Gum's
Experts
Clients
meridol & Ogilvy
Industry
Health
Role
UX Writer
Year
2024
Project overview
Context
meridol, a Colgate-Palmolive brand, needed to educate consumers and position itself as a gum health expert in Saudi Arabia and South Africa—markets with low awareness on the topic. The brand also aimed to collect first-party data to better understand and engage with local audiences.
I was hired by Ogilvy as a UX Writer to help create a digital experience that would close this knowledge gap and strengthen the brand’s relevance.
Problem
Although basic oral care is part of everyday routines in both countries, gum health is rarely prioritized. Groups at higher risk—like pregnant women, diabetics, and people living with HIV—often go without proper guidance or attention to their gum conditions.
Strategy
To address this challenge, the Ogilvy creation team developed a gamified user interface for the Meridol Gum Experts program, a digital platform designed to help users identify potential gum issues through customized content.
Co-developed with dental professionals, the interface engages users through interactive questions and, based on their responses, delivers personalized advice, product recommendations, and ongoing email support.
Goal
The goal was to acquire first-party data while expanding brand awareness in Saudi Arabia and South Africa markets, where gum health is often overlooked.
UX Proccess
In collaboration with Product Designers and Art Directors, we applied and adapted the Double Diamond framework to align business goals with real user needs.
Methods
Discovery
Desk research
Competitive benchmarking
User journey analysis
Define
Data-driven content strategy
Definition of brand voice and tone for consistency and empathy
Ideation
User flow mapping and decision trees for a gamified interface
Content development tailored to outcome-focused journeys
UX writing and microcopy are crafted to drive clarity, motivation, and user action
Delivery
The final interface is gamified and driven by content personalization, designed to engage users and guide them through a seamless, intuitive experience
Discovery
A desk research was conducted to gain a deep understanding of user behaviors, audience segments, and cultural nuances in Saudi Arabia and South Africa. These insights informed the creation of a gamified user interface—with tailored content and personalized coupons—designed to drive sign-ups, support first-party data acquisition, and educate users about gum diseases through content.
Desk Research
Benchmark
To design a high-impact quiz experience, we analyzed health and wellness apps such as Zenklub, Systema, and others.
The goal was to understand how top platforms structure quizzes and forms to engage users, collect data, and convert actions into value.
We focused on 3 pillars:
Quiz Structure & Content Flow
Placement in the User Journey
Business Alignment
Define
‘‘How might we design a personalized digital experience that helps users identify early signs of gum issues — while driving engagement, educating high-risk groups, and supporting first-party data collection?’’
Ideation
Mapping the User Journey and Defining the User Flow
During the ideation phase, we focused on understanding the users’ behaviors, needs, and pain points. This involved creating a comprehensive User Journey Map to visualize the end-to-end experience and designing a detailed User Flow to outline how users would interact with the digital solution.
These tools helped align the team on opportunities for improvement and innovation.
Content and UX Writing Strategy
All content was developed with a clear focus on guiding users through personalized outcomes to the user personas, rooted in Meridol’s established brand tone, visual identity, and UX patterns.
Simplicity, trustworthiness, and clarity were the guiding principles to ensure users feel supported, and not overwhelmed with not valuable information.
The content experience was designed around a diagnostic approach, delivering just three clear outcomes based on user input:
Gingivitis
Periodontitis
Good Oral Health
Content Writing
Defining the Voice and Tone Without a Style Guide
One of the key challenges in developing content for the meridol Gum Experts platform was the lack of a voice and tone guide. Although the brand provided visual guidelines, there were no definitions for how meridol should sound—especially in a digital, interactive environment targeting users in different cultural contexts.
To address this, I conducted an in-depth review of meridol’s existing materials, including packaging, website copy, and educational content. I mapped out recurring language patterns, key terms, and communication choices to identify the brand’s implicit tone—technical but caring, informative yet reassuring.
From there, I adapted this tone to suit a more conversational and accessible experience. Since we were guiding users through a health-related quiz, the content needed to feel trustworthy and professional without being clinical. I simplified terminology, avoided jargon, and focused on empathy, clarity, and regional relevance.
This content strategy informed the entire user flow—from onboarding screens to quiz questions, error messages, and email communications—ensuring a consistent voice throughout the experience, even in the absence of formal documentation.
