One million people are affected by hemophilia, a chronic bleeding disorder that impairs blood clotting, turning minor injuries and everyday activities into prolonged bleeding episodes that can cause joint damage, chronic pain, loss of mobility, and reduced quality of life. Hemophilia also causes significant emotional, social, and mental health impacts.
While advancements in treatment have focused on managing bleeding episodes, the broader impact of the disease remained underacknowledged. Recognizing this, Sanofi, in partnership with Ogilvy Health PR, sought to create a communications campaign to raise awareness of the broader impact of hemophilia to drive change in care and treatment. To inform the campaign, Sanofi would conduct a global survey of patients, caregivers, and hematologists to ensure the campaign was rooted in their needs and challenges.
The campaign’s primary objective was to shift the conversation from treating only the physical symptoms to addressing the emotional, social, and mental health challenges faced daily by patients. Sanofi's campaign needed to spark conversations among key stakeholders, including patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and advocates to drive action toward advancing hemophilia care to go Beyond the Bleed.
By emphasizing the need for a more holistic treatment approach, the initiative aimed to foster greater empathy and understanding, ultimately inspiring advancements in hemophilia care. Through digital and social media, strategic outreach, and compelling storytelling, the campaign sought to amplify the voices of people living with hemophilia and promote a more comprehensive approach to care, ensuring emotional and social aspects would be addressed as thoroughly as physical symptoms.
The Beyond the Bleed campaign, a multi-year global initiative by Sanofi and Ogilvy Health, aimed to reshape the global conversation around hemophilia to raise expectations for better care and improve care for patients. To achieve this, the campaign strategically blended storytelling with hard-hitting survey data, advocacy, and a broad spectrum of digital and social media tactics.
The execution involved a carefully crafted mix of high-profile industry events, media relations, sponsored media, and collaborations with advocacy organizations. A strong digital and social media presence formed the backbone of the campaign, with paid and organic content targeting both healthcare professionals and the hemophilia community. Social platforms became a key space for fostering engagement and amplifying the campaign’s messages, while digital activations at conferences and virtual hackathon events further expanded the campaign's reach. We executed two social campaigns, including one to showcase the survey results and one to highlight the patient video series.
The standout feature of the campaign was the Hemophilia Through My Eyes patient video series, a powerful storytelling tool that gave a face to the survey data. Through personal accounts of individuals living with hemophilia, the videos explored the real-world challenges they faced—ranging from the impact on mental health and careers to the barriers to building social and romantic relationships. This storytelling approach humanized the survey data and created an emotional connection with viewers, encouraging empathy and a deeper understanding of the complexities of living with hemophilia.
The campaign’s strategy also integrated thought leadership, both in person at Changemakers and Hackathon events and online, creating spaces for dialogue around improving hemophilia care. Grassroots engagement was key, as the campaign worked to involve the hemophilia community in advocating for better care standards. This helped elevate the conversation beyond clinical treatment to encompass the broader challenges patients face in their everyday lives.
From a content perspective, Beyond the Bleed was designed to engage diverse audiences through a mix of digital videos, infographics, blog posts, and social media interactions. The campaign utilized survey data not just as statistical evidence, but as a tool for sparking discussion on advancing hemophilia care worldwide. The blend of patient stories and factual insights created a comprehensive narrative that resonated globally.
By deploying a multi-channel strategy that embraced both traditional and digital media, the campaign succeeded in creating widespread awareness and fostering an emotional connection with its target audiences. The culmination of these efforts resulted in a “surround-sound” effect, with Sanofi’s messages and the campaign’s data reaching key audiences across the globe, sparking important conversations on the future of hemophilia care.
Survey data was launched at the European Hemophilia Conference via a panel presentation, media coverage, and social ads. The event had 400+ attendees, and the release garnered 400+ placements reaching 240+ million people. Organic social media generated 95K impressions on LinkedIn and X and 5.5K link clicks, and paid ads on LinkedIn and Facebook had 20.4M impressions and 45K link clicks.
Changemakers Events gathered global advocacy leaders to address unmet hemophilia care needs, with 730 attendees from 444 organizations across 99 countries. The events included a fireside chat at the World Federation of Hemophilia Congress, attracting 1,000 views and 1,100 post-event article engagements. A Hackathon Event was held to empower women to advocate for themselves, with 48 leaders from 27 countries participating. The winning team formed a work group to implement solutions for women and girls with hemophilia.
The Hemophilia Through My Eyes video series was launched at the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation Conference in Atlanta, featuring an exhibit booth and paid social campaign. The booth attracted 3,000 attendees. The paid social campaign (LinkedIn, Reddit, and YouTube) surrounding the event and featuring the videos garnered 6.6M impressions, 2.5M video views, and 14K link clicks.
By combining digital, social, events, grassroots outreach, compelling storytelling, and leadership initiatives, we amplified the conversation around hemophilia to drive real change. Through the Beyond the Bleed campaign, we have created a more informed, empathetic approach to hemophilia care, encouraging action to improve the quality of life for those affected by this rare and challenging disease.
