This article summarizes key insights from my recent presentation with Stacey Levas at the 2025 PMSA Annual Conference, where we explored how combining artificial intelligence with human expertise can transform healthcare media planning—especially for reaching underserved, high-risk populations.
Randy represents more than 9% of U.S. adults living with severe obesity (BMI ≥ 40). That’s over 30 million people who face significantly increased risks for heart disease, stroke, kidney damage, and other serious health issues. Yet many, like Randy, remain untreated—not because they don’t care, but because traditional outreach may have failed to impact them.
Understanding how to connect with people like Randy—on their terms—is one of healthcare marketing’s most pressing challenges.
Many healthcare campaigns are well-intentioned but miss the mark. Generic messaging, outdated assumptions, fragmented data, and reliance on conventional media channels often lead to lost opportunities—especially when trying to reach high-risk or underserved groups.
To drive meaningful engagement, campaigns must be built on comprehensive data-driven audience insights, not assumptions or incomplete references.
Effective campaigns are grounded not just in creative ideas, but in the thoughtful sourcing and integration of data. Whether you’re sourcing data and storing in-house or leveraging external expertise in consumer media segmentation and planning, start by aligning on key components:
1. Business Questions – What decisions must the data support?2. Campaign Objectives – What behaviors are you aiming to influence?
3. Integration Needs – How will the data support execution across channels?
Key data dimensions to consider:
1. Demographics – Age, gender, location, income
2. Media Behavior – Preferred platforms, hobbies, interests
3. Emotional Triggers – Risk taking, decision-making attitudes, healthcare knowledge and engagement
4. Market Barriers – Cost vs income, insurance coverage, access to healthcare
5. Performance Metrics – Clicks, conversions, engagement trends
Here’s where AI becomes a game-changer:
AI excels at analyzing massive volumes of fragmented data—structured and unstructured—to find patterns that humans alone might miss. It can process healthcare claims data, media preferences, attitudes and sentiment, and behavioral indicators to uncover actionable clusters, micro-segments, and trend signals. While these insights are accelerated, the results are not automatic, instead the output is improved through thoughtful organization of data, and prompting. That’s where human intelligence adds critical context and empathy—interpreting AI outputs, validating recommendations, and shaping strategic and creative choices.
Together, AI and human insight move us closer to real-world understanding—and better health outcomes— in this case, for people like Randy.
"In consumer media profiling and planning, the 'cracks' are often gaps in data—incomplete profiles, missing demographic detail, or evolving digital behaviors. But we don’t need perfection. By combining AI-driven analytics with human-centered scientific and commercial knowledge and strategy, we can use even imperfect data to surface new truths and insights."
- Karin Hayes, SVP Analytics & Insights
There’s a Japanese concept called kintsugi—the art of repairing broken pottery with gold. Rather than hiding the cracks, it celebrates them as part of the story.
In consumer media profiling and planning, the “cracks” are often gaps in data—incomplete profiles, missing demographic detail, or evolving digital behaviors. But we don’t need perfection. By combining AI-driven analytics with human-centered scientific and commercial knowledge and strategy, we can use even imperfect data to
surface new truths and insights.
Here’s how this combined approach adds value:
So, what does this look like in action? Here’s how this approach can shape a targeted media strategy for two distinct, but equally important audience personas: Randy and Vanessa.
Randy is conscientious, independent, and emotionally reserved. He values self-direction and innovation, but he's skeptical of traditional healthcare systems. That skepticism makes him less responsive to typical health campaign tropes or institutional voices. To engage Randy, we must meet him where he is—digitally, emotionally, and behaviorally.
In contrast, Vanessa is value-driven, health-conscious, emotionally steady, and loyal to programs that prove their value. She’s open to traditional care but seeks structure, reassurance, and a sense of support in her decision-making.
What Works for Randy:
What Works for Vanessa:
At OptimizeRx our data scientists set the foundation for a more effective campaign by employing their expertise and using AI as a catalyst. Our clients benefit from stronger data-driven creative and media plans armed with distinct ways to optimize their outreach, in this case to a growing and underreached population. By using AI to distill complex data into clear insights and pairing those insights with human intelligence to drive empathy and relevance, we move beyond generalized outreach.
Our mutual goal is to truly connect with the people who need support the most. To get started on the path to more strategic campaigns, contact us for more information.