ATLANTA [May 13, 2025] – Luckie & Co. has added an innovative company in the healthcare industry to its client roster. Echo IQ will be working with Luckie Health, a dedicated practice within the agency focused exclusively on solving business challenges for healthcare brands.

Echo IQ has developed AI-powered technologies that enhance the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. Luckie is managing brand positioning and visual identity, competitive and audience research, web design and sales materials for the North American market. The Australia-based company’s FDA-cleared platform, EchoSolv, produces risk assessments for patients using their echocardiographic measurements. Echo IQ is rolling out across North America this year.

“Echo IQ is launching a market-changing technology that vastly improves the detection of a number of life-threatening but often treatable conditions,” said John Petersen, General Manager of Luckie Health. “We started Luckie Health specifically to support transformative brands like this, and we couldn’t be prouder to partner with them.”

Luckie Health is ranked on MM+M’s 2024 Top 100 Healthcare Agency list and has a long history of partnerships with both legacy health brands and start-ups, including GlaxoSmithKline, Alimera Sciences, Galderma, Northside Hospital, Thomas Eye Care, ViiV Healthcare, Pfizer, and many more. Luckie Health offers a full suite of marketing services optimized for the healthcare sector and is HIPAA Type 1 and Type 2 SOC 2 certified.

ABOUT LUCKIE: One of the top privately-held agencies in the Southeast, Luckie is an insights-led marketing solutions firm for challenger brands in healthcare, travel & tourism, consumer packaged goods, and financial services. With offices in Atlanta and Birmingham, Luckie’s client roster includes Alabama Tourism Department, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, RaceTrac, Rivian and Regions Bank.

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Media Contacts:
Mary Eitel, 678.733.1535 | mary@mkecommunications.com
Nicholas Wolaver, 678.358.7476 | Nicholas.Wolaver@gmail.com

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One thing is clear: The consumer healthcare landscape is evolving fast — and unpredictably.

Here are a few themes that stood out:

1. Growth is steady, but so is uncertainty.
   The industry grew by 4% in 2024, reaching over $108 billion in U.S. sales. But that growth is tempered by declining consumer confidence, the lowest it’s been in a decade. Erosion of trust in healthcare companies and government agencies could be playing a huge role in lagging consumer confidence. Inflation and tariffs will impact sales for the foreseeable future, possibly eroding consumer confidence even further. Now more than ever, it’s important for brands to build trust with their consumers by being authentic and communicating the true value they bring.
2. Digital is reshaping the path to purchase.
   Over one-third of consumers now buy their healthcare products online, a 10% jump in just one year. Amazon, grocery and value retailers are leading the way, while drugstores are losing ground. By 2027, online research is expected to influence 70% of all consumer health purchases. The power shift to the consumer is undeniable. Brands need to focus on those online channels that tell their story and connect the consumer to their brands in an authentic way.
3. Brand agility is key.
   With consumers better educated and informed, and more in control than ever before, retailers and brands need to partner to communicate value and benefits in a meaningful way.

   Consumer trust, digital fluency and brand agility are now table stakes. Brands might have a great product, but that’s not enough anymore. You need to know how and where to meet your customers and to clearly communicate your value in an omnichannel way. What’s on the package, in videos, at the shelf and in the online reviews needs to be consistent to generate interest that leads to trial/purchase.

4. Challenger brands are rising up.
   It’s no longer about how much you spend. It’s about where you pay attention. In the past, the largest spend equaled the largest market share. That’s not the case today. There are many examples of challenger brands navigating the complex landscape and winning by focusing on consumers’ needs and how they shop. Using data and insights, they are learning more about their consumers and where to meet them.

As a marketing partner to several healthcare brands, Luckie is challenging the status quo and helping brands navigate this brave new world. We believe the brands that lean into smart data, meaningful content and omnichannel engagement will be the ones who thrive in this next era of self-care.

The post Navigating the (Near) Future of Consumer Health Products appeared first on Luckie.

Here is where I believe AI will have the greatest impact for healthcare marketing in 2025:

1. Personalized Patient Experiences: AI can analyze vast amounts of consumer data quickly, enabling hyper-personalization, from customized content delivery to individualized marketing messages based on behavioral insights.
2. Predictive Analytics for Marketing Impact: AI-powered analytics help forecast campaign performance, identify emerging market opportunities, and optimize audience targeting, enabling marketers to reach consumers and HCPs with the right message at the right time.
3. Marketing Automation and Creative Optimization: AI streamlines campaign execution while analyzing performance data to identify which messages and formats resonate most effectively. This enables marketing teams to scale their efforts efficiently while maintaining regulatory compliance.
4. Virtual Health Engagement: AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants enhance digital patient touchpoints, providing personalized interactions and 24/7 support that strengthen brand relationships while gathering valuable interaction data.

What’s your plan for taking advantage of the opportunities AI presents? Are you ready to roll or unsure of what it takes? Consider the following readiness questions:

• Do you have the right tools in place to leverage what AI offers?
• Is your data accurate, accessible and ready to be mined for actionable insights that speak directly to patient needs and provider expectations?
• Do you know your customers’ journey well enough to hyper-personalize communication based on their actions?
• Do you have a clear understanding of how predictive analytics can forecast campaign performance, optimize media spend, and adapt strategies dynamically to maximize your marketing investment?
• Does your marketing partner understand the complexities of this dynamic new ecosystem? Are they well versed in the regulatory standards that impact your business?

If you’re a challenger healthcare brand – or a legacy market leader – you already know the right business partner makes all the difference. If you’re looking to enter a new market, disrupt an established market, or find new ways to generate customer value, a smart and nimble marketing partner will help you capitalize on opportunities in the most efficient way possible.

Luckie helps challenger brands navigate the gap between cutting-edge technology and meaningful patient engagement. Let’s have a discussion about how we can help guide you through this transformative time in healthcare marketing. You can reach me at john.petersen@luckie.com.

The post Winning with AI: The Healthcare Marketer’s Roadmap for 2025 appeared first on Luckie.

Petersen has more than 30 years of experience in healthcare, pharmaceutical marketing, and consumer product sales. Prior to joining Luckie, his leadership roles included chief commercial officer at Crown Laboratories, head of consumer dermatology at Novartis, national channel director at AstraZeneca and VP consumer products at Galderma. In each position, Petersen consistently drove growth for new products, managing go-to-market plans and shaping brand engagement and communication with customers. Petersen has been with Luckie since 2022 and most recently was SVP of Client Services and Revenue.

“John’s experience in all phases of healthcare solutions and his proven track record, combined with his understanding of consumer behavior, make him an ideal fit to expand our footprint in this critical sector,” said John Gardner, president and CEO of Luckie. “I am confident his expertise will help elevate our clients’ brands and strengthen their connections with patients and healthcare providers.”

Luckie is ranked on MM+M’s 2024 Top 100 Healthcare Agency list and has a long history of partnerships with both legacy health brands and start-ups, including GlaxoSmithKline, Alimera Sciences, Galderma, Northside Hospital, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Southern Research, Thomas Eye Care, ViiV Healthcare, Pfizer, and many more. The company offers a full suite of marketing services optimized for the healthcare sector and is HIPAA Type 1 and Type 2 SOC 2 certified.

“Leading Luckie Health is an exciting opportunity to work with brands and team members that are passionate about making a real difference in people’s lives,” said Petersen. “We are building on Luckie’s legacy of excellence and continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible in healthcare marketing.”

ABOUT LUCKIE: One of the top privately-held agencies in the Southeast, Luckie is an insights-led marketing solutions firm for challenger brands in healthcare, travel & tourism, consumer packaged goods, and financial services. With offices in Atlanta and Birmingham, Luckie’s client roster includes GlaxoSmithKline, BCBSAL, Alabama Tourism Department, RaceTrac, and Regions Bank.

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Pharmacies have been a central part of health culture for centuries. Despite the dramatic rise of other outlets for purchasing over-the-counter (OTC) products, pharmacies remain a relevant and preferred location to shop for millions of consumers, according to the 2024 OTC guide by Pharmacy Times. With pharmacies – and the 155,000 pharmacists they employ – expected to deliver as much as one-third of all OTC sales this year, marketers of health and beauty products must still be present and successful in these aisles.

Here are three reminders as you build a marketing strategy to take advantage of the pharmacy opportunity.

Know who is shopping in pharmacies and how they like to shop – it’s not who you would suspect.

While boomers are frequent pharmacy shoppers, according to a study by Healthline, adults ages 18 to 34 actually shop in pharmacies more frequently than older consumers. Not only are they shopping for themselves, but they are also shopping for their families. While they are in the store, these Gen Z and millennial customers are walking the aisles looking for products that will improve their lives. When surveyed, millennials are most likely to say they are looking for new health and wellness products as they reach 40+.

Remember your most important influencers.

Expert advice – especially at the point of sale – plays a vital role in consumer buying. Recently, a friend experienced an allergic reaction while traveling on a business trip. The prescription medication for these symptoms was hundreds of miles away at home. Walking into a pharmacy to find an alternative, who did my friend turn to? The pharmacist. He’s not the only one; 57% of consumers learn about new products from healthcare professionals, including your local retail pharmacist. Make sure your marketing plans include pharmacist education so these critical influencers are aware of your product and well-prepared to talk about the benefits to their customers.

Make your strategy measurable. 

Connecting the online and in-store experiences by utilizing coupons or QR codes can help OTC marketers build 1-to-1 dialogue with customers and unlock invaluable insights. When one of our clients, a top dermatology brand, was launching the first line extension of their biggest OTC brand, the stakes were quite high. We knew rapid awareness and uptake were critical. To meet their business need, we created a digital campaign that included a website to serve as an education hub for eczema sufferers, social media sites (Facebook, Twitter) and a robust email strategy. We used digital coupons to drive website visitors to the pharmacy and to encourage them to talk to their family and friends about it. More than 22,0000 unique visitors went to the site three months before the product was available in stores, and 1,200 loyalty members shared the offer with 15,000 new consumers. Over 7,500 coupons were downloaded and more than 4,200 coupons were shared with friends and family, creating thousands of loyal users at launch. Without the connection between online activity and in-store sales through a coupon, we wouldn’t have been able to optimize the campaign for such incredible results.

For decades, NACDS’s Total Store Expo has been the place to learn about new health and wellness brands. As these new products reach store shelves, the ones that have the best chance of making it long-term will be the ones that embrace the pharmacy opportunity.

Are you preparing to launch a new health and wellness brand or revitalize an existing one? If you need a strategic marketing partner with experience building successful launch plans for health and wellness brands, contact John.Petersen@Luckie.com to learn more about Luckie Health.

Reference: https://www.healthlinemedia.com/insights/navigating-the-latest-consumer-trends-in-otc-retail

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Here are four takeaways that mirror how we at Luckie Health think and how we strategically approach marketing opportunities:

1. Shorter attentions spans mean embracing good storytelling, authenticity and personalization. Front and center in the minds of healthcare marketers is the fact that attention spans have become significantly shorter in the past 20 years. It was appropriate that this topic kicked off the first day of the conference. Dealing with reduced attention spans doesn’t make the job of a healthcare marketer impossible, but it does make it more difficult. Marketers who embrace good storytelling, authenticity and a focus on personalization in all marketing efforts will win in this new world.
2. Consumer behavior can be understood without our disclosing personal information. Despite HIPAA concerns, pending limitations on cookie use, and legal regulations at the state level limiting the use of consumer data by healthcare organizations, there are still multiple ways to better understand both the beliefs and behaviors of consumers without disclosing personal information. Data analysis techniques like using “clean rooms” and de-identified data, for example, give marketers ways to establish dialogue while protecting personal data and remaining compliant with current regulations. We as marketers need to acknowledge that the avalanche of digital data is overwhelming to interpret, but wrestling with the data to find insights will create better UI and UX and quite possibly lead to the resurgence of direct mail!
3. Healthcare consumers are people first. To build trust and relevance, we need to stop thinking all patients who have a specific condition are the same and instead take a more human-centric approach to understanding, segmenting and building dialogue. Consumer groups are made up of individuals with varied interests, cultures, beliefs and challenges. Targeting “groups” versus individuals erodes the relevance and reception of our messages.
4. Marketing success may require broadening your audience. Marketing’s over reliance on looking at sufferers (or patients) as the only audience worthy of interaction compounds the challenge of building trust and staying relevant. To be successful, we need to involve everyone who influences the health decisions of those living with an illness. Let’s move beyond tried-and-true market research methods and take a more innovative approach to understanding the impact of a stakeholder ecosystem.

What’s my most important takeaway? Consumers are over-saturated with content, both relevant and mis-targeted. In healthcare marketing, where consumers are paying closer attention, the implications of not addressing these facts multiply quickly. Luckie Health has collaborated with many clients to better target their most desirable consumers, establish connections and build loyalty. If you are wondering how to establish a richer relationship with consumers, give us a call.

The post What I Heard at DTC National 2024 appeared first on Luckie.

Kamala will be presenting with Lauren Folino, associate director of consumer marketing at Sage Therapeutics, from the Main Stage on Thursday, April 18.  

Session Topic:

Paradigm Shift – Navigating Disruption in Patient Marketing.  The dynamic landscape of direct-to-consumer marketing is continually challenged by cultural, demographic and technological changes. This session explores proven strategies to help healthcare marketers effectively navigate these disruptions and unlock the full potential of your marketing campaigns. Kamala and Lauren will discuss evolving trends – from advancements in technology to shifting patient behaviors – and provide insights on how pharma marketers can adapt and thrive in this challenging environment.  

Date:

• Thursday, April 18, 2024 

Time:

• 9:15-9:45 a.m. 

Location:

• Main Stage| Essex Center/South – The Westin Copley Place | Boston 

Registration link for the 2024 DTC National Conference: 

https://hu345.infusionsoft.app/app/storeFront/showCategoryPage?categoryId=4 

About Luckie Health:

Luckie Health is a dedicated practice within Luckie & Company focused exclusively on solving business challenges for healthcare brands. The agency collaborates with pharmaceutical companies, health plans, hospital systems and medical device manufacturers to build brands and customer experiences that drive impact across the patient-provider-payor continuum.  

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