Campaign raises awareness about newly-approved eye procedure

When Avedro’s communicators were challenged to communicate that the FDA had approved the company’s new procedure for a debilitating ophthalmic condition, the team set metrics that you don’t see often in such efforts. The campaign Avedro’s communicators developed, with assistance from Next Step Communications and Packard Innovations, led to 11,000 inquiries about the procedure, earning the “Grand Prize: Health Care PR and Marketing Campaign of the Year” honor in the PR Daily Awards.

Rather than focus on reach and engagements, the team aimed to drive patients to a “Find an Expert” site and the websites of medical practices offering the procedure. The condition, keratoconus, presents in teens or people in their early 20s with blurred vision, frequent changes in eyeglass prescription or vision that cannot be corrected with glasses. Until Avedro’s cross-linking treatment was approved, all patients could do was “watch and wait” until their vision deteriorated enough to warrant a corneal transplant.

The campaign featured a patient-facing website, online ads across Google and Facebook, a media outreach effort and social media. The team told the tale of a patient success, along with commentary from the patient’s doctor, which was further boosted through blog posts and other social media.

Coverage was secured from outlets like Parents, NBC Boston, Today.com and Thrive Global. The Living with KC website, blog and social media channels provided patients and families the opportunity to participate in the conversation, along with a series featuring doctors from across the country answering patient questions. KC Journeys is a patient profile series highlighting what it’s like to live with the condition.

In addition to the referrals, the campaign earned spectacular PR analytics.

Congratulations to Nigel Smith, Cassie Smith, Melissa Brouilette, Erin Dixon, Jessika Pary, Olivia Mannion, Brian Packard, Tom Kirwan, Lynn Gray, Lauren McGuiggan and Melissa Graz.