In life, just like in marketing, segmentation matters. Consider segmentation and endorsements in healthcare. During the pandemic when the economy started to take a sharp nosedive, many found themselves without steady income. They began looking for creative ways to pay rent. Including celebrities. They’re just like us. Oh, and they also wanted to help make a difference.
Mental Health Awareness Campaigns
At some point you couldn’t turn on a TV without seeing a Talkspace ad featuring Demi Lovato telling you why now is the time to get your mind right. Mental health awareness experienced a renaissance during the pandemic. And for good reason. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, during the pandemic, about 4 in 10 adults in the U.S. have reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder, a share that has been largely consistent, up from one in ten adults who reported these symptoms from January to June 2019.
Our lives were collectively put on hold, and we were stuck at home talking to our plants. Enter segmentation and endorsements in healthcare.
As direct marketers it’s our job to meet people in the moment. And as healthcare marketers drawing attention to mental health was timely to say the least.
If you can utilize the influence of a celebrity to help bolster your timely campaign, even better!
Celebrity Endorsements help “move the needle”
Singers, athletes, and entertainers alike have been using their status to advocate and advance various health-related campaigns, for decades.
Remember when polio was a thing?
In the 50’s healthcare marketers enlisted celebrities to help spread awareness around the polio vaccine. Their goal was simple—get more shots into more arms. The March of Dimes harnessed the star power of celebrities such as: Sammy Davis Jr., Marilyn Monroe, Louis Armstrong, and Ella Fitzgerald, to encourage people to get vaxed. And guess what? It worked.
Some things never change. Now more than ever we find ourselves under the influence of celebrity. There’s even a name for it—the Halo Effect. You may not trust medical advice from a doctor … but you might listen to Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson and Ciara when they ask you to “Roll Up Your Sleeves”.
Looking forward—what’s the next hot topic for celebrities and endorsements in healthcare?
As 2021 comes to a close, along with the unease of COVID, I predict a larger focus on women’s health, surrounding empowering women to take control of their health.
We may not be through the pandemic. But we are in a moment of valuable hindsight for the extenuating impact from that time of quarantine. For instance, according to research, the number of people getting diagnosed with breast cancer, declined during the pandemic. Not because breast cancer magically disappeared, it was just undetected as many people put off visits to the doctor. From the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted breast cancer control through short-term declines in screening and delays in diagnosis and treatments.
Senator Amy Klobuchar recently went on tv to share her experience being diagnosed with breast cancer during the pandemic. Using the power of her voice, she wasted no time encouraging people to go for a checkup, driving home the importance of routine screenings that can lead to early detection.
CNN’s chief international anchor, Christiane Amanpour is also empowering women to take charge of their health. She was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer and is urging women to “..educate themselves on this disease, to get all the regular screenings and scans that you can, to always listen to your bodies and of course to ensure that your legitimate medical concerns are not dismissed or diminished.”
One voice does not fit all: enter segmentation and endorsements in healthcare
As we enter this Fall season of continued global uncertainty about the pandemic and its impacts, we expect to see even more segmentation and endorsements in healthcare beyond what we’ve seen thus far.
One trend we expect to continue is the wide swath of talent– since as marketers we know, one voice does not reach all.
Among the variety…Gen Z pop star Olivia Rodrigo came to the White House to take a stand for vaccinations. This spring, HHS teamed up with multiple celebrities including actress Eva Longoria and TV hosts Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest, as well as some NBA and NASCAR stars for the “We can do this: live” campaign. And in Texas, a television campaign featuring Hall of Fame baseball legend, Nolan Ryan helped spread the word.
The regionalization of these campaigns, and varied approach to different audience types is the frontier we expect to expand to maximize the efficacy of the targeted approach. In life, as in marketing, targeted segmentation works!
Oh hey – BRB scheduling all of my exams – but let’s talk