Bristol-Myers Squibb –
B Aware Campaign Launch

The Challenge

Bristol-Myers Squibb hired APCO Worldwide (APCO) to increase levels of awareness and knowledge about hepatitis B, with the aim of improving its diagnosis, treatment and prevention, and moving the disease up the government’s agenda of health care priorities.

The Solution

APCO provided logistical support to a coalition of organisations with an interest in hepatitis B, such as the British Liver Trust and the Children’s Liver Disease Foundation, and launched a campaign in October 2006 called B Aware.

A YouGov national opinion poll was commissioned for the campaign to gauge the public’s level of awareness and knowledge of hepatitis B. This poll revealed a significant level of ignorance, and the results were used for a media story on the day of the launch to contrast the alarming disparity between perception and reality.

Campaign materials, including an objective, key messages and a Call to Action were produced to provide an explanation of the campaign. For the campaign launch, three cross-party MPs on the All Party Parliamentary Group on Hepatology agreed to host the event, which was addressed by a leading clinician in hepatitis, plus a research scientist, the chief executive of the Hepatitis B Foundation and a patient who had the disease for over two decades.

On launch day, a letter appeared in The Times newspaper, signed by all the organisations backing the B Aware campaign. An Early Day Motion was also tabled in the House of Commons, welcoming the new campaign and calling for government action.

The Result

Seventy guests attended the launch event including MPs, peers, medical professionals and journalists. The Early Day Motion attracted the support of over 50 MPs within one week and the event secured national and specialist media coverage.

Services Provided

• Coalition building
• Creative services
• Government relations
• Issue management
• Media relations
• Opinion research
• Positioning

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