Digital marketing strategy to entice European health professionals to relocate to Sydney

Marketing strategy, creative direction, SEO, copywriting, and web design. Videographer credit Ryan Quinn

Still from the campaign video: “Kath has been a nurse for Sydney Local Health District since 2014.”

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The context

In 2022, just after the COVID-19 pandemic, NSW Health had lost a significant number of staff to burnout, pay disputes and a lack of support. With critical positions to fill as quickly as possible, NSW Health decided to attract health professionals from Europe to relocate and work in Sydney.

I was asked to lead the digital marketing for the campaign, delivering a new website and its content, including videos where I led the creative development. The timeline was tight: a team was flying to England, Ireland and Sweden roughly four weeks from the initial brief.

The approach

Research

I sought out the highest quality recruitment websites and content, focusing on what made me feel something. Drawing on my website experience, I reverse engineered how these best-practice sites structured information and used copy to connect with their audience. I also reviewed local competitors in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, noting what stood out emotionally and visually.

To meet the deadline, my manager and director wanted to bypass the usual web development and communications route. I researched website platforms that could deliver an on-brand result quickly and recommended Squarespace as the best fit. This stage was deliberately short and focused to keep the project on schedule.

Prototyping

Rather than presenting layouts, copy and images separately, I built a complete, high-fidelity website, shaped by the best ideas from my research, and shared it through a test URL. This let stakeholders see exactly how the site would look and read, making approval fast and simple.

For the videos, I created detailed storyboards and talking points, briefed the videographer and talent, and curated b-roll. This made production smooth, well understood and rapid, without compromising quality. Final cuts were shared privately for approval.

Feedback

Both the website and videos were approved quickly and the videos received high praise. After launch, a team member requested more fields in the contact form. I shared UX research showing that shorter forms lead to more submissions and made my case to leadership, but the decision was made to lengthen the form and I made the change.

The results

  • Filled difficult-to-recruit roles in critical areas with international health professionals
  • Delivered a complete website and video campaign in around four weeks
  • Rapid stakeholder approval thanks to ready-to-launch deliverables

What I learned

  • Research shapes great experiences. Studying the best in the space taught me the small details that make websites and videos work, and how to turn those insights into a real-world product.
  • Show the real thing. Presenting finished, high-fidelity work leads to faster, clearer approvals than reviewing pieces in isolation.
  • The medium matters as much as the message. When opinions differ, evidence alone isn’t enough. I now take the time to connect in person or over a call, staying curious about what’s behind a request so I can advocate for the user more effectively.