“Bravolebrity” Jenn Fessler knows a thing or two about authenticity. It’s how she made a name for herself as a podcaster and TV personality, with her candid honesty and humorous commentary standing out during her stint on Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of New Jersey.”
That same authenticity, Fessler says, is key to breaking through to audiences in healthcare communications. Sharing stories about real-life experiences on digital platforms that transcend traditional advertising and education channels can build trust and drive awareness and education to new levels as the influence of social media spaces continues to grow.
Fessler joined CineHealth festival director Tracey Yaw, National CineMedia’s Manu Singh, screenwriter and Avalere Health’s chief creative officer, U.S. marketing TJ Cimfel and Jeff Fischer of Publicis Health Media in a panel at Fierce Pharma Week to dive into the empowering impact of audio, film and digital content.
“There’s something about the humanity of it all,” Fessler told Fierce Pharma Marketing in an interview, referring to sharing health stories across virtual platforms. “It’s sharing experiences and sharing strength.”
With the plethora of platforms primed for health-related discussions, from social media to radio to podcasting and more, “we’re getting closer to true communication,” Fessler said. “Like real humanity, connecting with someone’s humanity and their story, and for me, that’s just the most impactful way to learn.”
Engaging with these stories can make a difference on the patient side, as education and research into other people’s experiences is an important component to self-advocacy. As a patient, one often must “be your own healthcare CEO,” Yaw added in the interview, quoting Emmy-winning journalist Maria Menudos. Menudos was awarded CineHealth’s 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Fierce Pharma Marketing Awards gala in recognition of her bravery in sharing her stories of battling two different types of cancer.
“When you talk to other people and you hear that stories, that changes everything,” Yaw said.
Platforms traditionally used as “entertainment venues” such as in TV, radio, and podcasting are not only where stories are being told but where they’re “really, really listened to,” Fessler explained. Social media in particular has a unique advantage of reaching multiple generations, as even information targeted to a younger audience can reach their older relatives through them.
However, considering that over 50% of Gen Z’s get their healthcare information from TikTok, “we have to be really careful about what’s out there,” Yaw warned, especially with occasionally inaccurate AI and misinformation on the rise. Still, stories shared on social media can be a starting point for consumers to gather more information before making healthcare decisions, she noted.
To make health stories feel authentic and lived-in, Fessler explains that it’s all in “the dirty details.”
Throughout her time on reality television, Fessler was “very quick” to be open about medication and mental health, she said. More recently, she’s told medical tales she deems “not pretty,” such as her experience with GI side effects of GLP-1s.
Those types of stories are “stigmatized,” she explained, which makes them particularly important to share.
“It’s impactful when you stop judging your stories, and you're willing to dig a little deeper, and you're willing to open up a little bit more about the stuff that is stigmatized,” Fessler said. “I always think that's powerful.”
Authenticity, Yaw notes, is backed by an “emotion and passion” that may not exist without lived experience. When celebrity spokespeople or actors are hired to speak about a condition or treatment that they don’t have real experience with, “you can tell a difference,” she said, making trust harder to come by.
As a content creator herself, Fessler values “feeling the impact” of her stories and stays away from partnerships she doesn’t personally believe in.
For four years now, CineHealth has shone a spotlight on innovative storytelling in the health and wellness space as the only international film festival that focuses exclusivity on these topics. Yaw is “so passionate about this and being able to bring people's stories to life and giving them a platform,” she said. This year, the winner’s slate included standout contributions across feature films, short films, episodic series, social media shorts and podcasts.
Outside of her work at CineHealth, Yaw works at healthcare consulting firm Avalere Health as its director of operations, media. Avalere makes content that goes “beyond just a commercial,” Yaw said.
Avalere’s work with argenx on “CIDP Unscripted” swept the stage at the Fierce Pharma Marketing Awards gala, earning a CineHealth award in the episodic series category plus a Fierce Pharma Marketing win in both the Online Video or Film and Website for Consumer slots. “CIDP Unscripted” is an online learning video series that highlights the unpredictability of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) by partnering with renowned improv troupe the Upright Citizens Brigade. The fun yet educational videos present practical improv tools patients can harness to build confidence and better communicate with their doctors and families.