John Oliver’s Med Spas Segment is a Lesson in Med Spa Marketing Ethics
Recently, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver aired a segment shining a harsh light on the medical spa (medspa) industry. The segment called out numerous troubling practices, from unqualified providers performing procedures to questionable marketing tactics that can put patients at risk. While the spotlight was necessary, it also raises a critical conversation for those behind the scenes: the aesthetic medical marketers helping medical spas gain online credibility.
As marketing professionals working with medspas, it’s our responsibility not only to promote but also to protect. Promoting a medspa without fully vetting the providers and their practices can mean amplifying potentially harmful or unethical behavior. This isn’t just bad business; it’s a moral issue. After all, marketing dollars wield real influence, and we must use that influence wisely.
What John Oliver’s Med Spas Segment Highlighted
John Oliver’s med spas segment didn’t pull punches. He exposed stories of patients harmed by inexperienced practitioners, operators cutting corners, and a lack of oversight in this rapidly growing industry. The medspa boom has created opportunities, but also pitfalls, especially when marketing efforts focus solely on growth and sales without ethical considerations.
Lessons from Our Aesthetic Medical Marketing Agency’s Experience
Our agency has learned firsthand the importance of thorough background checks before partnering with any medspa.
The Cosmetic Surgeon With a Suspended Medical License
Early in our journey, we signed a cosmetic surgeon whose license had already been suspended. Unbeknownst to us, he continued operating using other providers. Eventually, his medical license was revoked, a situation that could have caused significant reputational damage for us had we been more deeply involved in promotion.
Providers With Criminal History and Medical Board Actions
Now, background checks are non-negotiable. We start by reviewing medical and nursing board records for any disciplinary actions or license suspensions. In one instance, we turned down a practice because one of their providers had been suspended following an arrest for shoplifting. Another startup we initially declined later came back to us after replacing a medical director who had multiple board actions against them.
The Well-Marketed Doctor With Very Troubling Online Reviews
Online reviews also offer critical clues. Many practices come to us needing help with reputation management due to unfair negative reviews, but when negative feedback shows a pattern of negligence or patient injury, that’s a red flag we can’t ignore. For example, we encountered a practice with stellar media presence and PR but a testimonial history riddled with allegations of patient harm. Promoting such a practice without caution would be irresponsible.
Even something seemingly small can be a warning sign, like stolen before-and-after photos. If a practice is using images lifted from other medspas instead of vendor-approved photos or their own results, that’s a major ethical and legal issue. Why steal when legitimate resources are available?
Unethical Marketing Practices That Need to End
Manufactured influence and industry leadership are also rampant in aesthetic medicine. All types of medical aesthetics practices rely on purchasing fake followers and engagement on their social media, creating fake influence among colleagues and the public. They don’t get this reputation based on their skills, results, or how their practices are run; they gain this reputation using pay-to-play.
While your aesthetic medical marketing clients may be excellent at what they do, and you want to deliver results for them, it is unfair to the public and their peers to manufacture influence and reach on social media. The problem is that so many amazing providers have marketing agencies that rely on fake engagement, reach, and followers to grow the practice instead of doing the hard work to grow their audience.
The issue is that many of the most famous medical aesthetic providers have a large following and high engagement that is almost exclusively bots and fake followers. Some of these providers and practices are aware of this, while others don’t realize their growth is due to their marketing agency falsifying results for pennies.
This is how medical aesthetic practices that are illegal and unethical are able to appear legitimate to unsuspecting patients.
Medical and Marketing Ethics Must Come First
Medspa marketing is about more than driving leads or boosting sales. It’s about trust and safety for patients who put their health and appearance in the hands of these providers. As marketers, our role extends beyond flashy ads and social media campaigns. We must commit to doing the research and refusing to fuel questionable practices.
In the wake of John Oliver’s med spas exposé, let this be a wake-up call to everyone involved in the industry. Take the time to vet, review, and verify before you amplify a medspa’s message. The cost of ignoring ethics isn’t just reputational, it’s human.
Final Thoughts
Marketing dollars are powerful. They can build brands, grow businesses, and inspire confidence. But with that power comes responsibility. If you’re a marketer working in the medspa space or a medspa owner seeking ethical growth, remember: background checks, careful vetting, and honesty must be at the heart of your strategy.
If you want to learn how to market medspas ethically and effectively, or if you’re looking for a partner who prioritizes integrity, feel free to reach out. Together, we can help build a safer, more trustworthy medspa industry.
