At first glance, there's nothing sexy about the employer-based drug-testing industry. The market is dominated by urine- and blood-testing companies that rely on heavy doses of
clinical language and sterile creative, like plastic cups filled with amber fluid, to promote how accurate the tests are.
But last year, an ad featuring a close-up shot of a woman's ruby red lips took the industry in a more sensual direction, proving that even in the blandest of healthcare
industries -- sex sells. The mouthy campaign promotes a new device, called Oral Screen, that test saliva and positions the kit as a more dignified testing option for employers.
For Avitar, the device's manufacturer, the campaign made a provocative splash, opening the door for its sales force and distributors to pitch employers on a new way of looking at
their drug-testing programs.
Avitar's oral fluids testing kits test for four types of drugs -- marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamines and opiates -- and take about 15 minutes to obtain a result. This is a
dramatic departure from the typical drug-testing process, which usually requires a half-day commitment, and puts employers in the awkward position of asking employees for urine
and blood samples. Consequently, traditional drug testing was considered a necessary evil, barely tolerated by some employers and avoided by others.
To overhaul this image of drug testing with a focus on OralScreen's non-invasive, on-site benefits, Avitar enlisted the marketing muscle of Lowe Grob Health & Science at a
budget of slightly less than $500,000. "We had to convince employers that drug testing was valuable to do for [employee] productivity and safety reasons," says Michael McLinden,
the agency's SVP/director of planning and market strategy.
The messages resonated with employers. In June, Avitar's sales revenues spiked 84% to $2.9 million from $1.6 million for the corresponding period last year.
The campaign also earned an Award of Merit from the Biomedical Marketing Association.
Provocative Lip Service
The media campaign targeted professionals charged with making drug-testing policy decisions. Ads ran in trade publications that reach the law enforcement, public safety and
human resource markets.
While the striking ads met the objective of standing out in these conservative publications, they also ran the risk of being inappropriate. "We were concerned that the ads
would rub some the wrong way, particularly those in the corrections industry (who tend to be the most conservative). As it turns out, our best response came from the law
enforcement side," says Michael DeFeo, Avitar's director of marketing. DeFeo attributes the campaign's positive feedback to its ability to creatively address ethical and
convenience voids in the drug-testing market with integrated communication tactics.
While the ads laid the groundwork for introducing a new saliva-based way of testing employee drug use, back-end PR, a b-to-b Web site and sales collateral provided more
detailed particulars.
The media relations effort pitched trade reporters on anecdotal stories that focused on how drug testing has evolved and market research that highlighted the impact of drug
abusers in the workforce. For instance, lost productivity, high employee turnover, low employee morale, mistakes and accidents are all results of untreated substance abuse
problems in the workplace, costing U.S. companies $100 billion annually.
These story ideas landed ink in trade publications that cover the HR, law enforcement and occupational health industries and caught the attention of general business media,
like Dow Jones and Reuters.
Beyond the campaign's media coverage, Lowe Grob incorporated the advertising image into Avitar's Web site (http://www.avitarinc.com) and
sales collateral. The same model seen in the ads was used for online product demonstrations and marketing pieces. This gave the campaign a uniform tone that helped build brand
recognition at trade shows and other industry events, says DeFeo. The sales team often reported that their accounts had immediate recall of the Avitar brand from the ads, allowing
them to focus their presentations more on product benefits than on developing basic awareness.
"Overall, the campaign achieved what is set out to -- it created excitement in the [drug-testing] industry, which had seen very little technological innovation in 10 or 15
years," says DeFeo.
(Avitar, Michael DeFeo, 781/821-2440; Lowe Grob Health & Science, Michael McLinden, 617/876-9300)
Lowe Grob Health & Science
Headquarters: Cambridge, Mass.
Founded: 1979
Employees: 25
Healthcare Clients: C.R. Bard, Galil Medical U.S.A.
Billings: $452 million
Focus: direct marketing, advertising, PR,
medical education and managed care marketing