Consumers and the Evolving Digital Health Information Journey (Digital Marketing)

Background: Findings from Edelman’s 2015 Digital Health Information Survey indicate that consumers are increasingly going online to research their own health and wellness. Public health professionals have had to rethink their communications and marketing strategies to engage more directly with consumers as a result.

Program background: Empowered by the proliferation of information on the Web and social media, it is no surprise that consumers are increasingly reliant on online health information to inform their own health journey. 

Evaluation Methods and Results: Online survey of 1,500 U.S. adults who use digital health resources, across the following demographic and pyschographic segments: Millennials, ages 18-34 (n=420); Sandwich Generation, ages 35-64 (n=826); Seniors, 65+ (n=254); Caregivers, responsible for the health decisions of a parent or other relative who is not a child (n=200). The survey was fielded from May 22 to June 12, 2015. 

Conclusions: Survey results support the growing importance of digital and social strategies to help bring consumer audiences closer to care. In particular, what constitutes “care” in digital spaces differs from channels offline, and social marketers must evolve and learn how to create digital content that connects, educates and drives behavior change. 

Implications for research and/or practice: Public health professionals must shift their approaches to reflect this new communications reality. How? By understanding that not all content is created equal. Highly “shareable” digital health information is increasingly different from content that changes behavior. Therefore, it is important to identify digital paid media strategies that are effective in reaching consumers with health information across the lifespan, and determine strategies for enhancing consumer trust in health information that is disseminated online.