Trends and strategies for healthcare advertising

Healthcare advertising trends have shifted significantly over the years. Regulatory changes, advancements in medical technology, and increased patient awareness (sometimes presenting in the form of a tendency to self-diagnose with the help of the internet) have led to new approaches that prioritise transparency, trust, and engagement.

With the rise of digital platforms, healthcare advertising is no longer confined to TV and print. It has expanded into programmatic advertising, social media campaigns, and OOH and DOOH. These formats allow institutions and brands to reach audiences in a more dynamic way, collect more in-depth campaign data, and establish an air of familiarity and trust. This is partially down to the way in which these formats can competitively cater to current healthcare advertising trends.

Modern healthcare marketing places the patient at the centre of all communication. Instead of promoting products or services from a clinical perspective, brands are now focusing on real patient experiences, empowering individuals to make informed healthcare decisions. With many patients turning to private healthcare for procedures ranging from cosmetic to complex, the competition to be chosen and trusted is higher than ever before. This requires a patient-centric approach to marketing. This shift towards patient-centricity involves:

Personalised messaging tailored to specific demographics and health concerns.

• Emphasising patient empowerment through educational content.

• Encouraging two-way conversations between healthcare providers and patients.

OOH campaigns can be instrumental in this approach, ensuring healthcare messages reach people in real-world settings, such as on the way to their GP, in transport hubs and urban centres.

Trust is paramount in healthcare. With an abundance of information (and misinformation) available for patients to wade through, brands must ensure their messaging is transparent, relevant, and backed by verified sources. Consumers are more likely to engage with brands that provide clear, honest, and easily digestible health information - in fact, for 81% of consumers, trust is the deciding factor in any purchase they make. Key strategies for building trust include:

• Providing scientific backing for claims.

• Featuring endorsements from healthcare professionals.

• Using real patient testimonials and case studies.

Seeking out medical care of any kind can leave you feeling examined in more ways than one - so it’s important that transparency also extends to data collection and privacy, ensuring compliance with GDPR and other regulatory standards.

Here are some of the healthcare advertising trends guaranteed to take centre stage in the coming years.

The growth of digital healthcare advertising

Digital channels have revolutionised healthcare marketing. From interactive billboards to programmatic advertising, healthcare brands are finding new ways to engage their audiences. When it comes to adaptability, DOOH campaigns allow advertisers to adjust messaging based on local health statistics, the time of day, or even the weather.

Integrating data-driven personalisation

Gathering and using data effectively is already starting to transform the way healthcare brands communicate with their audiences. By leveraging data insights such as location, demographics and behaviour, advertisers can deliver highly-targeted campaigns optimised to reach specific patient groups.

Every campaign is an opportunity to gather more intel - and basing campaigns on data and insights makes it even easier to ensure effectiveness moving forward.

Focus on preventative health campaigns

Preventative healthcare is a growing priority for governments, healthcare providers, and brands alike. It covers everything from encouraging healthy lifestyle choices to avoid cardiovascular issues later in life, to supporting patients with their mental health. OOH advertising can play a vital role in preventative health messaging by:

• Delivering impactful reminders in high-footfall areas, e.g. flu vaccine reminders displayed on highstreets.

• Encouraging behavioural changes with engaging visuals, e.g. campaigns advising people to quit smoking at bus stops and train stations.

• Providing links to digital resources via QR codes or NFC technology e.g. telling people where their nearest healthcare provider is.

The power of storytelling in healthcare advertising

Storytelling is a powerful tool in healthcare marketing. By sharing real stories, brands can evoke emotion, create awareness, and inspire action. Whether it’s a survivor’s journey or a doctor’s perspective, narratives can make medical topics more relatable and engaging. OOH advertising can help to put these stories in perspective for the general public.

Reaching diverse audiences in public spaces

Healthcare messages must be able to reach a broad audience, running the gauntlet from young to old, working class to wealthy, as well as people in hard-to-reach communities. OOH advertising ensures accessibility by placing health messages in high-traffic public spaces like train stations, shopping centres, and bus stops. This means that people who might not have the resources to regularly access other advertising channels don’t miss out on important messages.

DOOH’s impact on healthcare messaging

DOOH takes traditional OOH advertising a step further by offering:

• Real-time updates

• Interactive elements

• A canvas for dynamic creativity

This flexibility allows healthcare advertisers to be more responsive and relevant to public health needs - and, when it comes to healthcare, this is the kind of adaptability that can save lives.

Simplify complex medical information

Medical jargon can be intimidating, sometimes to the point where it prevents people from accessing the care they need. Successful healthcare campaigns break down complex topics into simple, accessible language. Visual aids, infographics, and short-form content help audiences grasp essential health information quickly.

Utilise visuals to enhance engagement

Healthcare topics often require strong visual storytelling. High-quality images, videos, and animations make messages more digestible and emotionally compelling. OOH formats such as digital billboards and interactive screens provide excellent platforms for engaging healthcare visuals, and can often spark much-needed conversation.