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The Race to Yes

Case Study

“The Race to Yes” provided a campaign platform to advocate for accelerated FDA approval of safe and effective therapies for children facing Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, the number one genetic killer of children in the world.

“The Race to Yes” advocacy campaign was sponsored by organizations pursuing Duchenne therapies, including Charley’s Fund and Team Joseph, and the campaign ran until the FDA ultimately granted families accelerated approval for the therapy.

Campaign Goals
  • Immediately encourage the FDA to pursue accelerated approval of safe and effective therapies for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy under federal law, passed by Congress
  • Increase public awareness of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Strategy

  • Unify a dispersed group of individuals and organizations to form a credible, high-profile, newsworthy national campaign platform that would responsibly encourage the FDA to agree to new therapies.
  • Use the White House petition portal as the focal point to acquire 100,000 online signatures within 30 days, thereby ensuring a response from the White House and the FDA.

Tactics

  • Develop and launch a campaign website as the online platform and headquarters. Re-brand existing advocate sites and social media.
  • Mark the milestones of the campaign through a series of targeted press releases.
  • Employ social media to deliver custom graphics, video updates, and infographics; showcase celebrity support; and gain advocate feedback.
  • Recruit and activate volunteers through email campaigns and the establishment of “Team 100,” those committed to actively securing online petition signatures.
  • Write and publish blog articles to inform the community on new developments and prompt action.
  • Host online town hall meetings to drive support and engage with supporters.

Execution

Given the urgency, the entire campaign was conceived and executed within two months. Our seven-person dedicated team provided 18-hour-per-day coverage throughout the petition drive, which was completely organic and fostered by recruiting advocates through email marketing and social media. Less than $500 was spent on Facebook advertising.

Celebrities showed their support for their campaign through social media, including Aly Raisman, Sarah Jessica Parker, The Altman Brothers Band, and Drew Carey.

Media reports from around the country were documented in a YouTube video as encouragement that we would reach our goal.

The Results

White House Petition Signatures Gathered in Less Than 30 Days

Organic Page Likes on Newly Created Facebook Page Within 30 Days of Creation

Volunteers Attended Online Town Halls

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The Race to Yes drove the largest hearing turnout in the history of the FDA, and families were ultimately given accelerated access to the therapies
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The FDA Commissioner publicly referred to the campaign as the “most intense” advocacy engagement she had ever seen
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The Commissioner met with the CEO of the company that made the promising therapy and agreed to work with them toward the goal of accelerated approval
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The FDA response was featured on the front page of the Washington Post and the story credited The Race to Yes for pressuring the FDA to relent
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The Race to Yes secured coverage in over 60 top-tier digital, print, and broadcast media outlets
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Campaign videos launched by The Race to Yes on YouTube received thousands of views
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