Ads Bring Sales for Medical Device Startup

Ads were launched on Facebook to educate people on and sell a unique medical device.

My Role

I designed, strategized, and implemented the ads, video, analytics, and e-commerce website to make this project happen.

Photography

I led the photography initiative to attain a selection of impactful images for ads, the website, and social media..

Ad Design & Setup

I created image ads for Facebook and targeted strategic marketing and remarketing audiences.

e-Commerce

I wrote the content for and fully customized a website on Shopify for an e-commerce solution that effectively educates and sells.

The Company

NuNee was the idea of an Upstate NY runner/engineer who was suffering from Runner’s Knee—patellofemoral pain often caused by damage to cartilage under the kneecap. He found that while compression sleeves worked to relieve pain, they could also exacerbate the damage. So, he crafted something that did the opposite—relieved pressure rather than adding it by slightly lifting the kneecap—and sought to bring it to market. I worked with him to establish a brand, an audience, and an e-commerce website from the ground up to bring in sales. It attracted a lot of positive attention, including from former NFL player Thurman Thomas, who endorsed the product.

The Strategy

We ran ads to those within a target age range who had interests in running and other activities that cause this type of pain, and used language with commonly-known terms for some of the conditions the product was known to help with. Once we had a good base of purchasers, we targeted those similar to our purchasers and re-targeted those who interacted with the ads but didn’t purchase. Landing pages were created for each campaign. We also expanded our advertising strategy to target physical therapists, using language that focused on “successful outcomes for challenging cases of patellofemoral pain”. They led to a landing page where therapists could enter their information to request a free sample to try in their clinic.

One challenge we ran into was that because it was unlike other products, people often wanted to see it and test it before buying.  So in addition to advertising, we sold the product in a few store locations and held events or managed tables where we could show the product and let them try it on. We used marathons and similar events, the perfect places to find people in our target audience, as an opportunity to represent ourselves and the product. We developed a fairly dedicated audience, who we engaged on social media and through email regularly, with videos, testimonials, and reviews from people who tried the product. 

Results

Ad Budget
$ 0 k
Clickthrough Rate
0 %
Cost per Click
$ 0

As with any startup, we faced some difficulties. Since this product was considered a medical device, many investors wouldn’t buy in until the product passed clinical trials, which can take years. So sales and testimonials were all the more important to attain and document, within a tightly managed marketing budget. The other difficulty was educating the audience. Since this operated unlike any other product on the market, educating the audience (while meeting FDA restrictions regarding language) was half the battle in selling the product.

In the end, we were able to develop a website with a great deal of information, testimonials, and personal stories, and saw some positive responses to our advertising. Not surprisingly, our ads containing videos or that targeted those similar to our purchasers were the most effective. Our marketing efforts resulted in over 700 sales in the first two years, as well as a dedicated client base and many positive product reviews. The company also went on to pass clinical trials in 2021!

TLDR;
How It Proves My Value

This project showcases B2C work where I played a managing role, as well as my ability to work with a startup to build a brand and audience. The uniqueness of this product presented challenges, as customers often had to be educated about it before they would purchase. That forced me to think creatively about how we described this product, as well as to identify avenues beyond marketing and e-commerce to get the product in front of people, including through events and physical therapy clinics.