This study examines the efficacy of graphic medicine in social media marketing for healthcare brands. The research is motivated by the emergence of graphic medicine as a novel field in medical education and the growing trend of social media as a primary source of health information. Drawing on theories of visualization, perceptual salience, processing fluency, and role transportation, this study compares the effectiveness of comics, cartoons, and photographs in conveying medical information.
Employing an experimental design, 141 participants were randomly assigned to one of three visual presentation conditions. One-way ANOVA analysis revealed that in terms of brand attitude, both comic and cartoon groups outperformed the real photograph group. Regarding the intention to use services from specific brand, the comic group significantly surpassed the other two groups. However, no significant differences were observed among the three groups in attitude on post. Notably, cartoon group did not demonstrate superior effectiveness compared to the photo group.
This research contributes to graphic medicine and provides empirical evidence for healthcare institutions in formulating visual communication strategies on social media. Future research directions include exploring the impact of graphic medicine across different cultural contexts and maximizing its potential in global health communication.
