Communicating the Human Right to Health
This year, World Health Day celebrates health as a human right. This fundamentally depends not only on access to vital new medications and services, but also on access to clear, relevant information and education about healthcare options. Fortunately, many pharmaceutical companies have recognised the role their brands need to play as leaders on the pathway to a more inclusive future of health for all, by accelerating their evolution in two important ways.
First, with growing public awareness of pharmaceutical companies and their brands, they have the opportunity to embrace a more “consumer brand” approach that meets patients (and even healthcare providers) where they are, on the wide array of digital channels that are now integrated into our daily lives. This, however, will require significant internal shifts in risk management, as well as new approaches to content production at scale.
Second, they must actively pursue a greater level of diversity and inclusivity in brand communications, to ensure that everyone feels seen and heard when it comes to healthcare options. From casting choices to cultural sensitivity, the creative and production process must be designed to ensure unbiased communication that conveys a sense of allyship.
As this evolution continues to gain momentum, our industry can look with pride on the progress we will enable toward a more inclusive future where health is celebrated as a human right.
Health deserves to be a human right for everyone
This year, on April 7th, the World Health Organization (WHO) celebrates World Health Day. This is a day to reflect on the state of health globally. On one hand, I find this day filled with optimism. Over the past two decades that I have been part of the healthcare industry, we have seen some incredible strides forward that have improved lives – from fighting infectious diseases to pushing back hard against cancer. We have a lot to celebrate!
But the theme for this year is “My Health. My Right.” It’s a call to raise awareness of the challenges that still exist around the world to ensure that the right to health is enjoyed equally by all. As the covid-19 pandemic made clear, achieving health equity still has a long way to go in both developed and developing countries. Threats from diseases and disasters continue to shine a light on inequalities of access to the necessary services, education and information needed for everyone to stay healthy.
Pharmaceutical brand communications can play a critical role
In the face of this continuing challenge, WHO has offered actions for people and governments, including self-advocacy for safe and quality healthcare without discrimination, championing health as a community priority, identifying population health needs, and protecting the right to healthcare access through laws and investments.
But how can and should the pharmaceutical industry – and those of us who are charged with the communication of their brands and innovations – support these efforts? Given the role we play in discovery and delivery of vital medications and services, World Health Day is a perfect moment to reflect on what it takes for us to become an ally in health equity.
Fortunately, as an industry, we have already recognised that there are some fundamental ways for our brands to lead on the pathway to a more inclusive future of health for all. And while these behaviours have always been part of our approach to communications, their uptake has been radically accelerated during the pandemic (like so many trends).
We must meet people on the platforms where they live
First and foremost, pharmaceutical brands must continue to evolve into truly “people-centric” brands. To reach all people equally, we must learn to engage with people where they live their lives, which is increasingly online and in social media. This isn’t new. It’s been a theme for years. Yet the willingness of pharmaceutical brands and companies to break out of risk-averse habits and embrace digital engagement at scale has always been lagging.
The good news is, the pandemic largely put an end to this reticence. As digital trends accelerated, so did the willingness of pharmaceutical companies to shift internal protocols to allow social media strategies to flourish. Where pharmaceutical companies were once considered “behind the times” in terms of consumer engagement, they have now embraced the acceleration of digital trends and reshaped their own internal systems to allow for robust engagement in non-personal and social channels.
And to accommodate this increase in personalised engagement, agencies like Publicis Production have innovated new ways to produce a wide array of content at scale, to meet the needs of more consumer-centric communications. With better communication across the growing proliferation of healthcare stakeholders comes a chance for better outcomes across the global population.
We must create content with inclusivity and allyship in mind
Second, as we broaden our reach to ensure everyone is personally engaged with our messages, we must also heighten the scrutiny of our messages themselves. Are they inclusive in their language and imagery? Do they perpetuate any harmful biases? Do they convey a spirit of allyship with underserved communities?
Again, we can proudly say this has been a focus of our content production for years already. But there is still progress to be made. As clinical research expands the diversity of participants to ensure that results are true for all populations, so too must our brand communications expand the diversity of people who are represented in our campaigns. Everyone should feel seen and heard by the content we design to inform and educate all people about important health options.
From casting calls to cultural sensitivity reviews, at Publicis Production we are building new processes that help ensure inclusivity and allyship is inherent in all our content. We embrace partnerships that not only expand our reach but also enhance our relevance and credibility.
When it comes to the human right to health, communication is vital
This momentum in the evolution of healthcare brand communications is fuelling even more ambitious aspirations for the future. As pharmaceutical companies set “moon-shot” goals for the elimination of diseases, so too must we aim higher as an industry to ensure we communicate that these innovations will elevate everyone’s future equally.
The vision is for pharmaceutical companies, brands, and agency partners to be seen as leaders in establishing and communicating the human right to health. Happy World Health Day!
Tyler Cunningham is global health vertical lead at Publicis Production
