Siren Interactive Takes Rare Disease Day Social

Agency utilizes social media to connect people with rare diseases

OAK PARK, IL (February 8, 2010) – Siren Interactive, a relationship marketing agency focused on chronic rare disorder therapies, announced that it is collaborating with the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) as an interactive partner for Rare Disease Day U.S.

The last day of February has been designated as worldwide Rare Disease Day to call attention to the public health issues associated with rare diseases, which affect nearly 30 million Americans and countless others around the world.

“People with rare diseases remain a medically underserved population in every country,” said Peter Saltonstall, president of NORD, which is sponsoring Rare Disease Day in the U.S. “This day is intended to bring together the patients and families with rare diseases to discuss the need for greater awareness, more research, and better access to diagnosis and treatment.”

To promote Rare Disease Day on February 28, Siren designed a website (http://rarediseaseday.us) and developed a social media strategy that included Facebook (http://facebook.com/rarediseasedayus) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/rarediseases).

“Our partnership with NORD is a perfect fit with our expertise and focus on helping organizations communicate with small patient populations and the healthcare professionals who serve them,” said Wendy White, Siren founder & president. “We are excited that we've been able to engage with more than 1,600 people via Facebook. Our theme is 'Alone we are rare. Together we are strong' and we see this being realized as families use social media to share their stories and support each other."

A rare disease is one that affects fewer than 200,000 Americans. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), there are nearly 7,000 such diseases affecting nearly 30 million Americans.

About NORD

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) represents the nearly 30 million Americans affected by rare diseases. Founded in 1983, NORD is a non-profit organization providing programs of education, advocacy, research, and patient services. NORD administers patient assistance programs to help uninsured or under-insured individuals obtain medications they could not otherwise afford. It also provides information to patients and their families, research grants and fellowships, and advocacy on important public policy issues. Follow NORD at www.rarediseases.org and on Twitter at @RareDiseases.

About Siren Interactive

Siren Interactive is a relationship marketing agency focused on understanding the behaviors of patients and physicians dealing with chronic rare diseases. Because of this expertise, the agency can drive new patient starts and life-long adherence to therapies for its clients. Siren leverages the unique power of the web to attract, engage and retain these target audiences in a direct relationship with the brand throughout the patient journey and measures impact at every step.

Siren's relationship marketing offering includes web program planning, audience research insights, search engine marketing (SEO & PPC), medical content development, interactive web and email design and development, social media and CRM strategy, online/offline marketing integration, database management and online metrics analysis. The company is celebrating its 11th year as a successful, woman-owned business. For more information visit http://www.sireninteractive.com.

Media Contact:
Eileen O'Brien
708-434-6232
eobrien@sireninteractive.com