In my last blog, I explored what drives advertising effectiveness in pharmaceutical marketing – a space defined by tight regulations, specialist audiences and a clear focus on data-driven messaging. But what about the advertising of healthcare services?
Whether you’re promoting a hospital, specialist clinic, GP practice, diagnostic service or allied health group, the effectiveness of your advertising depends on who you’re speaking to – and how. In Australia, many healthcare services rely on referral pathways from GPs and other healthcare professionals.
But in some types of care like obstetrics, fertility, mental health and elective surgery (e.g. knee or hip replacement), patients will often do their own research before asking for a referral to a specific provider. Effective campaigns need to be built around this dual-influence model – earning trust from both clinicians and consumers.
Here’s what makes advertising work for healthcare services:
When people seek out healthcare services, they’re often vulnerable, anxious or uncertain.
Advertising in this space must start with empathy – not a service list. What matters to prospective patients is whether you understand their needs, not whether you can name every modality your facility offers. The most effective healthcare ads put the human experience first: the fears, questions and decisions people face when managing their health or that of a loved one.
Messaging that leads with reassurance, clarity and compassion builds trust and lowers psychological barriers to engagement. In this context, your brand should feel like a steady hand – credible, caring and quietly confident.
Your service might boast top-tier amenities, renowned clinicians and accreditations galore – but unless you make that relevant to your audience, it’s just window dressing. Effective ads translate credentials into clear value: what does it mean for the person choosing your service?
Instead of simply listing features (‘state-of-the-art imaging suite’, ‘multidisciplinary team’), focus on benefits: ‘faster diagnosis, ‘integrated care’, ‘peace of mind’. And most importantly, demonstrate how your service stands apart in a landscape where many others may say the same thing.
If sources of differentiation are limited, explore how your practice/clinic can be distinctive instead, e.g. wrap your service in a brand personality that feels human, relatable or surprising. This might be a warm, calming tone of voice that breaks from clinical convention, a visual identity that feels more like a boutique hotel than a hospital, or a patient experience designed to feel personal rather than transactional.
Even small touches – like how you follow up after an appointment, the way you welcome new patients or how you share stories from your team – can create a distinctive impression. When clinical claims are comparable, character is what makes you memorable.
Healthcare services advertising lives in a different emotional register than traditional consumer marketing.
The tone needs to be warm but professional; informative without being clinical. And above all, respectful. Avoiding overly technical language is key – unless you’re speaking to a referring clinician – but don’t talk down to your audience either. People want to feel confident in your expertise and comfortable in your care.
Effective campaigns strike a balance between expertise and accessibility, positioning your service as both highly competent and genuinely compassionate.
For many healthcare services in Australia, the choice of provider is heavily influenced by the GP or other referring clinician. They will suggest who a patient should see, or provide a shortlist for the patient to consider. This means a large part of your advertising effort must go into influencing referrers’ decision-making.
GPs and other referrers want to feel confident they’re sending their patient to a service that’s clinically sound, easy to access and, most importantly, that they know will deliver great patient outcomes.
That means:
While this might not look like traditional consumer advertising, GPs are still influenced by brand familiarity (both the doctor and clinic brand), peer endorsements and professional materials (emails, events, CPD opportunities, clinic brochures).
Unlike pharmaceutical marketing, which often plays out on national or even global stages, most healthcare service ads operate within a specific geographic catchment.
This means local relevance is critical. Effective advertising speaks to the lived realities of the audience – such as their sociodemographic situation, healthcare pathways and referral networks.
Whether it’s showcasing familiar faces from your care team, referencing nearby locations or tapping into local health concerns, campaigns that connect with a community’s unique context perform better.
A healthcare decision is rarely made in a single moment. But your advertising should still make it easy for people to take the next step – whether that’s booking an appointment, finding out more, or asking a question. The most effective ads remove friction from that process.
That means clear calls to action, intuitive digital pathways (your landing page matters!) and contact options that reflect different patient preferences – from online booking to a friendly phone call. If someone feels unsure about what to do next, the moment of interest can easily pass.
For referral-driven services, you also need clear and visible referral pathways: what to send, who to contact, how to refer, and what happens next. If the process feels unclear or administratively difficult, even a highly interested GP might default to another provider.
Patients may first encounter your service via Google, a GP referral, a social media ad or a flyer in their letter box. Each touchpoint contributes to their overall impression – so consistency matters. Visual identity, tone of voice, key messages and even photography style should align across every platform.
The most effective healthcare campaigns reinforce the same message across every promotional channel – creating familiarity and confidence over time. It’s not about one heroic ad; it’s about a coherent brand presence that builds trust with every interaction.
While advertising a healthcare service isn’t governed by the same strict codes as pharmaceutical promotion, it’s still a highly regulated space – and rightly so.
Any claims made must be truthful, non-misleading and substantiated. Advertising must also respect privacy, take cultural sensitivities into account, and avoid inducing unnecessary anxiety.
That’s why it’s important to work with creative teams who understand the balance between effective messaging and responsible communication. Your agency should be familiar with the guidelines for advertising a regulated health service, published by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) in partnership with the National Boards (e.g. Medical Board of Australia, Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, etc.).
Key points from these guidelines include:
Effective advertising for healthcare services in Australia depends on understanding the decision-making ecosystem.
For some services, GPs and health professionals are the primary gatekeepers. For others – especially where patients are more empowered to choose – consumer trust and relevance are paramount. The most successful campaigns meet both audiences with the right mix of credibility, empathy and clarity.
It’s about showing up where it matters, in the way that matters most.
We can help you build campaigns that connect with real people – and drive real results. Get in touch to talk about strategy, messaging and creative that works.
Dr Candice O’Sullivan,
Managing Director | Head of Strategy & Planning at Wellmark. You can follow Wellmark on Facebook @wellmarkcreative, LinkedIn @Wellmark_Pty_Ltd or Insta @wellmarkcreative.
