Company: Schering-Plough
PR agency: Edelman
Campaign: Don't Blow It - The Nasal Allergy Game
Duration: March 2009-ongoing
Schering-Plough used an online game to promote its Nasonex allergy medication, reminding consumers that allergies happen year-round. "Don't Blow It - The Nasal Allergy Game," found at dontblowit.com, engaged the company's target audience in a new way, says Julie Lux, director of global product communications and advocacy relations.
Strategy
"With the growth and expansion of social media, it seemed like an ideal opportunity to step out of what we've been doing traditionally and do something different to engage in that new area," Lux says.
After conducting research into Nasonex's target audience - mostly women, 25 to 50 years old - the company decided to focus on an online game, which could be used as part of various PR tactics.
Tactics
Introduced during the spring allergy season, the game featured links and widgets that encouraged users to click through to Nasonex.com or share the game via Facebook. Working with AOR Edelman, Nasonex reached out to bloggers and traditional media, including health writers and TV weathermen who often discuss pollen count.
For the fall, Nasonex introduced the online "Name Ronnie Nose's Dog Contest," and promoted it to dog and pet blogs and writers. Nasonex also entered into a partnership with American Forest to donate one low-allergenic tree for each new user who plays the game.
Results
Since its March debut, more than 10,000 unique visitors have played "Don't Blow It," and the dog-naming contest received more than 450 entries.
Future
Nasonex will continue to update the game, educating consumers about allergies year-round, Lux says. "There is still life in this particular game," she adds. "We'll continue to look for new ways to spread the word about treatment of nasal allergy symptoms."
