In 2013, GILENYA (fingolimod) launched the “HEY MS, Take This!” initiative in social media. This was something new: not only was the campaign itself a bold departure from the typical lifestyle approach, but it was the first time that a pharmaceutical brand had embraced social media in truly meaningful way—including pharma’s first-ever branded Twitter handle.

With the emergence of new competitors in the market, the core “HEY MS, Take This!” campaign got a fresh look to encourage people with multiple sclerosis to speak out and take action. GILENYA patients were featured in images and videos leveraged across Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. What’s more, GILENYA started talking back, too, with two-way engagement on Twitter—another first in the pharmaceutical space. The result: awareness spiked, patient-driven demand jumped, and engagement goals were easily surpassed. GILENYA became a vital part of the MS social media community and a true “patient-recommended” treatment option. (150 words)

The goal of “HEY MS, Take This!” was to build confidence and a sense of connection to GILENYA and the broader MS community. We did this by featuring real patients and their fighting spirit—symbolized by throwing paint at the words that had been holding them back—and captured their interactions in videos, quotes, UGC, and imagery, yielding a treasure trove of authentic content for distribution via our social channels.

People with MS actively seek information online—and social media plays a major role in how patients interact with the brand and with one other. This is especially significant, as very little social media exists within the pharmaceutical space. The addition of two-way engagement on Twitter allowed GILENYA to connect on a deeper level by answering questions, fostering conversations, and creating an authentic sense of community. The evolved campaign launched in January 2015 and is gaining traction each day. (150 words)

Tracking studies for our target and social media metrics showed incremental lifts across KPIs:

• 14% increase in patients who perceived GILENYA to be “recommended by MS patients”

• 4% increase in patients who consider GILENYA as a treatment option

• 3-year cumulative ROI is 2:1

As of March 31, 2015:

• Video views on YouTube increased by 10% to 1,427,333 views and 899,710 minutes watched

• Twitter followers increased by 195% to 17,076 followers

• Facebook page Likes increased by 111 % to 244,256

• Facebook post shares increased by 18%; 90% of Facebook content is shared by users

• Drove 258,678 unique visitors to the GILENYA Facebook page which is a 20% increase