Merck Sharp & Dohme – Singulair

The Challenge

Public perceptions of asthma medication tend to center on puffers, inhalers and other types of rescue medication. Much less commonly understood, however, is that preventative tablets, such as Merck Sharp & Dohme Pharmaceuticals’ (MSD) Singulair, are available to help control and prevent asthma symptoms before they start. When APCO Worldwide began this campaign, Singulair was a leading product in the U.S. respiratory market, but did not share the same position in Asia. In particular, its share of the youth market was lower than the adult market despite the fact that, as a steroid-free drug, it was particularly suitable for young children.

The Solution

APCO designed a strategic communication campaign to improve awareness and educate consumers in Hong Kong about the benefits of preventative asthma medication. In order to best approach MSD’s target audience, APCO’s consultants reached out to the parents of young children through kindergartens, having identified a particular area of Hong Kong with a large concentration of young families. To assist in the approach to local schools, APCO negotiated and secured a partnership agreement with a trusted nongovernmental organization, the Hong Kong Council of Early Childhood Education & Services. APCO then planned and implemented an outreach education program consisting of a presentation for parents by a local pediatrician on better understanding asthma and allergies, followed by a Q&A session on asthma control and a short asthma assessment. To heighten parents’ interest, a free doctor’s consultation was offered for those children who showed signs of asthma or allergy rhinitis. At the same time, APCO designed a parallel ‘fun’ program for the children, recognizing that parents would only be encouraged to participate in these events if they could be assured their children would be well looked after and entertained while they attended the doctor’s presentation.

The Result

The sessions themselves were highly successful, with more than 100 parents attending each one and more than 70 percent of the children with suspected symptoms taking advantage of the free doctor consultations. From these consultations, the average number of Singulair prescriptions was 52 percent. (For one school the prescription rate was 82 percent.) MSD considered the initiative so successful in terms of raising the awareness of Singulair among the target audience that they commissioned APCO to roll out the campaign in other areas of Hong Kong.

Services Provided

• Issue management
• Positioning

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