Picture tens of thousands of fans pouring out of New York City’s Madison Square Garden after a Harry Styles show, hoarse from shouting along to his hits for two straight hours, only to look up at a marquee display ad timed perfectly to the moment.
“I need a PCP for the voice I’m going to lose tonight,” and “I need an ENT because my ears are about to ring.”
These billboards capture how patient needs actually start in everyday life. People want to find the right provider the moment they need it. Booking a doctor visit shouldn’t feel like an overwhelming chore.
The MSG takeover captures the essence of Zocdoc’s new brand campaign, Ready to Be Seen? According to a new Zocdoc survey, 42% of patients say finding and booking a doctor feels like finding a needle in a haystack, and 48% of people say they dread it. Not surprisingly, nearly one in three patients has given up on booking a medical appointment simply because scheduling was too much of a hassle.
And while the survey found that one in two patients say they wish healthcare providers took more time to understand them, the benefit of finding the right provider is immense: 71% say they are more likely to be honest with a doctor when they feel understood.
“There’s the practical need to get into a doctor’s office, but also the human need to feel seen when you get there,” says Alexa Levine, Senior Manager, Brand at Zocdoc. “Zocdoc plays a dual role. We strip away the friction of getting through the door, and we connect you with someone who actually makes you feel seen and heard.”
The campaign’s messages bridge the logistics of booking a provider appointment (“getting seen”) with the human desire for personal fit (“feeling seen”)
For practice leaders, Ready to Be Seen? offers a direct look at how modern patients actually decide to book care.
Bridging utility and empathy
Running from mid-September through early November across New York City and Houston, Zocdoc’s Ready to Be Seen? campaign spans TV, out-of-home, streaming audio, social media, and other cross-channel formats.
The media footprint is broad while the creative messages zero in on a simple truth: Many patients don’t realize they can easily find and book a provider who gets their everyday life.
Our survey found that 32% of people have withheld medically relevant information from their doctor, most commonly because they feared being judged or lectured. Zocdoc’s own platform data underscores that care chemistry is a critical driver of patient behavior. While patients searching online compare an average of 21 provider profiles before choosing one, 84% stick with the same provider once they find the right fit. A positive connection with a provider matters twice as much as practical considerations like office location.
“We know patients don’t just want to get seen, they want to feel seen by the right provider. So every execution is rooted in a real, specific patient truth: the often unsaid thing they actually need from a provider in that moment, in that place, in their life,” says Tom Gibson, Head of Brand at Zocdoc.
The campaign is built around a variety of patient needs and provider specialties so that patients can see themselves and the breadth of care options that exist for them on Zocdoc.
Examples include:
- In trendy shopping districts: “I need a podiatrist who appreciates shoes make the outfit.”
- On kiosks in downtown Houston where busy professionals work: “I need a dentist with an opening during lunch.”
- Nestled in residential neighborhoods in a range of life stages: “I need an allergist who gets the girlfriend and cat are a package deal” or “I need a pediatrician ASAP because ours is on vacation but this rash isn’t going anywhere.”
The surround-sound messaging of a cross-channel campaign is what builds awareness and patient trust over time, according to Michele Sutker, Group Marketing Manager at Zocdoc: “And that’s the perfect combination to turn a passing thought into a booked appointment.”
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