Looking Back, Moving Forward

2019 was a momentous year for us at Healthline Media. We grew into the largest health information property in the United States, became part of a new corporate family, and launched a new and beloved brand, Parenthood, on Healthline. 

As we enter the final countdown to 2020, I can’t help but think about our industry and reflect upon the trends that have shaped, and will continue to shape, our development and the progression of the health media ecosystem.

Looking Back: 2019 retrospective

The most important trends in health media in 2019 all had us moving from a ‘patient’ to a ‘whole person’ focus:

1. Awareness, education, and support around mental health has increased, from the organizational, partnership, and consumer perspectives. 
2. Patient influencers and advocates are driving health actions, and brands have started to notice.
3. The coolest event in 2019 was Chronicon: This first-ever day-long event brought together hundreds of influencers with the goal of understanding and helping people with chronic health issues. 

Looking Ahead: 2020 preview

In 2020, health brands are going to have to fight even harder to stay relevant.

1. 2020 will see health brands break through the clutter with cultural relevance, and it will be essential to deliver value with a whole-person approach to health and wellness. 
2. Media will need to move from pushing authenticity to enabling personal agency (self and community advocacy).
3. Tried and true digital efforts in contextual and content marketing will win in the new realm of internet browser changes and privacy regulations.  
4. Metrics of success and benchmarks will be heavily impacted as a result of our increasing inability to track specific performance measures. 

For more year-end trends, and to see some of these highlighted, check out this MM&M article.

Interested in talking about any of these industry developments or just reflecting on the passage of time and the aging of our cells? Please email us at corporatemarketing@healthline.com.