We're still accepting applications for fall 2024!

Skip to content

Skip to search

Accessibility Policy

Report an Accessibility Issue

Logo for the School of Public Health

HOME

THE PURSUIT

2023

CASE STUDY: USING SOCIAL MARKETING TO IMPROVE PUBLIC HEALTH

Case study: Using social marketing to improve public health

health communication

Gabrielle Seneres

Master’s student, Population and Health Sciences; Research Project Manager, Rescue Agency

February 1, 2023

Gabrielle Seneres is a master’s student in the online MPH program at the University of Michigan School
of Public Health. Seneres uses her experience as a behavior change researcher at Rescue Agency, a
health communications company, to outline five practical steps that can help anyone create effective
communications for behavior change and improving public health.

Today, there are endless opportunities for engagement online through social media and other content-
sharing websites. The internet is an integral part of our everyday life experience and offers an ideal
delivery system for information and news. In fact, 8 out of 10 people report receiving the majority of
news via their digital devices, such as through social media apps or online news outlets1. It’s a perfect
platform for health professionals and public health practitioners to leverage health promotion
strategies, such as social marketing.

What is Social Marketing?

Social marketing “applies marketing principles to create, communicate and deliver value in order to
influence target audience behaviors that benefit society (public health, safety, the environment, and
communities) as well as the target audience.”2 One major aspect of social marketing is using audience
insights to understand the key drivers that will lead to changing a certain behavior.

Real Life Application: Vax-A-Nation

Research is an important step in developing any health messaging intervention, such that it is backed by
scientific evidence and is informed by the voices of the community in which it is implemented.

Our health communications agency, Rescue Agency, conducted research in partnership with Tribal
communities in order to develop a social marketing campaign aimed at increasing COVID-19 vaccination
rates among American Indian and Alaska Natives in the Southeastern United States. This case study
shows a five-step process for researching and developing an effective campaign strategy based on our
recent work with the United South & Eastern Tribes, Inc. (USET) Vax-A-Nation campaign:

1. IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM AND THE GOAL FOR BEHAVIOR CHANGE

In early 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the US and disproportionately impacted marginalized
populations, such as American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/AN)3. However, despite subsequent efforts
to distribute the vaccine when it became available, Tribal nations in the South and Eastern regions of the
US struggled to meet the recommended target of 75-80% community vaccination uptake.

Throughout the pandemic, some AI/AN populations were hesitant to adopt these public health efforts.
According to a report from the Urban Indian Health Institute, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Native
populations may be due to a historic distrust of governmental agencies which is rooted in years of
colonization, genocide and medical experimentation4.

The presented challenge was determining how to increase vaccine uptake in a community that
historically faced challenges in the US healthcare system and continues to face a polarized landscape of
information pertaining to COVID-19. The overall goal was to identify key insights about the audience to
be used in a media campaign for COVID-19 vaccines.

2. IDENTIFY THE TARGET AUDIENCE

Using a screening questionnaire, we identified three segments of individuals who identified as being
hesitant to receive the COVID-19 vaccine: the Wait-and-Seers, Maybe Nevers and the Nevers. According
to existing research, it was hypothesized that the Wait-and-Seers were more receptive to
communication efforts and thus became the primary target audience for this campaign5. However,
research was also conducted with Maybe Nevers and Nevers in order to better understand general
perceptions of vaccinations and opportunities for further education among these audiences.

3. UNDERSTAND THE AUDIENCE’S PERCEPTIONS AND VALUES

Using a mixed methods research approach, we conducted in-depth interviews, focus groups, and a
cross-sectional survey to assess COVID-19 vaccine knowledge, attitudes, and values among a sample of
Tribal citizens who reported vaccine hesitancy across the three audience segments.

We found that lack of research on or “proof” of the safety and efficacy of the vaccine was the top reason
participants reported being hesitant to get vaccinated. There were also vaccine concerns associated with
personal values such as having the right to choose and maintaining autonomy. We also learned of
several perceived benefits to receiving the vaccine among this population, such as having the ability to
protect family members or elders from unwanted illness. Some of the barriers and motivators varied by
vaccine segment.

4. DEVELOP A STRATEGY BUILT ON AUDIENCE INSIGHTS

Based on these findings, we developed a strategic plan for how to craft a message that aligned with the
various attributes and values of the target audience. The primary messaging strategy focused on
encouraging Wait & See vaccine-hesitant adults to reconsider motivations for getting vaccinated, such as
the protection of elders and high-risk family members. Tailored messages were also crafted to address
other key findings, such as the desire for personal choice.

5. DISSEMINATE THROUGH APPROPRIATE CHANNELS

By 2021, Rescue Agency had fully developed the Vax-A-Nation campaign based on the findings from this
formative research. The final and most important step of the campaign rollout is identifying the
appropriate channels to disseminate the campaign message. In conversations with research participants
and subject matter experts, we identified Tribal leaders to be the main vessel for launching the
campaign. The campaign also included a customizable toolkit which was created for Tribal nations to
disseminate within their communities.

seneres_intext_1

Vax-A-Nation campaign materials. USET Vax-A-Nation Vaccine Campaign

The campaign demonstrates the importance of fully understanding your audience’s distinct
characteristics while also tailoring messages to align with their personal values. Using social marketing
as a tool for health behavior change has proved to be an innovative approach for health promotion and
public health practices. In the coming years we can expect social marketing to continue to evolve in
order to meet the ever-changing needs of our digital world and human behavior.

References

Shearer, E. (2021, January 12). More than eight-in-ten Americans get news from Digital Devices. Pew
Research Center. Retrieved December 22, 2022, from
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/01/12/more-than-eight-in-ten-americans-get-news-from-
digital-devices/

Kotler, P. & Lee, N. (2008). Social marketing: Influencing behaviors for good (3rd Ed.). Thousand Oaks,
CA: Sage Publications

Arrazola J, Masiello MM, Joshi S, et al. (2020). COVID-19 Mortality Among American Indian and Alaska
Native Persons — 14 States, January–June 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020;69:1853–1856.
DOI: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6949a3.htm?s_cid=mm6949a3_w

Urban Indian Health Institute (2021). Results from a National COVID-19 Vaccination Survey:
Strengthening Vaccine Efforts in Indian Country. Seattle, WA: Urban Indian Health Institute.

Hamel, L., Lopes, L., Sparks, G., Kirzinger, A., Kearney, A., Stokes, M., & Brodie, M. (2021, September 30).
KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: September 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2022, from
https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/poll-finding/kff-covid-19-vaccine-monitor-september-2021/

About the Author

gabrielle_seneresGabrielle Seneres is a Research Project Manager at a health communications company,
Rescue Agency, whose mission is to make healthy behaviors easy and more appealing. Her research
aims to inform the development of health campaigns on a variety of topics including substance use (i.e.
tobacco, cannabis, opioids), nutrition, and government assistance programs. Based in California, she
works full time while earning her Master of Public Health degree online from the University of Michigan
School of Public Health. She hopes to further her knowledge in various aspects of public health during
and after her graduate studies and continue to explore topics relating to her research interests.

Interested in learning public health online? Learn more here.

Read more articles about health communication here.

Support research and engaged learning at the School of Public Health.

population healthy logoWant more news and trending topics in public health? Subscribe to the
Population Healthy newsletter and listen to the Population Healthy podcast.

TAGS

MPH Online Students COVID-19 Health Behavior and Health Education Health Communication
Professional Development Social Media Vaccines

CATEGORIES

Select Category

RECENT POSTS

5 Key Takeaways from The Exchange: Public Health Approaches to Ending Gun Violence

What's the best diet for healthy sleep? A nutritional epidemiologist explains what food choices will help
you get more restful z's

A public health perspective on Prolonged Grief Disorder

A global health internship and connecting to my culture

ARCHIVES
Select Month

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

About the Pursuit Adolescent Health Advocacy Aging Air Quality Alcohol Alternative Therapies Asthma
Big Data Biostatistics Breastfeeding COVID-19 Cancer Child Health Chronic Disease Community
Partnership Computational Epidemiology and Systems Modeling Detroit Dietetics Disability Disaster
Relief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Engaged Learning Entrepreneurship Environmental Health Epidemic
Epidemiologic Science Epidemiology Epigenetics Exercise Firearms First Generation Students Flint Flu
Food Policy Food Safety Genetics Global Public Health Gluten HMP Executive Masters Health Behavior
and Health Education Health Care Health Care Access Health Care Management Health Care Policy
Health Communication Health Disparities Health Informatics Health for Men Health for Women Heart
Disease Hospital Administration Immigration Industrial Hygiene Infectious Disease Innovation
Internships LGBT Health Lansing Lead Leadership MPH Marijuana Maternal Health Mental Health
Michigan Nutrition Obesity Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Opioids Pain Management
Pharmaceuticals Policy Pollution Poverty Practice Precision Health Pregnancy Professional Development
Racism Reproductive Health Research Scholarships Sexual Health Social Epidemiology Social Media
Statistics Student Organizations Teaching Tobacco Toxicology Urban Health Urban Planning Vaccines
Value-Based Care Violence Water Quality What Is Public Health?

Recent Posts

Group tours the Gordie Howe International Bridge site to explore health inequities in southwest Detroit

As viral infections skyrocket, masks are still a tried-and-true way to help keep yourself and others safe

Michigan's longstanding history of toxic environmental exposures and environmental injustice

A judge in Texas is using a recent Supreme Court ruling to say domestic abusers can keep their guns

Recognizing Michigan Public Health's Distance Learning Community

INFORMATION FOR

Prospective Students

Current Students

Alumni and Donors

Community Partners and Employers

ABOUT US

About Public Health

How Do I Apply?

Departments

News

Findings magazine

Giving

Maps

STUDENT RESOURCES

Career Development

Certificates

Internships

Graduation

CONNECT

Contact Us

The Heights Intranet

Update Contact Info

Report Website Feedback

Directory

facebook

twitter

youtube

instagram

linkedin

University of Michigan logo

School of Public Health | 734-764-5425

1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029

Master’s Doctoral CEPH AccreditedMaster’s Doctoral CEPH Accredite

© 2024 The Regents of the University of Michigan | Privacy Policy | Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion |
Campus Safety | U-M HOME