Galvus: SAVE THE ISLET

Credits & Description:

Category: Healthcare and Services

Advertiser: NOVARTIS KOREA

Product/Service: GALVUS DIABETES TREATMENT

Chief Executive Officer: Kavin Kim (The Communications Enzaim)

Director: Eunice Kim (The Communications Enzaim)

Account Manager: Sooji Shon (The Communications Enzaim)

Senior Account Executive: Amy Park (The Communications Enzaim)

Head of Communication: Byunghee Ahn (Novartis Korea)

Communication Manager: Hayeon Kim (Novartis Korea)

Galvus PM: Jaihyuck Lee (Novartis Korea)

Chairman: Sungwoo Park (Korea Diabetes Association)

Director of Communication: Sungrae Kim (Korea Diabetes Association)

Doctor: Sangyong Kim (Chosun University Hospital)

Doctor: Hyungwoo Lee (Yeongnam University Hospital)

Chairman: Changeun Goe (NGO)

Media placement: Press Releases - Inc. Metro, Munhwa Ilbo, Sports World - 28 June 2010

Media placement: Reportage - Maeil Business News Paper - 02 July 2010

Media placement: Press Releases - Inc. Metro, Focus, Newsis - 05 July 2010

Media placement: Press Releases - Inc. Chosun Ilbo, Yeonhop News Agency - 07 September 2010

Media placement: Photo Event - Inc. Etoday, Asia Economy, Yeonhop News Agency - 12 September 2010

Media placement: Feature Article - The City News - 28 September 2010

Media placement: Press Releases - Inc. Kukinews, Newsis, Doctors News - 30 September 2010

Media placement: Photo Event - Inc. Focus, Whosaeng News, Newsi - 16 November 2010

Media placement: Feature Article - Maeil Business News Paper - 13 July 2010



Summary of the Campaign

Like the world’s oceans, our bodies contain many small islands. Located in the pancreas, these islets are called islets of Langerhans. They play an important role in glucose regulation and a compromise of their function accompanies the onset and progression of diabetes. Protection of the islet cells is especially important for Koreans who have weak islet cell function, yet little attention has been paid to their existence and importance in diabetes treatment. Galvus, a DPP-4 inhibitor developed by Novartis Korea, has been shown to preserve islet cell function, but due to a complex mechanism of action, communicating its strengths was a challenge. In response, we created the "I Love Islet Campaign" with the goal of improving understanding of Galvus’s mechanism of action and the importance of protecting the islet cells. We visited small remote isles with healthcare professionals, providing medical care to residents who were otherwise without adequate healthcare. We also encouraged villagers to light blue lights symbolizing hope, and offered an online education program to physicians. Through these activities designed to protect Korea’s isles from diabetes, we educated the public, the media and healthcare providers about the isles in our body which also require our attention and protection.



The Situation

Diabetes prevalence in Korea has surged six-fold to 7.7 percent over the past three decades. Koreans are known to have weak pancreatic islet function, so it is important to protect the islet cells. Galvus, an anti-diabetic drug addresses this need. However, in Korea, the treatment of diabetes is focused on lowering blood glucose levels. To raise patient, healthcare provider and public awareness of the need to protect the islet cells and to give easier-to-understand explanations about Galvus’s mechanism of action, we planned the "I Love Islet Campaign," using small islands as the theme.



The Goal

- Change the diabetic treatment paradigm from 'just controlling blood glucose levels' to 'additionally protecting pancreatic islets'.

- Emphasize the need to protect the pancreatic islet cells when treating diabetes patients in Korea, who have poor pancreatic islet cell function.

- Raise public awareness of the issues related to diabetes by introducing a story about diabetes patients in remote isles through the media. As a corporate citizen, Novartis Korea provides medical benefits to residents in remotely located islets as they are under-privileged in terms of access to medical services.



The Strategy

- The actions undertaken during the campaign (protecting villagers in small isles from diabetes) were to serve as a tangible link to the distinctive features of the product (protection of the islet cells), providing a clear and simple explanation about how a DPP-4 inhibitor (Galvus) protects the pancreatic islet cells

- A variety of campaigns on some of the 3000 small islands around Korea were planned, to provide free medical care and education where healthcare remains inadequate and generate national interest in the campaign

- An array of stakeholder groups, including community clinics and hospitals, the Korea Diabetes Association, NGOs, physicians, patients, and the media were involved.

- Online lectures for healthcare professionals were offered and participants were encouraged to make donations supporting the offline programs targeting patients to link the online and offline programs.

-The campaign continued for over one year involving activities on a consistent basis.



Execution

- We offered online lectures for physicians for over a year and raised money from the participants. The donations went to an NGO devoted to protecting island areas and provided medical care to island residents with diabetes.

- We visited the islands of Dok-do, Ulleung-do, and Gapa-do in the far east and south, providing free diabetes education, care and checkups as well as diabetes management kits and financial support to villagers in remote areas which remain medically underserved.

- Residents, local healthcare professionals, and members of the Korean Diabetes Association and the NGO participated in a "Blue Lighting Ceremony," a global campaign designed to represent the world’s commitment to fight diabetes.

- Coverage of the "I Love Islet Campaign" included pictures, interviews, press releases and feature articles, all of which highlighted that Galvus, a DPP-4 inhibitor, is an effective anti-diabetic treatment that helps protect the pancreatic islet cells.



Documented Results

- For sales results, please refer to the confidential information section

- The campaign was covered by the media 476 times, resulting in over 100 million impressions (138,007,963). This is equivalent to every Korean being exposed to campaign-related articles more than twice (Korean Population: 48 million).

- About 280 physicians participated in the interactive online diabetes education, and also made donations.