How Covid Test Marketing Is Changing As Cases Drop

On/Go

By Jade Yan, Published on March 11, 2022

Our work for On/Go was featured in Ad Age. Check it out here if you missed it:

“Demand for at-home COVID tests has been a fickle wave for brands to ride, rising and falling with the arrival of each new variant. Amid the current steep decline in cases, several test makers continue to pour more into marketing as they position their brands to expand into a range of testing beyond COVID.

Growth opportunities are driven by the rise in interest for at-home testing caused by the pandemic, said Susan Manber, chief patient officer at Publicis Health, which works with clinical labs and testing providers. But brands still see ongoing demand for COVID tests, as health specialists continue to emphasize the importance of testing for everyone, especially those who are immunocompromised. Test makers are also seeking to raise interest with sophisticated design elements, such as bright colors, simple design and portability.  

The marketing uptick includes new spending from COVID test brand On/Go, which recently launched its first national ad campaign called “It’s On.” The effort, which debuted in late February, places testing at the center of scenes depicting the return to normal life, including celebrations and family gatherings. Agency Circus Maximus handled the campaign. On/Go has also launched an app that logs peoples’ recent test results and includes a digital vaccine passport that allows people to carry their vaccine cards on their phones, as well as a digital toolkit that provides resources and next steps for people who test positive. 

The brand, which was launched by health tech company Intrivo, will expand into other medical diagnostic tests, said Intrivo’s co-CEO Ron Gutman, who previously founded medical advice startup HealthTap; he declined to say which other tests specifically. The company, founded during the beginning of the pandemic, has focused largely on digital advertising due to the desire for measurability, said Gutman, and targeted “early adopters.” 

Gutman said that although the brand’s messaging has varied at “different moments of the pandemic when there were testing shortages and spikes in cases,” its main message has focused on helping people “get back to living safer, healthier lives.”

Another testing manufacturer, Cue Health, gained major attention via a Super Bowl ad from Doner that personified its technology, using “Wonder Woman” actress Gal Gadot’s voice. Cue’s offerings include a home test reader that sells for $249 that the brand aims to expand beyond COVID tests, including for influenza, pregnancy and sexual health.

Cue declined to disclose metrics on how many new sales the Super Bowl ad caused. A spokesperson said it was “effective,” citing data from marketing analytics firm EDO showing it as the game’s second-ranked ad based on search engagement.

The brand wants to frame Cue’s testing technology as a permanently necessary smart device for peoples’ health, and aims to use its marketing to “educate people about this idea and claim this new space,” said the spokesperson in an email.”