Background: The Cochrane Collaboration conducted a Strategic Review of the organization in 2009 in order to identify areas in which the Collaboration needed to grow, improve, or change. One of these areas was communications and marketing. To help meet this need a Marketing and Communications Working Group (MCWG) was established to assess the current communications situation and identify potential strategies. One of the recommendations was to hire a professional communications and marketing firm to aid in this important endeavor.

Objectives: A Request for Proposal was circulated internationally to various professional firms and Delta Media (Ottawa, Canada) was approved for hire by the Steering Group at the mid-year meetings in 2011 in Split, Croatia. Delta Media will provide the professional expertise the Collaboration currently lacks internally in order to further increase the Collaboration’s profile globally and have the efforts of its 28,000 outstanding contributors recognized.

Methods: Delta Media will use tools provided by the Collaboration (Scoping Document created by the MCWG)and interview various key players in order to understand the unique nature of the organization as well as its unique communications needs and strengths. Delta Media will draw on its nearly 20 years of experience, proven expertise and current market research in order to advise the Collaboration on where to invest communications/marketing funds to receive the ’best bang for our buck’. The firm will work closely with individual members and departments, such as the Web Team, to help the Collaboration reach its full communications potential.

Results: Delta Media, will enhance the communications impact of the Collaboration markedly and thrust the organization into the mainstream when it comes to evidence-based research. Initiatives implemented or advised by Delta Media will be reported to Colloquium participants in order to apprise them of the progress made in this important initiative as well as future plans.