When we helped Age Well, a senior services nonprofit in northwestern Vermont, create a new brand and visual identity, we paid special attention to the imagery and language used in marketing campaigns. Age Well serves a mostly rural area, where residents are ruggedly independent, so we needed to communicate in a way that didn’t alienate or talk down to seniors and their caregivers.
We interviewed a number of their internal team and external clients, and heard from seniors directly that they think of themselves as being younger and more active than their age would suggest. So we chose images with that in mind—not photos that showed people in bed getting care, but rather that showed seniors in lifestyle settings being active and connecting with others.
Community-based organizations (CBOs) like Age Well focus on populations that tend to be underserved, marginalized, misunderstood, or dismissed. That’s why healthcare marketers working for nonprofits should pay close attention to communicating in a way that avoids stereotypes and respects the people they serve.
Communities, particularly those that have been historically marginalized, may have experienced discrimination, exploitation, or neglect within the healthcare system. Acknowledging these past wrongs—and making it clear that the CBO is here to serve with empathy—can go a long way in fostering trust. Here are some effective ways to do that.
This should go without saying: Organizations that reach patients who are not native English-speaking or who have difficulty reading print or online text should always communicate so their audience can read and understand. Make sure your website is ADA compliant, at minimum, and offer information in audio or video formats and multiple languages.
Understand the cultural and social nuances of the community your CBO supports and how they think about health and wellness. Marketing that is inclusive and culturally sensitive resonates more deeply with diverse populations, leading to greater engagement and participation in healthcare initiatives. That includes language preferences, imagery that reflects the community, and relevant issues common to the group.
Messaging from CBOs should be empowering, positive, supportive, and nonjudgmental while addressing the unique health and wellness challenges that the community faces.
For example, our work with the Small Acts of Community campaign in Burlington, led by a coalition of local organizations, focused on promoting kindness and respect. The campaign was designed to combat misperceptions of downtown Burlington as a place of increasing vandalism and violence. In reality, a lack of sufficient support for people dealing with mental illness, lack of housing, and addiction was creating tension among residents, visitors, and business owners.
In crafting messaging for the campaign, we were careful not to pin the responsibility on any specific group. With our project partners, we brainstormed the changes we were trying to implement and found respectful ways to address them. The campaign focused on behavior change in a positive way that encouraged respect for the community and each other—like picking up a neighbor’s trash, buying someone a cup of coffee, holding the door open—instead of telling people what they couldn’t do or should do. It created a hopeful, united message of compassion and created a community of understanding around the issues at hand.
Healthcare marketing should always avoid patronizing, stigmatizing, or fear-based messaging. Instead, the language should be empowering and nonjudgmental. As we learned with Age Well, people don’t want to be patronized or made to feel like they’re getting a handout. As CBOs connect with their audiences, they should acknowledge their unique experiences and challenges, rather than portraying them as passive recipients of aid. Empowered individuals are more likely to seek out care and follow through on recommendations.
Addiction treatment, meals and social support for seniors, nonprofit health care for immigrant communities—these aren’t the kinds of services that people access just once. A CBO’s work is ongoing for the long term. And it takes time and effort to persuade the folks who need your help to walk in the door.
CBOs need to think beyond short-term campaigns and focus on building lasting relationships with the communities they serve. This involves continuous engagement, communication, and feedback to ensure that your marketing strategies are meeting the community’s evolving needs. Reach out to people of influence—faith leaders, business owners, educators, activists—to build connections between your organization and those who need your support. Consider events like community forums or health fairs that go beyond simply promoting services and let you engage with the community, answer questions, and provide help.
Reaching the right people and persuading them that your organization can help—it all boils down to a deep understanding of your audience and their needs. We help nonprofit marketers, who often have limited time and too many projects, create campaigns that engage and connect. Let’s talk about what your CBO needs.
Tenth Crow Creative is a brand marketing agency that creates, aligns, and promotes messaging for health and wellness organizations. Through insightful branding, engaging design and compelling marketing campaigns, we help these essential organizations find their identities and effectively communicate with their stakeholders so they can fulfill their missions.
