Case Study: Data-led Creative Campaign for Parvo Treatment

the ask

Launch Elanco’s first-to-market treatment for canine parvovirus (parvo).

Parvo is a highly contagious and often fatal disease found in dogs, particularly puppies, that easily spreads through contaminated dog feces. It affects more than 330,000 puppies a year* and has a fatality rate of up to 91% without timely treatment.** Families can lose their pets. Veterinarians can lose their patients. Parvo is crappy in every sense of the word. But Elanco’s breakthrough USDA-conditionally approved Canine Parvovirus Monoclonal Antibody (CPMA) drug could make it less so. Word just needed to get out so veterinarians would stock up and use CPMA to help save puppies with parvo.

Image of small gray dog with text about how Parvo is spread via dog poop.

Elanco-sponsored research found that 56% of owners were unaware of parvo’s threat.***

our solution

Educate and engage dog owners as the first line of defense.

A lifesaving drug isn’t any good if owners don’t know their puppies need saving. So, we developed an integrated campaign with a dual approach that, according to concept testing, aligns with veterinarians’ feelings about dealing with parvo and makes it clear to owners that “number two” is actually enemy number one.

“Parvo is Poop” became the hero message, accompanied by a custom poop graphic in all B2C and B2B creative with 3D appearances in online videos and various real-life settings. The 360-campaign featured extensions across earned, owned and paid channels, and launched on April 23, which Elanco declared the first “National Parvo Awareness Day.” That same day, ParvoTrack, the first and only parvovirus tracking tool, went live, allowing vets and owners to find and report parvo outbreaks and sign up to be alerted when nearby cases arise. A partnership with NextDoor (a platform well-known for complaints about neighbors who don’t scoop poop) helped further identify problem areas and deepen targeted efforts.

PLAY

the impact

Elanco is kicking the crap out of parvo.

In the first three months, the campaign generated 175+ earned stories and 2 billion impressions, helping draw 500K+ unique users to the campaign landing site. Concept testing proved the message would stick with 75% of those who participated saying the campaign was memorable. It also showed that people were compelled to act — 68% of pet owners said they were motivated to speak with their veterinarians while 57% of vets shared they would be compelled to discuss treatment options with pet owners or talk to a sales rep (50%).* Best of all, CPMA saved more than an estimated 12,000 puppies during the campaign, thanks to Parvo is Poop getting the word out.

39%

increase in CPMA sales

12,000+

puppies’ lives saved* (estimated during the three-month campaign)

References:

* Elanco Animal Health. Data on File.

** Venn, E.C. et al. Evaluation of an outpatient protocol in the treatment of canine parvoviral enteritis. Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. 27(1) 2017, 52-65. doi: 10.1111/vec.12561.

*** Elanco Animal Health. Market Data on File.

Saving Puppies With the Parvo is Poop Campaign

Launch Elanco’s first-to-market treatment for canine parvovirus (parvo).

Elanco-sponsored research found that 56% of owners were unaware of parvo’s threat.***

Educate and engage dog owners as the first line of defense.

Elanco is kicking the crap out of parvo.

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Employee Login

Saving Puppies With the Parvo is Poop Campaign

Launch Elanco’s first-to-market treatment for canine parvovirus (parvo).

Elanco-sponsored research found that 56% of owners were unaware of parvo’s threat.***

Educate and engage dog owners as the first line of defense.

Elanco is kicking the crap out of parvo.

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Putting Protein Deficiency on the Public Agenda Mid-Pandemic

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Convincing Consumers to Keep it Real at Christmas (Tree) Time

Upping Inclusion for Persons With Down Syndrome