Test driving a media campaign

In many situations, you are given the opportunity to test something before you commit.  Most people want to test drive a few cars before they settle on a final decision. Gyms often offer 2 weeks free to test the gym before signing a contract. This gives you an opportunity to evaluate the situation before you fully commit and ensure your money is being well spent.

In the clinical trial world, we always jump on any opportunity to test an initiative before launching a full program. One of the most valuable tests we conduct are pilot media campaigns.  A pilot media campaign can provide valuable information, helping to formulate a comprehensive media strategy.

There are some key reasons why running a pilot campaign can be beneficial:

1. The world of media is always changing. An advertising schedule that worked 3 years ago for a particular indication may not be the best fit for a current study.  New sources continue to sprout up and other sources may lose their impact so it is important to evaluate your current options as well as what has worked in the past.

1. Advertising budgets can vary. It is important to consider the past budget to provide the appropriate context. The site advertising budgets provided by the sponsor are generally not very generous and usually differ from an ad buy developed as part of a larger campaign. While site feedback is helpful, it is important to weigh all information when developing a media strategy.

1. Site responsiveness can be evaluated.  A pilot campaign can not only gauge the response we receive from the media but also it can test how sites are able to handle those referrals. Based on the site activity, you can determine an ideal media buying level and schedule.

A pilot campaign may demonstrate that advertising is not the answer

In a recent project with a small patient population, enrollment was lagging behind sponsor timelines.  The CRO and several sites insisted a radio campaign would accelerate enrollment.  We were hesitant to place a radio campaign because we were not confident broadcast advertising was the right fit for the target population.  Before launching a large campaign, we recommended a pilot campaign.  We placed radio advertising in 3 markets of varying size.

Though the pilot campaign yielded a decent response, only generated 2 screened patients.  Most of the respondents from the campaign clearly did not qualify but still inquired about participation. Ultimately, the high cost per screened patient confirmed that broadcast media did not provide the best ROI for this study population.  The pilot campaign allowed us to present data to the client and saved them the money they would have spent on a full-scale campaign.

A pilot campaign can help you develop a cost-effective comprehensive media strategy

A few years ago, we were engaged in a clinical trial where enrollment was slower than anticipated due to slow site start-up and challenging inclusion and exclusion criteria.  CAHG proposed a media campaign but the sponsor and most of the sites had no experience advertising for this specific indication.  We recommended a pilot campaign in 5 markets testing print, radio and television advertising. 

The pilot campaign provided us some key information:

• Television by far was the most cost effective medium over radio and print
• Sites became overwhelmed with too many referrals in a short amount of time, so we knew we needed to adjust future placements to match the site intake capabilities
• A question on the prescreen questionnaire at the call center and website was being misunderstood, so we proposed a small revision resulting in more referrals

Based on our analysis of the pilot campaign, we developed a full media strategy that successfully enrolled the trial.  The pilot campaign provided insights for us to make a sound strategy and develop a more cost effective campaign.  The graph below highlights the reduction of the cost per screen from the pilot campaign to the full-scale campaign.

We do not always have the luxury of conducting a pilot campaign for every clinical trial. However, if the budget and timeline allows, it can be an essential step in launching a successful advertising strategy. Next time you are ready to kick-off a patient recruitment media campaign, weigh the options of a pilot campaign.  Testing your campaign will lead to more cost-effective recruitment spending, which will likely result in accelerated enrollment timelines.