C4DI member MediMusic received global coverage for their launch, thanks to a team of companies working under the same roof.
The collaborative effort between the Hull health tech start-up MediMusic, Larkin PR and Influence Media, all based at C4DI (the Centre for Digital Innovation), planned and delivered the launch that saw international coverage on BBC Click, BBC World, BBC News Channel, BBC Radio 4’s PM Programme, Rory Cellan-Jones’ Tech Tent podcast, Channel News Asia and The Guardian with strong local coverage in the Hull Daily Mail, BBC Radio Humberside and the Yorkshire Post.
MediMusic has created an app, with the help of fellow C4DI member Sauce, and a streaming device called the MediBeat that dispenses personalised playlists to reduce anxiety and pain in patients using a ‘digital drip’ to administer the most calming music.
It could revolutionise the treatment of dementia, pre/post operation, chronic pain, dentistry, and Alzheimer’s Disease through to improving motor response as part of a physical rehabilitation programme.
Initial clinical NHS trials at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, found the use of MediMusic saw an up to 22% reduction in heart rate in patients with dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic. It can be used in hospitals, care homes and dentist surgeries and could slash medication bills by up to a quarter.
Music therapy has already been proven in several previous studies to reduce anxiety by 44% and pain by 28%. This has resulted in a reduction in the need for relevant medication by 24%.
MediMusic is now running a trial on 40 NHS staff working in critical care to help combat work stress.
In the spirit of C4DI’s ethos of collaboration and innovation, MediMusic’s CEO and co-founder Gary Jones, chose to use Larkin PR to plan the launch, Influence Media to provide images and video footage and Matt Johnson to do social media.
Gary said: “It has always been important to me to use fellow C4Di members where possible as there is so much talent in this one building and the success of our PR campaign to date is testament to that. It also clearly demonstrates the power of real collaboration.”
“Key to the PR activity and success is David Prescott of Larkin PR. Luke Thornton from Influence Media covered all photography and filming requirements whilst Matt Johnson worked on social media and Leon Peak of Maiar Creative fulfilled artwork requirements.
“I’ve worked with a lot of agencies over the years, and I can say the team we put together in C4DI delivered more coverage than I have ever seen.”
David Prescott, CEO and founder of Larkin PR, who launched BBC Look North in Hull as Assistant Editor in 2002, said: “It’s been a great honour to work with such a bunch of talented people. Luke and I travelled to Lancashire to film the NHS trial and those images and video have gone around the world and used by the BBC.
“The great thing is that not only has C4DI got a great story to tell, but it is also using people who work in C4DI to tell that story to the world.”
C4DI is a digital hub located at the Fruit Market in Hull. Launched in 2015 by the Wykeland Group, it is the only privately funded tech accelerator in the UK and provides office space and services to startups.
Linsey Brown, Projects & Communications Manager at C4DI, said: “These are exactly the sort of collaborations we are keen to encourage and support at C4DI. We were thrilled to see the coverage that MediMusic received and it is credit to the hard work and commitment of those involved in it that it gained the reach it did.