09 Jul The potential risks of healthcare influencer marketing—and how to avoid them

Part 2 of a 2-Part Blog on Influencer Marketing

In the first part of this 2-part blog, we explored the potential benefits of influencer marketing for your brand. In this second part, we explore the potential risks.

The perils of using celebrity influencers

Celebrities can be powerful influencers because many followers and fans aspire to live their favorite celebrity’s lifestyle. But just as they have ardent fans, most celebrities have vehement detractors, particularly in these polarized times. And they can shower a brand with just as much hate as an advocate can with love.

Plus, celebrities are human. Humans make mistakes. And celebrity influencers’ mistakes can negatively impact the brands they endorse. They can say and/or do stupid stuff… or worse. Examples: DUIs, domestic violence arrests, OJ Simpson for Hertz, Kanye for Adidas, and, once again, too many more.

Celebrity (and other) influencers may play it too fast and loose with regulatory guidelines for legal, ethical medical marketing. Recently, the New York Times reported on a study that examined 1,000 TikTok and Instagram posts placed by accounts with, all total, hundreds of millions of followers.

The researchers looked specifically at posts promoting popular tests such as full-body MRI scans, products that claim to detect cancer in blood, and tests that analyze hormones linked to fertility, testosterone levels, and the gut microbiome. The result: The “overwhelming majority” of the posts analyzed were misleading.

This research was triggered when a public health researcher in Australia saw a post featuring Kim Kardashian highlighting the benefits of the Prenuvo® scan and calling it a “lifesaving machine” for detecting early-stage cancer.

In fact, its misuse can lead to overdiagnosis and unnecessary, invasive treatments. Only about 5% of people who undergo the scan receive a lifesaving finding. Prenuvo® doesn’t directly pay influencers, but it offers them scans for free or at a reduced fee.

In her post, Ms. Kardashian allegedly failed to mention any potential risks of full-body scans or any relationship she had with the company… although she did wear scrubs displaying the Prenuvo® logo.

The influencer who becomes a celebrity

Sometimes, it works the other way – instead of a celebrity becoming an influencer, the celebrity starts as an influencer. They may not be a trained expert on the subject, but they get attention – for being informative or relatable, funny or touching or provocative.

In the healthcare field, this may be a healthcare professional – someone with insights into how care is delivered, how a hospital is run, or how a lab does business. They may not be at the top of the chain of command in an organization, but they have knowledge from firsthand experience and a compelling manner of sharing their opinion – whether it’s in a blog, TikTok videos, LinkedIn posts, or other forums.

The influencer also may be a patient, caregiver, or family member. They can be at the center of a community that is passionate about a cause (whether it’s a disease, a treatment, or a prevention strategy), empowered, outspoken, and potentially very influential in shaping perceptions of a brand that can help drive its success… or failure.

Fast Fact: Biggest Isn’t Necessarily Best

So-called micro-influencers, who have fewer than 50,000 followers, average 60% greater engagement rate for healthcare-related content vs macro-influencers (who have more than 50,000 followers).

Understanding the challenges of healthcare influencer marketing

Legally and ethically, if you engage with influencers and compensate them – whether in goods, services, or another form – you assume a certain responsibility for what they say and do.

It is essential that “your” influencers reveal their affiliation with you in communications related to you, your products, your services, even your category in some cases. Wearing scrubs displaying a logo isn’t enough.

And any claims “your” influencers make about your products and services – in all contexts, including responses to comments on social media – must be regulatory-compliant, just like the other marketing and sales programs your organization develops.

Your influencer marketing strategy will benefit from our influence

Capitalize on the potential power and minimize the risk of influencer marketing.

Partner with the pros at Bryant Brown Healthcare. We’re specialists in healthcare marketing, with experience everywhere in the industry: pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, medical devices, health information technology, hospitals and health systems, and patient and professional advocacy.

Ready to achieve the benefits of healthcare influencer marketing? Let’s talk!