The University of Tennessee Health Science Center was conducting a clinical trial to determine how best to help people quit smoking without the usual associated weight gain that normally accompanies smoking cessation. The program was called “Fit & Quit.”
CHALLENGE
The study required 10 waves of 40 to 50 qualified participants per wave over a two year period. The acceptance rate was less than 5% (due to a number of qualifying parameters in the screening process) so it required generating a tremendous number of interested applicants to fill each wave of the study.
TARGETING
We needed to target smokers who had some potential interest in quitting, so we identified age, geographic and other demographic traits typical of smokers. Budget was limited so we employed a number of tactics to try to reach them. We utilized inbound call tracking and an inquiry form on the website to determine where the applicant learned about the study.
CREATIVE APPROACH
We wanted to promote the improved quality of life non-smokers enjoy, so we captured two testimonials from earlier study participants and used those for television ads, YouTube pre-roll and on social media, and used the testimonial audio for radio ads. To target sub-sections of the target market, we also created a series of static ads to be used on social media, Google Display Network, billboards and on-premises ads (such as ads displayed in bathrooms of bars where a large number of smokers were likely to be present).
Scope
- Video Production
- Digital Marketing Strategy
- Ad Creation
- Campaign Management
Placements
- Targeted Keyword Search
- Targeted Display Ads
- Targeted Social Media
- Online Video and Streaming
- Television
- Radio
- Traditional Print
RESULTS
Early results were strong. When Covid hit in March of 2020, the study’s participant pipeline began to dry up and experiential ads, such as those on billboards and in bars, became useless as people were staying home. It was our belief that large numbers of people stuck at home would be watching TV (especially certain channels such as news) and we re-targeted our spend there on a cable buy. We successfully generated several hundred leads from this tactic.
SUBSEQUENT CHALLENGE AND EVOLUTION
As Summer arrived, the decision was made to suspend the in-person counseling that had been a hallmark of the program and go to a completely virtual environment. This meant that we could recruit nationally, but we were faced with advertising to a much larger audience with a reduced budget. We decided to focus entirely on digital and correlate behaviors to lifestyle triggers on platforms such as Facebook. This generated a tremendous response, with study organizers receiving more inquiries than they could process and actually asking us to suspend the campaign at one point to allow them to catch up. This tactic allowed them to fill the remaining waves and complete the study successfully.
