Background
Most of the treatments available for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) were injection-based. Oral medication for MS was unheard of when Novartis launched Gilenya in a very crowded space for MS drugs. It wasn’t easy to break the status quo of an existing line of injected medication that was prevalent.

Insight
The marketing campaigns for the drugs prescribed for MS were doctor-centric. Patients’ involvement in the decision-making was passive, even though it was shown through research that patients were eager to understand more and take control of their disease. MS often afflicts women in the prime of their lives – working women or when they have young children – these were the patients who wanted to fight this disease by being actively involved in the process.

Execution
Novartis pushed the envelope in terms of a healthcare campaign by introducing Gilenya with a bold tone and a colorful look and feel to the visuals. The brand integrated Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube profiles into its website, encouraging people to post public messages. The campaign smartly leveraged social media giving people a trusted platform to share their Multiple Sclerosis struggles and stories, bring their optimism to support each other, and build a nurturing community presence. The user-generated voices to the campaign further lend authenticity and credibility to the brand.

Impact
The campaign was a tremendous success. Gilenya was the largest revenue contributor, with more than $3 billion in annual sales by 2016 for Novartis. There was a 22% increase reported in patients who considered Gilenya and a 21% increase in patients requesting Gilenya by name. Brand awareness among women aged 25-44 was 76% in December 2013, a 34% increase from January of that year. 90% of its Facebook posts were shared by users.

Key takeaway
When in doubt, directly talk to your customer in the language they understand.

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