Relatability has been an important aspect of Cipla’s #inhalerhaisahi campaign: Dr Vikas Gupta

Cipla is back with #InhalersHainSahi, a patient awareness campaign aimed at helping asthmatic patients live better lives with inhalers. Through education, the campaign aims to raise knowledge about asthma and the essential function of inhalers in its management.

Buoyed by the previous campaign’s effectiveness, the company claims to have seen a 52 per cent increase in ad recall and 6 per cent increase in inhaler consideration. The fourth chapter of #BerokZindagi continues to transmit the central idea that ‘Asthma ke liye Inhalers Hain Sahi’ (Inhalers are appropriate for asthma) in order to raise awareness and educate people about asthma and its proper treatment.

In conversation with Adgully, Dr Vikas Gupta, India RX Head, Cipla, speaks about the expansion of the #BerokZindagi campaign with celebrities, leveraging social media, inviting influencers to narrate their asthma story, and more.

The Berok Zindagi campaign is breaking the stigma around Asthma and Inhalers. What was the journey through the last 3 versions of the campaign and what are the results you have observed?

At Cipla, we are guided by our purpose of ‘Caring for Life’, keeping patients at the core of everything we do. We endeavour to go beyond the pill and help patients to lead healthier lives. Our campaign, Berok Zindagi, resonates with the very ethos of the organisation. Now in its fourth year, the public awareness campaign has come a long way in bringing about a tangible change in people’s responses to asthma and inhalers.

In our initial campaign, we had projected successful people who have asthma and how using inhalers has helped them fulfill their dreams without any difficulties. We also engaged with non-asthmatic influencers, who could resonate with the cause to reach a wider audience. We realised that the power of storytelling lies in authenticity and when a sufferer narrates his/her story to the world, it builds an instant connection with the audience. Therefore, this year, our social media movement – #SayYesToInhalers – starts with the influencers sharing their stories and encouraging people to come forth confidently and talk about their stories with asthma and the use of inhalers. The narratives shift from influencers to the common man and provide relatability to build confidence in the usage of inhalers.

The campaign demonstrated a positive impact on both awareness and acceptance of inhalers. Last year, the awareness levels for inhalers improved by 10% and consideration for inhalers saw an uptick of 5%. These initial results give us the confidence to continue this path of creating awareness amongst the masses. However, we strongly believe that our work does not end here. The campaign has helped kickstart a social conversation to address the stigma and misconceptions associated with asthma and inhalers.

What is the thought behind roping in popular actors such as Mandira Bedi, Sonali Bendre, Satish Kaushik, and Priyanshu Painyuli for the campaign?

Asthma is a problem that cuts across ages – someone from a teenager to the elderly could suffer from it. The condition is not limited to a particular age bracket. Therefore, our communication around the Berok Zindagi campaign was designed keeping in mind the wide range of target audiences that we will connect with. It was equally important to onboard relevant influencers who could engage with the correct audience. Relatability has been an important aspect of the campaign and special attention was given to a selection of the influencers.

Our ‘Breaking Inhaler Myths’ films are tailor-made keeping in mind the personal experiences of the influencers attempting to address the top four barriers in inhaler acceptance. For instance, Sonali Bendre, being a mom to an asthmatic kid, kicks off the conversation with mothers like her and very beautifully addresses the barriers to inhaler usage in children. Similarly, Mandira Bedi talks to a fitness-conscious audience, Satish Kaushik connects with the elderly audience, while Priyanshu Painyuli engages with a younger audience. Together, they are helping break the misconceptions and stereotypes surrounding asthma and the use of inhalers.

What has been your current engagement with your targeted audience with celebrity endorsements?

For all our recent campaigns, we have taken the digital-first approach. We are seeing a surge in digital media, with people heavily engaging on these platforms. Hence, we leverage digital platforms, primarily social media (YouTube, Instagram and Facebook) and OTT. If we talk about the campaign, we have garnered 20 crore video views, till now.

This week, we kick-started our Social Media Movement – #SayYesToInhalers – with influencers narrating their asthma story and calling for support from people to join the movement to spread awareness regarding asthma and inhalers. We hope the movement has a ripple effect by inspiring numerous patients to come forward and share their asthma stories, which can further help in creating better acceptance for inhalers.