Smokers can benefit from support to quit in real-time through channels they regularly interact with. The goal was clear: innovate in an area over run with repetitive and, sometimes, ineffective messaging to markedly change the current quitting process, which is characterized as being difficult, isolating, and expensive, by encouraging smokers to see their smoking as a health issue with a call-to-action to discuss with a healthcare professional. To do so, we needed to make sure we had the support of experts by aligning with a natural leader in the smoking cessation arena. Together, we could help smokers overcome some of the barriers many of them face: the absence of a detailed plan to quit, the involvement of their HCP and a lack of social and financial support. We took a unique approach in the regulated healthcare industry that raised awareness of the realities of smoking cessation, quitting smoking is tough.

We collaborated with a notable third party nonprofit to launch Quitter’s Circle, a content-driven digital, social and mobile ecosystem where smokers and supporters can connect, share experiences and motivate each other. The campaign launched with national and local media, with the true strength of the media approach leveraging the power of third party partner’s reach.

The heart of Quitter’s Circle is an online community and mobile app. On the website, magazine-style content offers inspiration and tips and users can connect with an HCP online or find one nearby for an appointment. Daily content on Facebook and Twitter and live interaction between users creates engaged communities. Through the app, friends and family can join a Quit Team to track their quitter’s progress in real-time, offer inspiration in the form of Quit Cards and receive alerts when they need some support.

Quitter’s Circle has been a resounding success and was the first industry-sponsored app to integrate with Apple Watch. Success was evaluated on key objectives:

Help foster an online community

• Grew Facebook community of 100,000+ in less than one year

• 140,000+ Facebook fans with 730,000 engagements and 187% monthly average growth (Pfizer Facebook has an average rate of 5%)

• Twitter handle noted by Twitter as “Best-In-Class” for unbranded healthcare communications in the industry

• 18,500+ Twitter followers

Create a new platform to help encourage smokers in their quit attempts

• Over 490,000 QuittersCircle.com visits (22% engagement rate, 3.5 minutes on site)

• 3,300 app downloads

Collaboration with American Lung Association

• Featured in Lung.org content and LungNews Monthly articles