How to get media coverage for a health or wellness brand

Getting media coverage for a health or wellness brand comes down to one thing: giving a journalist a story their readers will genuinely care about, backed by evidence they can trust. Unlike a paid ad, earned coverage borrows the outlet’s credibility — which is exactly why health desks are careful about what they publish, and why a scattergun press release rarely works. This guide walks through the full process, from the angle to the placement.

Why is earned media so valuable in health?

Trust is the whole game in health, wellness and beauty. A reader who sees your founder quoted in a national title, or your product recommended in a round-up, inherits the outlet’s authority in a way advertising can’t buy. Earned coverage also does double duty: it drives referral traffic, it earns the backlinks that lift your search rankings, and — increasingly — it feeds the sources that AI answer engines cite. One good placement can keep working for years.

What makes a health story a journalist will actually run?

Health journalists commission stories, not products. The strongest angles usually fall into one of a few buckets: a data point or survey that reveals something new about how people live; a genuine expert with a clear, evidence-based point of view; a timely hook tied to a season, awareness day or news event; or a human story with a beginning, middle and end. Before you pitch, ask: “What is the headline a reader would click?” If the answer is your product name, you don’t have a story yet.

How do you find the right angle?

Start from the reader, not the brand. List the questions your customers ask, the myths in your category, and the data only you hold (anonymised usage patterns, a customer survey, before-and-after outcomes). Cross-reference those with what’s in the news cycle. The sweet spot is where your expertise meets a question the public is already asking — that overlap is your angle.

How do you build the right media list?

Coverage lives or dies on relevance. Rather than blasting a generic list, identify the specific journalists who cover your niche — read their recent bylines, note the angle they take, and follow them before you pitch. A list of 20 journalists you’ve actually researched will beat a list of 500 you haven’t. Segment by outlet type: national news, trade and sector press, consumer lifestyle, and podcasts.

How should you pitch?

Keep it short, lead with the angle, and make the journalist’s job easy. A good pitch is three or four sentences: the hook, why it matters now, what you can provide (expert, data, images, case study), and a clear offer. Personalise the first line so it’s obvious you read their work. Pitch to deadline-friendly windows, follow up once, and never attach a 2MB press release to a cold email.

How do you stay compliant while pitching?

In health and beauty you cannot outrun the rules. In the UK, the ASA enforces the CAP Code on advertising claims, and the MHRA governs medicines and medical devices; in the US the FTC polices deceptive claims and the FDA regulates health products. Only make claims you can substantiate, avoid implying a product treats or cures conditions unless you’re licensed to, and keep evidence on file. Responsible claims aren’t just legal hygiene — they’re what makes a journalist trust you enough to quote you again.

How do you measure whether it worked?

Move past vanity metrics. Track the placements themselves, the links won (and their authority), referral traffic, branded-search lift, and — the real prize — enquiries. A single feature in the right title can move all of these; a hundred syndicated reprints of the same wire story usually moves none.