Lead Generation for Ground-Breaking Vaccine Study

University of Alberta + Griffith University

Researchers at the University of Alberta, in collaboration with researchers at Griffith University in Australia, are working together to study a new potential vaccine to prevent harmful diseases caused by the Group A Streptococcus bacteria.

These life-threatening diseases include rheumatic fever, necrotizing fasciitis (flesh-eating disease), and toxic shock syndrome (TSS). Children and marginalized populations are especially affected by Group A strep infections.

The Goal

The research team knew that Marketing Martian’s team was experienced in clinical trial recruitment and asked us to develop a strategy to help meet their goals. The vaccine is a first for Group A Strep, and has the potential to make a big difference in treatment. Because the vaccine has never been used in humans, the team divided the study into two stages to ensure safety with rigorous data assessment.

Our goal was to recruit 30 healthy individuals to help test the safety and efficacy of the vaccine candidate. We were looking for people who lived in Edmonton and were between 18 and 45. 10 participants were needed for stage one and 20 for stage two.

The Approach

We recommended paid advertising through Meta’s ad platform, and developed ads to grab people’s attention and get them interested in participation. We also designed posters that could be hung up around the University campus to complement the Facebook advertising campaign. The study was able to recruit volunteers from a wide variety of backgrounds. These included younger individuals who were located on the University campus near the study location, as well as people with first-hand experience with Group A Strep infections.

While there was a lot of important information we needed to share with potential participants, it was important not to overwhelm them with too many details all at once. Instead, we focused on grabbing their attention with attractive colours, unexpected imagery, and motivation to participate. Then we appealed to their emotions by asking them to build a better future for people affected by Group A strep infections.

We came up with two different concepts for the ad creative to test which set of messaging worked best.

A Poke That Pays Back

These ads used elements of the unexpected and a playful approach instead of realistic imagery. The ad copy hints that there is some financial compensation for participation and the opportunity to give back to a larger cause. This ad creative ended up bringing in most of the participants for the study.

Short video advertisement

Facebook advertisement

We Really Give a Shot.

These ads contrasted the serious subject matter with humour and a play on words, creating a little lightness that generated interest for viewers.

Short video advertisement

Facebook advertisement

Ads directed viewers to the study website, which we designed to include information about the study and a pre-screening form that would automatically filter eligible participants from ineligible ones. Applicants were notified immediately if their submission was eligible or ineligible, and eligible applicants were contacted by the study team shortly after applying. This pre-screening process helped reduce the number of follow-up calls the study team had to make, conserving time and resources so that they could focus only on individuals most likely to be eligible.

The Results

When the stage 1 recruitment campaign launched, the study team was overwhelmed with leads from their website pre-screening form. We paused the campaign after only a few weeks, giving the study team time to catch up with the leads generated. The first stage of the trial fulfilled recruitment after five weeks of advertising.

93

Leads Generated
(Nov 7 - Dec 12, 2022)

1092

Website Visitors

8.5%

Conversion Rate

Above + Beyond

A year and a half later, the team was ready to begin stage 2 of the study, which required 20 additional participants. We re-used the strategy from the first stage of the campaign, and once again the research team collected more than enough eligible applicants within two months.

274

Leads Generated
(Jan 15–Mar 14, 2024)

2883