Driven my big thinkers and bold doers, the health industry is rapidly changing. ​​​​​​​Which health brands caught our attention this year, and which ones will keep it in 2022? The No Normal Team has come up with a list of three to share.

Takeaways

In this episode, Chris, Stephanie, and Chase each reviewed one health brand, discussing why the brand is notable in today’s landscape.

Cityblock: Better care, rooted in communities

• Chase chose to discuss Cityblock, an emerging primary care organization for low-income communities. 
• The pandemic highlighted and exacerbated health inequities, spotlighting the growing need to make quality healthcare accessible to low-income populations. In fact, The Commonwealth Fund found that in nearly every state, healthcare is better for white people. 
• While we see more organizations getting into primary care for the commercially insured, Cityblock is making care more accessible for Medicare-insured populations.
• Cityblock is unique because they meet people where they’re at – existing schools, churches, and community centers.
• Cityblock hires a lot of its medical care team members from the communities they serve. This helps the primary care innovator build trust and understanding with the communities it serves.
• Cityblock recently announced their Series D round of funding, bringing total funding to $900 million. 

Hims & Hers: A modern approach to health and wellness

• Hims & Hers is a company that encompasses prescription medicine, primary care, supplements, and CPG products. 
• The company is built to provide better care to consumers with stigmatized conditions, such as those related to sexual health, mental health, and beauty.
• The company uniquely brings together prescription, beauty, and home health using a telemedicine platform and retail distribution networks. 
• The company’s valuation at IPO was about $1.6 billion, which is on par with what we’ve seen with OneMedical, showing gradual revenue growth over time. 
• A lot of companies have tried to disrupt the pharmacy business, but many have failed because of cemented power dynamics and complex inner workings. 
• Hims & Hers is breaking into this arena by making medicine less intimidating through beautiful design and branding. The No Normal team posits that consumers may find it less scary to receive a prescription in a beautiful bottle than a regular sick package. 

Apple: Think different

• Chris chose Apple to focus on as a health brand because most people don’t consider apple a health brand, despite Tim Cook’s bold belief that Apple’s legacy will be in health.
• From fall detection features to EMR integrations, Apple’s progression into healthcare has been steadily marked by high-tech devices, including wearables like Apple Watch and AirPods. 
• Walking steadiness is a particularly notable feature because it is a new clinical metric that can be credited to a “non-healthcare” brand. We use quotes here for a reason. Apple, whether you believe it or not, is one of the fastest-growing health brands out there. 
• Apple may have faltered a time or two as it entered the healthcare arena, but these stumbles are merely learning opportunities that the giant will use to inform future efforts. 
• Apple was the first company to reach $1 trillion after 42 years of business. It took only two more years to be valued at $2 trillion. They are known for design and innovation and have enough capital to invest in healthcare. If you connect the dots, the reality is clear: Apple is ready to take on health care … whether systems are ready or not.