Experience - Project Case Study

Patients are getting immune to DTC (Direct-to-Consumer) advertising.

Sanofi-aventis wanted to shift more to tailored marketing, rather than broad scale advertising – this targeted approach directly reaches those with the applicable disease at a lower cost.

Physicians have less and less time to spend educating patients.

Patients with diabetes expressed the desire for more disease education. This lack of education resulted in patients being unaware of how to manage the disease and feeling alone and unmotivated after diagnosis.

Patients are resistant to taking insulin – breaking down barriers is paramount to successful disease self-management.

Educate patients on the importance of controlling diabetes

Provide living, breathing examples of positive, effective self-management

Decrease the time between diagnosis and starting insulin

Increase access and improve customer relations

Market Research: Partnered with the sanofi-aventis marketing team to plan, develop and conduct market research and analyze the findings

Plan Development: Worked closely with the brand team to determine objectives and strategies and develop messages consistent with brand market research findings and consumer insights

Recruiting and Training: Identified sources for mentors, created proprietary screening tool and process and developed and conducted a self-study and on-site training program

Program Management: Scheduled programs, coordinated logistics, developed print materials and integrated the program with the sales force

Measurement: Developed objectives and parameters, created survey tool and compiled and analyzed results, tracked and reported data, determined ROI and patient clinical outcomes and managed quality control

Identified, screened and trained more than 100 patient mentors

Launched a nationwide diabetes patient mentoring program with patient mentors giving presentations at support groups, hospitals, doctors’ offices, managed care education programs, community events, churches and health fairs

Developed relationships between mentors and sales force to focus on specific programs and objectives within a team’s region

Integrated program with sanofi-aventis’ sales training classes and national sales meeting

Extended program to include a branded component, which included training mentors to speak about sanofi-aventis’ products

Implemented the branded component at national health fairs, with mentors in the sanofi-aventis booth talking with and giving presentations to patients and health care providers

Managed the program within the budget

Collaborated with sales team to have a patient mentor present at a formulary meeting

Analyzed pre- and post-presentation surveys to track patients’ specific therapies and motivations and determine the need for follow-up market research

Determined total impact of the program, total cost and return on investment