How To… Revamp the Way We Look at Advertising Health

As in most regulated industries, the ads and communications in healthcare have suffered. But that doesn’t mean good creative must always be hindered. Big thinking is happening. It's taking off, really. 

Health and wellness is becoming more relevant in people’s lives. So it’s only natural that the way we promote it also touches people in meaningful ways. 

Beyond healthcare plans and pharmaceuticals, our industry is about so much more. Getting a good night’s sleep, eating right, reducing stress, practicing meditation and yoga. These are the things people care about incredibly. More than a niche category, health encompasses the broadest sector in marketing today. And it’s time that we look at it that way.

What does that mean for creatives?

The big thinking in health isn’t down the road. It’s right now. It’s everywhere. Creative people should first know the work. Be inspired. If someone else is doing it, why not you? 

And they shouldn’t be held back by a listless creative brief. Approach each new assignment by knowing your audience. Put yourself in their shoes. Go out and meet them. Hear their stories. Feel their desires. Know their joys. There’s an emotional insight waiting to be discovered. It will open the door to doing life-altering work.

Challenges advertising health

Like any sector or category, telling yourself it’s impossible is the greatest challenge to doing great work. Every assignment has limitations. And I’m not making light of the legal constraints imposed on pharmaceuticals, medical devices and treatments. They can feel insurmountable at times. 

Just don’t stop there. The best work starts by knowing the limits. Taps into universal human truths. Then makes use of communication tools like visual storytelling and innovative design. That’s how to reach people in impactful and lasting ways.

Rules & Regulations to consider

Rules change for every product and service. For example, rules around marketing pharmaceuticals are distinct from regulations around marketing medical services.

Creatives must know their territory. Then master ways to push the boundaries while dialing up the emotion.

Changes in health

The wellness industry as a whole is quickly becoming a high bar category due to its rapid expansion into new areas of well-being, constant technological advancements and heightened consumer awareness around its importance and relevance in modern life. 

And thanks to health tech, some of the biggest ideas in the 2017 Lions Innovation were out-of-the-box solutions to overcoming or preventing life-threatening diseases.  

All the right elements are in place for a thought-provoking playing field—and it’s becoming an increasingly desired industry for that reason.