The way to a gastroenterological patient's heart is most definitely through his stomach. That's what Manning, Selvage & Lee/Chicago discovered when it partnered with the
American Gastroenterological Association to create a groundbreaking consumer outreach program to accompany the association's 2000 annual meeting in San Diego.
The team knew intuitively that the 70 million Americans suffering embarrassing problems like diarrhea, flatulence and vomiting on a daily basis were less likely than patients
with other types of concerns to actively seek medical care. They would ignore problems even if it meant letting a condition like inflammatory bowel disease or colon cancer go
untreated. But when MS&L conducted a survey of San Diego residents, the team discovered only 10 percent of residents suffering acute digestive troubles had consulted a
physician.
The research also provided valuable information on target audiences, showing sedentary elderly people and college students (whose lifestyles predisposed them to
gastrointestinal problems) were prime audiences for the campaign.
Gutsy Goals
The AGA hoped to generate interest among the San Diego community in a Saturday morning meeting with top gastroenterologists to discuss digestive disease. The team would not
only have to persuade reticent patients to openly discuss their problems, it would have to coax them into giving up a Saturday morning. MS&L's goal was to secure at least 100
attendees for the event, appropriately dubbed "San Diego's Got Guts."
The team partnered with a local radio station to "break through the clutter" with repetitive messages. The station staged daily contests for listeners to win "gut friendly"
lunches at local restaurants, and it ran a PSA recorded by a well-known gastroenterologist 40 times in a two-week period. The day of the event, the station set up a remote
broadcast from a mall adjacent to the event. Other stations covered the story in response to an innovative pitch in which a local nutritionist dropped off a "gut friendly"
breakfast and fun facts about the digestive system for the morning drive deejays.
The team felt it would have to go beyond media relations, however, to reach the widely varied target audience. "It was a broad target with a lot of niche groups," says David
Zitlow, VP with MS&L/Chicago. "The topic was digestive disease, but each disease has its quirks," and team members were trying to reach everyone from elderly retirement
community residents to active college students.
Grassroots marketing became an important approach to meet the needs of those niche audiences. Posters for the event were displayed at retirement communities -- targeting the
elderly population so prone to GI disease -- and flyers went to local university health, fitness and student centers to catch younger sufferers. "We talked to the nurses at the
health centers and we touched base with social organizations on campus," Zitlow says. "One of the stereotypes of [GI disease] is that it's just older people who are affected."
Area pharmacies, health clubs and libraries also displayed materials.
Finally, the team created an "RSVP" mechanism that allowed prospective attendees to reserve a spot at the event, effectively strengthening commitment to attend, and also
offering the PR team a method of measuring their success throughout the campaign. Callers pre-registered by phone and received a schedule and a reminder via mail.
Results
"San Diego's Got Guts" generated a phenomenal response, with 300 digestive disease sufferers attending the event. Evaluation forms from attendees showed most had heard about
the event through a PR-triggered broadcast or placement, even though an ad ran in the San Diego Union-Tribune and local copies of USA Today.
Plus, gutsy attendees asked for referrals to local doctors and many signed on for subscriptions to the AGA's consumer magazine, Digestive Health & Nutrition -- benefits the
AGA had not anticipated from the event. The association was so pleased with the outcome, in fact, that it immediately began plans with MS&L for a 2001 event in Atlanta. "Each
time we've done this, we've made a difference for people who attend," Zitlow says. "The AGA felt like it was doing a great job servicing its members, but from the standpoint of
consumers, it wasn't doing nearly as well as some other professional organizations. This has helped them build a brand with consumers and build subscriptions to the magazine and
get gastroenterologists more excited about what the organization is doing."
(Contact: David Zitlow, 312/861-5200, [email protected])
Campaign Stats
Budget: $50,000
Budget Breakdown: 40 percent went to media relations, 40 percent went
to grassroots efforts, and the remaining 20 percent was spent on on-site and
logistics costs
Timeframe: March to May, 2000
MS&L/Chicago Team: Kathy Rand, Managing Director; David Zitlow, VP;
Jodi Kawada, Senior Account Executive; Jennifer Neiman, Account Executive
Gutsiest City? San Diego beat out Atlanta by a long shot. "Atlanta was
disappointing," Zitlow says. "It was not nearly as good a turnout." Zitlow and
team believe that the location - a downtown hotel that was under construction
at the time of the event and was located at the end of two one-way streets -
is partly to blame for the less-than-expected participation. "It was good learning
coming out of the second one," he says. "There's an opportunity to be more creative
in the format. Just because the hotel where [the AGA is] having the conference
is most convenient for doctors doesn't mean it's most convenient for participants."