Human Marketing in the Age of AI

Trust in marketing and healthcare is at an all-time low.

According to Gallup’s latest trust survey, only 8% of Americans trust marketers.

Meanwhile, just 53% of Americans trust doctors - a 21% drop in three years. This was the sharpest decline of any profession surveyed.

But it doesn’t stop at doctors. Looking at recent events it’s not hard to see that public sentiment around healthcare as a whole is pretty low.

If you’re a healthcare marketer, to quote Usher, “You Got it Bad.” If people don’t trust your industry or the marketers promoting it, how do you break through?

You can’t fix a problem until you understand it. So, before we talk about solutions, we need to figure out what’s causing the breakdown of trust first.

What’s Behind The Mistrust?

Gallup’s report calls out 3 major culprits fueling the mistrust in marketing and healthcare:

1. The spread of misinformation

2. Misleading marketing messaging

3. And the biggest offender - AI-generated content

Since ChatGPT kicked off the AI boom in 2022, the web has been flooded with low-quality, AI-generated content. Search engines, social media - everywhere you look, it’s more noise, less substance.

Originality found that nearly 60% of all LinkedIn content is now AI-generated. And it’s not just posts - people are using AI to write comments too.

AI comments on Linkedin are a problem

Let’s be clear - AI itself isn’t the villain here. The real issue is low-quality content and experiences. AI just makes it faster and easier to produce both at scale.

If we’re being honest, marketing’s trust issues started long before AI took-off.

Abusive SEO tactics have made it nearly impossible to find useful, trustworthy information on Google. Over-reliance on third-party cookies and performance marketing has eroded consumer privacy, and spammy email practices have conditioned people to tune out brand messages entirely

This isn’t just a B2C problem. B2B marketers are feeling it too. Longer sales cycles and more decision-makers mean prospects aren’t just looking for information; they’re looking for reasons to trust you.

But trust isn’t given - it’s earned. Not with more content, or more speed - but with marketing that feels authentic and real.

How to Make Your Marketing More Human

It doesn’t matter whether you’re marketing to buyers, consumers, or patients - they’re all human first. And if you want to connect with them, your marketing needs to be human too.

Here are 5 keys to human marketing in the age of AI:

Personalization

• Customize content based on CRM data, such as areas of interest, past touch-points and where a lead is in the buyer’s journey

• Let people choose what type of content they’d like to receive from you and how often they’d like to receive it

• Let your website visitors customize their experience based on their segmentation or interests

The Center for Reproductive and Genetic Health’s website let’s visitors choose their experience based on whether they are single parents or a couple. An approach like this ensures that your visitors are getting the most relevant content and experience based on their specific needs.

CRGH's website let's visitors choose their experience based on their parental status

Thought-Leadership

• Use content formats that are inherently human like podcasts, videos, and webinars

• Feature real experts from your company in your content

• Partner with trusted influencers to enhance your message and expand your reach

Ria health uses its YouTube videos to connect with individuals struggling with alcohol addiction. Their videos feature clinical experts discussing commonly searched questions and concerns about addiction and treatment, helping their audience feel heard and empowered to make a change.

Ria Health's YouTube channel is loaded with helpful content from clinical thought-leaders

Interactivity

• Build online communities where meaningful discussions happen

• Host live events and meetups to cultivate deeper relationships with your audience

• Encourage audience engagement - invite them to share ideas and feedback on your business

IQVIA regularly hosts virtual and in-person events to educate and connect with professionals in the life sciences space. They offer interactive webinars, workshops, and networking events, providing valuable resources to their audience through human connection.

Banner Health’s Text the CEO program makes patient feedback instant and personal. Instead of filling out a comment card that no one reads, patients can text or scan a QR code to send feedback directly to hospital leadership. Responses happen the same day, turning patient concerns into real conversations and showing that their voices actually matter.

IQVIA regularly hosts virtual and in-person events to encourage interactivity

Storytelling

• Share real experiences like patient stories, client testimonials and case studies to build credibility

• Don’t just share success stories - showcase personal experiences from people at your company to add depth and familiarity to your brand

Cleveland Clinic’s iconic Empathy Series used storytelling to highlight real patient and caregiver experiences using videos and podcasts. By showcasing the human side of healthcare, it strengthened patient trust and made healthcare feel more personal.

Living Up to Your Values

• Align your marketing with your mission. If you claim to be about something, prove it through your actions, not your words

• Don’t ignore online sentiment. If people are providing feedback about your brand on the web, you need to address it. Nothing sends the wrong signal like publicly ignoring your customers

• Be transparent and honest - don’t BS your audience with marketing speak or you’ll risk losing them

DUOS’ Connections for a Cause initiative is a powerful example of a business living its values. As a company focused on making healthcare more connected for seniors and caregivers, DUOS takes this mission beyond its marketing messaging through meaningful interactions at healthcare conferences. Attendees are invited to engage with the DUOS booth to earn DUO$DOLLARS, which DUOS then matches and donates to nonprofits supporting health equity, access to care, and community.

Talk about a smart blend of purpose and interactivity!

DUOS Connections for a Cause is a powerful example of a business living its values

Human Marketing Wins

AI isn’t the enemy here. It can and should play a significant role in your marketing. But when it comes to content, messaging, and experiences - the things that actually connect with people - they need to be human-centric.

Marketers too often conflate AI’s value with churning out more content faster. But that’s not the case - quality always beats quantity.

Microsoft is all in on AI, but even they’re waving a red flag. Their research found that relying on gen-AI weakens critical thinking and independent problem-solving - two skills every marketer needs.

And that’s just the impact on us marketers. What about our audiences?

LLMs tend to hallucinate often. Content containing AI hallucinations can lead to misinformation and low-quality experiences. In healthcare, this can be incredibly dangerous. There is nothing more personal than your health. Would you trust a doctor giving you advice straight from ChatGPT? Didn’t think so.

In an industry where trust is shaky, the only way your marketing can connect with more humans is to be more human. That’s how you build trust - and in the AI era, that’s how you stand out!