About the CAMPAIGN

The aim of the World Arthritis Day 2008 (WAD) campaign which was organised by the Hellenic Society against Rheumatism (HSaR) , was to inform and motivate the public about the issues surrounding Arthritis/Rheumatism.

The campaign's core message was: ‘Pass the Baton to the Rheumatologist and gain/save time" in order to inform those who suffer from Arthritis/Rheumatism, their carers and the general public, that there is a medical specialty (Rheumatology) devoted to the diagnosis and therapy of rheumatic diseases.

Campaign Actions
1. Mass Media

A. Radio
A radio spot featuring the voice of Ms. Chrisoula Diavati (a famous Greek actress) was produced and received extensive airplay on several stations. The radio message summarised the campaign's main aspects and actuates the public to take part and get informed. The spot ran for a total of 6 days, starting 2 days prior to the WAD (10 October).

B. TV
The Greek TV broadcaster "MEGA CHANNEL" which has the highest ratings in the Greek market, was the campaign's media sponsor and the campaign itself was extensively covered in the evening news of NET, ALTER and MEGA.
Additionally, professor D. Karras of the Hellenic Society against Rheumatism made guest appearances to several informational and entertainment TV shows in order to inform people about Arthritis/Rheumatism and the WAD campaign as well.

C. Press Conference
On Wednesday the 8th of October, a press conference which was attended by all the Greek media, was organised in the center of Athens. The press conference was chaired by HSaR representatives, as well as the president of the society of patients suffering from rheumatic diseases "ELEANA", a professor of Rheumatology and a patient.
The purpose of the press conference was threefold. To inform the media and the public about:
1. the issues surrounding Arthritis/Rheumatism
2. the campaign and its actions and
3. the informational call centre that was set up.
During the press conference, the HSaR announced that the opportunity to be examined from specialised doctors free of charge, will be offered to the public from the 13th until the 15th of October

D. Press
The Press Conference was a big success and it generated a number of detailed articles about Arthritis/Rheumatism and about the WAD campaign as well. Additionally, an informational leaflet that contained an Arthritis/Rheumatism test/game, specially designed to raise awareness, was included in the Sunday issue of two nationally circulated newspapers.

 A series of articles on arthritis and rheumatism were commissioned and appeared on 15 daily and Sunday national papers on the weekend of the events, reaching a total average of almost half a million readers

2. Direct Communication

A. Informative Kiosks

On October 12th, WAD 2008, Information Kiosks were set up on the central plazas of 5 Athenian municipalities. Peristeri, Pireus and central Athens, are the three most populated regions in the city, whereas Kifissia and Ymittos were especially chosen to ensure the city's maximum geographic coverage.
Thousands of Athenians stopped by the kiosks on that day. Two Informational leaflets (from HSaR and ‘ELEANA') were handed out to the public from the staff operating the kiosks, while the specially designed to raise awareness Arthritis/Rheumatism test/game was available on a big screen TV stationed inside. Finally, two specialised Rheumatologists were appointed at each kiosk and were present the entire time, providing the public with very important information and advice.

B. Specialist Briefing Sessions

As we mentioned earlier, two specialised Rheumatologists, members of the HSaR were appointed at each kiosk to inform the public responsibly about Arthritis/Rheumatism. The doctors' presence was vital to the campaign's success as it was greatly appreciated by the Kiosk's visitors, who circulated the news to their fellow citizens and as a result more people kept showing up specifically to have a small chat with the kiosk's medical staff.

C. WAD Call Center
A informational Arthritis/Rheumatism call centre was set up as part of the WAD campaign. The call centre that was a HSaR initiative, will remain active for six months and its purpose was to provide the public with information on the whereabouts of the closest clinic or doctor's office that one can be examined for Arthritis/Rheumatism. Additionally, until the 15th of October where the free of charge Arthritis/Rheumatism test period ended, the call centre kept informing the public on the location of these test centers and the free dates available.
During its first few days of activation, the call center received a very big number of hits, demonstrating the campaign's success and the effect it had on the public.In total, the call center received around 3000 calls.
After the first week though, the number of daily calls was reduced as it was expected, but still remained at a very high level compared to the calls received by similar call centers that for various reasons had been activated in the past.

 D. Internal Event

An internal event for the employees of  a major pharmaceutical company was also organized, to inform them Arthritis/Rheumatism and the WAD campaign, was organised on the 13th of October.
"Follow the footsteps" was the event's slogan and stickers of giant footsteps were placed on the main corridors, leading to the conference hall that hosted the event. The atendees were greeted by a nice surprise  that was no other than Ms Chrisoula Diavati.

The famous Greek actress performed alongside a Rheumatologist, a short, informational and entertaining, theatric dialogue about the Arthritis/Rheumatism. The event was a big success as the employees enjoyed themselves and were very receptive to the information and the value of the campaign as well.