DermWorld Academy Insider: Your Dermatologist Knows works
Feb. 20, 2025
It has been just over two years since the launch of Your Dermatologist Knows, the Academy’s consumer positioning strategy, and in that time, the program has shown to be a success. A recent poll of the target demographic of Your Dermatologist Knows found that they overwhelmingly prefer dermatologists to non-physician clinicians to treat a variety of skin, hair, and nail conditions, and overwhelmingly think of dermatologists first when considering where to turn for skin, hair, and nail health.
In this DermWorld Academy Insider exclusive interview, Roopal Kundu, MD, FAAD, chair of the AAD’s Council on Communications, talks about the Your Dermatologist Knows strategy, its successes, and what we can expect in the future.
DermWorld: What is the Your Dermatologist Knows strategy and why was it developed?
Dr. Kundu: Your Dermatologist Knows is the Academy’s robust strategy to position board-certified dermatologists as the go-to experts for skin, hair, and nail health. The strategy is targeted at women aged 25-35, who often are the primary health care decision makers for their families. The Academy’s approach combines both social and traditional media to position dermatologists as the health care professionals with the knowledge and expertise necessary for skin, hair, and nail health using friendly and personable messaging. The strategy was developed in direct response to member concerns that the public had a too-favorable impression of non-physician clinicians.
DermWorld: How has the strategy impacted public perception of dermatology?
Dr. Kundu: Before launching the strategy, the Academy conducted a baseline survey to understand where public perception of dermatology stood, which was then used to develop the strategy. A follow-up survey was conducted in 2024 among our target audience, and the results were better than we expected. Compared to the previous survey, when asked why they choose dermatologists over other professionals, 2024 respondents showed a stark increase in a variety of areas, including “dermatologists are the skin experts” and “dermatologists can identify underlying conditions causing skin issues.” Survey respondents who have seen a Your Dermatologist Knows social media post are 55% more likely to have seen a dermatologist in the past three years, which shows the content works!
In addition, the survey showed that dermatologists are overwhelmingly preferred to nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and aestheticians for nearly all skin, hair, and nail conditions, including acne, rashes, and moles.
The data is clear. We’re the experts, and thanks to the efforts of Your Dermatologist Knows, the Academy is showing that to the public.
DermWorld: What can members expect going forward?
Dr. Kundu: While the 2024 survey data was promising, there is always room to improve, and so our talented AAD staff is constantly assessing messaging language and methods to determine which are the most effective at moving the needle. In the two years since launch, the Academy has already started a new social media profile on TikTok and has developed a process we’re referring to as “newsjacking” to insert members of the AAD Media Expert team into relevant news stories to ensure that if there is a trending topic involving skin, hair, or nail health, a board-certified dermatologist and FAAD is at the forefront of the coverage, making sure that the public is getting information they can trust.
See more details about the strategy’s success.
