Think branding is BS? In healthcare, it can be life or death.

Think branding is BS? History begs to differ.

Imagine if Gandhi had stuck to wearing his lawyer’s suits. What if Martin Luther King Jr. spoke like a math teacher instead of a preacher? Why did Abe Lincoln don a stovepipe hat?

We like to think that great ideas speak for themselves, but in reality, it’s often the way they are presented that captures and holds people’s attention. These icons understood that branding—how they spoke, what they looked like, and how they carried themselves—weren’t just superficial details. They were powerful tools that sparked engagement and shaped legacies.

Branding has the power to influence the world on a massive scale. How people feel about your brand determines whether they engage with your message at all. But branding isn’t just about aesthetics; it can also be used to manipulate, distract, and mislead—sometimes with devastating consequences.

In healthcare, effective branding can be the difference between life and death.

The same tools that help “the medicine go down” can also convince people to drink poison.

Consider the pseudo-scientific wellness industry, where unqualified influencers use slick branding to turn dubious health claims into thriving movements. These quacks exploit fears, frustrations, and the feeling of being overlooked by traditional healthcare systems. Their followers aren’t fools; they’re people seeking connection and answers—even if those answers are lies and the solutions are dangerous. As Ben Goldacre notes in Bad Science, “People love to be told that there is a simple cause of their problems and that simple solutions exist”[1].

The danger isn’t just in quackery. History has shown that sophisticated branding strategies have been used to shape public perception for better or worse. In Merchants of Doubt, Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway expose how the tobacco industry used branding and media influence to cast doubt on the link between smoking and lung cancer, delaying regulation for decades[2]. Healthcare branding isn’t just about persuading people—it’s about shaping realities.

If we’re serious about addressing healthcare challenges, we must take branding seriously.

Branding in healthcare is nothing new.

It has been integral to the growth of modern medicine for over a century. Take Dr. William Osler, known as “the father of bedside medicine.” He didn’t advocate for compassionate care just because it was the right thing to do. He saw it as essential to building trust in healthcare innovation during a time when doctors and science were deeply mistrusted. Osler understood that connecting with people’s emotions was the only way to administer effective care while also reinforcing trust in scientific medicine.

Just think about it—“bedside manner” isn’t just about physical care at the bedside. It’s an enduring image of empathy and attentiveness that resonates with patients and their loved ones. That’s branding. As David Rakel notes in The Healing Power of Empathy, “Patients don’t just need a diagnosis; they need to feel heard, understood, and cared for”[3].

The fine line between influence and integrity

We’ve all seen bad actors capitalize on fear and confusion, using slick campaigns to push harmful ideas. Combating this kind of misinformation and “brand quackery” requires more than just facts—it takes strategic branding that blends truth with emotion to connect with people on a deeper level.

And here’s an uncomfortable truth: history’s heroes weren’t perfect. Icons like Gandhi, MLK, and Lincoln were skilled at projecting empathy—even if they weren’t always empathetic in their daily lives (but that’s a different blog). They knew how to embody the personas people needed in order to inspire change.

As Simon Sinek argues in Start with Why, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” That’s why MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech still resonates—it framed the civil rights movement as an emotional and moral imperative rather than just a legal issue[4].

So, were these heroes bullshitting? No—they were branding.

Science-backed healthcare brands should take a page from their playbooks. In a world where misinformation thrives on emotional manipulation, those who aim to create real, positive change must embrace branding with purpose and authenticity.

Building a brand that resonates and endures

It’s easy to feel disheartened by the flashy branding of charlatans. But the truth is, their success is often short-lived. Sustainable growth and meaningful impact require branding that resonates authentically with the people it serves.

True branding identifies real pain points and builds trust by communicating with empathy and offering legitimate solutions. This kind of strategy demands consistency and commitment but leads to long-lasting influence and success. As Chip and Dan Heath write in Made to Stick, “The most effective ideas are the ones that appeal to both logic and emotion”[5].

For healthcare businesses driven by science and purpose, the science alone won’t cut it. Inspiring action and engagement requires making people feel seen and understood. It’s not just about processes and expertise; it’s about human connection.

So, ask yourself:

• What do the people you serve truly want?
• What emotions drive them?

Answering these questions is the first step toward building a brand that makes a real, lasting difference—for health and, dare I say, the greatest benefit to mankind.

Endnotes:

1. Goldacre, Ben. Bad Science. Fourth Estate, 2008. https://www.harpercollins.com/products/bad-science-ben-goldacre
2. Oreskes, Naomi, and Erik M. Conway. Merchants of Doubt. Bloomsbury Press, 2010. https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/merchants-of-doubt-9781608193943/
3. Rakel, David. The Healing Power of Empathy. W.W. Norton & Company, 2019. https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393247749
4. Sinek, Simon. Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. Penguin, 2009. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/56275/start-with-why-by-simon-sinek/
5. Heath, Chip, and Dan Heath. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. Random House, 2007. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/54982/made-to-stick-by-chip-heath-and-dan-heath/