ASTRAZENECA
What science can do
Changing perceptions of big pharma through stories of innovation and culture
Project: Brand and Digital Ecosystem
Role: Creative Director
Agency: DigitasLBi
AstraZeneca’s commitment and approach to science set it apart from other pharmaceutical companies. But its corporate website didn’t reflect these unique differences or stand out from its competitors.
To change this, AstraZeneca asked DigitasLBi to reimagine astrazeneca.com, which sits at the heart of its digital ecosystem. The key goal of the new site would be to target the site’s core audience of partners and potential recruits, and to change their perception of what working with or for AstraZeneca is like.
In order to change perceptions, we needed to show our target audience content that proved that working with AstraZeneca will get you further faster. We knew that content had the power to do that and that crucially we knew that to be credible to this audience the content had to be authentic. We created 5 content streams that would be aimed at our target audiences and support the launch of the site.
We collaborated closely with some of AstraZeneca’s best scientists to uncover and bring to life mixed-media stories of their breakthroughs, getting their research published, and pursuing opportunities to discover life-changing medicines. It’s a clear departure from the previous brochure-style copy found on many corporate websites.
We also recruited twenty employees to act as brand ambassadors.
Their profiles highlight their interests and passions, acting as magnets to our target audiences.
Overall, inspirational content breathes new life into the entire website, including all the more traditional sections of a corporate site. From media to investor relations, the intuitive navigation makes it easy for all audiences to find what they need. We also featured the technology that AstraZeneca have at their disposal. These are very attractive to academics who often don’t get access to this equipment.
AstraZeneca wanted to focus on 8 must win events a year, we helped build an editorial calendar that helped plan the content to engage audiences beyond the event. Homepage takeovers, live updates during the event and post event downloads and videos.
The new site has been amazingly well received. The results show we were on the right track with a 25% improvement in visitors viewing key content, and average session durations increasing by 22%.
Just as importantly, we have seen a 30% increase in the visitors who go on to AstraZeneca’s career site.