How it started

Haleon, a global leader in consumer health, recognised momentum in the business to engage directly with consumers and experts more frequently. Oral Health R&D scientists and innovation teams sought closer connections with consumers and healthcare professionals (HCPs) to deepen human understanding and support consumer-centric innovation.

How we inspired change

We proposed a Connects Programme to Haleon, directly connecting internal R&D and innovation stakeholders with consumers and HCPs.

• Prepare and train: all teams submitted relevant topics for the Connect sessions, four of which were chosen to take forward. Next, we developed a research guide and briefed and trained the Haleon employees to make them feel comfortable during the Connect sessions.
• Connect sessions: in 2023, we organised connects with consumers and healthcare experts from multiple markets (the US, Italy and the UK) over the course of 15 weeks. The Haleon team was in full control during these sessions, with Human8 present to introduce employees to participants, and act as back room support to step in if necessary.
• Reflection, sharing learnings & making use of them: during a closing reflection session, Haleon stakeholders shared learnings and “A-ha” moments. This was followed up with a workshop to help the team use these insights to drive innovation.

How it lives on

Our Connects Programme allowed for teams to build empathy, capture consumer and expert stories, and provide insight springboards for future ideations.

The project was nominated for an internal award at Haleon and presented by the Haleon team as a case study at the EuroSense 2022 Conference.