In early 2022, global pharma company BIAL submitted a research paper to Movement Disorders Journal (MDJ) containing trial results for a ground-breaking new pharmacokinetics study. The paper, “Effect of Opicapone on Levodopa Pharmacokinetics in Patients with Fluctuating Parkinson’s Disease”[1], offered an opportunity to broaden the understanding of how to treat this neurological disease.
Challenge: Opportunities
Ahead of the paper’s publication on 31 August 2022, BIAL were already planning a content strategy to amplify its reach. They asked SciencePOD to design a clear communication campaign that would engage healthcare professionals (HCPs) and show how the study’s data could inform their clinical practice.
Solution
SciencePOD recommended a dynamic multichannel educational campaign, to run before, during and after the publication period. To reach and inform busy HCPs, BIAL would need short, quick-to-consume digital assets that offered clear value to practitioners.
By ‘seeding’ the audience with relevant content ahead of the journal’s release, they could build awareness of the study among the European neurology community, piquing their interest in the main article.
Recognising the digital fatigue many audiences are facing, SciencePOD focused on short-form assets. Experienced medical writers and content creators were selected from SciencePOD pre-vetted network to work as a team for this multichannel educational campaign.
Using the research paper as the main source, the SciencePOD content creation team produced an infographic outlining the trial’s findings, which was striking, concise and appealing to visual learners.
This was followed by two 600-word focus articles, which offered further detail to help readers understand what a deeper dive into the full paper would offer.
Finally, SciencePOD produced two three-minute interviews (one video, one podcast) with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) suggested by BIAL, to offer insight and a fresh, engaging perspective on the subject.
Results
Digital awareness
Armed with compelling visual, audio, video and text-based assets, BIAL was able to widely share the results of the research study by reaching HCPs however and wherever they prefer to get their information. By offering outlines and samples of their paper in varied formats, BIAL could also encourage the neurologist community to read the longer published paper and consult its findings for use in their own practices.
Science inspiring content
This partnership demonstrates the strength of SciencePOD’s ‘one-source – multiple digital content possibilities’ approach. We take a single research paper as the inspiration and evidence-based foundation for diverse digital assets, in order to find different ways for busy audiences to engage.
Creating these resources together with the publication allowed BIAL to raise awareness of the topic, deliver a consistent message and build interest in the results.
