The Situation
MSD‘s HPV awareness campaign had historically focused on women, but the virus affects all demographics. Men transmit HPV and the LGBT+ community faces elevated risk. The Guard Against HPV Facebook and Instagram pages needed to evolve from a women’s health broadcast channel into a platform that reached and engaged a broader, more diverse audience.
The deeper challenge was format. Static educational posts about a sexually transmitted infection don’t stop the scroll on Facebook and Instagram. MSD needed content that could make HPV prevention feel urgent and relatable across demographics that traditional pharmaceutical messaging rarely reaches, in a market where STD conversations still carry cultural stigma.
The Approach
Phase 1: Inclusive Audience Expansion Beyond Women
Broadened the HPV awareness campaign’s target audience to include men and LGBT+ communities alongside the existing female audience. This reframed HPV vaccination as a universal health decision rather than a women-only concern, which expanded the addressable audience and gave the content new angles to work with.
Phase 2: Video-First Content Production
Produced video content designed to convey the seriousness of HPV through compelling narratives rather than clinical messaging. The videos aimed to dismantle misconceptions and make the case for vaccination in a format that performs on Facebook and Instagram feeds, where static health infographics get scrolled past.
Phase 3: Podcast & Influencer Partnership for Reach
Partnered with the Jim and Saab podcast, using the hosts’ influence to bring HPV prevention into a conversational format. Saab Magalona’s involvement with MSD‘s “Call the Shots” advocacy campaign brought the message into a lifestyle context that felt personal rather than pharmaceutical, extending reach beyond the health-focused audience.
The Results
- 112M+ Facebook reach from the Guard Against HPV page
- 8.7M Year-over-year increase in audience engagement
- 56,676 Facebook page likes on Guard Against HPV
Campaign Highlights:
- Instagram reach of 1,963,908 demonstrated cross-platform impact
- Campaign expanded HPV awareness messaging to include men and LGBT+ communities
- Jim and Saab podcast partnership brought HPV prevention into mainstream lifestyle conversation
- Saab Magalona’s “Call the Shots” advocacy generated coverage in Adobo Magazine
- Video-first content strategy outperformed static educational posts on both Facebook and Instagram
The Takeaway
Health awareness campaigns that talk only to the people already listening plateau fast. MSD‘s HPV campaign grew engagement by 8.7 million in a single year because it expanded the audience to men and LGBT+ communities and moved the message from clinical channels into podcasts and video where new audiences actually spend their time.
- Industry: Healthcare
- Service: PR & Digital Campaigns
- Solution: For International Brands Entering PH
Frequently Asked Questions
Why expand an HPV awareness campaign beyond women?
HPV is transmitted sexually, which means men are part of the equation. Expanding the audience to include men and the LGBT+ community doubled the addressable market and gave the content new story angles. The engagement increase of 8.7 million year-over-year confirms the broader audience was ready for the message.
Why use video instead of static infographics for a health awareness campaign?
Because infographics don’t stop the scroll. On Facebook and Instagram, video content generates higher engagement and watch time. For a topic like HPV where misconceptions are common, narrative-driven video does more to change minds than a clinical infographic that gets passed over in the feed.
How does a podcast partnership work for pharmaceutical awareness?
Podcasts bring health topics into a conversational context that feels personal. When Saab Magalona discusses HPV prevention on her podcast, the message reaches listeners in a trusted, intimate format. The audience hears it as a recommendation from someone they follow, not a pharmaceutical advertisement.
How do you measure success for a public health awareness campaign on social media?
Reach and engagement growth together. Reach alone means people saw the content. Engagement growth means people interacted with it. The 8.7 million year-over-year engagement increase shows the audience moved from passive awareness to active participation in the HPV conversation.
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