Like many of you, I sat down recently to take in the 58th Super Bowl. Having no teams in the game, I was largely there for the commercials — and, sure, for the Taylor Swift sightings. And, to those ends, I was pretty satisfied. I absolutely loved CeraVe’s Michael Cera commercial. And Ben, Matt, Tom, and JLo did not disappoint with the Dunkin’ ad that had been teased in the days leading up to the game.
However, the ad that got me the most excited was Veozah’s “Not Flash” spot. While it wasn’t the flashiest spot of the night, no pun intended, it did shine light on an issue, and an audience, that you don’t see many ads targeting. So what made this spot so exciting?
Veozah’s Super Bowl Ad Highlights an Invisible Issue
By 2025, over 1 billion women will be in menopause. But it’s an issue that we as a society largely don’t discuss. According to Psychology Today in 2022, 42% of women between 50 and 59 have never discussed menopause with their healthcare provider. That means that the headaches, hot flashes, fatigue, anxiety and many other symptoms are likely going untreated.
Menopause has traditionally been a taboo topic, a reflection of getting older in a world where women aging isn’t necessarily a point of celebration. Discomfort or embarrassment in discussing menopause with peers and providers can further push this stage of life into invisibility.
But for women in and approaching menopause, this is not an invisible phase of life. And seeing it discussed in front of an audience of approximately 115 million can go a long way in driving the collective conversation and helping remind women that they are not alone.
Veozah’s Super Bowl Ad Targets an Invisible Audience
Let’s face it: Middle-aged women are not prime targets for most advertisers. In fact, according to the Harvard Business Review, only about 5% to 10% of marketing budgets are earmarked for women in the 50+ category. But that same cohort of women is responsible for about 27% of consumer spending, according to Forbes. With this mismatch of buying power versus marketing attention, it’s no wonder that 91% of women in this category feel misunderstood (and ignored) by today’s marketers.
Veozah is a breath of fresh air here, speaking directly to an audience that feels ignored, with a message bound to resonate with a great many of them. Not to mention that its manufacturer, Astellas, pushed that message out in front of a massive audience. Merely mentioning the word “menopause” in such a public forum no doubt makes it easier for women to mention it at the doctor — or with their peers.
So What Can the Super Bowl Teach Us About Invisible Audience Marketing?
As life science marketers consider their own audience mix, now is the time to dig further into your personas and journeys to uncover what invisible audiences you should be highlighting. Caregivers, for example, are rarely targeted but carry an awful lot of decision-making support, influence and even buying power. Spouses hold a similar role but are often invisible when it comes to marketing and advertising.
Invisibility often manifests when we consider people of color, LGBTQ+ populations, and other segments who have unique needs, may be at greater risk for certain conditions, or who may have distrust for healthcare systems. Uncovering these populations, and then shining a light on their needs, opportunities, objections, and the ways in which you can support their health and wellness will help you to ensure that all of your audiences have their time in the sun.
Our Digital Healthcare Strategy team helps healthcare and life sciences organizations understand their audiences (visible and invisible!), to drive connections, build loyalty and support conversions among their stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem. Contact us today for more information.
