Origo Helps ADAMHS of Montgomery County Educate Its Community About Pain Management Alternatives

Ohioans have made many great strides in fighting the opioid crisis. However, there’s still a lack of awareness around the dangers of painkillers when being prescribed these medications, as individuals often face a high risk of addiction, as well as other negative consequences. In this initiative, our message was to generate awareness that prescribing opioids and opiates may not always be necessary for one’s recovery. 

To advocate this mission, Origo was enlisted by the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) of Montgomery County to help educate and empower citizens to inquire about other options for their pain management after an injury or surgery.The new campaign we created was titled Ask for the Alternatives. Launched in August, this initiative aims to encourage individuals to talk to their doctors about alternative solutions to manage their pain outside of opioid prescriptions, including yoga, massages, physical therapy, and other forms of recovery.

Understanding the community

To start developing this campaign, Origo sent a questionnaire to approximately 60 individuals in Montgomery County to better understand their insights and perceptions of this topic. Origo gave respondents three conceptual directions for this new campaign with different messaging, imagery, and storytelling tactics for each approach.

Survey respondents liked the simple messaging of “Ask For The Alternatives,” as they appreciated that the imagery focused on real people in everyday situations – working and interacting with loved ones, pain-free. With a short, easy-to-remember message and warm and inviting colors, this campaign was easily recognizable and reminded patients that they have other options besides opioids to reduce pain.

Creating an impactful message

Origo worked with ADAMHS to build a microsite that would act as a main call-to-action for the campaign. The website includes information about safe alternatives to opioids, as well as tips, education, testimonials, and helpful resources.

The microsite also has toolkits for patients and healthcare providers to download flyers, posters, and brochures from the campaign, encouraging a grassroots approach to spreading our message. It also provides both audiences with links to Montgomery County programs and services to give them helpful resources close to home.

In addition to the microsite, Origo worked with ADAMHS to provide:

• Posters and print ads
• Social media ads
• Brochures and flyers tailored to patients and prescribers

Building lasting resources

Through the Ask for the Alternatives microsite and other tactics Origo developed, the campaign will serve as an important reminder that there are more options for pain management than using opioids.