Challenge
Convince buyers in a highly-regulated, highly price-sensitive market to spend more for a product with the promise of long-term savings. The campaign also had to resonate in other languages and cultures around the world.
Strategy
Becton Dickinson (BD), one of the world’s largest makers of medical devices, planned to launch a new device reducing blood leakage, a safety issue costing healthcare systems millions of dollars. The downside; it cost more than competitive products. smartworks took a linear, data-driven approach convincing buyers that spending more was really a smart deal.
American Opinion Research (AOR), our wholly-owned market research firm, conducted research among nurses and healthcare purchasing officers across the U.S. to determine the real total cost of blood cleanup; staff time, cost of materials, replacements, even laundry. Using these and other data, smartworks created an algorithm and “ROI Calculator” sales reps could use with customers to calculate their long-term savings using BD’s product. Next, we created a minisite, first ever on blood control, establishing BD as a leader in safety. We launched the product using digital marketing, public relations, sales tools to reinforce long-term value while, again, reinforcing the connection between BD and safety.
smartworks scored a major success with a story on the cost of blood cleanup in a respected peer-reviewed journal, co-authored by smartworks President Lois Kaufman, Ph.D. and a nationally-known nurse opinion leader. We repurposed this story, and created much other content, to support sales.
Results
The campaign brought awareness to the issue of blood cleanup and cost, positioned BD as an industry leader, connected its product saving money and resources.
