More empathy = better work ✅
An Australian working in New York, Matt raised eyebrows when moving into the (to the uninitiated) seemingly dry and mundane space of health marketing. Now he raises eyebrows for the incredible levels of creativity that he’s achieved with the highly creative and empathic team at McCann Health. No stranger to Gabberish readers, Matt keeps breaking new ground and so we figured it was time to catch up again to see where he is at now.
A Q&A with Matt Eastwood, Chief Creative Officer, McCann Health.
Andy: The brief comes in. We take a second to think about the target audience. We take a stab at what they’re thinking, what their barriers to purchase might be, and what the most persuasive argument we could make would be. But then there’s an approach which puts empathy at the heart… what does that mean, what does it look like?
Matt: As someone who works exclusively in health marketing, empathy couldn’t be more important to creating a meaningful connection with our consumers, which includes both patients and doctors. And, to be empathetic, we must be committed to walk in another person’s shoes. It is perhaps the most important thing that we bring to the table.
At McCann Health, we have numerous approaches to help make this happen. From our Empathy Audit, an AI-powered analysis of the emotions and psychographics of the key stakeholders in a therapeutic category to understand how well brands are connecting with their target audience, to our Empathy Engine, a data-driven intelligence tool that helps drive sharper strategic insights – allowing strategists to uncover the undervalued drivers of human health behaviour, through a scalable, AI-powered approach. On top of that, the way we brief creatives is designed to help them understand and empathise with the audience they are talking to. The Psoriasis briefing is a typical example.
Andy: How does this approach make the work richer, help it to create more meaningful connections?
Matt: Health is the most private and personal of domains. When we are sick, confused or worried, we don’t want to be “empowered”, which is often the domain of consumer brands, we want to be cared for. People will always crave the human touch, especially in times of pain or crisis. So healthcare professionals must bridge from having theoretical knowledge of a disease or condition to experiencing what being a patient with the disease is actually like. When brands are more empathetic, holistic and all-encompassing, they instantly become more relevant to their intended audience.
Andy: What’s the difference in the outcome for the team working on campaigns and ideas like this?
Matt: The work connects in a more genuine way. In health marketing, there is a litany of cliches that for many years have become a crutch to the industry. They attempt to talk to the desired patient outcome – take this drug and you will be able to walk on the beach at sunset, laugh and smile with your family/wife/husband/kids or, god forbid, sky dive. More and more, this type of works just reinforces that the brand doesn’t understand their audience. That they haven’t even tried to understand or acknowledge the patient’s journey. But work that demonstrates true empathy is like an arm around the shoulder of a patient. It’s says, “hey, I get you. I get what you’re going through.”
Andy: And what’s the difference in how the team treat each other as a result? By practising more empathetic processes and ideas, does it naturally infuse into a more empathetic culture?
Matt: It most certainly does. When empathy is built into your very way of working, it naturally spills over into work-life itself. Although slightly different to empathy, but coming from the same place, one of McCann Health’s core values is Authenticity. It’s about keeping your promises and doing what you say you’ll do. Being fair when dealing with others. Always speaking the truth. Even if it’s tough. And allowing others to tell you the truth; being open to receiving feedback. When these behaviors are built into your culture, when it’s truly infused in everything you do, both internally and for clients, you can’t help but end up with a more empathetic workplace.
Andy: Can we all just start practising more empathetic approaches tomorrow? What do we need to set up a culture that can allow it to thrive?
Matt: You have to approach it with intention. You have to build empathy into your processes and ways of working. You have to embed it into your values and cultural tenets. And you have to constantly monitor your progress. Only then can you create an environment that allows people to be their authentic selves.
