Our objective was to understand how aware people in the U.S. are about AFib and its connection to stroke, as well as share our learnings with the public through raising visibility of AFib. i.e. How it increases stroke risk, the importance of a timely diagnosis and driving people to the Matter of Moments microsite for more information via a targeted, multi-channel strategy.
Life can change in a matter of moments. Most of us have heard that expression, but it is acutely meaningful for those whose life has suddenly changed by something as potentially devastating as a stroke. One of the leading causes of stroke is atrial fibrillation (AFib), the most common type of heart arrhythmia — or irregular heartbeat. With AFib, the upper chambers (atria) of the heart can beat very, very rapidly and irregularly, causing blood to pool and form clots in the heart. A stroke can result if those clots break off and travel to the brain. It is projected in 2020 that approximately 8.4 million Americans are affected by AFib and that number is expected to rise as the population ages.
To raise awareness of the AFib-stroke connection, The Bristol Myers Squibb-Pfizer Alliance and W2O created a campaign called Matter of Moments: Recognizing AFib-Stroke Risk. Why “Matter of Moments?” Because in a matter of moments, the lives of individuals, their family and friends, can be affected by AFib-related stroke. AFib may also be detected in a matter of moments as a part of routine medical care.
Before we could encourage informed discussion between patients and their physicians about AFib, we had to address our survey findings showing many individuals aged 40+ are unaware of AFib risk factors and symptoms or the connection between AFib and stroke. Job One was raising awareness of AFib where people usually seek information – online – using authoritative facts and knowledgeable medical experts .
We leveraged a key media milestone, AFib Awareness Month 2019, when AFib is most often covered, to launch a surround-sound communications program. The survey results provided the news hook to both attract media attention and highlight the need for education. Our strategy:
W2O and The Alliance took the Matter of Moments message directly to consumers with a paid, earned and owned campaign:
To connect the campaign to the #1 priority of our advocacy and professional partners, all communications included a clear call-to-action encouraging consumers aged 65+ at a higher risk of AFib to discuss AFib risk and symptoms during routine check-ups with their doctors.
Together, these elements, driven by an increased understanding of Americans’ awareness of AFib and stroke, helped advance the goal of raising awareness of AFib, the connection between AFib and stroke risk and education on the importance of diagnosis:
