Point32Health, a nonprofit health and well-being organization - and the parent company for Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care - wanted to shine a light on those making a commitment to putting mental and emotional well-being first. From developing a mindfulness and meditation practice, to finding the right therapist, there are a multitude of ways people can put their mental health first — and each method is effective in its own way. The goal of this podcast is to use storytelling to convey that mental health journeys look different for everyone, and to explore those pivotal moments where someone has risen to the occasion, committed to a better quality of life, and found an idea or treatment that really helps.
Each season is diverse in the range of topics discussed, and in the varied and rich backgrounds of the experts and guests interviewed. These guests inspire, covering topics including how people with marginalized identities can find therapists who understand them, how to know when to break up with your therapist, mental health at work, postpartum depression, and how we can overcome harmful stigmas around medication.
In partnership with Studio/B, Boston Globe Media’s branded content studio; Hill Holliday, Point32Health’s agency of record; and PodPeople, Point32Health launched Season 3 of Turning Points, a 5-part podcast series designed to normalize conversations around mental health.
Hosted by renowned clinical social worker, accomplished writer and public speaker Frantzes Lys, Turning Points highlighted pivotal moments in the mental health journey of its guests.
Boston Globe Media, PodPeople, Hill Holiday, and Point32Health developed an execution plan for Turning Points that would streamline and outperform the results of Seasons 1 and 2.
A cross platform promotion strategy ensured that Turning Points would convey its meaningful message to the right audiences. We wanted to reach listeners with interest in diverse stories about real people and their mental health journeys. We worked with key direct podcasts to place Host Read Ads in Being Well with Dr. Rick Hanson, Make Some Noise, Mindful Mama, Mom & Mind, & Unswaddled. We also worked with PRX and Audacy to build a package of podcasts that would reach a range of listeners that could find Turning Points appealing: e.g., self-help podcasts, podcasts that share personal stories, podcasts where people aim to better themselves, podcasts that encourage self-reflection, and podcasts with maternal health and workplace mental health mentions for the episodes surrounding those topics.
We tapped into Boston Globe Media’s owned digital and print channels (ex: Globe.com, Boston.com, The Boston Globe, Globe Magazine), running native ads, banner ads, newsletter ads, and print ads driving readers to the landing page to learn more about and listen to the podcast.
For social, we focused our efforts on expanding our reach, creating snackable audiograms and reels that could be promoted via paid ads on Boston Globe and Point32Helath’s social channels. These social assets were also provided to guests of the podcasts so that they could share with their social networks.
By working with Boston Globe Media and PodPeople, Hill Holiday and Point32Health were able to completely offset the work of creating the podcast from end to end. From production, to finding talent, conducting the interviews, creative development, and promotion, Boston Globe Media and its in-house creative studio, Studio/B, in partnership with production company, PodPeople, served as a full service creative agency plus media buyer all in one.
Season 3 of Turning Points clearly struck a chord with audiences. In 2023, the podcast series peaked at #2 on Apple’s list of Mental Health podcasts in the U.S., #3 in Apple’s Health and Fitness Podcasts, and #82 in all US Apple Podcasts. The podcast also drove over 3x as many downloads as Season 2, and 6x as many as Season 1.
Beyond the data, the Point32Health brand is deeply proud of this work. The podcast has met their objective of having something tangible to demonstrate their commitment to mental health and the communities they serve.
