The VIVA! Communications Method – Part 1
Theme: The anatomy of an effective disease awareness campaign Most disease awareness campaigns don’t change behaviour – The VIVA! Communications Method does Most disease awareness campaigns fail to change behaviour. Despite significant investment, patients still delay seeking care, conditions remain under-diagnosed, and stigma quietly persists. Awareness alone isn’t the problem. The challenge is how it’s…
Beyond the seizure: rethinking epilepsy care from crisis response to risk prevention
For most chronic diseases, prevention is central to the conversation. In epilepsy, however, the system still largely reacts. Across Australia, an estimated 266,000 people are living with epilepsy, yet public understanding of the disease often begins and ends with the visible seizure. In many cases, care pathways still form around acut e events –…
1 billion seniors by 2050: driving innovation in Pharma, Medtech & Biotech across APAC
Asia-Pacific (APAC) is on the cusp of an unprecedented demographic shift. Currently, an estimated 503 million people aged 65 or over – around 60% of the world’s older population – live in the region. By 2050, that number is projected to approach one billion, presenting both enormous societal challenges and significant opportunities for healthcare innovation.…
Visualising complex science for maximum impact
In healthcare communications, some of the most important messages are decided before a single word is read. Scientific evidence, regulatory nuance, and patient impact demand careful explanation. Yet audiences scan, interpret, and react visually first. Visual communication acts as a shortcut to clarity, allowing complex ideas to be understood quickly and intuitively. Unlike written language,…
Rare but rarely recognised: Accelerating diagnosis, access, & innovation for rare diseases in Australia & APAC
Two million Australians are living with a rare disease, yet diagnosis can take five-to-seven years. Across APAC, fragmented systems, limited awareness, and uneven access to therapies create both challenges and opportunities for pharma, biotech, and medtech innovators. This Rare Disease Day, it’s time to move from awareness to action, shortening diagnostic journeys, improving access, and…
Shaping your brand in an AI-driven world
AI shapes perception – ensure it shapes yours In 2026, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) AI is increasingly shaping your brand before anyone sees it. Large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and Gemini are becoming the first stop for patients, clinicians, policymakers, and journalists. In healthcare, this means your story is summarised, interpreted, and presented…
From campaigns to change: why strategic communications is health system infrastructure
By Kirsten Bruce, Founder & Owner, VIVA! Communications Awareness does not equate to access. Visibility does not equal system reform. And without strategy, storytelling alone fails to improve health outcomes. In eating disorders – one of Australia’s most complex and high-risk mental health conditions – we’ve reached a pivotal moment. Public understanding is improving. Research…
APAC’s expanding tropical disease risk: Are pharma leaders passing the test?
Across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, tropical diseases – neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and mosquito-borne viruses such as dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis (JE), chikungunya, and Zika virus – are spreading faster than ever, driven by climate change, urbanisation, and unprecedented population mobility. Yet even as outbreaks intensify, attention, preparedness, and sustained communication investment often peak during…
From control to connection: how healthcare communications has evolved
Merely two decades ago, health communications prioritised control. Today, it’s about connection. Organisations that recognise this shift are well-positioned to earn trust and engage professionals, patients, and communities. In the mid-2000s, the media release was king. Healthcare communications primarily revolved around product announcements, regulatory approvals (PBS listings and TGA announcements), funding updates, and clinical milestones.…
From measurement to meaning: redefining modern public relations
Public relations has long been assessed through its outputs: what was published, where it appeared, and how far it travelled. These measures still matter. But in a communications environment shaped by platforms, algorithms and AI-driven discovery, they are no longer sufficient on their own. The question facing PR today is not whether it can generate…