Over the past year, as our collective focus on health has been heightened, we’ve seen more health and wellness content on social media. A number of influencers had posted Covid-related resources on their social media handles as India grappled with the second wave of Covid-19. The influencer community provided relentless help to online queries posted.
There are many opportunities for the medical, healthcare and pharmaceutical industry that relate to influencer marketing. In truth, influencer marketing has been around in healthcare for years, but it has significantly ramped up in recent years with the diversification and widespread use of social media platforms. You may remember the earliest form of influencer marketing: television commercials where a celebrity tries to sell you a certain car or credit card.
It’s the same concept, just a different medium. While a lot of social media influencers may not have the following of Bollywood’s elite, they have very dedicated tribes of followers who hang on their every word and follow their recommendations for products and services.
The principle behind influencer marketing is simple: If someone who is trusted or admired by many other people — expresses a preference for a product or service, then others will give it a try.
Here are 5 examples influencer partnerships done by healthcare brands:
1. Sanofi’s use of Instagram Influencers for Combiflam Plus
Sanofi took a rather unusual route while promoting it’s OTC product, Combiflam Plus — Instagram Influencers! While it originally started as a medicine that was targeted towards middle-age segments like the traditional mom and dad — it looks like they are targeting a much younger segment now — working millennials.
Each of the three chosen influencers seem to follow pretty much a similar script describing their lifestyle, how they get headaches or body aches because of their hectic schedule — a common problem shared by many. The video has been shot using a mobile camera to add some amount of personal touch and authenticity. And then all three influencers show an up-close packshot of the medicine.
2. Tata 1mg, a healthcare platform used influencer for its Calcium tablet
Tata 1mg’s vision was to reach that market which was untapped, where audience were not aware of the health benefits which the brand was providing.
Influencers like Ashwani Neeraj who’re Fitness athlete and posts about Health and Fitness participated in the campaign. He effortlessly explained the how the 1mg product benefited his lifestyle.
The audiences not only took notice of brand but user were also connecting their influencer’s journey with 1mg and created a powerful impact in terms of brand equity and sales.
The 1mg campaign focused on creating trust more than reach which is evident from their influencer mix and messaging.
3. Soothe Healthcare’s new product launch: Paree
Paree launched a digital campaign, #APadThatBreathes with Kusha Kapila and other influencers to introduce its new launch product range — Paree Prima Sanitary Pads and Pantyliners through creative and humorous content.
4. Walgreens (Pharmacy Chain)
Walgreens onboarded social media influencers to for a campaign that advertised their flu shots. The pharmacy chain had a successful campaign, with over 40 influencers sharing their personal reasons for getting the flu shot.
Walgreens advised influencers to tell their audience to talk to their local pharmacist. “They’re not there to provide medical advice or tell someone what they should do,” says Megan Boyd, healthcare communications manager for Walgreens. “They’re there to simply give people the tools to figure out what the right decision is for them.” — Fast Company
5. Genentech’s #NotOneType
An brand doesn’t have to be a always depend on one channel. Take Genentech’s #NotOneType campaign as an example. A pop-up experience was launched in NYC to provide an opportunity for influencer engagement and audience education about breast cancer.
Outside of the medical professional influencer community, most influencers aren’t typically healthcare experts, but they bring value by sharing real and human day-to-day experiences.
When working with brands they tell engaging stories, humanizing brands in the process. While brands know their product from the inside out, influencers are the ones who will bring these products to life, telling compelling stories about how these impacted their lives in a positive way.
Below are few pointers for you to ponder upon while your launch your next campaign:
- Focusing on trust more than reach
- Setting goals for influencer marketing campaigns
- Making sure healthcare influencers follow privacy regulations
- Choosing influencers who will improve your online reputation
This means finding the right partners like providers, scientists, athletes, health or nutrition experts, even “normal people” who have gained massive followings talking about their personal healthcare experiences.
Hope these examples help you to create a compelling influencer program for your brand. We’re always open for your feedback and help in influencer activities. Send us an email at: growth@collab.deals
