Launching a product by connecting customer-inspired innovation with hard-earned trust

Building buzz with a campaign designed to perform

For product launches like THE VEST APX System, it’s all about driving awareness and generating leads. Baxter also wanted to “make a splash” in the marketplace and craft a disruptive message that would do justice to this new-and-improved version of the category’s most-used high frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) device.

Uncovering insights and constructing a better narrative

After digging deep into Baxter’s comprehensive product development research, two insights stood out:

• Both clinicians and patients in the airway clearance therapy space have been underserved
• No brand dominated the perception of product performance or patient education—presenting a big opportunity for a product that both performed remarkably well and told a better story

As the newly developed Advanced Pulmonary Experience (APX) did in fact deliver exceptional performance, it was our job to come up with the better story.

We knew that THE VEST APX System was created directly from clinician and patient feedback, applying their insights to improve this already-trusted technology. We also knew that patients would love the upgrades in comfort and ease-of-use—and that clinicians would appreciate how those upgrades would help remove barriers to patients successfully completing daily therapy.

With all that in mind, the story became clear: “THE VEST APX System: Designed by You”—supported by blueprint-style graphics alluding to the extensive thinking, design, and testing that went into the new product.

Activating existing audiences and increasing interest

As strong as our story may have been, we knew that it would take some convincing for clinicians to consider a new version of such a tried, tested, and trusted device. We started by announcing the launch to qualified healthcare providers and past prescribers of previous THE VEST Systems.

We also selected tactics that would help inspire clinician-to-patient conversations to create interest in the new system and developed a custom landing page to capture contact information from engaged prospects who raised their hand to learn more. Paid search, clinician-targeted social media, and targeted programmatic display and video seamlessly integrated to spread the word in what turned out to be a highly successful “evergreen” campaign.