Wisp intends to utilize influencers to destigmatize sexual health through humor and education

The U.S.-based company Wisp, which provides telehealth services and primary care, is aiming to de-stigmatize the talk of sexual health.

This direct-to-consumer brand is utilizing environmental influencer Hila The Earth (143,000 followers) to increase awareness of Wisp and positive talk on sexual health by rapping about vaginal anatomy in a sex-ed video. Using humor, Hila explains how the vagina works to her viewers and followers on Instagram via her Reels.

Through its incorporation of entertainment and education, Wisp not only hopes to eliminate stigmas surrounding women’s sexual health but also strives to create a positive and inclusive environment throughout its community, according to Jenny Dwork, VP of Brand Marketing at Wisp. The campaign launched on January 17th, and will have another influencer for its February campaign.

“It’s really important that we educate and we also lead with humor because we know humor is a universal language that cuts through,” Said Dwork. “And if you get someone to laugh at something, they’re not going to think it’s such a big deal and it’s going to relate to them.”

Despite the fact that the brand can publish organic content on its TikTok account, Dwork said they cannot advertise there because of the platform’s advertising policy on words associated with sexual health and prescription drugs. Because certain things are subject to censorship, the brand is unable to address STDs in its TikTok ads. For this campaign, Wisp shifted its focus to Instagram.

“It’s just one of those things that we have to deal with being in a new and emerging industry that’s in a sensitive area and we understand a lot of these checks and regulations are in place to try to protect the consumer is what we gather,” she said. “But oftentimes [they’re] just a little antiquated.”

As part of the broader campaign Wisp invested in last fall, the brand ran a digital outdoor advertising campaign with the word “vagina” as part of a broader effort to normalize the word and improve access to women’s health, which was the first time that the word had appeared on a billboard in Times Square. Wisp also invested in OOH in Times Square in 2022, but it was toned down.

“We shine a spotlight on it because the more you talk about it, the more it becomes normal,” said Dwork. “And through that, we believe that if you are able to talk about things, then there’s going to be more of a spotlight on it.” Dwork also emphasized the importance of ensuring accurate information in the women’s health space, acknowledging the prevalence of misinformation.

Dwork said the brand spent $560,000 on its CTV campaign in 2023, but she did not disclose how much is planned for paid advertising in 2024.

Wisp is experiencing growth on Instagram and TikTok, establishing its online presence. According to the social media analytical tool Supermetrics, In January 2022, Wisp had 9,500 followers on Instagram, and by December 2022, it doubled to 18,000 followers The momentum continued into 2023, starting with 18,000 followers in January and 27,000 followers by December. On TikTok, Wisp started 2023 with 28,000 followers and closed December with more than 50,000 followers. 

Dr. Anastasia Kārkliņa Gabriel, cultural theorist and strategist and the author of Cultural Intelligence for Marketers: Building an Inclusive Marketing Strategy, explained that in culture, stigma operates to reinforce norms by linking specific behaviors, traits, or identities with shame. According to Dr. Gabriel, humor plays a crucial role in dismantling these rigid distinctions, as it has the ability to humanize uncomfortable topics and make them more universally relatable.

“When we laugh together at a stigmatized issue, that moment of laughter itself creates a shared experience,” said Dr. Gabriel. “With this realization, we can begin to question why something is stigmatized in the first place.”