Practo urges India to rise above doubts and seek experts’ advice with its new campaign #HelloDoctor

Bangalore: Every healthcare journey begins with the appearance of a symptom. And every symptom comes with a decision to be made: what to do next? Depending on whether the symptom is mild or severe, the patient or the caretaker ends up deciding the further course of treatment amidst looming doubts. Rooted in this thought, Practo, India’s leading digital healthcare company has launched its new TVC campaign, #HelloDoctor to urge India to rise above doubts and seek an expert’s advice, just a video call away. The true essence of the campaign lies in the fact that there is no place for doubt when it comes to healthcare, and the course of treatment is best decided after consulting an expert.

This 10-week campaign, slated to go live this week will be powered by six films in seven different languages. 13000+ spots across 100+ channels in the country including TV & digital media (Youtube, facebook, Instagram, Twitter and more) would be covered as part of this consumer marketing campaign. Links to the TVCs: Link 1 and Link 2.

Conceptualised and developed by Spring Marketing Capital, the TVCs are inspired by real-life health conversations of different families who, though unsure of the health problem, decide the next course of action either by self-medication or ignoring the first sign of symptoms. Through a light-hearted take, these films encapsulate the healthcare journey of families, their reaction to symptoms; ultimately highlighting Practo’s expertise in online video consultations. With video consultations being available to people 24*7, access to thousands of verified doctors from across specialties has become easier. Practo intends to make each user’s journey to quality healthcare convenient, accessible and affordable.

Siddhartha Nihalani, VP – Products, Practo, said, “The key to good health is taking the right decision at the right time. The first course of action is the most important part of the healthcare journey and we often make the mistake of deciding that ourselves, inadvertently putting our and our families’ health at risk. Consulting qualified doctors at the very first sign of a medical symptom can prevent healthcare problems from aggravating. Technology has helped us find a perfect solution in video consultations as it provides 24*7 easy access to verified doctors in less than a minute. It’s time we stop guessing and start consulting doctors at the onset of the very first medical symptom.”

“The campaign reflects our commitment to enable quality healthcare access to a billion+ Indian through doctor consultations,” he adds.

In the first film, a family is seen discussing their grandmother’s skin problem. The mother and father are shown to be suggesting home remedies or over-the-top creams as initial treatment albeit with doubts while debating over the safety of visiting a hospital. Their daughter intervenes and asks them the million-dollar question – ‘Since it’s a matter of grandmother’s health shouldn’t we ask the experts?’, and then goes on to help the grandmother video consult a doctor on Practo. The second film showcases a scenario in which the mother of a small boy tells her yoga teacher during her online class that her son has been suffering from stomach pain since the previous night. When the teacher asks her about the treatment, the mother replies about getting over-the-top medicines from a pharmacist. The teacher tells the mother to consult a doctor since it’s about the child’s health and goes on to explain how easy it is to video consult a doctor on Practo, as it’s similar to connecting with her on video classes.

Arun Iyer, Founding Partner, Spring Marketing Capital, said, “Working on the new campaign for Practo was both exciting and challenging. Given the times we’re in, most medical messaging we hear revolves around Covid-19. But the truth is, the so-called “regular” health concerns haven’t gone anywhere, right? The tummy aches, the headaches, the skin concerns… We still need timely access to good healthcare. And that’s where Practo comes in. At a time when stepping out of the house to see a doctor can feel like a health risk in itself, offering 24×7 video consultation with top doctors helps address symptoms & concerns early and safely.

The messaging of “Hello, Doctor” was borne of the universal nature of that line, as well as the sense of relief it brings. We can all relate to feeling a little bit more at ease when we get to speak to a doctor about the symptoms that concern us. It’s a sentiment that transcends languages, regions, et al. Simple, yet resounding,” Iyer adds.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has only accentuated people’s doubts in the health decisions they make for themselves, family and friends by self-diagnosing and self-medicating. After years of working on refining the telemedicine service, Practo has seen a strong acceptance of video consultations with doctors amongst users. Some of the reasons for this include easy accessibility to top doctors, effective way of solving common health problems without visiting clinics or hospitals, ability to help the patient instantly connect with a specialist during emergency situations and enabling regular healthcare consultations for the entire family from the comfort of their homes.