In an era defined by information overload and digital noise, the role of public relations in healthcare has never been more vital—or more fraught with the potential for failure. At its best, healthcare public relations educates, reassures, and inspires trust. At its worst, it confuses, alienates, and erodes public confidence. Over the past decade, we’ve seen too many examples of the latter.
PR campaigns are not merely about slogans and press releases. In healthcare, they are often tasked with influencing behavior that can save—or end—lives. But despite this weighty responsibility, a number of high-profile campaigns have floundered, exposing systemic weaknesses in how we communicate health.
Case Study #1: “Placing the Blame” – The UK’s Anti-Obesity Campaign
In 2020, the UK’s government launched a campaign aimed at tackling obesity as part of its COVID-19 response. The messaging—featuring slogans like “Get Fit to Beat COVID”—implicitly linked personal weight to virus vulnerability. While the intention may have been to promote healthier lifestyles, the campaign backfired.
Critics accused it of fat-shaming and stigmatizing individuals with obesity, rather than addressing systemic issues like poverty, food deserts, and limited access to nutritional education. Rather than creating an inclusive, motivational narrative, the campaign alienated large portions of the population. The PR effort ignored the emotional, psychological, and socioeconomic complexity of obesity, turning what should have been a supportive publichealth message into a divisive one.
The lesson? Oversimplifying public health problems into personal failings is a losing strategy. When campaigns fail to account for broader societal factors, they reveal a disconnect between policymakers and the public they aim to serve.
Case Study #2: The CDC’s Early COVID Messaging – Confusion and Contradiction
In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) committed one of the most glaring PR missteps in recent history. First, the agency told the public not to wear masks, citing a lack of evidence for their effectiveness and a need to conserve supplies for healthcare workers. Weeks later, the guidance reversed, urging everyone to wear masks to prevent viral spread.
While the science behind these changes was evolving, the inconsistency in communication deeply undermined public trust. Worse, the CDC didn’t effectively explain why their guidance had changed, allowing misinformation and conspiracy theories to flourish in the vacuum.
Public health communication must account for uncertainty—but it must also guide the public through it. Transparency is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. The CDC failed not because it changed its advice, but because it did so without clear, accessible, and empathic explanation. This misstep laid the groundwork for the deep skepticism and resistance to public health advice that followed.
Case Study #3: Theranos – A PR Masterclass in Deception
Few examples of healthcare PR gone wrong are as egregious—or as instructive—asTheranos. The now-defunct biotech company, founded by Elizabeth Holmes, promised revolutionary blood-testing technology that required only a single drop of blood. The company didn’t just rely on scientific promises; it constructed a glossy PR campaign that positioned Holmes as a Steve Jobs-style visionary.
For years, the company appeared in top-tier media outlets, garnered glowing profiles, and even landed Holmes on stages like TED and Davos. The PR team meticulously controlled the narrative, branding Theranos as a Silicon Valley miracle working to democratize healthcare. In reality, the technology didn’t work. Patients were misdiagnosed, test results were unreliable, and the entire enterprise was built on smoke and mirrors.
The fallout was immense—not just for Theranos, but for public trust in health innovation. The Theranos scandal underscores how effective PR can be weaponized to mask scientific fraud. It serves as a warning: when style is prioritized over substance, patients ultimately pay the price.
Common Pitfalls in Healthcare PR
What ties these disparate failures together? Several recurring themes explain why healthcare PR campaigns go off the rails:
- Lack of Empathy
Too many campaigns fail to understand the lived experiences of their target audiences. Whether addressing obesity, addiction, or chronic disease, effective messaging must start from a place of empathy, not judgment. - Over-Promising and Under-Delivering
The temptation to present breakthroughs as miracles can be overwhelming, especially in biotech. But when expectations outpace reality, disillusionment and distrust follow. This is especially dangerous in areas like cancer treatment, gene therapy, and diagnostic tools. - Failure to Address Systemic Issues
Individual behavior is only one piece of the health puzzle. Campaigns that ignore systemic inequities—such as access to care, economic instability, and education—often misfire, appearing tone-deaf or elitist. - Mixed or Contradictory Messaging
Consistency is key. When different agencies or spokespeople deliver conflicting messages, confusion reigns. Mixed messages undermine public health efforts, especially in crisis situations. - Underestimating Public Skepticism
We live in a time of growing distrust in institutions. PR campaigns that rely on top-down communication, or that appear paternalistic, are increasingly ineffective. Modern audiences want transparency, accountability, and dialogue—not edicts from above.
The Role of Social Media and the Democratization of Messaging
Today, every citizen is a broadcaster. A single tweet can ignite a public backlash; a viral TikTok can reshape the narrative overnight. This democratization of media is a double-edged sword. While it offers new avenues for outreach and engagement, it also raises the stakes. PRcampaigns can no longer rely on traditional gatekeeping. They must be nimble, responsive, and rooted in dialogue.
A poorly worded Instagram post from a hospital can trigger national controversy. Conversely, authentic engagement—like healthcare workers using social media to document their frontline experiences—can humanize institutions and build trust. The medium has changed, and so must the message.
Best Practices: What Effective Healthcare PR Looks Like
It’s not all doom and disaster. There are examples of thoughtful, well-executed healthcare PRthat offer valuable lessons:
- Canada’s anti-smoking campaigns used graphic imagery and survivor stories to illustrate the consequences of tobacco use without moralizing. They were disturbing, yes—but effective.
- New Zealand’s COVID-19 communication, led by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield, emphasized clarity, compassion, and consistency. Daily briefings were factual but empathetic, treating the public aspartners rather than subjects.
- HIV/AIDS campaigns in the 2000s began to pivot away from fear-mongering to messages of solidarity, education, and support. These reframed the conversation from stigma to empowerment.
These examples share several traits: they are people-centered, rooted in evidence, and responsive to community needs. They recognize that health communication is not just about information—it’s about trust.
Toward a New Paradigm
Healthcare PR must evolve beyond press releases and awareness months. In a polarized, hyper-connected world, we need campaigns that are transparent, inclusive, and grounded in reality. This means:
- Co-creating messages with affected communities, not just speaking to them.
- Investing in public health literacy, so audiences can make informed decisions.
- Telling human stories, not just citing statistics.
- Embracing uncertainty, and explaining science as a process, not a finished product.
Most importantly, we must stop treating PR as a cosmetic layer. It must be integrated into the very fabric of public health strategy. Communications professionals should work alongside scientists, clinicians, and community leaders from the outset—not just when it’s time to craft a slogan.
Conclusion: Communication as Care
When done poorly, healthcare PR campaigns don’t just fail to inform—they actively harm. They can deepen disparities, fuel misinformation, and corrode the very trust that publichealth depends on. But when done right, they become acts of care in themselves. They listen. They educate. They unite.
In the end, the true goal of healthcare PR is not to sell ideas or protect reputations. It’s to build relationships between institutions and the people they serve. That’s not spin. That’s service.
