Creating a Rebranding Campaign

The Medical Heroes was created by CISCRP and Fast4wD Ogilvy. It began when a small group of about two dozen people representing patient advocacy groups, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, PhRMA, the National Health Council, academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies, CROs, investigative sites, patient recruitment service companies, and the IRB community met to discuss the difficulties in patient recruitment and retention and how that related to public education failures.

Fast4wD Ogilvy developed 15 different campaign ideas – called ‘Treatments’ that were eventually winnowed down to five. After incorporating suggestions and refining the campaigns to make them look polished and professional, the five treatments were presented to consumer focus groups made up of a mix of ages, genders, ethnicities, lifestyles, and occupations, and individuals were grouped into one of three socio-economic classes.

The “Medical Hero” concept scored significantly higher across the board. Consumers liked the concept and felt appreciative of the people featured in the campaign. The hero ads also most prompted them to want to learn more. Among the lower socio-economic group, in particular, respondents identified with and admired the featured “Heroes.”

The copy on the final version of the campaign reads, “Medical heroes can be found in ordinary places. Together we can make a difference through medical research.” Based on the request of many focus group respondents, the campaign also gives viewers a telephone number and a web site where they can learn more about the clinical research process.

The Campaign Rollout

In its rollout, The Medical Hero campaign was run concurrently with traditional recruitment efforts and recruitment improved by 38% (radio) and 140% (radio and television).

These results suggest that there is a real need to let the public know that their participation is appreciated.