AstraZeneca - The Living Message - GPIAG Congress, University of Warwick, September 2009
In the medical world the exhibitor has to be aware of becoming too “promotional” and every word published on a stand in writing or delivered verbally has to be approved by the appropriate regulator. A tough call.
The answer which has evolved through close discussion with our clients – in this case AstraZeneca – was the Living Message.The decision was taken to hammer home one particular message – that of the efficacy of a particular treatment for sufferers of COPD – Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – who have a special set of challenges every morning of their lives. To put the message over we developed the format of the Living Message – a live actor in the stand living the symptoms (carefully researched) of a sufferer. The actor performed in a replica stage setting on a 3m x 2m space. This was totally enclosed and within it messages were projected at certain times within the presentation on the walls of the stand, lighting highlighted in sequence, the challenges that the sufferer faced and a “window” – actually a plasma screen – reproduced the time lines during which the patient was suffering most.
A professional presenter delivered a script from the front of the stand – the organisers were very flexible since they were anxious to see how this new attraction would be received. The presenter activated buttons on a console at the front of the Living Message and took on lookers through a simple evocation of the powerful message within a controlled two minutes.
And the result – win win win. The visitors spontaneously fed
back to our
clients that they had never seen the important message around morning
symptoms delivered so powerfully, interactively and conclusively. Also
the on lookers were happy to fill out feedback forms which contained a
survey of their knowledge of the incidence of these symptoms. The
feedback form also allowed them to request the latest medical data and
pass any comments about this form of communication. The big win was
when the editor of a medical journal commented that this was more of an
educational presentation that a promotion. The client was delighted
with the attendance of over 50% of delegates at their stand.click here to view The Living Message
For the
most part they were open minded, curious, and supportive and were quite
happy to fill out the feedback form and contribute to a greater
understanding of sufferers symptoms. The organisers too were delighted
that the bar had been raised within a tried (or tired?) and tested
format. And even the other exhibitors felt challenged to review how
they would attend the next congress.
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