Mindstep: Detecting Dementia on Your Smartphone
An award-winning VC-backed team of young NHS doctors had created Mindstep: an app using a smartphone's camera and AI to screen for early-stage dementia. Mindstep approached Woodrow to raise its profile and increase downloads of the app to help improve understanding of, and care for, dementia. The company was also gearing up for a new round of funding and needed to make a compelling case for the opportunity ahead: tackling one of the world's largest societal and health challenges.
Impact
Mindset4Dementia entered the App Store top five in its category. Mindstep attracted new investment from Europe's largest tech VC fund and published ground-breaking research proving a link between concussion and brain disease. The team were credited with helping bring innovation to confront the challenges of dementia and were recognised for Best Use of Data at the 2021 Design Awards. The company went on to raise an additional funding round, with existing investors recommitting: a strong signal of confidence in the founders, brand and product.
Approach
We launched the app alongside a data-gathering initiative encouraging the public to 'lend their brain' to Mindstep. The founder Hamzah introduced the campaign on World Alzheimer's Day with appearances on Sky News and BBC Breakfast. National media coverage was complemented by partnerships with social influencers and a major billboard campaign that ran across four cities - negotiated at no cost - driving tens of thousands of app downloads. The campaign positioned Mindstep not just as an app but as a movement for better dementia care.
