Diabetes has Type 1 and Type 2, but LifeScan’s diabetes monitoring system, OneTouch, is focusing on how controlling the disease is a different journey for everyone in “Talking Type You,” featuring ex-football player and sports commentator Mike Golic.
The unscripted chats see Golic, who was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes 17 years ago, speaking with fellow sports figures Kyle Love and John Kruk, who are also dealing with the disease, about how they manage it.
There is talk of support systems and their reactions to the initial diagnosis. Midway through the interview, Golic talks about how he’s managing his diabetes with the Comprehensive Wellness Program from OneTouch Solutions and the personal wellness plan that he put together with the plan’s partners: Noom, Fitbit, Cecelia Health and Welldoc.
“We chose Mike because he’s so passionate about talking about diabetes,” LifeScan’s chief marketing officer Lisa Rose said. “He’s very passionate about the importance of feeling supported … having a game plan with family and friends.”
Rose emphasizes how that support helps a person make the correct lifestyle choices and changes needed when dealing with a disease like diabetes.
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With a large following, it made sense to utilize Golic’s own social media as well as other digital advertising to get people to the OneTouch website where they can view the interviews as well as enter a sweepstakes to win home gym equipment or various OneTouch prizes, and, of course, learn more about the product.
Golic is also embarking on a media tour for the product alongside diabetes educator Hope Warshaw. On Feb. 3 Golic appeared in a sponsored segment on the “Rachael Ray Show” where he not only talks about diabetes and OneTouch but also shares a recipe for Buffalo cauliflower.
The investment in Golic is paying off, even though it’s early days, Rose says the uptick in visits to the site has been “phenomenal” with people watching the interviews and clicking around.
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“At the end of the day, every person with diabetes is unique; there’s no one size fits all solution. It’s important to have a personalized approach to managing diabetes. It’s important that we support people with diabetes in their journey,” said Rose.
With more than 35 million Americans living with diabetes, the market is huge, but it’s also saturated with fingerstick-free continuous glucose monitors, with Dexcom and Abbott two of the leading companies in the space.
