Was Time to Change the biggest marketing promotion ever

If I said to you lets promote a new industry. I need £22 million and
four years. I'll be clever about it and get the people to do the work too.

And so the mad pound was born. It won't be called the mad pound of
course. The mental health fraternity/sorority are a bit sensitive when
it comes to words. The market for people with a mental health experience
(MPMHE). It's just not as catchy as the mad pound.

Four years ago the idea of a business targeting the mentally ill market
wouldn't really be considered outside the third sector. Today there is
an emerging new market which was promoted by the Time to Change
antistigma campaign.

The campaign sought to change discrimination and stigma amongst other
objectives. In so doing it helped many people create an identity around
their supposed illness. It allowed people a sense of pride rather than
the negativity caused by stigma.

It's just like homosexuality 50 years ago. Today there is a thriving
pink pound, a market which is full of people who had to hide their
supposed illness because of the stigma. Now people can be open and can
be mad pride like things changed in the 1970s for gay men and women.

I don't know what the figures are because I'm not aware of anyone who
collects data on the new market of the mentally ill.

What would these business be like? Well I remember speaking to the Chief
Executive of Travel Matters, a company staffed by people with mental
illnesses. It's a highly successful social enterprise organisation. I
was contacting them for a brief for one of the directors at one of the
UK's leading mental health charities for a Radio 4 interview on travel
and mental health. It surprised me that they didn't offer travel
services specifically tailored to the mentally ill. These would be the
sort of services that could be marketed to the capitalise on the
opportunity of the mad pound.

With 300 in every 1000 people in the UK experiencing a common mental
disorder every year the potential market is huge. Many of those may be
on low income however the size of the market means it's still a
significant opportunity. The opportunity has been created by the changes
brought about by Time to Change so while not everyone will want to
identify themselves as mentally ill many more will do so. Many will also
want products designed for the mentally ill because human suffering and
emotional problems is something that is part of the human condition.

Everybody wants their holiday to go smoothly. Everyone wants to be able
to trust their travel agent. Everyone wants to have good customer
service and be treated like a person. Everyone wants travel agents to
tell the truth. People with mental illnesses can be more sensitive to
the vagaries of customer service and product quality so products
tailored to their needs are desirable by everyone. In a sense they form
the canary in the mine.

Reaching the market is difficult because there are few pervasive
marketing networks. The magazines have small circulation and are niche
products. Mental health TV is in it's infancy. There aren't mass
distribution lists of the mentally ill. Many people are senstiive about
their information being used in this way and perhaps more sensitive than
the general public.

It's just a matter of time though. Time to Change is almost over but the
other charities will have to take up the battleflag and carrying on the
war for their objectives. The inertia created by the campaign will drive
forward and individual's and organisations fill the void when Time to
Change ends next year.