The situation
81% of people recently diagnosed with MS ranked fatigue as their top concern. They try to manage the hidden symptoms of MS, like fatigue, and don’t always express the incredible impact these symptoms have on their lives to their doctors, who focus most on what can be measured by an MRI. Even when fatigue is discussed in the exam room, it’s often rationalized away by the HCP (and even by people living with MS) as exhaustion from work, or parenting, or simply aging. Fatigue is not prioritized as a legitimate health concern, despite the toll it takes on patients’ lives. Consequently, there’s a real disconnect between people living with MS and their doctors.
The insight
“It’s like you’re operating as a grayscale version of yourself.”
“You can drink all the coffee in the world, and it doesn’t make a difference.”
“It’s like you’re weighed down with chains.”
These are real words from people with MS. To them, the fatigue that accompanies their condition is life-altering. What if we could legitimize MS fatigue by finding an illustrator who could bring these vivid descriptions to life in a way that was impossible to ignore? For patients, they would feel seen. For HCPs, they would begin to see that what they hear from patients, “Sometimes I feel tired, and have to miss things,” is often different than what their patients actually MEAN: “MS fatigue feels like being stuck in a bubble with really thick air around you that constantly pushes you down.” We could dramatize life between relapses in a truly compelling way. And, in turn, mend the fractured conversations taking place about MS fatigue today.
The solution
The “More to MS” program launched around the time the world shut down, so we quickly adapted our program to meet our customers at home, navigating the complexities of a pandemic while managing a progressive disease. We created an unforgettable campaign that dramatizes the impact of the hidden symptoms of MS, starting with fatigue. This campaign was an omnichannel initiative, targeting HCPs and patients through a dynamic, evolving website; banner ads; emails; social media; and personal communications to reach HCPs during this extraordinary time.
The results
Though launched early in the pandemic, the results for “More to MS” have been astonishing, and we’re just getting started. We’re in the process of bringing more patient stories to life as we expand the campaign to bring attention to more of the hidden symptoms of MS. Of our over-2.3 million visitors, we’ve seen more than 50x the benchmarks for DTC visitors and sessions—75% of which are being driven by paid search, showing site content relevance. We’re 40x over the goal for unique visitors based on company benchmarks. There have been over 2700 opt-ins for patients and care partners, a 13% increase in HCP CRM opt-ins month over month, and 18% of non-HCP opt-ins are from care partners.
Anecdotally, we have also heard about meaningful discussions between the sales force and HCPs who are ready to have very different conversations with their MS patients.