Challenge
Sometimes when you launch a product, things don't go as planned. There can be multiple causes of this problem - perhaps there are problems inherent in the product itself, or perhaps the launch budget wasn't large enough to enable a significant impact. Usually there are several causes of an underperforming product - like it or not, most of them are the result of issues coming from the marketing and sales departments. For this reason, it is critical that sales and marketing work together during a product introduction - marketing needs to drive messaging and positioning, and sales needs to provide input based on what they hear in the field. How does the new product solve customer problems? Rather than relying on typical marketing pieces (brochure, datasheet), what sales tools can marketing develop that will best showcase the product?

DEY, L.P., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of respiratory diseases was faced with this problem. Despite two product launches devised by the company's lead ad agency, revenue generated from DEY's pediatric asthma drug AccuNeb was quite low. DEY needed one last strategic effort to bolster product sales significantly. If the strategy was unsuccessful, DEY would abandon the product. The greatest obstacle to success was the timeframe: DEY required that the solution be concepted, developed and produced in quantity in just 5 weeks.

Recommendations
In conjunction with William Isaacs Health Communications, NIA Creative recommended the development of a pediatric asthma resource kit that featured appealing 3D characters that children would respond to, as well as an interactive CD that would educate and entertain, blowing bubbles, crayons, product samples and literature.

Once the kits were produced, the plan was to have DEY sales reps offer them at no cost to pediatricians, who in turn would give them to their patients. Through this innovative campaign, DEY would forge a new relationship with physicians, resulting in a significantly higher rate of prescription of AccuNeb.

Solution
NIA Creative developed the entire Kit from concept-to-completion. This included 3D modeling of "DEY Crew" characters based on DEY products, package design, CD interface design and programming, an interactive educational story, 2 interactive games, copy for all information screens on the CD, creation of a custom song and concepting and design for the novelty items included in the Kit.

Results
Just 5 weeks after the project began, 15,000 Kits were released into the field, followed by 25,000 more Kits 2 weeks later.

The DEY sales force and marketing team were thrilled with the kits which exceeded their expectations, and pediatricians clamored for them. AccuNeb sales increased astronomically. In the 45 days following the release of the Kits, revenue for AccuNeb had increased 850% over their average sales for that same period of time. Then, just 30 days later, the revenue DOUBLED, and in the following month, the revenue increased by ANOTHER 50%.

Needless to say, DEY chose to retain the brand, and a year later, the AccuNeb Brand Manager was honored with the Medical Marketing Association's prestigious "Marketer of the Year Award" - a win she attributed to the success of the DEY Crew Pediatric Asthma Management Kit.

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