The Launch of a Medical Milestone
Novartis was created in 1996 through the merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz, two companies with a rich and diverse corporate history. Novartis consists of the divisions of Pharma, Novartis Consumer Health Over the Counter (OTC), Sister Companies of Alcon and Sandoz.
Throughout the years, Novartis and its predecessor companies have discovered and developed many innovative products for patients and consumers worldwide.
1
The Challenge
After Novartis announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved their groundbreaking drug Certican®, the first of its kind in over decade to receive such endorsement, they needed to draw in a successful launch for the drug in Egypt. This entailed addressing local medical experts and doctors, while collaborating with health organizations to maximize exposure of their message.
2
The Approach
Through drawing in global experts for a conference that addressed the problems behind renal failure, liver transplants and post-transplant care, Novartis created a cloud of interest around the topic, and as such around Certican®. In effect, MEAComS was responsible for setting up the event, attending to invitees, and attracting various means of media coverage for publicity.
As Egypt has one of the highest global mortality rates from renal failure, such a critical issue garnered much interest from both professionals and the media. It was MEAComS responsibility to present Novartis’s professionalism in a manner that is befitting of its image and global placement.
Leading specialists in the field addressed statistics regarding the success of Certican®, while highlighting landmarks attained through local practitioners in improving the Egyptian healthcare system: a full circle approach that succeeded in instilling and associating the brand name with improved health.
3
The Results
The conference proved to be widely successful, with widely prominent attendance from the health sector and a storm of interest from participants and the media alike.
Over 25 media publications were present at the event, in addition to 6 TV channels and two radio stations. Online coverage on the event went viral with over 45 online media outlets giving voice to this medical milestone.
Event spokespersons landed 7 one-on-one interviews with various publications, and were able to better address questions on the conference’s purpose and the medical advancements of Novartis. As such, media personnel were well acquainted with the honorable presence at the conference and were keen to maintain the relations developed throughout and so adding much needed nuance to topic.