How pharma companies work with influencers: 5 campaign examples

Nov 25
Influencer marketing is no longer limited to beauty brands, fitness products or consumer tech — it has become a credible, strategic channel for healthcare and pharmaceutical companies. Patients, caregivers and even healthcare professionals increasingly turn to social platforms for lived experiences, education and support.

As a result, pharma companies exploring influencers aren’t just chasing trends, they’re meeting audiences where they already are.

In this article, we unpack how healthcare companies are using influencers in the real world, with five campaign examples that demonstrate measurable impact, strategic thinking and compliant execution.

Key Takeaways 

The right brief is key
Influencers work best when they can bring their authentic tone and style to the content. Avoid overly-prescriptive briefs that feel like they are reading from a script. 
Bigger may not be better
The best campaign results come from careful selection of influencers based on fit, not audience size.
It takes a village
Partnering with multiple influencers can bring diverse voices and increased relevance.

Why influencers matter in healthcare & pharma marketing

Influencers have the ability to shape opinion and they can be an authentic and trusted voice to bridge the gap between your company and your target audience. In some cases they even have the ability to target hyper-niche communities that would otherwise be difficult to reach through more traditional amplification tactics. 

For pharma marketers, the value isn’t just reach - it’s influence. The right voices can increase disease awareness, improve health literacy, reduce misinformation, drive earlier conversations with HCPs and connect with nuanced patient needs.

5 pharma influencer campaign examples (explained)

We’ve seen influencer partnerships deliver real impact across a wide range of health campaigns. Below, we explore five powerful examples: influencers with lived experience raising awareness of endometriosis symptoms; well-known personalities using humour to tackle herpes stigma; creators opening up honest conversations about weight stigma; influencers convening for a summit to discuss their experiences with fertility; and an HCP-influencer providing credible, engaging education on menopause.

How Pharma Brands Work With Influencers: Give me the step-by-step instructions

Once you’ve explored these case studies, head over to our Working With Social Media Influencers In Pharma course for a step-by-step process and ready-to-use templates to help you plan and run your own influencer partnerships.

Example 1: The red flags of endometriosis

Gedeon Richter UK & Inizio Evoke

The Red Flags “Is It Endo?” is a digital disease awareness campaign that aimed to shorten the long path to an endometriosis diagnosis by helping people recognise key warning signs. It highlights symptoms that often go overlooked, encouraging people to trust their bodies and speak to their GP. Alongside public awareness, the campaign equips healthcare professionals with clear “red flag” language and tools to help them identify potential cases earlier. 
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They developed two websites, one for patients and one for HCPs.

A patient-focused website explained endometriosis in clear, conversational, non-medical language to make the condition easy to understand. On the hub, an interactive chatbot tool used videos, images, and sound, asked people questions about their symptoms and highlighted potential red flags, helping them start a conversation with their GP.

In the HCP hub, GPs could access guidelines, resources, and vocabulary to help them recognise red flags in their patients.

Influencer content

Influencers were used to amplify the key messages in a relatable way, with seven carefully selected partners helping to share information about endo and drive traffic to the website.
Influencers spoke candidly about their personal experiences with the condition, educating audiences on often-overlooked symptoms and encouraging them to visit the website and take action by seeking medical advice. They consistently used the campaign language around red flags, helping create a shared vocabulary for the condition.

Below you'll find examples of the influencer content on Instagram and YouTube.
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Results

  • Over 800,000 people saw influencer content, 82% of whom were women, increasing awareness of endometriosis symptoms
  • 1,100 people engaged with the chatbot
  • 374 people downloaded the “Questions to Ask Your Doctor” guide
  • Audience feedback showed they felt more knowledgeable, reassured, and understood, with 88% saying they were more likely to speak to their GP about red-flag symptoms

What can we learn from this example?

  • Influencers were given flexibility to interpret the brief in their own style, keeping content authentic and personal. Some showed themselves experiencing endometriosis pain, others shared their stories directly to camera, and some guided users through the website. While the call to action remained consistent, each delivered it in their own way, avoiding scripted content to maintain credibility and engagement.
  • Content was clearly marked as created in partnership with Gedeon Richter UK. We believe transparency around paid partnerships is essential for pharma companies working with influencers.
  • Over 800,000 people saw influencer content, 82% of whom were women, increasing awareness of endometriosis symptoms
  • 1,100 people engaged with the chatbot
  • 374 people downloaded the “Questions to Ask Your Doctor” guide
  • Audience feedback showed they felt more knowledgeable, reassured, and understood, with 88% saying they were more likely to speak to their GP about red-flag symptoms

Example 2: Tackling herpes stigma

New Zealand Herpes Foundation (NZHF), Motion Sickness and FINCH

The "Make New Zealand the Best Place in the World to Have Herpes" campaign was a public health initiative launched by the New Zealand Herpes Foundation (NZHF) on Global Herpes Awareness Day (October 13, 2024) to combat the severe social stigma surrounding the virus. The core problem was that while herpes is common (affecting up to 80% of Kiwis by midlife), New Zealand had one of the highest rates of herpes-related stigma globally. Against a backdrop of declining national morale, they positioned herpes destigmatisation as a uniquely Kiwi challenge: an opportunity for the country to be “the best in the world” at something again.
Sam Stuchbury from Motion Sickness explains how they went about selecting the ambassadors who would feature in the content.

"Nobody has ever wanted to be in a herpes ad. But this campaign’s approach – turning herpes from a personal topic into a national priority – made it something Kiwi icons could finally agree to. It wasn’t about who does or doesn’t have herpes, it was about how to beat herpes stigma so we could beat the whole world.

We knew, given the stigma, that it would be shocking to have the most famous All Blacks rugby coach, a knight, or a Real Housewife talk about herpes publicly. But beyond the shock factor, we wanted people with distinctive personalities and skills – people who could comedically unpack aspects of herpes stigma in a way only they could. This let us keep the content feeling personal, while framing the fight against stigma as a collective effort."

Below are two examples showing some of the TikTok content for the campaign.
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TikTok content played off real comments, spotlighting them in videos with in a humorous way.
TikTok content played off real comments, spotlighting them in videos with in a humorous way.

Results

World number one: Within eight weeks, New Zealand rose from 9th to 1st place on the Stigma Index, officially becoming the "best place in the world to have herpes."

Behaviour change: Over 69% of course completers reported a reduction in their own feelings of stigma, demonstrating a real shift in public attitude.

Global acclaim: The campaign earned numerous international accolades, including the prestigious Cannes Lions 2025 Grand Prix for Good, recognising its effective use of a bold, creative strategy to address a major public health issue.

What can we learn from this example?

  • Tone matters. All too often, health campaigns default to an overly serious, cautious, and purely informative approach. While this feels safe, it's often the quickest way to be ignored, especially when dealing with topics shrouded in stigma or social awkwardness. Take the time to define your tone before campaign development, thinking carefully about the emotions you want to evoke in your audience. Document the tone of voice so everyone involved in the campaign, including MLR reviewers, can stay aligned throughout the process.
  • A strong mission gave influencers something bigger to support. Ambassadors were invited to help make New Zealand the world leader in beating herpes stigma, not just share educational facts. This made the campaign more meaningful and motivating to get behind.

Example 3: Using TikTok Pulse to target menopausal women

Astella Pharmaceuticals

While TikTok is often seen as a Gen Z playground, Astellas saw a different kind of opportunity. With more than 30% of the platform's users aged over 40, and 61% of those being women, Astellas identified TikTok as an untapped space to reach women going through menopause.

Before jumping in, Astellas did their research, and what they found was striking: despite how common menopause is, awareness and education around midlife women’s health remains low. On TikTok, however, interest in the topic was growing fast. The hashtag #menopause had already passed 700 million views.

With that insight, Astellas became the first pharmaceutical brand to use TikTok’s Pulse program - a contextual ad solution that places content next to the top 4% of trending videos in users’ feeds. For added brand safety, the videos before and after the placed content are also evaluated by the TikTok Inventory Filter to ensure they do not contain any mature themes.
To deliver the message, they partnered with two high-impact creators:
  • Dr. Kerry-Anne Perkins (aka Dr. P), an ob/gyn known for her engaging, dance-infused health content
  • Susan Feldman, founder of In the Groove, a platform celebrating positive aging

Each brought their own style — Dr. P with her energetic, confident delivery; Susan with practical and reassuring facts about menopause symptoms. Both wrapped up their videos with a call to visit whatsvms.com, keeping the campaign unbranded but educational.
The Pulse campaign ran for 10 days, just long enough to test the waters, make an impact, and collect learnings.
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Results

  • 41+ million views across campaign videos
  • 158,000+ likes, 3,700+ comments, and 5,100+ shares

What can we learn from this example?

  • Don’t underestimate “youth” platforms for older audiences. TikTok may have a reputation for Gen Z dances, but a significant slice of its user base is over 40, and they’re actively engaging with health content. 
  • Partnering with voices like Dr. P and Susan Feldman made the campaign feel real and relevant. Their credibility and personal style carried the message further than traditional ads could and were a perfect fit for the platform.
  • There's appetite for "taboo" health topics on social media. With over 700 million views on #menopause, the public is clearly ready for these conversations. Go to TikTok and spend some time to understand what conversations are already happening in your therapy area.
  • Astellas proved that serious topics like menopause can thrive in bite-sized, authentic content formats - especially when delivered by relatable, trusted creators. TikTok’s informal tone didn’t dilute the message; it amplified it.

Example 4: Engaging the TTC (trying to conceive) community

Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Chandler Chicco Agency
This case study is an example of how pharma and healthcare companies can work with influencers to inform their campaign and content strategy and build mutually beneficial long term relationships. It also showcases how co-creation can bring a trusted, authentic voice to corporate social channels.

Ferring Pharmaceuticals develops treatments for women and babies and has ambitions to be the world-leading, most trusted healthcare company in reproductive medicine and women’s health.

Ferring recognised that its awareness within the trying to conceive (TTC) community was extremely low. To combat this Ferring partnered with Chandler Chicco Agency (CCA) with an objective to build its awareness and engagement levels with this community in Europe.

Fertility treatment can be brutal, with so many hurdles and such emotive subject matter, people going through it often turn to the internet for information and support. By documenting their fertility journeys and working to break the stigma of IVF, established bloggers have built large communities of engaged followers who are inspired by their honest, no-nonsense approach and their willingness to discuss taboo topics. It became clear to Ferring that if they wanted to reach TTC audiences, these bloggers would be an authentic and trusted voice to bridge the current gap.

Working with CCA, Ferring brought together a diverse group of ten key influencers from the UK, Sweden and Germany for its first European IVF Blogger Summit. Held in London, the event provided an opportunity for the influencers to share their experiences of the fertility process with Ferring. Some of this content was captured in the form of video and other media to be used as part of Ferring’s #ProjectFamily campaign on social media.
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Results

The Summit successfully generated:
  • 24 key insights (against a target of eight) surrounding the fertility experience, reasons for sharing online, hopes for the future, and ways of working collaboratively
  • Diverse and relatable content for use on social media and external communications – including one mural illustration, 17 individual illustrations, a time-lapse mural video, seven video interviews in English and four in local languages
  • An average of 53 engagements per post (against a target of 10) across Ferring social channels
  • Change in awareness and perception of the brand - 100% of attendees said they had a positive perception of Ferring following the event and would be open to future collaborations

What can we learn from this example?

  • Influencer marketing can deliver insight - leveraging influencers in a consultative capacity can deliver rich audience insights that can inform your long term communications and marketing activities.
  • It's valuable to build long term relationships - this doesn't mean you need to sign a multi-year deal with an influencer, but laying the foundations to establish open lines of communication and an ongoing relationship can reduce the time to on-boarding time when there is an opportunity.

Example 5: Tackling weight stigma

Novo Nordisk
With a high profile collaboration with Queen Latifa under their belts, Novo Nordisk are no stranger to collaborating with influencers. Their campaign to raise awareness of weight stigma in the UK, Break Free, sees Novo Nordisk partner with a range of influencers, including Dr Zoe Williams, personal trainer and sports scientist Luke Worthington, and Great British Bake-Off finalist Laura Adlington.

Novo created "Break Free FM", a series of podcast episodes aiming to share experiences and bust myths around weight management. This was promoted by Novo Nordisk and also shared across the influencers' networks, maximising audience reach. By selecting a range of influencers, Novo Nordisk were able to deliver on multiple objectives - raising awareness and educating with professionals like Dr Zoe Williams, and increasing personal relevance through engaging influencers like Laura Adlington who could share their personal stories.

What can we learn from this example?

  • It takes a village - consider partnering with more than one influencer to maximise your audience reach and show a diverse range of experiences to increase relevancy.
  • Take time to find the right influencer - Laura was a perfect choice for this campaign - her Instagram feed is awash with body positive messages and she brings a credible and authentic voice to Break Free FM.
  • Consider bringing influencers together to participate in an activity - while influencers can post content on their profiles, there are a range of other activities they could participate in, such as joining an influencer summit or think tank to discuss and tackle key issues.

Top tips for pharma marketers

For marketers looking to make influencer partnerships a success, here a a few key tips below. You can find a full step-by-step framework for working with influencers, along with many more practical suggestions, in our Working with Social Media Influencers in Pharma course.
  • Pharma timelines are often much longer than the consumer campaigns influencers are used to. Setting clear, realistic timelines upfront and communicating these early helps influencers decide if the partnership is a good fit and prevents frustration from longer timelines.
  • Have a clear plan for how you want to work with influencers before you start searching for names. This helps you identify people who are genuinely suited to the job. If you collect a list of influencers without knowing what you want them to do, that research often ends up sitting unused.
  • Influencers have their own distinctive content style, which is exactly what has made them successful and why you want to partner with them. Your brief should give them room to be creative. Be clear about mandatory messaging, key points and any no-go areas, but then allow them to propose how they want to bring the brief to life.
  • We highly recommend that every influencer receives a one-on-one call to run through the brief to ensure they understand all compliance requirements and restrictions of working in a highly regulated industry like healthcare. Your agency would likely lead this call, but if possible we recommend that you have a representative from your company on this call as well. 
  • Comment moderation is an area that’s surprisingly often overlooked. If an influencer posts on their own social channels and comments are enabled, you are responsible for monitoring those comments for compliance and for managing any potential adverse events. Make sure you know which social media account you will use if you need to reply to comments on their posts (such as a to provide information in response to an AE).

    There are several ways to manage this. You can choose formats where the influencer turns comments off, or you can agree on a specific date when comments will be disabled or the post will be removed. This gives you a clear end point for monitoring. You should also give the influencer clear guidance on how to handle incoming comments, what they should respond to, and what you will take care of. In the influencer’s contract, include a clause requiring them to remove any comments you flag as non-compliant. 

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