Science Meets Content Marketing

Imagine you’re in a race to develop a new product; the entire world is watching this race and waiting for the leaders to cross the line. Would you produce a video series in real time about your participation in that race?

Wait, before you answer that question, consider this: While you’re producing these videos, someone else wins the race. In fact, you’re gonna finish third, maybe, in this race. Do you keep broadcasting your story about the development?

Science = News = Content Marketing

The race is Covid-19 vaccine development. The “racer” is Johnson & Johnson. And its video series “Road To A Vaccine” is one of the most interesting content-marketing strategies ever. It’s also a fascinating study in the distribution of news and information about science. To be fair, J & J calls it a “Road” and not a “Race.” But to the world, it’s a race.

Why did Johnson & Johnson create this series, which launched in April 2020? And why is it about to launch Season 3 in early February, when two competitors have beat them to vaccine distribution?

“This novel approach to communicating insights about vaccines is a first-of-its-kind for Johnson & Johnson and the broader industry,” said Michael Sneed, J & J Chief Communications Officer, in an interview with Forbes magazine, “because pharmaceutical development is not usually synonymous with a social-first, digital content series. While we realize this series isn’t ‘the norm’ for our industry, we also recognize that this pandemic creates a need for progress updates, news and answers. Our goal is to inform our audience and bring in the world’s leading scientists, medical experts and others to share their knowledge in an accessible way.”

The series uses a well-known host interviewing scientists and medical experts you’ve likely seen on major TV news programs. While not an inexpensive marketing campaign – and “Road To A Vaccine” is indeed a marketing campaign – it’s a tiny fraction of the cost of vaccine development. In my opinion, it’s a massive success.

Four Important Points 

J & J does four things in the “Road To A Vaccine” series that make it valuable content marketing:

1. It delivers trustworthy information – science based, not politically driven.

2. It uses a familiar format that still innovates – a news-show setting streamed through social channels.

3. The topic is arguably the most important issue in our current lifetimes.

4. The company continues to tell its own story, even though competitors delivered product first.

The last point may be the most important one. Johnson & Johnson is telling its story its own way. No other company (that I’m aware of) has created a content marketing piece with so much weight. Millions of people have watched at least part of this series. I’ll be watching Season 3 and cheering for more communication of this kind – cheering for another vaccine too.