Researchers looked at how ideas from advertising and marketing could help doctors and health workers get people to make better choices. They studied 28 different health programs that used marketing strategies—like understanding what people care about and making health messages more appealing—to help people change their habits. Most programs focused on nutrition and sexual health. The researchers found that marketing techniques like using emotions, understanding what audiences value, and creating catchy messages could be powerful tools for health improvement programs. This could help health workers design better programs that actually work.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Can marketing and advertising strategies help health programs get people to make healthier choices?
  • Who participated: The review looked at 28 different health studies published between 1999 and 2023. Most studies focused on nutrition (13 studies), sexual health and family planning (6 studies), and physical activity (3 studies). The rest covered topics like cancer screening, fall prevention, and substance abuse.
  • Key finding: Marketing strategies that appeal to people’s emotions, understand what they value, and make health messages attractive can help health programs work better. Seven key marketing approaches were identified as potentially useful for health initiatives.
  • What it means for you: If you’re involved in health programs or work in public health, thinking like a marketer—focusing on what appeals to people and what they care about—might help your programs succeed better. However, this is a review of existing studies, not a test of new strategies, so more research is needed to confirm these ideas work in practice.

The Research Details

This was a scoping review, which means researchers looked at many existing studies to understand what’s already known about a topic. The team searched 12 different medical and research databases and found 4,867 studies. They carefully read through all of them and selected 28 studies that tested marketing strategies in controlled experiments (where some people got the program and others didn’t, so researchers could see if it actually worked).

The researchers looked at studies from 1999 to 2023, all focused on health topics. They extracted detailed information about how each study used marketing ideas, what the program tried to do, how it worked, and what results it got. Two researchers independently reviewed each study to make sure the information was accurate.

After reviewing all 28 studies, the research team had discussions to figure out which marketing approaches might be most useful for health programs going forward.

Implementation science is the study of how to get health programs to actually work in real life. Marketing science is the study of how to persuade people to buy things or change their behavior. These two fields have a lot in common—both want to change what people do—but they don’t usually talk to each other. This review bridges that gap by showing that marketing ideas might help health programs work better. Understanding this connection could lead to more effective health initiatives.

This review followed strict guidelines from the Joanna Briggs Institute, which is a respected organization for research reviews. The team included experts in both implementation science and marketing, which strengthens the findings. Two reviewers independently checked each study, which reduces mistakes. However, this is a review of existing studies, not a new experiment, so the findings are based on what others have already discovered. The studies reviewed were from 1999-2023, so some are older and may not reflect current practices.

What the Results Show

The researchers identified seven key marketing approaches that could help health programs: (1) leverage emotions—use feelings to motivate people; (2) design for appeal—make health messages attractive and interesting; (3) consider what your audience values—understand what matters to the people you’re trying to help; (4) understand the price—think about what it costs people to change (time, money, effort); (5) understand the place—think about where and how people will receive the message; (6) emphasize competitive advantage—explain why your health program is better than other options; and (7) use branding—create a memorable identity for your health program.

Most of the studies reviewed (46%) focused on nutrition, which makes sense because eating habits are something marketing has traditionally tried to influence. Sexual health and family planning programs made up 21% of the studies. The remaining studies covered physical activity, child safety, cancer screening, fall prevention, workplace safety, sanitation, and substance abuse.

The review also discovered two marketing theories that hadn’t been widely used in health programs before: Exchange Theory (the idea that people weigh what they gain versus what they lose when making decisions) and the Consumer Information Processing Model (how people take in and use information when making choices).

All 28 studies reviewed used controlled designs, meaning they compared groups that received the marketing-based health program with groups that didn’t, so researchers could actually measure whether the programs worked.

The research found that marketing strategies were applied across many different health topics, suggesting these approaches are flexible and could work in various health areas. The fact that studies spanned 24 years (1999-2023) shows that marketing approaches in health have been around for a while, but they haven’t been systematically studied or widely adopted in implementation science. The inclusion of both researchers and practitioners in the review team helped ensure the findings were both scientifically sound and practically useful.

This appears to be one of the first comprehensive reviews looking at how marketing strategies are used in health programs. While implementation science has borrowed ideas from many other fields, the connection to marketing has been largely overlooked. This review suggests that implementation science could learn more from marketing than it currently does. The identification of Exchange Theory and Consumer Information Processing Model as useful frameworks is new to the implementation science field.

This review only looked at studies that used controlled designs (comparing groups), so it may have missed other marketing approaches used in health programs. The studies were all from the health field, so it’s unclear if these marketing approaches would work the same way in other areas. Some of the studies reviewed were quite old (from 1999), and marketing strategies have changed since then. The review didn’t test whether these marketing approaches actually work better than traditional health program methods—it just showed that they’ve been used and studied. More research is needed to prove these approaches are truly effective.

The Bottom Line

Health program designers should consider using marketing strategies, particularly focusing on understanding what their audience values and making health messages emotionally appealing and attractive. These approaches appear promising (moderate confidence level) based on existing studies, but they should be tested more thoroughly. Organizations should consider consulting with marketing experts when designing health programs. Start by identifying what your specific audience cares about, then design messages and programs around those values.

Public health officials, health program designers, nonprofit organizations focused on health, government health agencies, and community health workers should pay attention to these findings. Anyone designing a program to help people make healthier choices could benefit from marketing thinking. However, these findings are most relevant to people designing large-scale health programs rather than individual health decisions. People seeking personal health advice should consult with healthcare providers.

Marketing strategies typically influence behavior gradually rather than immediately. You might see initial interest in a program within weeks if the marketing is effective, but actual behavior change usually takes months. Long-term success (sustained behavior change) typically requires ongoing marketing efforts and reinforcement over 6-12 months or longer.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track which health messages or program features resonate most with you by rating them (1-5 stars) when you see them. Note which ones actually motivate you to take action. This helps the app learn what marketing approaches work best for you personally.
  • If you’re using a health app, pay attention to which messages make you want to take action. Share feedback about what appeals to you and what doesn’t. Apps can then use this information to personalize health messages in ways that are more likely to motivate you, similar to how marketing personalizes advertisements.
  • Over 3-6 months, track whether personalized, emotionally appealing health messages lead to better behavior change compared to generic health information. Note which types of messages (emotional, practical, competitive, value-based) actually change your behavior. This personal data helps apps improve their effectiveness over time.

This review examines how marketing strategies have been studied in health programs, but it does not provide medical advice. The findings are based on a review of existing studies, not new research testing these approaches. Before making changes to your health or health program based on these findings, consult with a healthcare provider or qualified health professional. Marketing strategies should complement, not replace, evidence-based medical care and professional health guidance. Individual results may vary, and what works for one person or program may not work for another.