that provided instant access to a trusted voice (the NHS) to cut through misinformation and confusion caused online and to encourage vaccination. The 'NHS Winter Vaccines Virtual Helper' was developed to become that tool.

Innovation Summary

Innovation Overview

We looked to search data to provide insight into the task. For example, we could see that the public had changed their search behaviour around Flu because of Covid-19. They were interrogating vaccines in a different and new way compared to the 2020 Flu campaign; be it side effects; eligibility; effectiveness when taken with another vaccine, etc. We knew any activation would need elements of dynamism based on a user’s level of vaccine education, distinction between Flu and Covid-19 and offer greater depth of information in a timely fashion.

Our mission was to offer vaccination education more seamlessly, encourage citizens to get the jabs they were eligible for and offer them the chance to book. Working together with Cabinet Office and Google, we launched the ‘Conversational Ads’ campaign across Search which enabled us to talk with (not at) the audience through a two-way conversation driving high engagement and deeper connection. Our broader coronavirus search strategy had 3 specific strands: Own, Be There & Support. Vaccines fitted into the OWN strand focusing on maximising impressions for full coverage.

OWN - These are the most important keywords where we want to maximise coverage on all searches possible. The bid strategy was 95% impression share and key word groups included - Vaccines – Flu & Covid, NHS & PHE, Testing, Rules, Covid 19 App, and Test & Trace.

BE THERE - Captured engaged traffic but were a lower priority and the bid strategy was to maximise clicks at a low CPC. Key words groups included - Travel, Quarantine, Symptoms, Vulnerable Groups, Alert Level and Policy

SUPPORT - Budgeted for other departments who needed Covid-19 support from Cabinet Office with a bid strategy of maximising clicks and key word groups included - Covid-19 related support to other departments: DWP – Benefits, HO - Domestic Abuse, DfE - Education and FCO -Travel

We had a 2-pronged implementation strategy; First targeting the right keywords and capturing the right intents, the campaign showed the Conversational Ads to users on Android when they needed critical Flu and Covid-19 vaccine information and drove them to the chatbot. Secondly, the ads ran on Search along with an extension for anyone already in market to book their vaccine to not distract those users from booking their jab appointment on the NHS website.

Our concept was simple - Turn one search into a conversation. With search results being limited to one result, yet citizen questions often being multitudinal, a ‘One Stop Vaccination Shop’ was the answer for all the public’s questions about both the Flu and Covid-19 vaccines with the functionality to drive users to book their jab. This took form in the 'NHS Winter Vaccines Virtual Helper', a chatbot using the latest Google ad product development that allowed citizens to answer subsequent questions based off their original search and see additional information for each vaccine.

Created by using search insights to build the chatbot Q&A resulted in users getting to the information faster – we were helping answer all their burning questions on the what, the why and the where on both vaccines in a dynamic way, users were then encouraged to move forward to book an appointment to get the vaccines they were eligible for.

Innovation Description

What Makes Your Project Innovative?

The ‘NHS Winter Vaccines Virtual Helper' turned one search into a conversation. With search results being limited to one result, yet citizen questions often being multitudinal, a ‘One Stop Vaccination Shop’ was the answer for all the public’s questions about both the Flu and Covid-19 vaccines with the functionality to drive users to book their jab. To our knowledge, the UK Government was the first government to market with Conversational Ads and first in the UK on the Search beta.

What is the current status of your innovation?

The campaign drove best in class results delivering over 4.7 million impressions across a full Search ad format and Search extension.
The Search copy used was clear and concise, properly setting expectations for users that they were entering a messaging experience and simultaneously encouraging them to chat, resulting in a very high CTR of 7.3% (25% higher than average)
The welcome message of the chatbot enticed people to engage in the conversation, as 53% of users responded upon entering the messaging experience (2.6x higher than benchmark message conversion rate)
On average, users sent 3.5 messages per conversation, representing a valuable exchange of critical information.

We are running activity using the chatbot again this year as part of our annual winter vaccinations marketing campaign to drive uptake.

Innovation Development

Collaborations & Partnerships

We worked with Google as a partner to develop this innovative tool with one of their suppliers in the USA, using our insights from research and their digital expertise. We have worked alongside clinical and vaccine policy teams within the government's Department for Health and Social Care and Cabinet Office to ensure all information was factually correct and aligned with government policy and public health guidance during the height of the pandemic.

Users, Stakeholders & Beneficiaries

The general public have benefited from this innovative tool by being helped to navigate through the reems of misinformation available online through browser searches and social media platforms, being provided with what is essentially a one stop shop for trusted information from the UK's trusted voice for health - the NHS. This has provided instant access through this engaging, interactive, conversational and accessible product.

Innovation Reflections

Results, Outcomes & Impacts

The campaign drove best in class results delivering over 4.7 million impressions across a full Search ad format and Search extension.
The Search copy used was clear and concise, properly setting expectations for users that they were entering a messaging experience and simultaneously encouraging them to chat, resulting in a very high CTR of 7.3% (25% higher than average)
The welcome message of the chatbot enticed people to engage in the conversation and delivered outstanding results as around 53% of users responded upon entering the messaging experience (2.6x higher than benchmark message conversion rate)
On average, users sent 3.5 messages per conversation, representing a valuable exchange of critical information, and meaning conversations.

Challenges and Failures

Our campaign was built to be agile, which was crucial to enable us to react with changing guidance this was tested following announcements and the Government’s aim for all adults to book their Covid-19 Booster appointment to protect them against the Omicron Variant, the ‘Virtual Helper’ was quickly updated mid-campaign to focus on the Booster. Changes to our Search campaigns were then also quickly implemented to support the Booster campaign and messaging with full force.

Conditions for Success

Ongoing updates to information within the chatbot to ensure it always provided the most relevant and current information and guidance on the vaccines. Funding is also required to promote the chatbot through paid search, driving traffic to it. Further development of the chatbot is being explored to develop the tool into an API that can be shared with partners to extend its reach through in kind promotion, and development to integrate the chatbot into different social media platforms.

Replication

The chatbot is already in development creating a different structure to address not only vaccines but also public health guidance on how to 'live with Covid-19'. This guidance has included safety behaviours when traveling, personal hygiene, testing and wearing protective face coverings, etc.

Lessons Learned

Working on different conversational flows within the chatbot and exploring the opportunities of how we could expand the breadth or information it can provide and ways in which it could be adapted to be hosted on different channels and platforms has been incredibly valuable. It is a tool that could be used at low cost and as an 'always on' product that provides the public with information all year round in the absence of budgets for year round multi-channel marketing campaigns.

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