Overview

dermanostic is a digital healthcare platform providing users with access to dermatological consultations through a mobile application. The company faced a significant challenge in effectively reaching and engaging its target audience due to a “black hole” in data cleaning, which impacted the optimization of existing marketing channels and the exploration of new ones.

The Challenge

The primary challenge for dermanostic was twofold:

1. Data Cleaning: There were discrepancies and gaps in the data collected across various marketing channels, hindering the ability to derive actionable insights.
2. Understanding User Needs: Through initial analysis, it became evident that only about 10% of users had an immediate need for treatment for skin conditions. The remaining 90% required dermatological advice over time as skin issues arose—potentially months after their first point of contact.

To successfully address these challenges, it was essential to:

• Clean and streamline data across all marketing channels.
• Develop strategies for opening new marketing channels, including Criteo for branding and Outbrain for native advertising.
• Shift the focus from immediate conversions to long-term brand awareness and engagement.

Strategy and Implementation

To tackle the identified challenges, the following strategies were employed:

1. Data Cleaning and Integration:
   • Implemented a comprehensive data cleaning initiative to unify data from various marketing channels. This involved identifying key metrics and establishing consistent tracking protocols to ensure accurate reporting.
   • Established a centralized dashboard for real-time data analysis, allowing for informed decision-making across marketing efforts.
2. Opening New Marketing Channels:
   • Criteo: Launched retargeting campaigns focused on branding, ensuring that dermanostic’s advertisements reached potential customers who had interacted with the brand previously, thus enhancing brand recall.
   • Outbrain: Utilized native advertising to publish informative content that not only educated users about dermatological issues but also positioned dermanostic as a trusted authority in skin health.
3. Long-Term Engagement Strategies:
   • Created a nurturing strategy to maintain engagement with users who may not have an immediate need for dermatological services. This included regular content updates, informative newsletters, and reminders about the availability of the app for when skin issues arise.
4. Frequency and Touchpoints:
   • Aimed to increase brand visibility with a target of 10x impressions, establishing a frequency of four touchpoints per week across various channels. This multi-channel approach included social media, email marketing, and digital display ads.
   • Monitored user interactions to ensure consistent engagement, keeping dermanostic at the forefront of users’ minds when they needed dermatological support.

Results

• Increased Impressions: Successfully achieved a 10x increase in brand impressions, ensuring that users were regularly exposed to dermanostic’s messaging.
• Enhanced Brand Engagement: The strategy to maintain a frequency of four touchpoints per week resulted in increased brand recognition and user interaction with the app.
• Long-Term Brand Awareness: With consistent engagement and educational content, dermanostic established itself as a go-to resource for dermatological needs. Users began to associate the brand with reliability and expertise, which was pivotal for capturing their attention when a skin issue arose.

Conclusion

The key takeaway from the dermanostic case study is that immediate conversion isn’t the sole objective; fostering long-term brand awareness and engagement is essential for sustainable growth. Recognizing that only a small percentage of users may have an immediate need for treatment highlighted the necessity of a branding strategy focused on consistent visibility and value-driven communication.

By effectively managing data, exploring new marketing channels, and maintaining ongoing engagement, dermanostic positioned itself to not only meet the immediate needs of its users but also to remain top of mind for future dermatological consultations. The approach taken emphasizes that in the competitive healthcare landscape, building a strong brand foundation is paramount to success.