The Simple Tasks campaign has made great strides in just two years.
Launched in September 2011, the award-winning campaign recently garnered another accolade from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals for its “Growing Up with a Rheumatic Disease” video, which is part of the campaign’s newest video series. The latest honor brings the total number of campaign awards received to four.
The campaign is aimed at increasing the awareness among various healthcare stakeholders about rheumatologists and the devastating impact of rheumatic diseases. While the campaign uses a number of tactics, here are some recent examples of the campaign in action:
- Reached out to referring physicians and health professionals: Simple Tasks exhibited at the annual meetings of the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Family Physicians. This allowed the ACR to reach hundreds of referring physicians with its campaign messages and provide them with resources regarding early and appropriate referral. The campaign exhibit includes a rheumatic disease experience station, which allows attendees to wear rheumatic disease simulation gloves while trying to accomplish simple tasks.
- Supported Government Affairs Committee’s advocacy activities: Simple Tasks created advertising, a campaign white paper for Congress, and other materials to help share the ACR’s key legislative priorities with this key campaign audience. The Simple Tasks campaign also hand-delivered ACR materials (supplied by the Government Affairs Committee and the Simple Tasks campaign) to more than 100 lawmakers’ offices. This Hill drop included the campaign’s signature bent fork lapel pin, which serves as an important reminder that simple tasks, such as eating, walking, tying shoes, or driving, can become impossible if you have a rheumatic disease.
- Researched behaviors, needs, and reactions: The Simple Tasks campaign evaluated responses among the campaign’s current audiences and began researching potential future audiences. Using focus groups and surveys, the campaign asked health professionals about their attitudes towards rheumatology as a subspecialty.
- Reached out to media outlets: The Simple Tasks campaign continued to reach out to media outlets such as the Associated Press, National Journal, The New York Times (Washington, D.C., Bureau), The Washington Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washingtonian, Women’s Health, Men’s Health, WebMD, Arthritis Today, and Ebony. Recent media placements include PainPathways, Hooplaha.com, and Physician’s Weekly.
Simple Tasks Is Now Blogging, Filming, and Leveraging Social Media
Did you know that the Simple Tasks campaign has started blogging? The blog was created to provide regular campaign updates and coverage of relevant topics. Recent posts include the reintroduction of the Patient Access to Treatments Act of 2013, campaign videos, and links to media coverage.
