ADVERTISING, DISTRIBUTION, & SALES
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Digene Corp. (Gaithersburg, MD) developed the first test for the human papillomavirus (HPV), a common virus that has been documented as the cause of cervical cancer. However, while many physicians quickly began ordering the test for their female patients, others were slow to change their practices. Many physicians told the company's reps that if women asked for the test, they would provide it. However, polls showed that more than 80% of women were uninformed both about HPV and the fact that there is an HPV test.
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Winning a gold award in the Medical Marketing Association's 2006 In-Awe competition, the human papillomavirus (HPV) education campaign produced by Digene Corp. (Gaithersburg, MD) produced greater disease awareness among women and increased sales of the company's diagnostic tests. (click to enlarge) |
Thus, Digene's strategy was to educate women on HPV, explain why the standard Pap test alone isn't enough, motivate them to discuss the issue with their doctors, and encourage them to tell their friends.
Because Digene currently has no competition in the HPV test market, a disease-education approach was chosen and structured similar to a public service announcement. The call to action was designed to drive women to a Web site (TheHPVTest.com), a toll-free telephone number, or directly to their physicians. The two primary advertising vehicles chosen for the campaign were the following.
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(Left to right) Dan Sheehan, group creative director for advertising agency Gotham Inc., and Pam Rasmussen, vice president of corporate communications for Digene, accept an award from Medical Marketing Association presenter Steve Coldiron. Photo courtesy Edward Fox Photography (click to enlarge) |
Results of the campaign were measured through a before-and-after survey of target women and physicians, as well as through actual increases in test sales and revenue. In the survey conducted six months after launch, 82% of women exposed to the ads said they had talked or planned to talk with their doctors about the HPV test. Additionally, 51% of physicians surveyed said they had seen a significant increase in requests for the HPV test. In addition, U.S. HPV test revenue increased 42% over the six-month period, with market penetration jumping as much as 85 to 115% in metro areas exposed to both print and TV ads.
