Welcome back to On the Record – our monthly roundup of all things Purpose
Revolt’s latest report provides 7 prescriptions for healthcare marketers seeking to navigate a fast-changing industry. In this month’s newsletter we’re showcasing three campaigns which demonstrate those prescriptions, including Melanoma UK, Vaseline Thailand and Mexico-based, Alba Foundation. Then, a Next Revolution that focuses on the the individual instead of patients as a collective group.
In London, nail technicians become experts in early diagnosis.
Medical conditions can present differently in different skin types and due to the focus on white skin in western dermatology, conditions which affect people with darker skin can often be underrepresented or overlooked.
To help rectify this, Melanoma UK created a nail sticker toolkit that depicts the watch out signs of Melanoma on darker skin tones. They sent it to nail technicians, beauty professionals, influencers, and others who see nails, hands, and feet on a regular basis. The aim is to turn them into “Beauty Spotters” who can identify potential signs of melanoma and urge their clients to seek medical attention.
Melanoma UK leverages existing knowledge in the community to create change. The campaign proves that brands can turn to non-healthcare professionals to create grassroots impact. Find out more here
In Thailand, new products shatter stereotypes.
In line with Vaseline’s mission is to give everybody healthy skin, the brand have developed the world’s first clinically proven skincare for and with transgender women. And it’s creating a storm at Cannes.
The lotion was created to address the unique skin-related side effects of hormone therapy, such as sensitivity to light, dullness, irritation, uneven skin tone and proneness to allergies.
Specifically, it contains Isoflavones, a plant-based oestrogen that had never been used in the category before. By adding this, the lotion helps regulate the hormonal imbalance derived from gender-affirming therapy. Not only does this product innovation strategy deliver on efficacy, it ensures the wellbeing and visibility of a sidelined community. Find out more here
In Mexico, a pregnancy test saving is men’s lives.
Encouraging men to take a pregnancy test is a bold move. Especially when it helps them find out if they have a cancer that impacts one in every 250 males during their lifetimes.
The Alba Foundation’s latest campaign demonstrates that these tests can actually detect a hormone that is produced in certain types of testicular cancer. It uses two testicle-shaped characters to normalize pregnancy test use amongst men.
That’s an important consideration given that around 10,000 new cases of testicular cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. annually. The campaign exemplifies how humour and playfulness can be adopted even in serious subjects to help overcome the fear of embarrassment and improve patient outcomes.
It doesn’t take an MD to diagnose that we’ve entered a new era of healthcare marketing. Educated, enabled, and empowered consumers are taking control of their health outcomes like never before.
From health wearables to suspicions of big pharma, people are seeking increased access and ownership of their own nutrition and health data, and enter into conversations with their doctor more informed than ever.
In the new era of healthcare, brands have an important role to play. There is a need for trust, embedded behavior change, and a role for more education. The opportunity for marketers is to equip consumers with tools they need for better wellbeing, ultimately winning new market share and building brand loyalty.
Yet most healthcare marketing still fundamentally treats people like patients. Not people.
People know they should take their medicine, but they don’t always remember. People know they should do their daily exercises but end up scrolling on their phones instead. People know they are going to die someday, but they still want and deserve to feel well until the end of their days.
By designing campaigns around people rather than patients, healthcare brands can better create the behaviour changes needed to help us achieve the wellness that we seek.
Revolt’s latest report provides the seven essential marketing prescriptions for effective healthcare marketing.