Teach Your Viewers Well

In recent years, the health and wellness category has exploded. Television spots for pharmaceuticals, health insurance, fitness and many health-related products and services have become ubiquitous.

As an agency with a number of these clients, we’ve tracked the category carefully, and we’ve discovered a factor that has a huge impact on effectiveness.

Consider our experience with Breathe Right Nasal Strips. We developed a two-minute spot for this client’s product—adhesive strips that open up nasal passages. Two minutes? It may seem like a lot of time to talk about nostrils and nasal strips, but there was more information to convey than met the eye—or in this case, the nose. The creative educated viewers on the origins of the breakthrough science behind the product, corrected misconceptions about how the product worked and demonstrated the different types of problems it solved. We tested the spot in 5 markets, and here's what followed:

After the first test, the client called and said the numbers looked good, but they may have messed up the test; could we run a new one?

We ran a second test, and again the client said they didn’t have a clean read and needed us to do a third one.

After the third one, our client finally fessed up: “I’m sorry; we lied. We just couldn’t believe how amazing the results were.”

Why was the spot so successful? Because we focused on education. We’ve found that the more you educate viewers, the more you grow the brand and generate positive results. Many health and wellness stories are complex. Offering viewers real, tangible information provides great value. They appreciate it. They connect with it. They are motivated by it.

And remember, education doesn’t have to be boring. Think of the best teachers you ever had. Were they dull? Were they dry? Absolutely not. They grabbed your attention, presented material in creative, compelling ways and brought clarity to even the most difficult subject.

In the health and wellness category, the best spots should prompt viewers to raise their hands and say, “I have that problem.” They should have people leaning in as they learn something new. And they should guide a person’s interest toward a next step – a purchase, a website visit or a phone call.

Whether you’re marketing a simple snoring solution or a highly complicated pharmaceutical, keep in mind this learning: “Education Sells.”