Empowering HPV Vaccination: Digital Transformation Gardasil9

Desktop view (left) showing the HPV vaccination sites finder, and the Gardasil 9 landing page hero section on mobile (right)

Methodologies used

Full stack, CMS & Content APIs, Generative AI, Connected Experiences.

Deep dives into human factors, decision-making processes, and barriers to action guided us in the development of seamlessly connected digital channels that helped redefine the HPV vaccination corridor.

Challenge

It's a well-known fact that 75% of sexually active Canadians will get at least one HPV infection in their lifetime. While vaccination programs in schools were able to make a significant dent in vaccination rates, 80% of men, and 30% of women remain unvaccinated. How do we drive vaccination rates amongst the eligible population without resorting to fear mongering?

Insight

Create a shift in public perception about HPV vaccination by leveraging behavioural insights in order to foster a sense of urgency and responsibility that ultimately drives action. There's a need to focus on the forgotten populations that did not receive the vaccination in schools, while simultaneously encouraging healthcare practitioners to play their part.

Opportunity

By orchestrating cohesive digital channels, we were able to provide healthcare professionals and consumers with accessible, tailored tools and information that bridged critical gaps across access and education. Ultimately, we were able to build a digital ecosystem that simplified the vaccination journey by breaking down barriers that stood in the way of adoption.

Layering in the human aspect using applied behavioural economics principles

A combination of market research insights, integrated with existing data sources, helped us develop clear archetypes that outlined unique motivations, desires, fears, and barriers that influenced health seeking behaviours. We found that women showed a sense of responsibility that was shrouded by shame and guilt when it came to sexually transmitted infections, whereas men lacked a sense of protective instinct in the absence of immediate tangible risks. In addition to the public perception challenge that surrounds HPV vaccination, the complexity of the vaccine corridor also presented a unique predicament. Given that the road to vaccination varies by province, payer, prescriber and patient; it was imperative to architect clear patient journeys that could guide our audiences along the adoption curve.

DEVELOPING AN ECOSYSTEM OF TOOLS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS BARRIERS TO ACTION.

Focusing on root causes of inaction across multiple consumer spaces instead of demographic attributes was a critical insight that drove our digital transformation efforts. This enabled us to align our product marketing closely with customer needs, leading to a streamlined patient experience, paired with relevant tools and emotive storytelling, which has been effectively solving for the challenges of the customer journey. Channels included a website, landing page, educational tools, supported by an ecosystem that included telehealth integrations and partner-supported programs.

Technology can solve problems beyond content delivery

To relieve the barriers to action, we developed a seamless solution that allowed patients to easily locate the nearest HPV vaccination sites, regardless of where they were. Knowing that 1 in 3 patients lacked access to a healthcare practitioner who can prescribe the vaccine, we also needed to ensure that patients could access services through multiple points of care including telehealth services as well as walk-in clinics.

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