Audience Insights Drive Authentic Alzheimer’s Awareness.

How Listening Drove Alzheimer’s Awareness, Cultural Relevance, And Measurable Impact.

Health Awareness Meets Cultural Relevance

In the U.S., more than seven million people live with Alzheimer’s or other dementias, a number expected to grow as the senior population expands (Alzheimer’s Association, 2025).

Early detection improves care, yet signs are often misread as normal aging, particularly among Black and Hispanic communities who face higher underdiagnosis rates. Since 2019, the Ad Council and Alzheimer’s Association have partnered to address this gap, focusing on “pre-care partners”, family members who are first to notice changes.

Their 2025 campaign illustrates how listening to audience insights can sharpen awareness, shift cultural engagement, and drive measurable public health impact.

Listening First: Hispanic Pre-Care Partners

Initial campaigns encouraged conversations about visiting a doctor. Results were positive, but research revealed weaker traction among Hispanic pre-care partners, who were reluctant to initiate discussions out of fear of being wrong. Partnering with Lopez Negrete Communications, the campaign pivoted in 2023 with “Some Things Come with Age,” distinguishing normal aging from Alzheimer’s warning signs.

The creative drove viewers to 10signs.org/10señales.org, building knowledge before asking for difficult conversations.

Impact was measurable: Hispanic and Latin pre-care partners exposed to campaign work were 2.5x more likely to know the difference between aging and Alzheimer’s signs, and 3x more likely to seek more information online. By April 2025, the site recorded 4.4 million visits.

Sharpening the Call to Action

Further research showed that multiple calls to action diluted clarity. Simplifying the message to a single imperative, learn the early warning signs, created stronger retention.

The campaign avoided overloading audiences, instead building confidence step by step.

Preserving What Works: From Hispanic to Black Audiences

The “Some Things Come with Age” creative proved sticky in focus groups and award-winning in industry recognition. Rather than replace it, the Ad Council extended it.

In 2025, VML developed the “Warning Signs” suite, centered on “preserving wisdom” , the idea that families can return care to elders who shaped their lives.

This resonated strongly in Black communities, where elders hold cultural authority. The execution included long-form video, print, digital, and social assets.

Finding the Right Tone Across Cultures

Audience testing by Ahzul revealed that storytelling alone was insufficient. Education on warning signs was more motivating than narrative-heavy spots. Cultural insights were equally critical: Hispanic and Latine audiences often use humor to defuse confrontation;

Black audiences expressed a desire for more direct dialogue, breaking cycles of silence; white audiences leaned toward straightforward communication.

Campaign creative was adjusted to reflect these differences.

Building Partnerships for Deeper Reach

The campaign’s reach expanded through culturally resonant partnerships:

• Faith-based activation: Presence at How Sweet the Sound, a national gospel music competition, allowed direct engagement with Black faith communities. Handouts featuring the 10 signs printed on church fans turned awareness into tangible, trusted assets.

• Latine media collaboration: LatiNation, a Latino-owned TV network, co-created influencer-led videos. Talent shared personal Alzheimer’s experiences, blending authenticity with cultural levity.

• Audio partnerships: SiriusXM Media produced customized radio spots with culturally aligned music, bolero and salsa for Spanish-language spots, soul and R&B for English, ensuring resonance through sound.

These moves complemented the national media footprint with grassroots cultural connection.

Recommendations

• Anchor campaigns in audience truth. Early discomfort among Hispanic caregivers reshaped messaging from “talk now” to “learn first.”

• Simplify calls to action. A single clear step outperforms multi-layered demands in health education.

• Preserve effective creative. Extend proven concepts across demographics rather than chase novelty.

• Adapt tone culturally. Humor, directness, or levity must reflect community norms, not generic messaging.

• Invest in partnerships. Ground activations in faith, media, and influencer ecosystems that embody cultural trust.

Bottom Line Listening Converts Awareness Into Action

Audience insights made the Alzheimer’s campaign culturally precise, moving millions from passive recognition to active learning.

In public health as in brand strategy, listening first is what drives measurable impact.