• by Tim Ragland , May 7, 2025

Tim Ragland, VP of Growth and Strategy from Wisp writes “When costs increase, the industry faces a dilemma: raise prices and risk losing loyal customers — and potential new ones — or adapt our strategy.“

Most people don’t immediately associate trade policy with birth control or vaginal health. But behind the scenes, tariffs can quietly disrupt everything from supply chains to pricing strategies, which ultimately can lead to an adverse consumer experience.

For women’s telehealth brands like Wisp, tariffs are less about the taxes themselves and more about the less obvious effects, such as higher costs, shifting narratives, and a tighter fight for consumer trust and loyalty.

When costs increase, the industry faces a dilemma: raise prices and risk losing loyal customers — and potential new ones — or adapt our strategy. From a marketing perspective, at Wisp, this changes how we educate our current and prospective patients to help them navigate an environment where their wallet will be constricted.

We have to cut through the noise of just price tags and solidify our position, centering on value. This value at Wisp is all about price transparency, thoughtful promotional strategy, and convenience of care. Messaging needs to become more empathetic yet strategic, working to maintain a sense of empowerment and accessibility in this environment. The marketing content has to work even harder for Wisp to earn the right to her share of the wallet.

Wisp also faces another challenge: maintaining the brand voice that our customers have grown to know and love, while remaining compliant and sensitive in a sensitive political climate. This is where you can sink or swim, and truly standout with smart, mission-aligned marketing.

These challenges together force a brand to get creative, strengthen community engagement, and double down on clarity and trust. In today’s world, where economic policy is so connected with healthcare access, marketers aren’t just storytellers, they are also advocates and bridge-builders pushing health equity forward. 

At Wisp, thus far, our approach has been to circle the wagons and reinforce our value proposition with our current and prospective customers in our marketing messaging (both acquisition and lifecycle alike). We have not shied away from having open messaging about increasing costs and pointing to the many ways you can save in the telehealth model. We built campaigns on investing in your healthcare and have continued to shine a light on HSA & FSA (health and flexible savings accounts) treatment eligibility to make sure consumers have awareness of all available funds. Lastly, and most importantly, we have remained authentic to our brand voice, which has remained as our foundation. We are not over-rotating or over-correcting to the market but will continue to keep a close eye.

As a telehealth company committed to reproductive and sexual healthcare, this work has never been more important than it is today. We will remain steadfast in our messaging, even in these uncertain times, continuing to build trust with those we serve.

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