Why "Feel better" Feels Right
Tylenol's current "Feel better" campaign is an intriguing new direction in healthcare advertising - one that we can learn from as fellow marketers. Not only is it a totally different tone for Tylenol as a brand, it's also a different take on the challenge of securing both the headaches and hearts of consumers.
One of the campaign's core tenets is providing people with simple tips to lead healthier lives. For example, how better posture can help you avoid headaches. Or how a warm bath can lower a baby's fever. In essence, they're telling us how to avoid Tylenol, which on first glance seems pretty foolhardy.
Imagine Dunkin' Donuts advertising how a good night's rest will keep us from needing coffee. It's not going to happen. Besides, "America runs on 8 hours of sleep" isn't nearly as catchy of a tagline.
Yet Tylenol's campaign works. Created by Deutsch New York, it rings true on a human level, reminding us that, yes, we get sick. Yes, we are fragile. Yet there are simple ways to address these issues—and feel better. And if that doesn't work, maybe Tylenol will. It's a subtle soft sell that strikes the right balance.
Even the design is friendly and welcoming, as if the ads are just notes left for you across the media landscape, signed "Feel better, Tylenol." It's a great tagline, especially on the heels of their "Stop. Think. Tylenol" campaign, which was clinical and cold.
I actually worked on a pitch for Tylenol in 2004 while I was at Hill, Holliday. We lost, but when the "Stop. Think." campaign came out, I was shocked. Our ideas connected on a personal, emotional level. Clinical just felt wrong. Apparently Tylenol agreed, albeit four years later. Lesson learned.
The "Feel better" campaign seems so commonsensical, which is probably why it feels so different. Not to sound like a brand ambassador, but it just makes me feel better about Tylenol. AdGabber agrees, while also taking a closer look at the Tylenol TV spot's focus on the realities of aging.
Striking that right chord in an extremely crowded and competitive healthcare marketplace isn't easy. You may disagree that Tylenol actually achieves it, but you have to admit how big of a struggle it can be sometimes. Frankly, it's enough to give you a headache. Hmmm, that gives me an idea…
Comments
I also took note of this campaign when it launched and thought it seemed like a smart strategy. It definitely stands out in the category.
I wonder, however, how "ordinary people" (not advertising folk) perceive it. Is the strategic intent behind it too obvious? ("Look! We're trying to connect with you on a personal level!") Will customers buy the idea that Tylenol actually cares about their well-being?
I'll be curious to see what kinds of results this campaign gets.
Posted by: Jane Roper | March 25, 2008 11:04 AM
I think this marketing campaign is intriguing in the way it promotes the TYLENOL brand in a counter-intuitive manner. For example: “Dehydration is the leading cause of headaches” is one of their many messages encouraging people to adopt health behaviors to reap benefits, such as avoiding a headache and diminishing the need for pain relievers. Every campaign message is laden with encouragement to become healthier naturally and “from within,” but it is unrealistic to believe TYLENOL (as a for-profit company) would develop marketing to diminish its sales
In many pro-social marketing campaigns, the objectives are gained through embedded messages. The TYLENOL “Feel Better” campaign is filled with embedded messages to promote TYLENOL products and brand. Findings from a study about pro-social marketing and gun control issues (Creyer EH, Kozup J, Ross WT, 2004)asserted that: “concern for the common good can be beneficial to the firm, as long as consumers view the behavior as being highly ethical and not simply good business.” The messages the TYLENOL promotes can easily be mistaken as social marketing, and this is how TYLENOL succeeds with this campaign, by convincing the consumers that their own health and the health of the population comes before their corporate interests. As stated previously, upon first glance this campaign seems counter-intuitive because TYLENOL promotes behavior to wane dependency on their products. However, the messages are successful at convincing consumers that TYLENOL cares about their holistic health and understands the plights of real people, while subtly promoting specific products that can help when natural prevention fails.
clever...
however, if TYLENOL was serious about making a dent in public health behavior, they should consider forming a social alliance with(and throw some of their revenues toward)a public health organization that is working toward these goals with significantly less resources. Social alliances can enrich health messages reaching the public, and can help companies improve their brand by projecting social/corporate responsibility.
Posted by: Alex Ganim | May 5, 2008 12:44 PM
Thanks for the comment, Alex. Seems like we're on the same page with this one. And very well stated.
Hopefully we'll see a follow-up campaign from Tylenol touting their social alliance initiatives in the near future. Perhaps with a "Together, we can all feel better" tagline.
Posted by: Matt Fishbein | May 5, 2008 02:12 PM