New York, NY — This week About.com launched a new standalone media property, Verywell, that brings the company into the consumer health space. They made the decision to launch the platform as a separate entity from About.com because of the shift in consumer digital behavior towards trusting content that comes from specialized verticles rather than the About.com or AOL’s of the world.
What makes Verywell different from WebMD or Everyday Health? Take one look and you’ll see: (https://www.verywell.com/). The site has a fun, energetic tone and clean user experience while still containing the same valid clinical information that you’d find in other sites — which feel starkly clinical in comparison.
Why it matters:
Sure, it’s a new publication that’s worth keeping tabs on for media placements, but more than that it is a sign of the times. Health information is being communicated with visual cues that feel similar to a Mic.com and a tone that is intended to feel like a friend rather than a scary medical situation. Not to mention its a great example of how being a specialized source rather than just an aggregator leads to more trust with consumers.
About the Author:
As Managing Director of Innovation and Insights for Syneos Health Communications, Leigh is responsible for building and scaling a global team of healthcare experts who together help life science leaders better understand the complex lives, influences and expectations of their customers. Specifically, they uncover actionable insights that fuel empathy and creativity; lead co-creation events that let marketers learn from peers, trends, and new possibilities; and help clients identify the most valuable and useful new customer experiences to create.
Leigh has worked with Fortune 1000 companies to craft their digital, mobile, social and CRM strategies for nearly 20 years.She’s worked for category-leading agencies in retail, public affairs, B2B technology, and higher education. Prior to moving to Syneos Health Communications, she held several leadership roles at our largest agency, GSW. There, she founded an innovation practice fueled by the zeitgeist and spearheaded digital and innovation thinking across the business.
Leigh has taken a special interest in complex healthcare products that can change lives in meaningful ways. She was recently a strategic lead on the 3rd largest launch in pharmaceutical history: Tecfidera. Before that she had keys roles with Eli Lilly Oncology, Abbott Nutrition, Amgen Cardiovascular, and Eli Lilly Diabetes.
A critical part of Leigh’s work is trends and new ideas. Every year, she convenes a group of trend watchers from across our global network to identify the shifts most critical to healthcare marketers. This year, she led over 250 experts to experts to focus on the most important changes in the commercial, consumer, marketing, digital and healthcare landscapes. (See reports at trends.health)
Leigh is a sought-after writer and speaker. Recognized as one of the most inspiring people in the pharmaceutical industry by PharmaVoice and Top 10 Innovation Catalysts of 2017 by MM&M, Leigh also was recognized as a Rising Star by the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) for her overt passion, industry thought leadership and significant contributions in new business, strategy and mentoring.
