Putting Our Campaigns in the Hands of Our Customers

 

By Ed Mitzen
Founder
Fingerpaint

 
Last year, when I left Cannes Lions Health, I wondered when the technology explosion would truly begin to trickle down into the hands of the average patient in the waiting room. I left the 2016 festival feeling the same way.

Don’t get me wrong. There was some incredible global creative recognized at Cannes this year. From the truly inspirational “Breathless Choir” campaign done by Ogilvy & Mather London for Philips, to the “Parkinsounds” campaign done in conjunction with Spotify by Havas Life Sao Paulo for Teva Neuroscience, much of the work was extremely emotional and impactful on a human level.

However, the patient engagement impact left me feeling same ol’ same ol.’ If patients didn’t see the TV spot, an online local news story about the campaign, or some mild social media campaign, it reached only a fractional slice of the potential pie.

The “Parkinsounds” campaign was clever and breakthrough. Powered by Spotify, it helps Parkinson’s patients find their ideal pace through exposure to music and subsequent dopamine release. How many patients across the globe would love to get their hands on this program? There are more than 6 million Parkinson’s patients worldwide. I bet less than 1 percent of them will ever feel this breakthrough campaign in the palm of their hands.

As healthcare marketers, we have to continue to demand more from our clients. We know how to engage patients: It’s through technology such as their smart phones, texting, social media, patient-created video testimonials, gaming, etc. Virtual reality, while not yet mainstream, is going to grow exponentially as it hits gaming platforms such as PlayStation. Allow us to reach customers in the places they want to be reached. Simply creating a very inspirational campaign isn’t enough, especially when they are evolving from information to actual treatment.