Unconventional communication, social media endorsement, and people activation.
Client
Founded over 350 years ago, Merck is a global company with more than 63,000 employees, committed to scientific and technological innovation operating in 65 countries worldwide in the Healthcare, Life Science, and Electronics sectors, working every day to make a positive difference in the lives of millions of people.
Goal
Raise awareness among as many people as possible (general population, media and institutions, health specialists) about the importance of bladder cancer prevention during Bladder Cancer Awareness Month 2024, providing the opportunity to build and carry with them a wealth of knowledge capable of protecting their health.
Project
Communication & Media Strategy
Creation of an unconventional multi-touchpoint creative concept applied to an online and offline communication strategy, focused on the theme of bladder cancer prevention.
The campaign “On the Journey to Prevention” is tied to the positioning “For You. Our Commitment, Unceasingly,” the narrative created to convey Merck's commitment in the Oncology area and raise awareness about the importance of preventing cancer-related diseases.
Bladder cancer prevention, like in the case of other diseases, is a continuous journey that involves habits and should accompany us throughout our lives.
From this concept of prevention as a journey, which begins with awareness and knowledge of the disease, the campaign “On the Journey to Prevention” was born.
Between the end of May and the beginning of June 2024, the campaign came to life through the creation of a large traveling suitcase as a symbol of discovery, which traveled across Italy to reach three major cities: Milan, Rome, and Bari.
In the outdoor activity, carried out with the valuable collaboration of Mai Tai, the prevention suitcase met citizens during a journey over three consecutive weekends, aiming to engage them in a playful activity that raised awareness on the topic, distributing informational materials and custom-developed gadgets.
The stages of prevention and the campaign's journey across Italy were also shared online, through communication on Merck Italia's social channels and dedicated edutainment content focused on bladder cancer prevention.
People Activation
In the streets of the three cities, information and awareness were conveyed through an initial engagement activity: by hitting a scratch target, participants could delve into the most relevant topics about bladder cancer alongside the staff. Afterward, they were invited to complete a brief anonymous questionnaire aimed at assessing each individual's knowledge on the subject.
Inside the leaflet, created specifically for the campaign, there were four QR Codes linking to videos recorded by four different specialists in the field. The engagement activity concluded with the distribution of a branded gadget kit, to take along on their journey towards prevention – now with even greater awareness.
Result
An integrated campaign came to life, capable of engaging different target audiences, conveying the brand's values, and achieving the awareness objective thanks to the response from citizens. The high level of interest shown by the public resulted in approximately 2,500 completed questionnaires and nearly 2,000 scans of the QR codes included in the informational materials.
A campaign supported by the creation of a social-first editorial schedule and an advertising strategy that achieved an engagement rate of nearly 32% on Merck Italia's Instagram profile.
