• by Les Luchter , February 26, 2024

Responding to a proliferation of social media videos linking allergies to leaky guts, suggesting honey or dairy-free diets as allergy cure-alls, and otherwise spreading purported misinformation, Kenvue’s Zyrtec now offers ZyrTalk, an allergy education platform.

ZyrTalk itself began as a series of social media videos last year before expanding and adding a dedicated site on Zyrtec.com several weeks ago.

The site not only includes more than two dozen videos from young Kenvue scientists, identified by first names only, but also an “Allergy Guide” containing about 90 articles.  The videos can also be found on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

The videos, one to two minutes in length, are designed to make the science behind allergies simple, accessible, entertaining and informative, Jenn Lovell, Kenvue’s head of U.S. Allergy, tells Marketing Daily.

“We’re mining for social trends and myths about allergies that ZyrTalkcan help debunk, she says.“Some examples include how to tell the difference between cold and allergies, why your Christmas tree might be an allergy trigger, and how wildfires may impact allergy sufferers.”

In addition to current trends, content added throughout the year will also relate to the corresponding seasons, Lovell says.

The need for “science-backed content people can trust,” she adds, is demonstrated by statistics like January Spate data showing 39.6% monthly growth in TikTok views for “Allergy Relief,” as well as studies showing that “false or misleading health information may spread more easily than scientific knowledge through social media” and that “one in five Americans turn to TikTok before their doctor when seeking treatment for a health condition.”

To reach ZyrTalk’s intended audience of “anyone with allergies or questions about allergy symptoms,” Lovell says Zyrtec has been promoting the platform organically through its own social media platforms and its “Z-Squad” of influencers.

But, she reveals, “moving forward, we plan to utilize some paid media spend on social platforms to increase our audience and reach to not only Zyrtecusers but all allergy sufferers, so that we can be a resource for allergy information for sufferers of varying degrees.”