Since 2002 Prasco has been an industry leader in Authorized Generics. Simply put, an Authorized Generic (AG) is the brand product sold in private label packaging at a generic price. Because an AG is identical to the brand in every way, doctors, pharmacists, and patients can be confident that it is as reliable, safe, and as effective as the brand. Prasco’s Authorized Generic is the brand®.
Levetiracetam has been around for a long time and many doctors are already accustomed to writing the generic script for their patients. How do we get doctors to notice there’s a new way for their patients to take it? A Tablet for Oral Suspension. It quickly dissolves.
Campaign Objective
The first challenge is Levetiracetam is available in generic form. So, introducing a New Brand medication that is available for a well-known generic is tricky. Holding their attention long enough to explain what is so great about “this form” of Levetiracetam, that could be more difficult to get approved by their insurance/managed care organization and cost way more than the generic, while it does exactly the same thing as what they are already prescribing, can be difficult.
The media challenge here was how to get through the noise, raise awareness of this modern technology, meet the needs of the patient, AND get HCPs on board. We at Silverlight Digital were excited to take on this challenge. We’re kind of geeky like that.
Our Approach
Strategy 1: Let’s focus on marketing to the patient and caregiver more so than the HCP.
Why? We wanted them to ask for Spritam at their next doctor’s visit. We want parents to know there is at least one medication that does not have to be a struggle to get their child to take. How do we get patients to ask? We show up on the internet. We advertise with a focus on the patient, so they know Spritam exists, and this inherently encourages them to request this specific form of levetiracetam from their care providers.
Strategy 2: Develop a Strategic Omni-channel Media Approach Focused on Reaching Key Audiences with Good Frequency.
With a deep understanding of our audience, we know what media channels they actively consume, and their patterns of usage across devices and time of day. Then we can tailor a multi-touch media campaign to promote the right message, on the right channel, at the right time and drive our audience to action. It is important for brands to connect emotionally and leave something to remember them by without jarring their experience on media channels.
For example, Sally has a daughter who is 10 and needs to take levetiracetam daily to prevent seizures. What we know about Sally: She wakes up early to go for her morning jog, where she listens to iHeart radio. Then she hurries back home to get the kids ready where she reaches for her phone to check the weather app. Later in the morning, she has a moment of free time, and she opens Facebook and scrolls for a couple minutes. It is family tv time after dinner where they are watching an episode of Survivor on Hulu. Then, as the evening winds down she is thinking back to the tough time she had getting her daughter to take her medication that morning, so she searches “easy to take epilepsy med” on Google.
We also show up in other places where others may interact with the brand, in a top of mind setting like the doctor’s office. At check-in, Paul who is taking his 6-year-old son, signs in on a tablet using the Phreesia check-in system. Then while they are waiting, they watch the tv in the room playing informational videos in-between snippets of PBS children’s shows. In both these places, Paul sees the Spritam commercial and an ad that shows a smiling child with his dad and asks the neurologist about it.
Campaign Results
Display is driving the highest number of new visits to the site and accounting for 20% of overall website conversions. YouTube is driving quality traffic. Clickthrough rate increased 200% month over month by adding a call-to-action button and companion banners and it’s even driving nine percent of conversion traffic on the website. We exceeded click projections by 213% in our first six months of launch.