Los Angeles, CA – Researchers at Indiana University and University of California recently launched a banner ad within the Grinder app to distribute free self-testing kits to the more than 5 million Grinder users. The effort was launched to help bring awareness and testing to millions of needed recipients, help skirt the stigma so often associated with HIV and bring supplies to people that may lack health insurance. By simply clicking on the banner ad, the user can request a kit via mail, receive a coupon for their local pharmacy or redeem at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center’s vending machines. 69% of the self-testing kit recipients had not been tested previously.
Why this matters:
This is a great example of how a brand or company can utilize an existing digital platform with millions of users to not only promote an important health challenge but also change the distribution of new free trials from outside of the exam room. Researchers were able to remove huge barriers to a target market – making the request discrete and no longer needing a doctors appointment to ask for the test.
