To address the dramatic rise of cervical cancer among young Korean women ages 20-35, the Korean Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (KSOBGY) set out to destroy barriers to disease prevention.

The Purple Ribbon campaign took aim at cervical cancer as the second most deadly cancer after breast disease, but widely believed to be an illness that strikes middle-aged and older women. Primary research showed that in a little more than a decade, cervical cancer nearly doubled in women under 35, while only 9 percent participated in screenings.

Purple Ribbon sought to create awareness among young women on the importance of prevention, and drive these women to get vaccinated. Social media encouraged dialog and promoted preventative care.The program’s overarching strategy was to give women information and tools to raise awareness and motivate preventative action.Through a high-profile program that included "Doctor Cafes" and dialog on Korea’s most popular social networking channels for young women, KSOBGY broke through and affected change. Within weeks of the program’s launch, the number of young women who said they intended to get vaccinated increased 43.4 percent. Later, the program saw significant increases in women who said they would seek out vaccination within the next month.

- Announced first-ever Cervical Cancer Prevention Week at launch event, utilizing data on escalating disease numbers and low vaccination rates to establish urgency behind the issue.- Launched "Doctor Cafes" in office parks and college campuses to establish a comfortable atmosphere for women to talk with physicians and others about the issue. Professional baristas served coffee and steered women to doctor’s onsite.- Developed online community and information hub on Korea’s number one portal site, NAVER.- Organized two-way communication via Twitter and leading channel for young women, Me2day, which allowed campaign participants to upload and share their own content, experiences and thoughts with one another.- Arranged nation’s first online medical consultation on Twitter by opening an account and making obstetricians available to answer followers’ questions twice a day for two months.- Conducted comprehensive media campaign with extensive coverage in television, radio, print and online outlets.

* Create awareness among young women about the importance of cervical cancer prevention and drive these women to become vaccinated.

- 124 media placements and 57.6 million impressions, including Korea’s largest news daily Chosun Ilbo. - Key messages about trends needed for preventative care carried through in coverage. - Within a month, number of women who said they intend to get vaccine increased by 43.4 percent. Later, those who said they would get vaccinated within the next month increased from 30.3 percent to 73.7 percent. - Women in their 20s showed the highest rates of intention to receive the vaccine. - 400 people participated in Doctor Cafe consultations.* Engage consumers through social media to converse with physicians, others to advance prevention. - 1,985 followers of the Twitter account, 853 followers of the consultation account, and 754 followers of the Me2day account. - More than 250 consultations with physicians on Twitter.