Building Healthcare Campaigns Through Behavioral Science and Real-World Insights

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

GSW, powered by Syneos Health: Our guiding philosophy lies in a combination of behavioral science and real-world insights in our process we call The Motivational Edge. We see every brand challenge as a behavior-change challenge, and tap into four core human truths that, when working together, can align beliefs, create value, and motivate positive change. Through a combination of Syneos Health’s AnswerSuite platform and our proprietary behavioral science lens, we build thought-provoking campaigns and, in turn, emotionally resonating brands. 

Describe a recent campaign that embodied that approach.

Our campaign for a men’s sexual health therapy for Peyronie’s disease is a great example of The Motivational Edge in its best form. It’s no secret that for millennia men have had innate fears of inadequacy and abnormality when it comes to what’s “down there.” Even more hardwired is their refusal to talk about it when something might be wrong—IF they even know something is wrong in the first place. 

Rigorous research (IDIs) with HCPs, patients and partners to explore male attitudes toward sexuality and their opinions on body image revealed that even though they don’t speak of their bodies, sexual thoughts and imagery in general are top of mind. Men won’t talk directly about their own personal manhood, but the ability to point out phallic-like objects a mile away is a highly developed skill (for some reason). So, a curved key was the visual cue for physicians to unlock the conversation about Peyronie’s disease, and spark behavioral change. If their patients weren’t going to bring it up, we had to help HCPs clue in. Through a PSA campaign, a branded HCP and patient campaign, and an unbranded DTC campaign, we were able to disrupt the market and get the conversation started between consumers and their HCPs. “The Key” campaign successfully elevated the product as a treatment option for PD, and sales increased 24 percent, with 86 percent of surveyed physicians indicating an intent to use.

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

Digital innovation and CX are developing rapidly in the healthcare space, and we’re excited about what that means for the future of healthcare marketing. Some of our proudest moments in the past year came in the form of digital innovation as we continued to advance our digital out-of-home offering with the latest AR and XR “hands-free” technologies for our clients, such as RepConnect. Our game-changing offering RepConnect (the viable solution to rep communication in a time of social distancing) continues to be a fan favorite among clients and was named one of PM360’s most innovative products of the year, as well as a panelist contender for SXSW 2022. Plus, we’ve rapidly expanded our CX practice, bringing on CX experts and meeting the needs of the modern healthcare consumer.