Brands, Loneliness, Reps and Joe Rogan
- Sascha B
- 14. Jan.
- 2 Min. Lesezeit
How rising levels of loneliness are making personal relationships the most influential brand vehicle ever.
Sascha Burger @sbu
Published on January 14th, 2025
12% of Americans say they have zero close friends, up from just 3% in 1990.1 Half of the US population says they are struggling with loneliness.2
The implication is simple: Nearly everyone you know is craving a friend. Whether they realize it or not, this subconscious need for connection drives much of our behavior online. The internet has become a digital mirror of our loneliness - an endless stream of people searching for other people.
Consider YouTube, where the highest-performing videos consistently feature thumbnails with giant human faces. Or Instagram, where pictures with human faces are 38% more likely to get a like than those without.3 The algorithm is the purest reflection of what we crave, and the message is unmistakable: We crave people most.
In a world where connection feels scarce, the winners will be those who understand this truth and act on it.
For MedTech, this has profound implications. HCPs no longer want to engage with faceless corporations. Nor do they want superficial acquaintances (there are literally billions of those to be made online). Instead, they really want to know people, to understand them, to be familiar with the intimate details of their lives, and for them to understand them. In other words, HCPs want friends - individuals they trust - experts who provide not just solutions but also understanding and empathy. Sales reps, often the first human connection a customer has with a company, are uniquely positioned to meet this need.
Here is a relatable example: Joe Rogan’s podcast now commands 4x more downloads than the average primetime viewership of CNN. The key difference between Rogan and the networks isn’t political - it’s personal. CNN is a brand. Joe Rogan is a person. This distinction runs deep, from the name (a faceless acronym vs. an individual) to the identity (a corporate logo vs. a human face) to the product (highly produced “news” vs. unscripted, relatable conversations).
In the MedTech world, this dynamic mirrors a growing divide between companies that cling to traditional, brand-centric approaches and those that embrace the power of human connection. Customers don’t want to engage with faceless corporations. They crave authentic relationships with individuals who understand their challenges and speak with empathy and expertise. YOUR REPS.
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