#036 · 01 June 2025

Hello, hola, konnichiwa!

Yes, it’s been a while. I feel like this has become my opening gambit for every issue these days.

Truth is, I’ve put the brakes on a bit lately… not just writing, but on lots of stuff. My Duolingo streak is on life support, limping along with the bare minimum. My Nintendo Switch is gathering dust. Social media hasn’t delivered dopamine for months. I’m not binging on LinkedIn marketing hot takes anymore. And the news is just depressing.

I’ve opted for a much slower pace for Q2. And when something gives, something else can take. Absorbing myself in fantasy and fiction, on screen and in books. Fueling the creative side of my brain and giving the left side a chance to quietly restore. But even rest can become all-consuming. The cliffhanger at the end of an episode, chapter or manga volume is intoxicating. The need to watch or read the next is irresistible. It’s led to late nights and left me awash with awe for the talent behind those things that have me so completely captivated. Even the logical side of my brain can’t help but tune in, trying to make sense of the magic that has me hooked.

Ahhhh, switching off is difficult when you have a busy brain. My one saving grace from this downtime is discovering my local library has an amazing collection of manga, so while I’ve been burning through two volumes a week, my bank balance has come off unscathed. Dreamy.

As for this moment, right now, I am writing. It’s half-term and I’m sitting at the soft play. The boys are deep in the trenches of the foamy battleground, riding out their sugar high after demolishing chocolate cupcakes. You could say the soundscape here is like white noise, if white noise were having some sort of breakdown. Hardly the best environment for writing, but I’ll take it. The boys are so occupied with running, bouncing, swinging, sliding, and climbing, that I can actually keep my head down.

I’m not even sure what I’m going to share today, my bank of tabs is as long as an NHS waiting list… and just as chaotic! 

Have you got a brew ready?

From Dubai Chocolate to Ozempic

The hype curve has found health

I dunno about you, but I’ve been enjoying an iced blueberry matcha latte or two recently. So, I’m starting a little off topic (stay with me) with this Guardian piece: From matcha lattes to Dubai chocolate – how supermarkets fight to cope with TikTok trends. The article delves into how TikTok and Instagram’s algorithms are setting the cultural pace, and the supply chain scramble that follows.

It’s a change in power. Food fads were once exclusively dictated by supermarkets scouring menus from top restaurants. It was slow. Trends built over time. But in 2025, supermarkets are using AI tools to spot trends and get new products onto shelves within weeks. And when they hit, they explode. Products fly off the shelves. Mass appeal becomes mass demand. Supply chains buckle, and prices spike.

Matcha lattes and Dubai chocolate are the stars of the show. The matcha industry is imposing purchase limits on the green powder, and pistachio prices have jumped nearly 35%. It’s beyond consumer curiosity, it’s scaled desire and demand.

And it got me thinking…. This cultural machine applies to healthcare too.

Just look at semaglutide and tirzepitide: Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound. These drugs became an overnight cultural phenomenon. As demand soared, supply wavered. The success caught the companies off guard.

Is this unique to weight loss? Or is this a bigger shift we need to prepare for?

So, what would happen if pre-TikTok blockbusters launched today? Viagra, Prozac, Accutane, Adderall, Plan B. They all reached cultural status, but this took time, through media, marketing and word of mouth. But this is a slow burn in comparison to how they’d explode today.

Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have turned health into table talk. Stigmas have softened. Conditions and treatments are an open discussion. These are narratives generated by people. Your product exists in their world, if it works for them, they’ll share it. They control the message. Not you. Not the doctor. Not a core claim or Veeva-approved line in sight.

And the algorithm loves a story. Whether it’s about a matcha latte or a medicine. These stories build empires and break supply chains.

Marketers need to be ready. Virality isn’t a fluke, its a function of the ecosystem we now work in. So if you ask me, Ozempic is just the beginning. 

And pharma? It is not ready for this! 

The iconic British clothing brand Fred Perry has just given the world a lesson in what inclusive and accessible design looks like, with the launch of the Adaptive Fred Perry Shirt. Based on the classic M3600, it features two magnetic fastenings. A simple but powerful tweak that makes dressing easier for people with low dexterity and accessibility needs.

Once upon a prescription

Organon leans into Romantasy for latest ad

Here I am again, talking about the sheer influence of TikTok… this time, the rise of the romantasy book genre. Why? Because Organon’s contraceptive implant, Nexplanon, has recently dropped a TV ad in the States, and it fully leans into the trend.

Watch here

First off… what is romantacy? As the name implies, it’s a mash-up of romance and fantasy. It’s hardly a new concept, but thanks to popular titles like A Court of Thorns and Roses (or ACOTAR to those in the know) and a deep appreciation on TikTok’s BookTok, the concept has gone mainstream. If you are looking for a deeper dive, this 2024 article from Jodi McAlister and Kate Cuthbert over at The Conversation is a good place to start.

Back to the ad.

As ads go, it’s… fine. We’re not talking award-winning craft, scripts or performances here. But it does feel different, breaking from the usual “empower women” tropes you’d expect from the contraceptive category, and that’s worth talking about.

It taps into familiar truths around feelings of protection and freedom, and turns the dial up through the lens of romantasy. I mean, haven’t we all dreamed of being an elf in the forest with a rugged human, ready to roll around in the moss without the fear of interspecies accidental pregnancy? OK, maybe not all of us. But according to this interview in MM+M, Organon’s marketing team were hoping to leverage the trend to cut through and broaden awareness of contraceptive options.

The campaign is showing promising early results, especially in TikTok, with video rates two times above the industry benchmark. This is one to keep an eye on. And if women continue to engage with the campaign the way they are, maybe Organon really is onto a winner.

I love that this old Debenhams in Bristol has been transformed into a skate park. It’s just a brilliant story about saving the high street, reimagining derelict spaces and breathing life back into city centres. Built for  the community, and creating blueprints for others to follow. The initiative is a great reminder that when we think outside the box, we can build things that aren’t just useful, but a bit blooming joyous. More please!!  🙏

If it can happen to Harrods

It will happen in health

If you’ve somehow missed the recent retail cyber attacks on M&S, Co-op and Harrods, how, please? With the rise of lifestyle health, which is inherently more consumerised and data reliant, it is the right moment to reflect on the vulnerability this creates.

I was asked to contribute to an article at the end of 2024, for my 2025 digital health predictions… My observations weren’t used (I’m over it), but with the strict 150-word limit and my most professional voice, I said this:

So, as retail recovers from this string of high-profile cyberattacks, I can’t help but wonder if healthcare is paying close enough attention. Data breaches, yes, but this is also a failure to customers, a confidence breach if you will. An exposé into just how vulnerable big data-rich brands can be. 

But we cannot think about health data like retail data. The stakes are much higher, the breaches far more personal, with the damage running much deeper. Complacency is dangerous. Big retail is signalling what’s next, and I question if we’re seeing enough noise from digital health to transparently build confidence, show us it’s prepared.

So, how are you feeling about cybersecurity in health right now? Complacent? Confident? Curious? Let me know!

Here are some recommendations to dive into over the next few weeks:

📺 Watch: “Common People” - Black Mirror Season 7, Episode 1 - Netflix

🎧 Listen: How Pfizer made the highest scoring Pharma ad of all time, with Susan Rienow - Uncensored CMO (or wherever you listen to your podcasts)

📖 Read: Every doctor is a writer: On the end of note-writing and meaning-making in medicine by Christing Hennerberg - Stat

Right then, readers. That’s your lot.

Between the start and finish of writing this, May turned into June. The weather shifted from sea mist to blistering sunshine. And I moved from soft play hell to the comfort and tranquil vibes of my bay window.

I’ve been resisting the pull of all my self-imposed rewards for finishing issue #036, including two unwatched episodes of To Be Hero X, and the reams of end-of-season Doctor Who content online (no spoilers, sweetie). A rabbit hole I may never escape. If you’ve watched the finale, email me your thoughts. I’d love to hear them.

As always, please share POPhealth with a colleague or friend. Especially if you’ve been inspired by the content today. I’m always so grateful for your support.

Until the next one, whenever that may be…

EML ✌️