Our audience was most interested in stories about Gen Z’s healthcare attitudes, social health influencers, marketing strategies, and how patients use AI. Here’s a look back at the most popular stories from January through June 2025.

1. Gen Zers want more tools to manage their health and wellness

The trend: Just 58% of Gen Zers express confidence in managing their health and wellness now and in the future. That’s lower than all other generations, according to a Collage Group survey of 4,713 US consumers that was shared with EMARKETER.

Our take: Marketers and providers must arm this generation with the necessary support. This includes meeting Gen Z on social media with trusted resources and information. They should also use digital tools such as text and email alert reminders to schedule doctor’s appointments, exercise, and engage in other healthy activities.

2. Gen Z says weight loss drugs are part of their New Year’s resolutions

The trend: Nearly 2 in 5 Gen Zers (37%) said they plan to take a weight loss drug to achieve their 2025 New Year's resolution goals, according to a December 2024 Tebra survey.

What it means for marketers: GLP-1s are increasingly popular among younger consumers, but are unaffordable for many, with side effects commonly reported. It’s an opportunity for health and wellness marketers to promote their products and services to health-conscious consumers as being more sustainable, cost-effective, and safer than weight loss shots.

3. Consumers trust health influencers’ medical advice

The data: Nearly 7 in 10 (68%) consumers who use social media for health purposes have some level of interaction with influencers, according to EMARKETER’s December 2024 US Digital Health Survey.

What it means for marketers: Successful influencer marketing in healthcare and pharma happens when creators are aligned with the brand’s mission and can deliver informative messages. Marketers must identify the most effective social platforms to reach a target audience, work out deal terms between brands and creators, and comply with each community’s guidelines.

4. 3 in 5 US adults have used AI for medical information or guidance

The data: Some 60% of US adults have used an AI tool for medical information or advice, according to a January 2025 Tebra survey. Among Gen Zers, this figure jumped to 75%.

Our take: Physicians were just getting used to treating patients armed with information they got from Google. Like they have for search engines and social media, healthcare marketers and providers will need to educate the public on using AI responsibly for medical purposes. They’ll want to focus these efforts on younger patients like Gen Zers, who are the most likely to act on AI-generated health information.

5. Healthcare marketing budgets tumbled last year

The trend: Healthcare marketing budgets hit a five-year low in MM+M/Swoop’s annual Healthcare Marketers Trend Survey, falling on average from $9.1 million in 2023 to $7.2 million last year.

Our take: Healthcare marketers are not only working with smaller budgets, but cited “doing more with less” as the number one opportunity. That likely reflects the ongoing move from traditional TV advertising to streaming and targeted TV buying. Targeted advertising not only costs less, but can be more effective in reaching a specific set of patients or more likely interested consumers.

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