About Spot the Dot

About Spot the Dot

Spot the Dot is an NGO working with artists, athletes, patients, and dermatologists from around the world to raise awareness of melanoma and other types of skin cancer. The aim of all projects is to encourage people to start a conversation with their loved ones (and their physician) about the importance of prevention and detection of skin cancer.

Honors & Awards

Winner of Best of Pharma Advertising 2023
Issued by Pharma Marketing Club Austria · June 2023
For our Do You campaign in the categories “multi-channel campaign”
Nominated for another 2 categories.

Winner of a Patient Innovation Award
Issued by Novartis · Jun 2022
For the Don’t Fade Away campaign in the category: New channels and digital tools in patient communication

Winner of a Bronze CCA Venus Award 2022 
Issued by Creative Club Austria · May 2022
For the ‘Love your body. Check your skin’ campaign

Winner of a Patient Innovation Award
Issued by Novartis · Jun 2021
For the Check-A-Mole game in the category “Increasing Disease Awareness”

Winner of two ‘Goldene Skalpell’ Awards
Best of Pharma Advertising 2019 Winner of two ‘Goldene Skalpell’ Awards
Issued by Pharma Marketing Club Austria · June 2019
For our Rebel Against Skin Cancer video campaign l in the categories “multi-channel campaign” and “film & video”.

Nominated for the 2017 V!VA 400 award for Most Inspiring Women 
Founder Marije Kruis was nominated for this award for her work with Spot the Dot in the category: World Improvers
Issued by VIVA 2017

Member of the Global Melanoma Patient Advocacy Coalition

Spot the Dot is an official member of the Global Melanoma Patient Advocacy Coalition and a global workgroup aiming to join forces on raising awareness of melanoma on a global level. https://www.globalmelanoma.org

Member of the Die Allianz

Die Allianz is a collective of patient organizations and advocates focused on oncology. With their extensive expertise and network, they’re dedicated to improving cancer care in Austria by facilitating collaboration and staying abreast of the latest research. www.dieallianz.org

Founder

Spot the Dot was founded in 2015 by melanoma patient Marije Kruis, who is Dutch but lives in Austria. That is why the foundation is registered in Austria. The working language is English, but we also try to translate as many projects as possible into Dutch and German (as well as French and Spanish) to make all projects accessible to everyone.

A few years ago a friend who was a physiotherapist pointed out a tiny spot on my lower leg and told me to have a dermatologist look at it. I took up his advice and to make a long (medical) story short, that spot which looked so innocent to me, was already a far progressed melanoma. In the following year, I heard so many misconceptions about skin cancer from people around me, which made me realize that there is such a big need to raise more awareness around this topic. Hearing these misconceptions motivated me to start my own foundation, Spot The Dot.” – Marije Kruis

Connect with Marije via LinkedIn

 

Roles & Advisory Board

Founder: Marije Kruis
Treasurer: Michael Pasterk
Board of directors: Lucia Friedrich, Johannes Riegler
Concept, webdesign and development: BLAEK Design Studio
Wordpress maintenance: Digital Workshop
Regular members: anonymous

Advisory Board

In random order:

Dr Göran van Rooijen, dermatologist & Mohs’ surgeon – Netherlands

Dr Amanda Zbyszewski, dermatologist – Austria

Belinda Delys, Communications & Engagement consultant in Healthcare & Wellbeing – Belgium

Clara Borek, Communication expert – Austria

Leonne van de Ven, PR and Communications consultant – owner De Wolven  – Netherlands

Dr. Markus Wiesender, dermatologist – Austria

Mario Roeder, wordpress and webshop expert – Austria

Bernhard Kettner, art director, and studio manager BLK Studio – Austria