Novartis Campaign Gives Overactive Bladder Sufferers Freedom to Travel

To raise awareness of overactive bladder (OAB) and encourage patients to seek treatment, Ketchum develops a PR program that shows people “Where to Stop When They Need to Go.”

As the sixth product to enter the market for overactive bladder – a condition affecting an estimated 33 million Americans – Novartis Pharmaceuticals' Enablex faced stiff competition. Ketchum was tasked with creating a unique campaign that would raise awareness of OAB, drive sufferers to seek product-specific treatment, and help differentiate Enablex from its treatments already available.

Ketchum’s Healthcare Practice homed in on one of the primary aspects of daily life that heavily impacts the OAB sufferer: travel. Ketchum decided to help bring freedom back into OAB patients' lives by developing a travel guide written specifically for them by travel guru Arthur Frommer. “Where to Stop & Where to Go: A Guide to Traveling with Overactive Bladder in the United States” quickly became the centerpiece of an educational campaign aimed at bringing attention to the needs of OAB sufferers and generating demand for Enablex. As a complement to the guide, Ketchum created materials for physicians' waiting rooms – a key ingredient in educating both physicians and patients about the condition and possible treatments.

A national media blitz reached more than 104 million consumers, with coverage in prominent print and television outlets including USA Today, Parade, and Real Simple, and the TV show Regis & Kelly. Seventy-seven percent of the stories included Novartis mentions. As a result, Novartis's patient call center received an almost 1,000% increase in call volume, Enablex.com experienced a 318% increase in visitors, and more than 24,000 guides were ordered – with nearly 13,000 people requesting Enablex-specific information. Following the launch, sales of Enablex surpassed those of two key competitors.