A Health and Wellness Marketing Check-Up with Ogilvy LATAM

Eileen Davila Carranza is Ogilvy LATAM’s head of health and wellness. Originally from Costa Rica, she has worked across the Latin America region in the advertising industry, primarily as an account director for the likes of TBWA – and of course, Ogilvy, for whom she has worked in Mexico for nearly a decade.

Less than a year ago, Eileen’s role was expanded to encompass not just Mexico, but the entire LATAM region. Now, she helm’s Ogilvy LATAM’s health and wellness accounts and is a strong advocate for both the positive impact that their communications can have on the public, as well as the quality of creativity that they help create with brands in this field.

Speaking to LBB’s Ben Conway, she discusses why the wellness industry is more than just yoga and keto, the misconception that health and wellness’ more restrictive environment means more boring work, and describes the ‘specialised creativity’ that is required from creatives to work with health and wellness brands.

LBB> Tell us a bit about yourself! How did you get into the industry? How long have you been at Ogilvy LATAM, and when did you start working in health and wellness?

Eileen> I’m from Costa Rica. I started in the advertising industry back in my homeland when I was 22 years old. Then I moved to Guatemala, Mexico, Germany and then back to Mexico. I have worked for the last eight years at Ogilvy Mexico, for five of them I’ve been leading Health & Wellness Mexico and for the last six months [I’ve worked] with this incredible challenge of leading Health & Wellness LATAM.

LBB> What is the biggest difference between other commercial sectors and health and wellness marketing? What are some of the big considerations when you work with a health/pharmaceutical client etc.?

Eileen> The health and wellness industry is very different from any other industry – in LATAM, particularly. And not just within the laboratories (regulatory and medical) but also due to all the government entities and legislations which are different in every country –  that’s why communication in health and wellness always involves a lot of technical knowledge. Overcoming all of this in a creative way is the biggest challenge – to impact our audiences in the right way, aiming the communications objectives of every client. 

LBB> Are there any misconceptions about this part of the industry that you’d like to dispel?

Eileen> In advertising we have the misconception that the health category is boring and that it doesn't represent a big creative challenge. But we think it is completely the opposite. This industry allows us to create great relevant ideas that impact our audiences’ lives in a positive way, everything even within a ‘restrictive’ environment. 

On one hand, there is an intrinsic interest from the public for the messages we deliver to them. And on the other, there is an enormous social responsibility aimed at improving people's quality of life through information and actions. Today, the wellness industry is not just yoga or keto diets, it’s an industry that requires specialisation, analysis, data, strategy and a deep knowledge of the audiences to be effective. 

LBB> When you start working with a new client in health and wellness, what are the things that excite you, or that you’re looking for in a client? What do the most successful client-agency relationships have?

Eileen> Every new health and wellness client is a new chance to help change audiences’ lives in a positive way through our work. We get inspired by people taking actions to change their quality of life thanks to our brands. We also get inspired by those brave clients that seek new and disruptive ways to communicate and impact the industry. If both client and agency work with synergy under the same objectives, the success of the campaigns will be to the extent they both seek.   

LBB> For you, what is the biggest challenge in this category?

Eileen> The challenge of this category is to harmonise so many areas involved under the same objectives: markets, regulation, medicine, creativity, government institutions, consumers etc. in order to achieve both brand and agency goals. [We’re] always looking for a creative way to reach our audiences, be relevant and make people take action on different aspects of their wellbeing. 

LBB> More customers than ever are very health-focused and interested in having a deeper bond with the health and wellness brands that they use. How is this influencing the work that you’re creating with clients?

Eileen> Consumers today are not only interested, but they are informed consumers who investigate different sources, constantly search for data and compare information. The downside about this is that sometimes, misinformation they acquire from different media surpasses the correct information they find and need. This situation requires us to constantly present audiences with clearer, more accurate, simple information – many times, challenging paradigms which false data has built. This is why the way we develop and present the messages we communicate, and the support we have for each statement, is so valuable.

LBB> Is creativity more important than ever in this sector? Is there a clash between creativity and the other demands of the category and its brands? 

Eileen> Of course, creativity is very important to this industry to capture attention and action in consumers, but let's not forget that we are talking about ‘specialised’ creativity – you need many years of experience to develop it. Not everyone knows how to make creativity for health and wellness, which is why we developed Ogilvy’s ‘Health & Wellness Creative Hub for LATAM’ within our Center of Excellence based in Mexico – along with a specialised team with many years of experience in the industry.

LBB> How do you make health and wellness campaigns creative and effective, while following the stricter guidelines and rules of this category?

Eileen> Through a solid strategy. That’s the starting point for our own ‘borderless creativity’ and effectiveness. This strategy is heavily sustained on data insights and cultural knowledge, as well as trend hunting and specialised information from many reputable sources. It’s all this, plus always focusing on the end goal and keeping in mind the objectives the brand has for said campaign – seeking the best way to find solutions for their problems and to reach their goals. 

LBB> What are some of the projects that you’re proudest of being a part of? Tell us a bit about them and what they mean to you! 

Eileen> I am proud of the projects that have raised awareness and made people take action. I’m proud of those projects that have allowed us to give support to patients that had a chronic illness and keep them in treatment. I’m proud to properly inform a consumer to help them prevent a disease and I’m proud of projects that have positively impacted people's health and have helped change their habits in favour of a better quality of life.

It inspires me to continue in this business knowing that the communication we make has an impact for the better; children, adolescents and adults should aspire to a healthier life and our work can be a vehicle to achieving that.