Text adapted from Stratégies magazine, No. 2298 (Dossier Santé), written by Sarah Najid (CBA Growth, Marketing and Communication Director).
Anxiety, sleep, menstruation: behind every health ailment, there is a solitude. Brands that dare to understand this feeling, and create spaces for recognition to lift taboos, are doing more than marketing. They are creating belonging. And that creates growth.
Understand Before you Create.
86% of consumers believe all brands look alike¹. In health, particularly in OTC (Over-The-Counter) products, this lack of differentiation comes at a cost: substitution, erosion of preference, loss of margin. But audacity doesn’t start with a creative flourish. It begins with understanding the lived experience. Not just the symptoms, but what people truly go through: the anxiety one dares not name, the sleep one struggles to reclaim, the solitude in the face of malaise. It is this deep understanding that reveals the insight: behind every health problem, there is a solitude. And breaking this solitude is creating growth.
86% of consumers believe all brands look alike¹. In health, particularly in OTC (Over-The-Counter) products, this lack of differentiation comes at a cost: substitution, erosion of preference, loss of margin. But audacity doesn’t start with a creative flourish. It begins with understanding the lived experience. Not just the symptoms, but what people truly go through: the anxiety one dares not name, the sleep one struggles to reclaim, the solitude in the face of malaise. It is this deep understanding that reveals the insight: behind every health problem, there is a solitude. And breaking this solitude is creating growth.
But daring in health means walking a tightrope. Too institutional, and you’re invisible. Too lifestyle, and you lose credibility. The French are unforgiving: 86% prefer humble brands, and 71% distrust what they read¹. In a highly regulated European landscape, successful brands combine audacity with pharmaceutical rigor. They dare to show emotion; without drifting into “wellness fluff.”
Audacity in Health: Uniting
CBA specializes in leveraging innovative brand strategies to redefine categories and build strong communities. For the health industry this means consistently demonstrates how embracing boldness can foster profound unity and connection.
Triptomax
From “I am alone” to “we are many.” Emotional health. A French taboo, a ‘cold’ category. The starting point was the feeling: anxiety, stress – it’s primarily the solitude of feeling abnormal or out of place.
The answer: Max, an illustrated brain that navigates these moods. Audacity begins on the packaging: vibrant magenta, an empathetic tone, with Max humanizing the product right on the shelf. Then it extends beyond the pack: on social media, Max sparks conversation. “You feel this way too? That’s normal.” Meme language, humor, peer-to-peer.
The result: thousands of interactions, destigmatized conversations, a community that transforms. And this transformation, from solitude to belonging, creates preference, loyalty, and growth.
Dormi
From “I can’t do it” to “us too.” Here, the same approach: understand first. Sleep is often an anxiety experienced alone.
The answer: on the pack, reassuring colors and clarity. Beyond the pack, a soothing territory: the evening ritual. “Slow evening,” micro-gestures, gentle preparation. A peer-to-peer tone of voice: inform, not prescribe.
The result: a community that recognizes itself, an umbrella brand that unites.
And examples abound:
- Billie invades Paris with giant armpits: body positivity.
- Libresse shows menstrual blood, committing to fighting period poverty.
- Hims destigmatizes baldness and male sexual health.
These brands create spaces where people recognize themselves, speak out, and accept themselves. From solitude to community. 79% of consumers want their money to go to brands that reflect their values¹.
Audacity is first and foremost a cultural understanding. Breaking solitude in health requires deep observation: listening to cultural taboos and unspoken truths. Then daring: on the packaging, in the voice, in the commitment. Audacity isn’t just visual. Brands must build this difference everywhere. Transforming solitude into belonging is transforming belonging into growth.
Cold brands isolate.
Human brands unite.
Sources: ¹ VML, Future 100 Report, 2026
Cold brands isolate.
Human brands unite.
Sources: ¹ VML, Future 100 Report, 2026