Unlock Health cofounders release blueprint for reaching patients in the post-truth era
We are excited to announce the release of a powerful new book by Brandon Edwards, Cofounder and CEO, and Shannon McIntyre Hooper, Cofounder and President of Unlock Health. Titled Authentic Healthcare Marketing: Build Trust, Engage Patients, and Succeed in a Post-Truth Era, the book offers a practical roadmap for healthcare systems and provider organizations to effectively and meaningfully connect with patients amid today’s challenging information landscape.
In this timely and insightful guide, Edwards and Hooper draw on over five decades of combined experience in healthcare marketing and consumer engagement to tackle one of the industry’s most pressing challenges: how to reach and resonate with audiences who are increasingly influenced by social media, online personalities, and ideologically driven media. The post-truth era makes this challenge even more difficult.
In a survey commissioned by Unlock Health to help inform Edwards’ and Hooper’s recommendations, Klein & Partners found that 84% of consumers consider authenticity essential or very important when choosing a health system. When asked what authenticity in healthcare marketing looks like, consumers ranked patient-first care (38%), trust and transparency (28%), and excellence (20%) as top indicators. These findings underscore new expectations for human-centered, honest, and emotionally intelligent healthcare marketing.
“After three decades in healthcare marketing, I’ve witnessed a profound shift in how people consume information and make healthcare decisions,” said Edwards. “We’re now operating in a post-truth world where many people distrust traditional sources of expertise and authority, including their own healthcare providers. I wrote this book because healthcare organizations need a new approach to reach these audiences in a way that emphasizes their authentic brand and values.”
The book offers a fresh, actionable framework for healthcare CEOs, CFOs, and Chief Marketing Officers, covering topics such as:
- Navigating skepticism and misinformation in the post-truth era
- Creating emotionally resonant, trust-based marketing strategies
- How to measure the authenticity of brands and campaigns
- The five essential mile markers for effective healthcare marketing today
“Marketing, when done authentically, is one of the most powerful expressions of curiosity and empathy,” says Hooper. “In today’s post-truth era, healthcare leaders must reach people with understanding, connect through shared humanity, and build trust across lines of belief and identity. This book helps healthcare organizations communicate in ways that are clear, credible, and deeply human.”
Edwards is a nationally recognized healthcare marketing strategist and the cofounder and chief executive officer of Unlock Health, the single largest and most effective marketing agency serving healthcare providers in the country. Hooper is a growth expert and operational leader with two decades of healthcare marketing experience. Their latest book builds on a career devoted to helping healthcare organizations grow, innovate, and connect with the communities they serve.
Authentic Healthcare Marketing: Build Trust, Engage Patients, and Succeed in a Post-Truth Era is available for purchase or download on Amazon starting July 7, 2025.
Survey methodology
The online survey was conducted by Klein & Partners between April 16-24, 2025, and reached a national random sample of 1,000 adult healthcare decision-makers.
Unlock Health is a full-service marketing and communications agency that helps healthcare organizations make authentic connections with patients and communities. Every minute of every day, someone books services they need as a result of our work with clients.
