Introduction
Sometimes, the most powerful PR campaigns are the ones that inform and educate.
When Urology Hospital, Pretoria, partnered with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of South Africa to offer free PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) screenings, the goal was clear: raise awareness and encourage early testing for a disease that too often goes undetected.
To reach the men who needed this message most, the hospital needed an account that was factual, accessible, and worth the media’s attention.
That’s where We-Rise Communications stepped in.
The Challenge
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed among South African men — yet many are unaware of their risk or the importance of early detection.
The 2023 National Cancer Registry reported a lifetime risk of 1 in 16 for South African men and 1 in 4 for Black men, with mortality rates nearly three times higher than the global average.
The challenge was clear:
- Turn clinical data and medical urgency into a compelling, fact-based article that the media — and the public — couldn’t ignore.
The We-Rise Approach
Our strategy was rooted in credibility. We focused on education first, positioning the campaign as a public health awareness story, not a marketing message.
We-Rise crafted a media alert and supporting PR strategy that:
- Grounded every statement in verified data.
- Used plain, human language to make the topic understandable.
- Balanced urgency with empathy — never alarmist, always empowering.
- Was strategically distributed to the right media at the right time.
The result, a story that journalists wanted to share — factual, relevant, and deeply human.
The Results
Nationwide media coverage across digital, and radio platforms.
- Thousands of men reached through trusted publications and broadcast mentions.
- Increased awareness and participation in Urology Hospital’s screening programme.
The campaign’s central message — “Early detection saves lives” — became a key talking point in Men’s Health Month coverage.
https://iol.co.za/ios/news/2025-09-11-fighting-sas-most-common-male-cancer
The Impact
This project shows that the right PR message — grounded in truth, research, and human centricity — can extend far beyond headlines.
By shaping a factual, journalistically sound story, We-Rise Communications helped transform medical information into meaningful public awareness, and that awareness into action.
Because in the right hands, information doesn’t just inform, it creates action and inspires change.
Though not guaranteed, PR coverage is invaluable for thought leadership and sharing expert knowledge. A limitation is Media decide which stories to feature, but when a piece is researched, credible, and written to capture editorial attention, it significantly increases its chances of being picked up and shared widely.
Simply, the ROI from a successful PR campaign far exceeds the monetary investment.
