Opening the public's eyes

Glaucoma is often called the 'silent thief of sight' due to its asymptomatic nature. About 50 per cent of all glaucoma cases remain undiagnosed until considerable, irreversible damage has already occurred. As part of Pfizer's dedication to eliminating preventable blindness, it tasked Resolute to develop an educational media event to raise awareness of glaucoma and the need for earlier detection, accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Do You See What We See? was tailored to appeal to both consumer and specialist media, marrying clinician and patient perspectives to bring to life the reality of living with glaucoma. Journalists from eight European countries attended, with 22 articles published during World Glaucoma Week.

Challenge
Accurate diagnosis of glaucoma can improve the likelihood of successful treatment and prevent blindness. In 2010, Pfizer tasked Resolute to develop and deliver an educational media event to raise awareness of glaucoma and encourage 'at-risk' individuals to seek a consultation via European-wide media coverage. The meeting was to be developed to coincide with World Glaucoma Week, providing a forum for journalists to learn about glaucoma and to experience first-hand what it would be like to have the disease.

Solution
Pfizer is dedicated to preserving sight and eliminating preventable blindness through innovation, partnership and education. These values were at the heart of the Do You See What We See? media event. Resolute devised a programme that was carefully tailored to cater for both consumer and specialist media, and encouraged them to consider the reality of living with glaucoma.

The event programme addressed a mix of scientific and emotional aspects of glaucoma, and was moderated by former BBC journalist Nick Horrell to ensure the needs of the audience were met. Strong relationships with key ophthalmology stakeholders were used to secure a panel of eminent speakers, including the president of the European Glaucoma Society and the head of policy and campaigns at the Royal National Institute of Blind People. Journalists were given the opportunity to learn about innovative technologies to detect glaucoma, and encouraged to put themselves in the shoes of a person with glaucoma via a live patient interview and by undertaking a 'Glaucoma Goggles' challenge – performing daily activities while wearing goggles mimicking advanced disease.

An electronic media pack containing information from the event, including an 'About Glaucoma' fact sheet and images of European landmarks as seen through the eyes of a person with glaucoma, was distributed to attendees.

Results
Fourteen healthcare reporters from eight European countries attended the media briefing. This included representatives from nine consumer titles, including five national newspapers. In the initial two-week period following the event, a total of 22 articles were published, including pieces in Journal du Médecin (France), La Repubblica (Italy), Ophthalmology Times Europe (Europe) and El Periodico (Spain). Key messages were communicated in more than 90 per cent of all coverage.

Client verdict
"An engaging, innovative programme and the draw of major European ophthalmology thought-leaders resulted in an event that appealed to journalists from across Europe. As a direct result of the meeting, we saw uplift in media coverage during World Glaucoma Week, delivering on our commitment to educate the general public to be aware of the risks of glaucoma and the importance of regular eye examinations to prevent irreversible blindness from glaucoma."
Anne-Marie Swift, European brand director, Pfizer Ophthalmics
 

Case study details

Client: Pfizer
Agency: Resolute Communications
Campaign: Do You See What We See?
Timescale: March 2010