Canadian Blood Services - Social First Campaign
The Challenge We Took On
Canadian Blood Services needed nearly 1,000 people waiting for a stem cell match to actually be found
nd a public that still misunderstood what donation involves. Advances in medicine mean stem cell transplants now treat more than 80 diseases and disorders, but persistent myths, including the idea that donation always requires surgery, that cells are taken from the spine, and that the process is painful, kept eligible Canadians from ever starting the two-minute online registration. Because genetic compatibility depends on ethnic background, a registry that doesn't reflect Canada's diversity also means fewer matches for the patients who need them most
The Impact We Made
Symal cofounder Kolter Bouchard is himself a stem cell transplant recipient and the creator behind @koltertalks, with an audience of more than 1 million followers. This puts Symal in a rare position to offer both the influencer reach and the production craft a campaign like this needs. Kolter and Dominique are also a husband-and-wife team, pairing his perspective as a cancer survivor with her firsthand experience as his caregiver through treatment. We built a short-form video series that brought CBS’s campaign to life through Kolter’s own lived experience rather than brand narration. Symal handled the creative strategy, the talent, and the production end to end, then extended the same narrative with a piece of our own featuring Dominique, aimed at expecting parents considering cord blood donation. The lead video became the standout of the series, pulling 78 comments and more than 500 shares. This is 20x their typical engagement pace on the channel and proof that creator-led storytelling can move a public health message further than brand-only content. It's also why CBS came back to Symal for this initiative, building on the results of our earlier campaign together.
