New Delhi: With Achin Gupta, the CEO of One India Business at Cipla Ltd., we explore the incredible journey of the “Berok Zindagi” campaign in this exclusive interview. Learn about the development and effects of one of India’s most effective public health initiatives that attempted to change perceptions about asthma and dispel myths. Achin Gupta offers insights into the campaign’s distinctive tactics, celebrity partnerships, and avant-garde methods in addition to significant learnings that can motivate other organizations in their initiatives to advance public health awareness and education.
‘Berok Zindagi’s’ Origins
When the ‘Berok Zindagi’ campaign was first introduced in 2017, its main goal was appealing and obvious. Despite only having 13% of the global occurrences of asthma, India alone is responsible for over 42% of asthma deaths. Both adults and children are affected by asthma, which continues to be a disease with a significant burden in the nation. Correcting these misconceptions can considerably improve patients’ lives. Asthma and inhalers misconceptions contribute to the imbalance in its prevalence and results.
A three-pronged approach of increasing adherence to prescribed therapies, cultivating acceptance of the disease, and raising awareness of it could bring about this shift. And Cipla has been pursuing this goal with a multifaceted strategy supported by the #BerokZindagi global awareness campaign. The goals of this campaign have been to increase understanding, dispel misunderstandings, lessen stigma, and inform patients about the advantages and appropriate application of inhalation therapy as prescribed by their doctors.
‘Berok Zindagi’: Its Development
The “Berok Zindagi” campaign has developed over time into one of the most major initiatives to increase public awareness of asthma. Cipla has participated in social forums to dispel myths about inhalers and raise awareness of this ailment, which affects roughly 30 million people in the nation. In fact, a previous survey found that 64% of people believe inhalers are a successful approach to control asthma.
Priyanka Chopra is one of several celebrities and influencers that this campaign has interacted with. The social stigmas associated with asthma and using inhalers have been significantly reduced because to these partnerships. Cipla has been able to reach a larger audience by utilizing their platform to further their cause. These connections have acted as more than just celebrity endorsements; they are deeply committed to the cause. In actuality, a few of them either had firsthand experience with asthma or are asthma caretakers.
In order to interact with a wide audience and integrate their goal into the national zeitgeist, Cipla has also experimented with a variety of content forms across digital channels. Over the course of a half-decade, all these efforts have enabled them to receive more than 100 million views.
Different Strategies for Different Audiences
Cipla has chosen a variety of strategies to effectively engage its target audience. It’s crucial to keep in mind that asthma affects people of all ages, including children, adults, and senior citizens. Because of the social stigma attached to the disease and inhalation therapy, efforts have to be expanded to include the general public.
Cipla’s approach in that regard was to keep it patient-centered and purpose-driven while also making sure it was simple to look at and quick to eat. In order to produce content that crosses generational divides and speaks directly to the Indian audience, they have tapped into the potential of digital and social media. They have innovated and differentiated their campaign by moving beyond a predetermined plan. Examples include heartwarming or humorous films, the myth-buster series, social media activities, localized content delivery through multilingual versions, or an empowering song.
For instance, the uplifting “Asthma Ke Liye, Inhalers Hain Sahi” song and the Kathak dance video, which was released in five languages last year, attracted over 250 million views. The campaign’s social media extensions also included challenges on Instagram, like the cover song challenge, which featured well-known music producers. An additional 10 million people were reached by these challenges, and more than 3,000 netizens took part.
The Influence of Collaboration and Storytelling
‘Berok Zindagi’ enters a new chapter with Cipla’s partnership with Pocket Aces. They are utilizing the power of narrative to incorporate the messaging of their campaign into content genres and formats that are approachable, natural, and authentic. ‘A Monsoon Romance: When Opposites Attract,’ the first movie released in September, had over 8 million views across social media platforms and was trending in the top 40 in India on YouTube. What’s even more promising is the discussions it sparked in the comment sections regarding asthma and inhalers, which brought to light the widespread misunderstandings and misconceptions about the ailment and its treatment.
Eight additional concepts from Cipla’s cooperation with Pocket Aces have yet to be made public. ‘Humara Maidan,’ the following one, is slated for publication this month. This movie portrays an underdog story with an unusual ending while putting cricket and kabaddi at the center of its storyline. It was released just in time for the enthusiasm surrounding the Cricket World Cup.
The Most Important Lessons for Raising Public Health Awareness
The “Berok Zindagi” campaign offers important lessons for other healthcare efforts or organizations trying to advance public health awareness and education. They only aim to empower, educate, and engage people with chronic respiratory conditions like asthma to take control of their health through their films and marketing initiatives.
Cipla has made an effort to make sure that its message and mission are understood by people all throughout the country by making use of every available communication medium. This year, they focused more on certain patient populations, with the Tuffies campaign aiming to raise awareness about the need to improve respiratory treatment for kids, especially those who have asthma.
However, in order to significantly alter how asthma and its treatment are viewed in India, it is imperative to support awareness campaigns with a framework that offers ongoing support throughout the patient’s journey through education. Cipla has been achieving this by integrating Breathefree, a comprehensive patient assistance program, with #BerokZindagi, one of the most significant patient awareness initiatives for asthma. Breathefree offers a complete OAD (Obstructive Airway Diseases) treatment program, including screening, aiding in diagnosis, device technique training, counseling, and ensuring patient knowledge and adherence to therapy.
Over 2.5 million people have been reached by the program thanks to various activities like Breathefree clinics and outreach projects like Yatras and camps. Its digital extension, the Breathefree Digital Educator, India’s first inhalation device training digital educator, instructs 30,000 patients each month in nine different languages.
Cipla is still dedicated to developing and stepping up these projects. They will continue to collaborate with influencers and the multi-media industry for “Berok Zindagi,” putting more of an emphasis on imaginative storytelling that will connect with viewers and increase recall. They want to improve illness management and patient care even more, ultimately making a real difference in people’s lives.
