DTC Health and Wellness Advertising on the Rise
The global pandemic sent some advertising categories soaring while bringing others to a screeching halt. OTC (Over-the-counter) healthcare spending has surged after increased demand for healthier practices and health awareness brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Consumers are more aware and concerned about their health than ever before. The disruption of traditional OTC distribution channels has opened up countless possibilities for DRTV, infomercial, and digital advertising to promote health products.
Dietary supplements and nutraceuticals are enjoying steady market growth. This market was worth $353 billion in 2019 according to Grand View Research. There were over 70,000 published articles in PubMed between 2010 and 2020, further validating the benefits of highly studied, powerful ingredients contained in dietary supplements.
To illustrate consumer demand for nutritional supplements, sales increased 5% in 2019 and over 44% in 2020. Consumers are, more than ever, becoming proactive about their health, both from a preventative and restorative standpoint.
Direct-to-consumer advertising of benefits for clinically studied nutritional supplements could be huge for marketers in 2022 and beyond.
The OTC game has changed entirely, and consumers today are more comfortable purchasing OTC products online than ever before, creating new opportunities for growth in advertising, brand awareness, and performance. Pharmacies and supermarkets also face added competition from these online retailers, as they can provide personalized, meaningful content and real-time information, making for a better user experience altogether.
Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat and YouTube are the ultimate direct response marketing vehicles. The opportunity to speak directly to prospects and customers on a personalized level has never been greater. Yet, mediocrity abounds in all medium, a desire for sameness, and a hesitancy to stand out.
Creativity does not need to be a dramatic shot of someone dangling from a mountaintop, an arty and stunning, exotic visual, a cheap shot at humor, or an effects filled voyage into fantasy. Creativity can be subtle and powerful, with meaning and purpose. The turn of a phrase, a compelling offer, donations to special causes, something just a bit different, but most of all, humanity. Compelling someone to pay attention because you’ve struck a chord in their head, their heart, or their soul, and they can relate. And they identify.
Creativity can be found whether it is a Facebook ad, a blog post, a subject line in an email campaign, or a super bowl ad. It can be found everywhere, in every nook and cranny. In every form of media, either digital or traditional. Give them content; don’t just ask them to buy something. Give them value. Give them something to believe in.
Push the envelope and create something unexpected. Something that makes someone smile, think, or feel alive, is what drives our modern communication. Too often we get caught up in data, analytics and formulas, and we forget that we are communicating with human beings that can think, feel, laugh, weep and be inspired.
To think out of the box is risky. It makes people afraid. It tests the boundaries of their belief systems and of everything they thought was comfortable and proper.
To not think out of the box is far riskier. To risk being invisible is a far greater risk.
Stand up. Speak up. Take risks. You might strike out, but you tried. Babe Ruth struck out a lot as he broke records hitting home runs. If you can get up to the plate, take that big swing.