Effective public health ads/PSAs require clear, actionable, steps combined with credible stories from ‘the right messengers’

Marketing experts say public health advertising often falls short because it incites people’s worst fears rather than providing clear steps viewers can take to save lives. They say lessons from opioid messaging can inform campaigns seeking to influence behavior that could help curb the coronavirus pandemic, such as wearing masks, not gathering in big groups and getting a covid-19 vaccine…’It needs the right messengers: well-known individuals who have high credibility within specific population groups that currently are hesitant about taking the vaccine,’ [Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s, Jay] Winsten said … Continue reading

After initial focus on ‘unsure’ Americans, Fed’s campaign to build trust in the COVID-19 vaccines’ safety will require trusted influencers at local level to sway more narrowly defined groups

“The federal [government’s] $250 million marketing blitz to build trust in the coronavirus vaccines’ safety…will focus on swaying those who are simply unsure about the new coronavirus inoculations…The administration is right to focus on those who are merely skeptical, said Harvard public health professor Jay Winsten…’You want to go for the low-hanging fruit…Those who are open to vaccination in general, but are currently hesitant about this vaccine,’ said Winsten…[T]he government is running focus groups geared toward finding spokespeople who are respected within different groups…Winsten said the more intensive campaign geared toward smaller groups should focus on finding people who are locally influential … Continue reading