Welcome to the Mite Party.
In its latest effort to raise awareness about demodex blepharitis, an eye condition that affects 25 million Americans, Tarsus Pharmaceuticals is throwing a party — a Mite Party.
What are mites? These demodex mites cause the namesake condition that results in eyelid inflammation, redness and ocular irritation. The most common example of the condition is the appearance of collarettes, a waxy debris composed of discarded mite waste and eggs.
In recent years, Tarsus has launched several initiatives to encourage eye care professionals and other healthcare professionals (HCP) to screen patients for demodex blepharitis in order to mitigate its effects on vision and overall ocular health.
Readers may recall previous campaigns like Look at the Lids or Don’t Freak Out, Get Checked Out.
With those in mind, earlier this week, the company announced a multi-channel consumer marketing push in support of Xdemvy (lotilaner ophthalmic solution) 0.25%, a treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat demodex blepharitis.
The campaign kicks off with a Facebook Live event Thursday evening that showcases HCPs and patient advocates underscoring the effectiveness of early detection and treatment of this condition.
The art for the campaign is intentionally humorous and colorful, with Aziz Mottiwala, chief commercial officer at Tarsus, telling MM+M that the company wanted the mites to have some personality and character so that people would have a distinct memory of the disease.
Referencing the prior work done on Look at the Lids in 2022, he added that the company has always opted to approach patients and HCPs with a little more levity in a deliberate effort to not scare them away and instead leave them feeling empowered.
“We had to come up with a memorable, fun and easy way for patients to understand what was going on; that’s the mite part of the idea,” he said. “It’s these mites — which are thought to be insidious and causing all this disease — but we sort of lighten it up a little bit. They’re having a party on your eyelids and that’s what’s causing your discomfort.”
Mottiwala said the campaign was formulated with patient feedback in mind. Through market research, one of the most common complaints from patients was experiencing eye discomfort and not knowing what was causing it or what could be done about it.
By portraying the chronic condition in a more relatable way, patients will feel empowered to look at the mites and say “party’s over,” according to Mottiwala.
In addition to the campaign launch event, Tarsus has created a Find a Doctor tool located on Xdemvy’s website along with an interactive quiz, patient testimonials and other educational resources.
Regarding Tarsus’ marketing efforts around demodex blepharitis, Mottiwala said the company has prioritized a three-pronged approach centered on lowering the volume on the disease, explaining its root cause and providing a reliable, simple solution.
“It’s about hearing the voice of the customer, striking a great balance between clear compelling disease education — along with something that’s memorable, impactful and will elicit action — and then third is a clear call to action for the intended audience,” he said.
