The challenge

Abbott is one of the world’s largest players in providing diabetes care. It is also a very well-known brand in the Netherlands with both healthcare professionals and those diagnosed with diabetes. Abbott asked for our help to increase their brand awareness, establish more contact with their target audience, and to set up a brand promotion campaign for their FreeStyle Libre product. This posed quite a challenge for us as we had to follow strict guidelines.  

Our solution

We created the possibility for those people diagnosed with diabetes to get into contact with each other. We also tried to get their close family members, friends, and anyone generally interested, involved in the world of diabetes. Abbott Netherlands was one of the first branches within the broader company to invest heavily in social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.  

We divided the content into six different categories: movement, food, daily life, events, inspiration, research & technology, and brand promotion. The online channels also provided followers with the opportunity to get answers from Abbott (represented by an Abbott webcare specialist) to their personal questions. 

Community

A parallel universe came into existence, fully packed with knowledge, care, and understanding. A universe that was simultaneously accessible for parents, teachers, grandparents, and healthcare professionals. The challenge was to maintain the attention and involvement of this ‘Abbott family’. We did this by organizing events, prize competitions, livestreams, personal webcare, interesting content, influencers, and interactive posts. 

Market leader FreeStyle Libre

We particularly focused on the revolutionary product FreeStyle Libre. This is a small sensor that someone with diabetes pricks and sticks to the back of the upper arm once every two weeks. The sensor automatically measures glucose levels throughout day and night. This practical solution makes life easier for those who have diabetes. Something that you could also say about our interesting and fun content!
And if you connect the sensor to the app, it will be possible for a healthcare professional to monitor your data from a distance. 

The result

In just eight months, the new content generated 42,000 likes, comments, and shares. Talk about a desire for contact! And the stories and comments are fantastic. Furthermore, the number of followers continues to increase every month. And most importantly: the followers are true ambassadors. In short, the brand FreeStyle Libre has definitely been established. 

Abbott gave us the space to share our online marketing knowledge and expertise within its organization worldwide. It’s a good thing that dragons really like flying!