Guy’s and St Thomas’s | South of the River Magazine
March 10th, 2009
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust is made up of two of London’s most well known teaching hospitals, providing patients with excellent treatment and care from their central London sites. Since becoming an NHS Trust in July 2004, Guy’s were keen to refresh and update their community magazine – South of the River. Engage viewed South of the River as an important channel through which Guy’s and St Thomas’ could encourage more members to join the Trust.
Published quarterly, 28,000 copies are distributed locally in Lambeth and Southwark with members of the Trust receiving a copy direct to their homes. Each issue includes a variety of health advice and information as well as news about Trust services. Written in a lively style South of the River appeals to a wide demographic, including readers who do not speak English as their first language. As this is a magazine read by such a diverse target audience it was essential that it communicated on all levels.
The readership needed to be fully engaged. This was achieved through delivering a more accessible style with the introduction of clearer colour-coded navigation, increased image quality and consistent typography. Key messages are emphasised through using bright accent colours and varying the type sizes within stories, pulling out quotes and facts to enliven the copy. The attractive member’s page has also been given its own unique personality, adds value and encourages readers to join the Trust. Engage have effectively modernised South of the River whilst building on the publication’s existing credibility.
“South of the River is our flagship health magazine, picked up and read across south London. But the old design had run out of steam; we needed a fresher look that would appeal to the very diverse communities our hospitals serve. Engage’s designers have worked with us to create a bright, clear and attractive magazine for local people.”
Linda Steele, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
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