The Big Story: Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Harris drives nearly 338,000 users to government voting website
“Last year, Swift posted a similar link to the Vote.gov website to motivate her followers to register to vote. The website experienced a 1,226 percent traffic boost in the hour after Swift’s 2023 post.”
A double-edged sword
By David Shifrin and Emme Nelson Baxter
4-minute read
Is Taylor Swift an influencer or an ambassador? It can cut both ways.
This week’s well-orchestrated move by Taylor Swift to release her endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris moments after the debate is having a notable effect on the race. On a night when arguments about the economy were front and center, a woman who is so popular that she essentially carries an economy on her tour bus weighed in. Making it even more powerful? It wasn’t a paid endorsement. Swift merely posted about who she’s voting for, just like millions of others do on a regular basis.
Does your healthcare organization have a Taylor Swift? And…do you want one?
In the massive healthcare ecosystem, pharma seems addicted to celebrities and paid endorsements. Clearly, being an A-lister must be a real headache as Gaga, Khloe K. and Serena all promote migraine meds. Cyndi sells Cosentyx to combat plaque psoriasis. And Elon and Oprah have induced further Wegovy shortages when they hyped the miracle shots.
What about your healthcare organization’s brand?
You may want to build a campaign with a prominent personality as the face of it. Or a grateful celebrity may use their platform to give your organization a shoutout on their own accord. How do you thoughtfully pursue the former and respond to the latter?
You need a strategy for engaging with any person of influence speaking on behalf of your organization. Because if things go wrong, the results can be awkward at best and devasting at worst– think Tiger, Lance and Kanye.
Ambassadors over influencers: Start internally
First things first. It takes time to build trust with an audience – and audiences are smart enough to know when they’re being sold to. An influencer campaign will take more time and effort and is not likely to ever feel as authentic.
In contrast, an ambassador is one who has a genuine connection to the core mission of the brand, so their voice will feel more authentic. Your best option to rep your organization may be right there in front of you, caring for patients and comforting loved ones. Your halls are filled with ambassadors who have chosen to align themselves with your organization. Rather than being distracted by the allure of a star, spend some time identifying the engaged and charismatic individuals bringing your mission to life each day.
Ask around to find your homegrown ambassadors. Who shines with patients? Who has a unique perspective or a profound style of interacting with patients and employees? Who radiates joy when they walk into the room? Who showcases a commitment to your values and mission?
Then give them the tools and encouragement to speak out on the things that matter to them – because those are the things that matter to your organization. Remember that nurses and doctors are most trusted when it comes to healthcare matters.
Now about those influencers…
If an influencer opportunity comes into view, here are some tips on managing the potential win and avoiding pitfalls.
- Understand your audience. Know your community – its priorities, demographics and, yes, politics. It seems obvious but too many brands have pursued a relationship with an influencer or hired someone and paid a price for being tone deaf. Or they’ve selected someone who doesn’t align with their customers’ values.
- Count the suitcases. Everyone has baggage. Research who you’re considering involving before rushing into a starstruck “Yes.” Know their perspectives, public statements and actions on issues outside of whatever healthcare topics you’ll be working on. Just because they’re talking about the quality of care at your children’s hospital now doesn’t mean the public has forgotten their aggressive social statements made two years earlier. Case in point? Swift took significant flak for being seen hugging Brittany Mahomes – a close friend – who liked an Instagram post from former President Trump. That hug was seen by many as a betrayal. That’s the way things work in today’s social-media madhouse.
- Beware of overexposure. Back to authenticity. If an influencer/celebrity has too many endorsements, the perception of genuineness may erode. Meanwhile, do the other organizations they’re pitching mesh with your mission? Do they compete with you?
- Differentiate between solicited and organic. It’s one thing if you get accolades or an endorsement from a controversial figure. It’s something else if you’re actively creating content that highlights them or your work with them. There’s likely more room to embrace, or at least appreciate, organic. Don’t talk yourself into thinking a solicited endorsement is necessarily a good idea or shoehorn the celeb’s values into yours. A grateful patient describing their experience – which shouldn’t veer into social or political issues – is simply highlighting the humanness of healthcare. Actively courting someone with controversial views? Well, you get the point.
- Establish ground rules. It’s essential to put up guardrails before a situation presents itself. Just like good crisis communications, having a framework in place before an issue arises will save you from stumbling when it does. Your team has a significant role in maintaining your organization’s reputation. So, the team has the responsibility to decide, “Is this someone we want to actively promote based on what we know and whether they align with our brand/values?” Or is it just an extension of how we provide the best care to everyone, no matter who you are, in the specific case of healthcare.
Measure carefully the pros and cons of the influencer world.
But know you’re got one sure bet.
There are people in your orbit who care about your organization, your work and your brand. As you work to use their voice, never lose sight of the fact that a cheerful environmental services tech’s cleaning cart might just be a more powerful microphone than, well… an actual microphone.
Contributors: David Jarrard, Tommy Barbee and Pattie Cuen
Image Credit: Shannon Threadgill
