If you’re reading this, you might already be a little surprised by the title of this article. MedTech? Dunn&Co.? I thought they did a lot of work with restaurants, sports and tourism clients?
It’s become a bit of a poorly kept secret at this point that healthcare is a huge part of what we do at Dunn&Co. To be more specific, we’ve been working with clients in the MedTech space for well over 20 years. New product launches are a particular area of focus for us. And as a result, we’d like to offer a bit of a hot take:
Despite the innovation and life-saving potential behind many MedTech products, many launches still land with a soft thud.
The engineering is world-class. The vision is clear. But the advertising? It’s safe, cliché, and forgettable. Wallpaper.
And that’s a problem. A great product that no one remembers isn’t going to change minds, win budgets, or shift behavior. Especially when the competition looks exactly the same.
So… how do you make a MedTech launch that actually breaks through?
MedTech campaigns tend to fall into one of two traps. Some play it too safe with sterile messaging and familiar visuals.
Others chase the latest buzzwords only to end up with a vague, high-level value proposition. Some manage to do both. Either way, you get a campaign that fails to connect with the needs and lived experiences of each audience.
Secondary messaging and key claims lack thematic focus. Performance metrics and intermediate KPIs become the north star,even when they distract from the bigger picture. And the fear of what won’t make it through Medical, Legal and Regulatory (MLR) review stops great ideas before they ever get a chance.
That’s how the wallpaper happens. Bit by bit, layer by layer, until the unique value the product or service offers fades into the background.
But it doesn’t have to.
We’ve seen it across different types of launches, from targeted medical device campaigns to broader brand efforts. The ones that resonate always have one thing in common. They make each audience feel something. That emotional connection, the one that perfectly expresses the key benefit but in a relatable way, is what turns a message into a moment. It’s what makes a launch stick.
Here is how you can do the same.
- Touch the product
You wouldn’t write a restaurant review without tasting the food, so why build a MedTech campaign without ever touching the product? A spec sheet can tell you the features, but it won’t tell you what it feels like when a button gets pressed, a setting gets configured or a connector clicks perfectly into place. Getting hands-on – or at least spending a lot of time talking to the physicians who use a product – makes a difference. You notice things. Small things. Useful things. The kinds of insights that don’t show up in a readout slide deck but absolutely show up in the work. - Speak human
Because most MedTech is B2B, its advertising tends to fall into the B2B trap. Remember: whether you’re talking to a nurse, an interventional cardiologist, or a hospital CFO, you’re still talking to a person. B2B buyers might wear lab coats or spend their work day in spreadsheets, but they’re not robots. They’re tired. They’re stressed. They’re hopeful. Make sure your messaging connects with these realities. Sometimes, we think of these people as solely rational decision makers.. But every stakeholder brings lived experience into the room. - Mix the right creative team
The best way to avoid sameness is to assemble a diverse creative team – including creatives who don’t usually work on healthcare or B2B projects. Intentionally pair healthcare writers with consumer creatives, people who’ve worked on fast food, fashion, or tech. That cross-pollination brings unexpected ideas. Of course, not all of them work. Some pairs swing too hard. But that’s the point. We’d rather edit down something bold than build up something bland. - Push the idea further than feels comfortable
If your creative concept doesn’t make you at least a little nervous, it might not be the right one. That discomfort usually means you’re onto something with energy. Too often, teams take ideas off the table before they ever make it into the room, assuming a client will never go for it or that MLR will shut it down. But one bold idea can shift the entire conversation. Even if it’s not the final pick, it helps define the edges and move the thinking forward. Clients appreciate the range, even when the more out-there ideas don’t get chosen. - Give MLR a seat at the table, not a voice in your head
You’ll never know what’s truly off-limits until you ask. Share the idea early. Walk your MLR leads through the strategy and the claims you want to make. The more context they have, the more helpful their feedback will be. You will still need to make edits, but now you’re doing it with clarity, not guesswork. And more often than not, you’ll find there’s more room to play than you thought. - Build for continuity, not just launch
Most MedTech campaigns get passed through dozens of hands: internal teams, global leads, regional marketers, and multiple agencies. The original strategy can get diluted fast. You need someone who stays close from the first workshop all the way to the last ad buy. Whether that’s an internal marketer or a committed agency partner, having a creative constant makes sure your story stays consistent from upstream to down.
Creativity in MedTech advertising isn’t a luxury. It’s the difference between being seen and being remembered. Between launching a product and launching a brand. Yes, the space is regulated. Yes, the buying process is often complex. But the job is still the same. Move people. And to do that, we have to start treating MedTech advertising like what it really is: a human connection.