One: Merck's One Less Campaign
Girl, You Could Be That One: Merck’s One Less Campaign
Throughout the years prior to 2006, the amount of people being infected with human papillomavirus, or more commonly known as HPV, has been increasing. Even though HPV has been the subject of talk shows and school health lectures, at least 20 million Americans a year get infected with this virus. According to the Center for Disease Control, out of the 20 million Americans suffering from HPV each year, at least 33,300 cancer cases first root from HPV ("HPV-Associated Cancers Statistics,” par.1). These alarming statistics prompted Merck to release the first vaccine that could protect against the transmission of HPV in June 2006, called Gardasil. The release and availability of this vaccine …show more content…
started Merck’s One Less campaign. Through Merck’s effective marketing strategies, television commercials, and most importantly, communication amongst the general public, Gardasil has been proven to have reduced the number of people battling HPV and cancer.
According to the Center for Disease Control, human papillomavirus or HPV is ranked one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the United States. This virus has more than a hundred different types and results ("HPV Symptoms & Tests in Women & Men,” par. 2). HPV not only weakens the immune system, but it can also cause health problems such as genital warts and certain types of cancers, depending male or female. In many cases, since the symptoms of HPV are not very evident and will eventually go away, many people are infected by this sexually transmitted infection (STI) and do not even know it. The lack of symptoms and knowledge are what causes HPV to be spread so easily and quickly. Often, when people find out that they have been infected, it is too late (“HPV and Cancer,” par. 1-2).
As the HPV statistics continued to rise, Merck introduced a new vaccine that was able to defend people, mainly women, from HPV. After much research, Merck informed the public that this vaccine, Gardasil, could specifically protect against types 6, 11, 16, and 18 of the HPV. These strains targeted women; strains 6 and 11 types could cause genital warts in women and types 16 and 18 could cause cervical cancer (“Gardasil (Human Papillomavirus Vaccine),” par.5). According to Web MD, the unpredictable nature of cervical cancer and infectious diseases makes it hard for healthcare providers to treat ("HPV Symptoms & Tests in Women & Men," par.1). Merck targeted this fact, which gave them the direction and objective to run their One Less campaign. Merck’s objective was not only to reduce the number of women each year who are faced with or battling cervical cancer but also to educate women about HPV (“Merck Launches National,” par. 1).
At the onset of the One Less campaign, Merck released an influential television commercial that helped the campaign gain attention and grow. In this commercial, women of all ages and races briefly discussed the complexity of HPV and its correlation to cervical cancer as well as Gardasil’s effectiveness in protection against the transmission of HPV. The words, “one less” were repeated throughout the commercial conveying the statement that by taking Gardasil, you could be “one less” woman battling cervical cancer and “one less” person who died due to HPV. The power which stood behind the two words allowed this campaign to further expand to the general public through the means of communication. According to a study published in the Communication Research Reports conducted by Grantham, Ahern, and Connolly- Ahern, the overall majority of public knowledge of Gardasil was through communication, especially through doctor- patient communication (par. 7). In addition to communication and television, social media on the internet contributed greatly to promoting Gardasil. Numerous articles and webpages were made and posted online to inform the readers what Gardasil is and its protective qualities. Statistics and professional opinions were also posted on these sites to help women understand and trust this vaccine.
By just looking at the exterior of the campaign, such as the television commercial, the public communication, and the social media, the One Less campaign already seems persuasive and effective. Beginning with the television commercial, Merck used women from all different ages and races; this use of various groups of women allows the audiences to identify and connect with at least one speaker. This in turn would allow the audience members to trust the product more because she knows that a person of her heritage or age used it and she was protected from HPV and cervical cancer.
Even though the original purpose of the campaign was to directly inform women about Gardasil, according to the article previously mentioned, many of the women who received the vaccine learned about it through their doctor. In fact, I conducted a survey on Drexel University campus, randomly surveying ten female students of different races and ages about how they learned about Gardasil. Out of the ten women I surveyed, nine admitted that their primary healthcare provider was the one who informed them about this vaccine (Chen, Christine, Survey) This aspect is what sets the One Less campaign apart from other HPV presentations and lectures; since, in most cases, the patient trusts her doctor, so she will take the vaccine without question. Even though this is an indirect transfer of information, the overall goal to encourage women to take the vaccine was reached.
Social media played a huge role in spreading the existence of this campaign to others. By posting the television commercial on Youtube, more than 160,000 viewers have seen it. Blogs and medical websites written by professionals, such as WebMD, listed Gardasil as a preventive measure for the transmission of HPV and cervical cancer. People, who view these websites, may be persuaded to take this vaccine since it was advised by a medical professional.
Looking at the exterior of the campaign can give a general overview of the audience response. In order to get a more accurate view to see whether Gardasil is effective in preventing HPV and cervical cancers in women, one could look at data. Since 2006, the Center for Disease Control has been closely monitoring HPV rates amongst women. According to the CDC, since the vaccine was introduced, there has been a 56% decrease in the amount of females between the ages of 14- 19 who are infected by HPV (“Press Release,” par. 1). These statistics were further confirmed and approved by data taken from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Looking at the CDC’s data on cervical cancer, a distinct decrease in the amount of cases from 2006- 2010 was seen. In 2006, 820,000 women were infected by cervical cancer and in 2010, the number dropped to 750,000 ("Cervical Cancer Rates by Race and Ethnicity,” par. 2). Going back to a point made in a previous paragraph, since the commercial used women of all different races, a prominent decrease in the number of women of all different ethnicities diagnosed with cervical cancer was seen. Even though it can’t be confirmed that all these cases are linked to HPV, it is logical to assume that the decrease of cervical cancers rates was correlated to the decrease of HPV rates, since HPV can cause cervical cancer.
By reading the statistics issued by the CDC, it shows that HPV rates in teens and cervical cancer rates in women have evidently decreased. Though the decrease can’t be traced exactly to its origin, it can be predicted that since Merck’s Gardasil vaccine released in 2006 a definite and distinct decline has been seen. This strong success and effectiveness of the Gardasil vaccine is due to the One Less campaign. Through advertising this vaccine over television commercials and social websites on the internet, as well as through public communication, a large majority of the female population is familiar with and has even taken this vaccine. Not only has Merck accomplished its goal to have “one less” woman battling this infection, but they have also well-surpassed this goal and prevented thousands of women from this fatal battle— all thanks to Gardasil.
Works Cited
"Cervical Cancer Rates by Race and Ethnicity." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12 Aug. 2013. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.
Chen, Christine. “How did you learn about the vaccine Gardasil?.” Survey. 16 Jan. 2014.
"Gardasil (Human Papillomavirus Vaccine) Questions and Answers." FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA, 12 Aug. 2013. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.
Grantham, Susan, Ahern, Lee, and Connolly-Ahern, Collen. “Merck’s One Less Campaign: Using Risk Message Frames to Promote the Use of Garasil in HPV Prevention.” Communication Research Reports 28.4 (2011): 318-326. Print.
"HPV and Cancer." National Cancer Institute. National Cancer Institute, n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2014.
"HPV-Associated Cancers Statistics." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 18 July 2013. Web. 15 Jan. 2014.
"HPV Symptoms & Tests in Women & Men." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.
"Merck Launches National Advertising Campaign For GARDASIL®, Merck 's New Cervical Cancer Vaccine." Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, 23 Nov. 2006. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.
"Press Release." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 June 2013. Web. 15 Jan.
2014.
Throughout the years prior to 2006, the amount of people being infected with human papillomavirus, or more commonly known as HPV, has been increasing. Even though HPV has been the subject of talk shows and school health lectures, at least 20 million Americans a year get infected with this virus. According to the Center for Disease Control, out of the 20 million Americans suffering from HPV each year, at least 33,300 cancer cases first root from HPV ("HPV-Associated Cancers Statistics,” par.1). These alarming statistics prompted Merck to release the first vaccine that could protect against the transmission of HPV in June 2006, called Gardasil. The release and availability of this vaccine …show more content…
started Merck’s One Less campaign. Through Merck’s effective marketing strategies, television commercials, and most importantly, communication amongst the general public, Gardasil has been proven to have reduced the number of people battling HPV and cancer.
According to the Center for Disease Control, human papillomavirus or HPV is ranked one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the United States. This virus has more than a hundred different types and results ("HPV Symptoms & Tests in Women & Men,” par. 2). HPV not only weakens the immune system, but it can also cause health problems such as genital warts and certain types of cancers, depending male or female. In many cases, since the symptoms of HPV are not very evident and will eventually go away, many people are infected by this sexually transmitted infection (STI) and do not even know it. The lack of symptoms and knowledge are what causes HPV to be spread so easily and quickly. Often, when people find out that they have been infected, it is too late (“HPV and Cancer,” par. 1-2).
As the HPV statistics continued to rise, Merck introduced a new vaccine that was able to defend people, mainly women, from HPV. After much research, Merck informed the public that this vaccine, Gardasil, could specifically protect against types 6, 11, 16, and 18 of the HPV. These strains targeted women; strains 6 and 11 types could cause genital warts in women and types 16 and 18 could cause cervical cancer (“Gardasil (Human Papillomavirus Vaccine),” par.5). According to Web MD, the unpredictable nature of cervical cancer and infectious diseases makes it hard for healthcare providers to treat ("HPV Symptoms & Tests in Women & Men," par.1). Merck targeted this fact, which gave them the direction and objective to run their One Less campaign. Merck’s objective was not only to reduce the number of women each year who are faced with or battling cervical cancer but also to educate women about HPV (“Merck Launches National,” par. 1).
At the onset of the One Less campaign, Merck released an influential television commercial that helped the campaign gain attention and grow. In this commercial, women of all ages and races briefly discussed the complexity of HPV and its correlation to cervical cancer as well as Gardasil’s effectiveness in protection against the transmission of HPV. The words, “one less” were repeated throughout the commercial conveying the statement that by taking Gardasil, you could be “one less” woman battling cervical cancer and “one less” person who died due to HPV. The power which stood behind the two words allowed this campaign to further expand to the general public through the means of communication. According to a study published in the Communication Research Reports conducted by Grantham, Ahern, and Connolly- Ahern, the overall majority of public knowledge of Gardasil was through communication, especially through doctor- patient communication (par. 7). In addition to communication and television, social media on the internet contributed greatly to promoting Gardasil. Numerous articles and webpages were made and posted online to inform the readers what Gardasil is and its protective qualities. Statistics and professional opinions were also posted on these sites to help women understand and trust this vaccine.
By just looking at the exterior of the campaign, such as the television commercial, the public communication, and the social media, the One Less campaign already seems persuasive and effective. Beginning with the television commercial, Merck used women from all different ages and races; this use of various groups of women allows the audiences to identify and connect with at least one speaker. This in turn would allow the audience members to trust the product more because she knows that a person of her heritage or age used it and she was protected from HPV and cervical cancer.
Even though the original purpose of the campaign was to directly inform women about Gardasil, according to the article previously mentioned, many of the women who received the vaccine learned about it through their doctor. In fact, I conducted a survey on Drexel University campus, randomly surveying ten female students of different races and ages about how they learned about Gardasil. Out of the ten women I surveyed, nine admitted that their primary healthcare provider was the one who informed them about this vaccine (Chen, Christine, Survey) This aspect is what sets the One Less campaign apart from other HPV presentations and lectures; since, in most cases, the patient trusts her doctor, so she will take the vaccine without question. Even though this is an indirect transfer of information, the overall goal to encourage women to take the vaccine was reached.
Social media played a huge role in spreading the existence of this campaign to others. By posting the television commercial on Youtube, more than 160,000 viewers have seen it. Blogs and medical websites written by professionals, such as WebMD, listed Gardasil as a preventive measure for the transmission of HPV and cervical cancer. People, who view these websites, may be persuaded to take this vaccine since it was advised by a medical professional.
Looking at the exterior of the campaign can give a general overview of the audience response. In order to get a more accurate view to see whether Gardasil is effective in preventing HPV and cervical cancers in women, one could look at data. Since 2006, the Center for Disease Control has been closely monitoring HPV rates amongst women. According to the CDC, since the vaccine was introduced, there has been a 56% decrease in the amount of females between the ages of 14- 19 who are infected by HPV (“Press Release,” par. 1). These statistics were further confirmed and approved by data taken from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Looking at the CDC’s data on cervical cancer, a distinct decrease in the amount of cases from 2006- 2010 was seen. In 2006, 820,000 women were infected by cervical cancer and in 2010, the number dropped to 750,000 ("Cervical Cancer Rates by Race and Ethnicity,” par. 2). Going back to a point made in a previous paragraph, since the commercial used women of all different races, a prominent decrease in the number of women of all different ethnicities diagnosed with cervical cancer was seen. Even though it can’t be confirmed that all these cases are linked to HPV, it is logical to assume that the decrease of cervical cancers rates was correlated to the decrease of HPV rates, since HPV can cause cervical cancer.
By reading the statistics issued by the CDC, it shows that HPV rates in teens and cervical cancer rates in women have evidently decreased. Though the decrease can’t be traced exactly to its origin, it can be predicted that since Merck’s Gardasil vaccine released in 2006 a definite and distinct decline has been seen. This strong success and effectiveness of the Gardasil vaccine is due to the One Less campaign. Through advertising this vaccine over television commercials and social websites on the internet, as well as through public communication, a large majority of the female population is familiar with and has even taken this vaccine. Not only has Merck accomplished its goal to have “one less” woman battling this infection, but they have also well-surpassed this goal and prevented thousands of women from this fatal battle— all thanks to Gardasil.
Works Cited
"Cervical Cancer Rates by Race and Ethnicity." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12 Aug. 2013. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.
Chen, Christine. “How did you learn about the vaccine Gardasil?.” Survey. 16 Jan. 2014.
"Gardasil (Human Papillomavirus Vaccine) Questions and Answers." FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA, 12 Aug. 2013. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.
Grantham, Susan, Ahern, Lee, and Connolly-Ahern, Collen. “Merck’s One Less Campaign: Using Risk Message Frames to Promote the Use of Garasil in HPV Prevention.” Communication Research Reports 28.4 (2011): 318-326. Print.
"HPV and Cancer." National Cancer Institute. National Cancer Institute, n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2014.
"HPV-Associated Cancers Statistics." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 18 July 2013. Web. 15 Jan. 2014.
"HPV Symptoms & Tests in Women & Men." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.
"Merck Launches National Advertising Campaign For GARDASIL®, Merck 's New Cervical Cancer Vaccine." Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, 23 Nov. 2006. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.
"Press Release." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 June 2013. Web. 15 Jan.
2014.