crooton and CHECT - hyper-targeting to raise awareness of childhood cancer 

CHECT (Childhood Eye Cancer Trust) is a charity dedicated to supporting those affected by retinoblastoma; a rare form of eye cancer that primarily impacts babies and children. The team provides lifelong support to families navigating diagnosis and treatment, as well as funding vital research and raising vital public awareness. 

To celebrate crooton’s fifth anniversary, the ‘croo’ nominated CHECT to receive some pro-bono location-based marketing support. CHECT were delighted and asked us to help the charity build brand recognition and drive traffic to their website - especially among parents and carers of young children. The campaign would coincide with World Retinoblastoma Awareness Week, a global campaign to raise awareness of Retinoblastoma eye cancer - a far cry from recruitment marketing, but we’re always up for a challenge!

CHECT was nominated for our ‘Five for Five’ campaign by our Account Director, Marc, whose son was diagnosed with eye cancer at just age 7. Marc said: “CHECT was there from the very beginning, not just with information, but with real support. They helped us navigate the medical system, connected us with other families, and reminded us we weren’t alone. We’re still feeling the impact of their support today, 15 years later, so when I had the chance to nominate them for crooton’s ‘Five for Five’ campaign, I was in there like a shot!”

CHECT wanted to tell the world that childhood eye cancer is rare, but early diagnosis can save lives. They needed to reach the right audiences with a message that resonated.

We got to work on a multi-channel, data-driven strategy. Using geofencing, we placed digital fences around key health centres and served parents going in and out of these fences with CHECT’s digital ads on key websites. This meant that CHECT’s awareness campaign reached people visiting locations like hospitals and eye clinics, where concerns around childhood health are top of mind.

We also ran contextual keyword and search-based ads, ensuring that anyone reading relevant content online would see CHECT’s message. A standout success was digital display ads placed on the Mumsnet website, which drove over 700 clicks alone, demonstrating that targeted placement in trusted parenting environments works.

Over the month-long campaign, the results spoke volumes:

• 1.41 million impressions
• 4,754 clicks through to the CHECT website
• A click-through rate (CTR) increase from 0.26% to 0.34% in just two weeks

This campaign was about getting vital information in front of the people who need it most. By blending smart targeting with strategic placements, crooton helped CHECT boost visibility, drive engagement, and spread awareness of a critically underrepresented issue.

But that’s not all, the CHECT marketing team hugely benefited from crooton’s specialist and additional support around their digital marketing strategy.

Isabella Greenwood, Communications Manager at CHECT said: "We are incredibly grateful to crooton for their generosity, expertise, and commitment to raising awareness of retinoblastoma. Early diagnosis can make a life-changing difference for children and their families, and thanks to this campaign, we have reached more parents, carers, and healthcare professionals with vital information about the signs and symptoms of childhood eye cancer.

What has made this partnership especially meaningful is crooton's genuine personal connection to our cause. Their team worked closely with us to deliver a highly targeted campaign that significantly extended our reach, connecting us with audiences we would not have reached alone. By engaging both families and healthcare professionals, crooton has played an important role in increasing awareness and supporting earlier diagnosis of this rare childhood cancer.

We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Marc for nominating CHECT as part of crooton's 'Five for Five' campaign. Knowing that CHECT was able to support his family following his son's diagnosis makes this partnership all the more special. We are deeply honoured that our work has had such a lasting impact, and we are sincerely grateful to Marc and the entire crooton team for their passion, generosity, and unwavering support."

This initiative demonstrates our commitment to supporting charities that have impacted our staff and customers, without whom we wouldn’t have been celebrating our fifth birthday. Edmund Hockley, Head of People at crooton said:

“Every day, I see the difference this company makes to our clients. The dedication of the team here at crooton has highlighted to me the profound impact we can have – not just for our clients but also beyond. Our three core company values are Passion, Innovation, and Collaboration, and these are evident both in the services we provide and in the attitude we bring to the workplace. It was really important to me to establish this initiative, allowing us to make a difference locally and nationally.”

We’re extremely proud to support CHECT in their life-saving mission, and this campaign proved how powerful digital innovation can be in the not-for-profit sector.