HealthAwareNext focused on raising awareness and educating the public about diseases, targeting a different malady every month. The primary platform was Tumblr, but it also had a presence on Facebook, Twitter and other social media networks.
Content for most months was aligned to a client. March, for example, is national “Save Your Vision” Month, so the information complemented client Regeneron's business. The content highlighted the importance of dilated eye screenings for diabetics.
During the months when there wasn't a match for clients, Elfenbein said the site became “sort of a blank canvas” for the design and content team. Staff members created original content such as posters, videos and social media posts, often targeting diseases that affected their family and friends.
The essential element of all the material available through the platforms—and marketing in general—is effective storytelling. That's especially important in healthcare, said Stephanie Berman, also a partner at The Bloc. “All communication is storytelling, regardless of sector, but in healthcare, you're communicating complicated information that really needs to be shared in a responsible way.
“People are making decisions about their health. They're not always life-and-death decisions, but they could be. It's emotional territory,” she said.
