The Critical Rise of Accessibility and Inclusivity in Healthcare

Muse: What is your guiding philosophy or approach to creating health marketing that makes a difference for clients and the world at large?

Allison Ceraso, president and chief creative officer, Havas Health+: Everything we do must be with them, for them. My dear friend and colleague Jane Motz Hayes has been demanding us to think more about accessibility and inclusivity, and now I, too, understand the urgency behind it. The days of unilateral content creation and one-way communication are over. Brands must not only say they are inclusive, they must behave that way, too. The idea of human centered design should pervade every step of the ideation and creation process—from digging into customer insight, idea exploration, concept creation and usability testing. Once you invite more diversity into your thinking, widening your vantage point, and have people of different backgrounds and needs actually participating in the creative process, there is no doubt you will have a better product and outcome.

Describe a recent campaign that embodied that approach.

Havas NY’s recent campaign for Staybl, headed by chief creative officer Dan Lucey, was made to improve experiences for those living with Parkinson’s Disease, a community desperately in need of improvements in smart devices. Staybl is a technological solution that can provide easier access to the digital world for all people with Parkinson’s and tremors. Championing an inclusive and accessible world for all, the teams worked with the German Parkinson’s Association and patients in Germany and the U.S. to test, augment and improve every aspect of the design experience. The UX and UI were built to include the removal of swipe and slide gestures, vertically arranged buttons, larger typography and the use of other visual elements to increase readability. This is a beautiful example of human centered design, grounded in human truth, making technology truly inclusive.

What excites you most about the future of health marketing, and how are you preparing for that future?

Growing up in this industry, I’ve seen it through decades of change. It’s never been more critical, relevant and human. We are confronting with honesty the real issues in health—physician burnout and stress, inequalities and health disparities, fear and uncertainty. But we also embrace advancement, as telehealth soars, more data than ever to inform our perspective, and a more engaged healthcare consumer. Companies are embracing collaboration, brands are behaving with more inclusivity and honesty, and everyone is evolving and changing at lightning speed—together. Working in health, we are connected to a greater purpose. As human beings, we’re wired to connect, and part of purpose is serving others or serving the greater good. When we see the impact we have on another patient, caregiver or healthcare provider, it gives us all a deeper sense of meaning to what we do every day.