NUEDEXTA is the only FDA-approved treatment for pseudobulbar affect (PBA)—uncontrollable laughing or crying in patients with underlying neurologic conditions. The challenge for Avanir Pharmaceuticals was to convince multiple healthcare professional (HCP) stakeholders that PBA is a condition that places a significant burden on patients, and that NUEDEXTA is a safe, effective treatment in the outpatient and long-term care (LTC) settings.

Core messages used stakeholder-relevant content to create compelling brand stories. PulseCX partnered with Avanir to understand the motivations of prescribers and HCPs who influenced treatment. A customer experience (CX) strategy was built from insights revealing communication topics that would motivate stakeholder groups at key points in their treatment decision-making process (“Impact Moments”). Sales messages and materials were created for sales representatives to effectively move stakeholders through the PBA understanding, identification, diagnosis, and NUEDEXTA treatment progression.

Understanding and shifting stakeholder treatment mindsets // PulseCX used the CX Audit to uncover not only what stakeholders thought about the condition and treatment, but also why they thought so. It also showed how stakeholders influenced each other to promote or dissuade treatment—especially in the team-based LTC setting—and how feedback from patients or loved ones would influence decision-making. These insights drove strategies to change stakeholder thinking and interactions that would lead to NUEDEXTA prescribing.

Concentrating on the greatest opportunities to influence stakeholders // CX Audit insights were then mapped to points in the stakeholder treatment journeys where the brand could make the greatest impact. These journey maps helped PulseCX and Avanir systematically uncover individual, as well as shared, stakeholder opportunities. This helped prioritize message development and brand story flow, define appropriate clinical data utilization, and guide creation of each stakeholder’s customer experience (CX).

Building a core message to engage the target audience and maximize sales effectiveness // The NUEDEXTA CX message and sales approach empowered sales representatives to tailor the brand story based on stakeholder opportunities. It was flexible, intuitive, and particularly useful with multiple stakeholders to customize specific messaging around PBA prevalence, PBA patient stories, and NUEDEXTA data related to neurologic conditions commonly seen by prescriber and influencer groups.