Public Relations
Arthritis UK (formerly Versus Arthritis) – Scottish Name Launch
Raising awareness and visibility across Scotland
As part of its ongoing public affairs support for Arthritis UK (formerly Versus Arthritis), Orbit Communications provided PR support in Scotland to help raise awareness of the charity’s new name and identity — part of a UK-wide rebrand designed to strengthen understanding of arthritis as one of the most common and misunderstood health conditions in the country.
Orbit’s role focused on Scottish media relations, ensuring that national coverage of a UK report and rebrand extended effectively across Scotland.
Approach
While the research, report and case studies were developed by the charity’s UK team, Orbit worked with the organisation’s Senior Media and PR Officer to identify opportunities within the Scottish media landscape and secured widespread coverage.
Using its established relationships across national, regional and broadcast outlets, Orbit supported the distribution of materials, responded to media enquiries, and ensured journalists had access to Scottish statistics, lived-experience stories, and comment from Lauren Bennie, Head of Scotland.
Outputs and Outcomes
Orbit achieved 70 plus pieces of Scottish media coverage across print, online and broadcast platforms — delivering exceptional reach and visibility for the rebrand and associated report.
Coverage highlights included major national and regional titles such as The Herald, Daily Record, Scottish Daily Mail, Daily Express (Scotland), Metro (Scotland), Holyrood Magazine, Yahoo News, and Third Force News, as well as widespread BBC and STV regional broadcast coverage.
The campaign was further amplified through social-media engagement by leading Scottish outlets including STV News and Herald Scotland, helping extend awareness among public, policy and third-sector audiences.
Through Orbit’s targeted Scottish PR support, Arthritis UK achieved outstanding nationwide visibility for its rebrand, connecting UK-wide research with Scottish audiences and strengthening the charity’s profile and advocacy voice across the country.
