ONE MORE THOUGHT
Insights @Work, Life, and Work Life
Mammograms Aren’t the Enemy — But the Messaging Needs a Makeover
For years, I thought getting a mammogram was akin to lying down on a cold garage floor and having the garage door close over my breasts. That was how my mother described it to me, and needless to say, I postponed my first mammogram for as long as I could. Turns out, she was working with some outdated material. When I finally got my first mammogram, it was actually a lovely experience — warm robes, extremely nice technicians, and it took all of 15 minutes. Was it uncomfortable? Slightly. But it was nowhere near the doom and gloom I had been warned about. Now, I get them regularly, and every time I leave with a clean bill of health, it’s a sigh of relief.
And yet, the Mammo Monster still looms large.
For decades, the messaging around breast cancer screenings has relied on a combination of fear and obligation — get your mammogram, or else. And while the intent is good — early detection saves lives — the execution has left a lot to be desired. Instead of empowering women, too often we scare them into submission. Instead of reassuring them, we set them up for dread.
As someone who works in healthcare marketing, I can’t help but wonder, what if we flipped the script?
Breaking up with fear-based messaging
Women are already carrying enough. We manage our families, our careers, our aging parents, and our ever-growing to-do lists. When healthcare messaging is wrapped in anxiety and obligation, it doesn’t motivate — it exhausts. We don’t need another thing to feel guilty about.
What we do need is a fresh take. One that acknowledges the reality (yes, it’s not the most fun 15 minutes of your year) but doesn’t make it sound like torture. One that focuses on self-care instead of suffering. One that reminds us that prioritizing our health isn’t an act of compliance — it’s an act of power.
How women-led storytelling can change the game
Disruptive storytelling in healthcare is nothing new, but too often, the same old narratives persist. The pink ribbons, the solemn reminders, the clinical “must-dos.” What if we rebranded mammograms the way we do every other self-care ritual? We glorify skin care routines, morning meditation, and even drinking enough water; why not extend that same energy to an annual check that could save your life?
Imagine if mammograms were marketed the way high-end facials are. “15 minutes to peace of mind. No appointment regrets.”
Or if we leveraged humor instead of fear. “It’s a little squish, not a horror flick. And they even give you a robe.”
Or if we used real women’s experiences (like my own) to counter the outdated narratives that keep too many of us from making the call.
Let’s give mammograms a makeover
Women-led brands, agencies, and creatives have been rewriting the rules in countless industries. It’s time we do the same for breast cancer screenings. Let’s stop making mammograms sound like medieval torture sessions and start talking about them in ways that actually resonate — with honesty, with humor, and with the understanding that women don’t need to be scared into taking care of themselves.
The Mammo Monster isn’t real. But the power of rebranding is. Let’s use it.